How to use this Page

I thought I’d write this as I liked to draw in Microsoft Paint, and a lot of people seem surprised at the possibilities you can achieve with such a simple program!

First off what you do is find a picture of what you’re drawing, either use a website link…or a picture on your computer… Print Screen it (Prt Sc) and paste it into a New File in Paint, then select what part of the image you need – a person, their face, a background etc.

Next, select your tool. I prefer the little Pencil icon rather than the Paintbrush icon as it’s thinner. Drawing with a mouse is very tricky, so use the Magnifying Glass to zoom in – 2 times zoom – works for me. The picture now looks like pixels, which is what you then use to recreate with the pencil. Try and draw/copy as close to the pixels as possible for accuracy. This is really useful for drawing eyes and facial features. You may prefer to just draw in whatever style you want though, so I’ll cover effects down the page.

This is a drawing where I used the zoom. Once you draw each bit, zoom out to see if it looks fine, if not rub it out and re-draw. You can use the selection tool to move the drawing about the page also. No need to worry about keeping it in the same place. Once you’ve got you drawing completed. Save you drawing. Save as you go along (CTRL +S), as sometimes it’s possible Paint my crash. Save as a Bitmap, this won’t distort any quality (if you saved as a .jpeg, you cant open the file and fill in colours as the quality has decreased)…

It’s time to add colour, for this I like to use the Pick Colour tool, go to the original image and select the skin tone (if you’re drawing a person). This way you have their exact skin/hair/eye/clothing tone which creates a realistic effect. Then Flood-fill tool (the paint can spilling over) to paste that section that colour.

Play about different shades if you like. The background - again you can copy from a picture or create your own. There are many easy ways to achieve this, if you wanted to suggest a floor or window use Line tool to put straight lines in. I find it’s easy to just put it straight over the people then use the Eraser to wipe out any over lines.

As you can see for this drawing, I uses the Line to create the windows and a garden outside, then filled the colours of grass/walls etc in. Easy. A useful tip is, for filling a colour black, use a lighter shade of black (click the colour black, then define custom colours and go a shade lighter) because if the outside line’s are the same and you want to change it, it will fill in all adjoining black lines and effectively ruin your drawing. Save again, I’d recommend saving before making a huge change as well, as you can go close and re-open to the version you’re happy with.

Here for effects, I’ve created a glistening surface by just drawing little white stars. I’ve used the Line tool to give the perception of cupboards. This was just playing about until it looked right. Anytime you make a huge mistake just Undo it (CTRL + Z), remember you can only undo a few times. So keep saving or keep on top of it. I prefer to draw little by little – check – OK – next bit. Eraser tool is always helpful.
And likewise Free Form Select or Select tools – you can move anything about! I would then add the background, as above. There’s a kettle, a knife, glasses.

Here I have used a darker shade of brown on the door to draw cracks and added text. Adding text is fun, remember it will create a huge block of white on top of your drawing, which you can adjust to a speech bubble or fill in, if it works.

Click Link For Image

I have used some of Paint’s effective tools for this drawing. The Ellipse tool for her bum to create circular feel, the Airbrush tool to give the impression of grass. A lot of copy and pasting in the background, straight lines and colour can make all the difference! Experimenting with different shades is usually the major factor in creating an image.

Once you’re finished Save it. Because Paint is primarily using pixels, if you re-size your drawing you’ll notice a lot of distortion, so it’s probably best to avoid that. If you want to put it on-line, then open the drawing and save it as a jpeg or PNG and upload in that format as you will have less distortion!

I thought I’d write this as I liked to draw in Microsoft Paint, and a lot of people seem surprised at the possibilities you can achieve with such a simple program!

First off what you do is find a picture of what you’re drawing, either use a website link…or a picture on your computer… Print Screen it (Prt Sc) and paste it into a New File in Paint, then select what part of the image you need – a person, their face, a background etc.

Next, select your tool. I prefer the little Pencil icon rather than the Paintbrush icon as it’s thinner. Drawing with a mouse is very tricky, so use the Magnifying Glass to zoom in – 2 times zoom – works for me. The picture now looks like pixels, which is what you then use to recreate with the pencil. Try and draw/copy as close to the pixels as possible for accuracy. This is really useful for drawing eyes and facial features. You may prefer to just draw in whatever style you want though, so I’ll cover effects down the page.

This is a drawing where I used the zoom. Once you draw each bit, zoom out to see if it looks fine, if not rub it out and re-draw. You can use the selection tool to move the drawing about the page also. No need to worry about keeping it in the same place. Once you’ve got you drawing completed. Save you drawing. Save as you go along (CTRL +S), as sometimes it’s possible Paint my crash. Save as a Bitmap, this won’t distort any quality (if you saved as a .jpeg, you cant open the file and fill in colours as the quality has decreased)…

It’s time to add colour, for this I like to use the Pick Colour tool, go to the original image and select the skin tone (if you’re drawing a person). This way you have their exact skin/hair/eye/clothing tone which creates a realistic effect. Then Flood-fill tool (the paint can spilling over) to paste that section that colour.

