Corel Painter Help | Cloning workflows

Some features described in the Help are available only in Corel Painter 2020, and are not included in Painter Essentials 7. For more information about Corel Painter 2020, visit http://www.painterartist.com/. To get started with Painter Essentials 7, see the Painter Essentials 7 Quick Start Guide.

Cloning workflows

The most common workflows for photo painting and creating composite images (such as collages) include:

Workflow I: Turn a photo into a painting

Workflow step	Help topic
1. Open a photo for painting	Opening and placing files
2. Clone a photo	To clone an image by using Quick Clone
3. (optional) Add an additional clone source	To embed an additional clone source image into a document To use a texture as a clone source To use a pattern as a clone source
4. (optional) Edit an embedded clone source	Working with embedded clone sources
5. Paint in the clone	Painting in the clone

Wokflow II: Create a composite image

Workflow step	Help topic
1. Create the assets that you need (images, textures, and patterns) and add them to a library	Creating textures Using textures in photo painting and image compositing Creating and editing patterns
2. Create a new document	Creating documents
3. Add content assets as clone sources	To embed an additional clone source image into a document To use a texture as a clone source To use a pattern as a clone source
4. (optional) Edit a clone source to suit your composition and concept	To apply a transformation to a texture To edit a texture To edit a texture clone source
5. (optional) Edit an embedded clone source	Working with embedded clone sources
6. Paint in the clone	Painting in the clone

Choosing an image

The first step is to choose a document, such as a photo or another image, that you want to clone, or create a new document.

In this example, the artist started by cloning a photo and then painted in the clone. Original photo (top) and artwork (bottom) by Mary Ann Rolfe.

Working with clone sources

A clone source is a reference — a guide — for brush colors. You clone (copy) color from a clone source and apply it to a destination canvas (clone document). A clone source may or may not be embedded. Embedding a clone source allows you to keep it with your document and switch quickly between clone sources as you paint.

You can use images, textures, and patterns as clone sources. If you plan to use a clone source only once — for example, if you want to turn a photo into a painting — you can embed it as an image. If you plan to reuse a content asset as a clone source in multiple projects, you can store it as a texture or pattern in the Texture or Pattern library, respectively. Corel Painter supports PNG and RIFF clone sources with transparency and lets you easily transform textures in the context of your composition to make them suit your artistic vision.

Clone a photograph to create a unique work of art, or import your content assets as textures and reuse them as clone sources in different projects. A transparent PNG (1) and a texture (2) were used as clone sources in the clone document (3). Images and artwork by Karen Bonaker.

If you want to borrow elements from different images and combine them in the clone document to create a composite image, you can use multiple clone sources.

Painting in the clone

After choosing a clone source, pick a brush and apply strokes to the canvas or let Corel Painter automatically apply brushstrokes for you.

Cloner brushes

To quickly get started with cloning, choose any of the brush variants available in the Cloners brush category. If you prefer to create your own custom variant, see Cloning brushes and controls for detailed information on cloning controls.

Auto-painting

Using a cloner brush may take a long time if you’re working on a large area. To work more quickly, you can have Corel Painter automatically apply brushstrokes for you. For detailed information on auto-painting, see Auto-painting photos.

You can also use the Auto Clone effect. For more information, see Automatically cloning an image.

You can also have Corel Painter place directional brushstrokes to produce a Van Gogh–like rendition of a cloned image. For more information, see Applying the Auto Van Gogh effect.

Additional clone painting techniques

The following table describes different techniques for painting a clone.

To	For information, see
Create a mosaic or tessellation by using a source image	Creating a mosaic
Add three-dimensional effects by applying surface texture	Using 3D brushstrokes to create texture
Create a selection or channel	Selections and transformations and Alpha Channels

Displaying the clone source image or texture

If you want to use the clone source image or texture as a reference while painting in the clone, you can display it in a separate window.

The clone source image (right) is displayed and arranged side by side with the clone document (left). As you paint in the clone document (left), the crosshair cursor in the source image window (right) identifies the area where you are painting.

You can quickly switch between clone sources as you paint.

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