Fretwork Pattern 'Pontiac Fiero'

[IRMSRUS]

Theres the picture... Im still working on teaching myself how to make fretwork patters from a picture. And I got some advice from a very nice young lady so im gonna try it and see where it leads me...

Whats your thoughts on converting this image to a fretwork design? what are the first things you look at, whats the first thing you do?

Thanks for your help,
~Tim

[Daryl185]

Tim here is a tenative idea I used serif photoplus which is a free down load its just a rough pattern but here it is
Attachment 4860

[Andy]

Here's my 2 cents worth too Tim. I couldn't think of another way to get my thoughts across other than to create a pattern with explanations.

Check it out, let me know if you need more help. I'll be out of town all next week for work (Tue-Sat) but hopefully will find lodging that has internet. LOL Look out Montreal, here I come. ROTF

Enjoy!

[GrayBeard Phil]

Tim:

This is just a critique, I don't intend to insult you. This is about your photo and how the subject of it is photographed and placed in the photograph:

I challenge you to go visit the Pontiac web site, or most new car web sites, and you will notice the camera's point of view is at the height of someone sitting in another car of the same class. In short, you should have taken the photo while sitting in a dining room chair, or the seat of another sedan type car.

It is obvious you were standing when you took the picture, but under normal conditions, one would have to be in an 18-wheeler tractor to get a similar view of that Fiero on the street.

Next, I would suggest you take a few more steps to the left and one or two steps to the center line of the car. The Car's logo on the hood should be more visible, pronounced and defined by the photo. All you need is the hint of the rear spoiler over the trunk. And if you frame it correctly, you would get a better shot of the aerodynamics of the air-foil effect.

The tree behind the rear bumper, it has to go. Even with PhotoShop, it would be difficult to remove that tree with out leaving a gap in the skyline over the trunk hood.

Foreground, subject, and background. Don't forget it. By your photo, the foreground is the car, the subject of the photo is the small shrubs, and the tree line is the background, with background focus on the large tree. That is not what this photo should be about.

Again, compare with the photos on the web sites of new cars and how the cars are arranged and positioned in the photo's. Even compare with Andy's PDF file of just the car.

If you can, and I know you would have a real difficult time doing it, change the car's position so the rear of the car is pointing between the two trees Position the car such that you can easily PhotoShop out the trees later if you want to.

Sit in a stiff backed chair, and try to get a shot looking down the side of the car with only a small corner of the rear spoiler showing. (Do remember you intend to cut with a scroll saw, don't make it too small a corner!) Aim so the front Fiero logo is 1/3 from the left of the frame. But also the Logo is no less than 1/3 from the bottom of the frame. Don't frame the photo so you crop any part of the roof or the tires.

Even without anyone sitting in the driver's seat, the viewer will add a driver to the shot. That imaginary driver is what you want to be viewer's center of attention (focus.) Try to make this imaginary driver's head somewhere between the 1/2 and 2/3'rds to the right of the frame. And the "driver's" eyes should be about at the 2/3rds to 3/4 to the top of the frame. Thus you create the triangle of interest to be the Logo, Driver's head, and rear spoiler.

Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to add my few comments to how the photo subject mater was arranged. I hope you took this in the way of a helpful critique.

Phil

[IRMSRUS]

Originally Posted by Andy

Here's my 2 cents worth too Tim. I couldn't think of another way to get my thoughts across other than to create a pattern with explanations.

Check it out, let me know if you need more help. I'll be out of town all next week for work (Tue-Sat) but hopefully will find lodging that has internet. LOL Look out Montreal, here I come. ROTF

Enjoy!

is there anyway you can give the picture a http:// or something (somethings wrong with my adobe program... it freezes up the computer, i'll have to try and figure out whats wrong with it...)

thanks for your help andy. as well as the rest of you that have or with be giving me advice on photos and turning them into fretwork designs...

[Andy]

Okey dokey Tim. Here's a page I threw on my website. Hopefully you can view it okay. If you want the pattern at the end of the page, just right click and save it on your computer wherever you can find it. It's a "quickie", just to let you see where the path took me, but is very cuttable the way it is. Let me know you got there okay.
http://www.80artdesigns.com/Andy4Tim.html
Andy

[lucky788scroller]

I think Andy did wonderful with that piece. The part Im not sure I like is the front tier, for some reason it doesnt look right to me, almost as if its sticking out from under the car to much. I think what Phil said makes a lot of sense, the positioning of the subject makes a huge difference.Is that a custom cutting order Tim? Dale

[IRMSRUS]

Originally Posted by lucky788scroller

I think Andy did wonderful with that piece. The part Im not sure I like is the front tier, for some reason it doesnt look right to me, almost as if its sticking out from under the car to much. I think what Phil said makes a lot of sense, the positioning of the subject makes a huge difference.Is that a custom cutting order Tim? Dale

Yes, I'd have to agree. wonderful job andy... It was a custom order awhile back, but i'm probally just gonna wind up cutting one out for myself to decorate my new appt. I've got an 86 fiero GT (same body style as the pattern) but its black, so i got a picture of a friends for the pattern to be made of...

every picture i tried taking of mine turned out with light issues and glares.


theres a good example of a really bad picture of mine...