Play about different shades if you like. The background - again you can copy from a picture or create your own. There are many easy ways to achieve this, if you wanted to suggest a floor or window use Line tool to put straight lines in. I find it’s easy to just put it straight over the people then use the Eraser to wipe out any over lines.

As you can see for this drawing, I uses the Line to create the windows and a garden outside, then filled the colours of grass/walls etc in. Easy. A useful tip is, for filling a colour black, use a lighter shade of black (click the colour black, then define custom colours and go a shade lighter) because if the outside line’s are the same and you want to change it, it will fill in all adjoining black lines and effectively ruin your drawing. Save again, I’d recommend saving before making a huge change as well, as you can go close and re-open to the version you’re happy with.

Here for effects, I’ve created a glistening surface by just drawing little white stars. I’ve used the Line tool to give the perception of cupboards. This was just playing about until it looked right. Anytime you make a huge mistake just Undo it (CTRL + Z), remember you can only undo a few times. So keep saving or keep on top of it. I prefer to draw little by little – check – OK – next bit. Eraser tool is always helpful.
And likewise Free Form Select or Select tools – you can move anything about! I would then add the background, as above. There’s a kettle, a knife, glasses.

Here I have used a darker shade of brown on the door to draw cracks and added text. Adding text is fun, remember it will create a huge block of white on top of your drawing, which you can adjust to a speech bubble or fill in, if it works.

Click Link For Image

I have used some of Paint’s effective tools for this drawing. The Ellipse tool for her bum to create circular feel, the Airbrush tool to give the impression of grass. A lot of copy and pasting in the background, straight lines and colour can make all the difference! Experimenting with different shades is usually the major factor in creating an image.

Once you’re finished Save it. Because Paint is primarily using pixels, if you re-size your drawing you’ll notice a lot of distortion, so it’s probably best to avoid that. If you want to put it on-line, then open the drawing and save it as a jpeg or PNG and upload in that format as you will have less distortion!

A true Elvis fan:))

When resistance fighters assassinated the highest ranking Nazi officer in Czechoslovakia, Hitler sought revenge on the small village of Lidice. ~School Library Journal

Joan M. Wolf is the author of the outstanding historical fiction novel Someone Named Eva. This book is also a nomination for the Cybils Middle Grade fiction category.

How did you first get the idea for Someone Named Eva?

Someone Named Eva actually began as a writing assignment for an MFA class I was taking while working on my masters at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. The professor asked us to create a portfolio of a historical character. For this assignment, I began researching my own Czech roots (my great-grandmother was from Czechoslovkia) and stumbled upon the story of Lidice and the Nazi Lebensborn program. I had never heard of either story and felt like they were important parts of World War ll that others (in this country) may not know about. This project then grew to be my MFA thesis, and then became my novel.

What was one of your most interesting experiences while researching?

Most definitely, my trip to Lidice, in the Czech Republic, where I met two Lebensborn survivors, as well as three other survivors of the Lidice tragedy of 1942. This trip changed my life in so many ways. I went alone and got a taste of being a person in a country where I know no language and no people. The people I met (my translator in particular) were so warm and inviting and I absolutely fell in love with the country. It is a beautiful country filled with rich history and stories. Through an unusual coincidence, I also met a man who had been through the Kindertransport (a program that smuggled Jewish children to safety) during the war. I left with a much greater understanding of the way Word War ll affected Czechoslovakia and its people. I am really excited because my parents and I are returning to the Czech Republic and Lidice this March (2008).

View some pictures from Joan's trip (scroll down).

Someone Named Eva is your first fiction novel for young people. Did you set out to write the story for that audience? If yes, why?

I had never seen myself as a writer for young people before writing Someone Named Eva. I didn't really intentionally set out to write for that audience but the age of the characters fit and the story made sense to become one for a younger audience. I think it is important that young people have an appreciation for and understanding of history. Writing historical fiction is one way to accomplish this.

What is your writing process like? Your editing process?

I try very hard to write every day. With a full-time job, this is not always possible and I find myself doing a lot of writing on weekends. I tend to have the entire story formed in my mind before starting. Then, I like to write a bit, go back and polish, then continue writing - until the story is done. I also like to do some drawing of characters and places, and find music to listen to that is related somehow to the story. I don't like to show my work to anyone except my agent and editor until the story is pretty polished.

What are some of your favorite historical fiction titles?

For young adults, I really enjoy the historical fiction books written by Gloria Whelan. In particular, I like Homeless Bird and Goodbye Vietnam. For adults, I have enjoyed Anchee Min's historical fiction books about the last empress of China (The Last Empress and Empress Orchid).

What are you working on next?

I am currently writing another historical fiction novel for young people.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

I love the idea of being able to touch and teach people through my writing. I like the thought that someone might see something a little differently after reading something I wrote. I like to inspire and motivate in a way that is completely different from anything else.

Thank you so much, Joan!