Scroll Saw Village

Welcome to the very last lesson in our free online class on how to use Inkscape to make your own scroll saw patterns.   This time, we demonstrate how to use the tools we learned up to this point to create an elk mini-clock.  The clock takes a standard 1 7/16″ mini-clock insert.  You can find these inserts online or at some local craft stores.  This lesson is a bit long, but you’ll see the entire process as we create this really neat desk clock.  You can find the finished pattern here.

You can find this lesson and others at Scroll Saw Village in the Village University forum.  You’ll find videos, written instruction, downloadable source material, and classroom discussion where you can have all your questions answered.  Be sure to stop by and check it out.

I hope you guys enjoyed this class and learned a thing or two. Inkscape isn’t a hard program to learn, it just takes a little practice (just like anything else). The possibilities are endless with this program and you can come up with unique designs that nobody else has. I hope you choose to share your talent with the rest of us and upload some of your creations to the Pattern Library. Scrollers are very appreciative of pattern designers. Plus, its a huge thrill when you see someone cut one of your patterns. I can’t wait to see what y’all will come up with. Anyway, on with the show!

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Here’s a great 3 part video series created by Chris (aka messman) of Scroll Saw Village. This series shows how Chris takes a bird photo and turns it into a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop. He shows you every step of the way and even includes the original photo if you’d like to follow along. You can download the original picture here and ask any questions if you get stuck. Chris is an amazing designer and very helpful. Enjoy the show!
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Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Blip.tv video.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Blip.tv video.

Creating A Dog Portrait Using Adobe Photoshop is now available on DVD!  How cool!  Well, don’t get too excited, this DVD does not include any additional materials. This is the exact same series you can download for free in the podcast section. Why am I putting out a DVD then? There has been interest from those who have trouble downloading these screencasts.  This way you can watch them on your home television.  So for those of you interested, you can get this complete series for $10. That’s almost 3.5 hours for $10! The price even includes shipping! Now that’s an amazing deal! Plus you’re helping to support future podcasts. Doesn’t that make you feel good?  So if you’d like a copy of this series on DVD, click the Buy Now button below and I’ll send your copy out right away.

Note: This offer is good for US Residents.  Outside of the US, please contact me for more information.  This is presented in NTSC and on DVD-R format.  Some older DVD players may not play DVD-R formatted disks.

We made it!  Finaly finished with our portrait of a dog using Adobe Photoshop.  We pick up wherw we left off and finish off the muzzle and experiment with redesigning the nose a bit.  We end up with a scroll saw pattern ready for mounting to the wood.

I hope you enjoyed this series.  If you’d like to see anything specific, or would like to suggest a future screencast, you can contact me at scrollsawgoodies[at]gmail.com.  Or PM me at in the forums at Scroll Saw Village.

If you enjoyed this pattern making series, please consider a small donation.
Proceeds go to supporting SSG podcast and other tutorials. Thank you for your support.
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We’re almost there!  We pick up where we left off as we design a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the dog’s chin and muzzle.  If you have any questions or comments, drop by the forums!  We’d be glad to have ya.  While you’re there, check out the pattern section where you can find some great examples of this technique being used.

On with the show!

For those who are still with me, here is the next installment of our video series as I create a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the dog’s body.  If you have any questions or comments, please stop by our forums.  While you’re there, be sure to introduce yourself.  There are a lot of fun and talented people there.  I think you’ll have a good time.  We also have a nice collection of free scroll saw patterns located in the Pattern Library.  Check it out!

Anyway, on with the show!

Well.  We made it past the half way mark!  For those of you still watching, we pick up where we left off.  This time we’re working on the right ear and the face! If you have any questions or comments, please join us in the forums! We’d love to have ya!

Note: I had trouble with audio drift on this episode as well. But don’t worry, the next few episodes recorded properly.

Welcome back!  We’re picking up with part 3 of the 7 part series where we convert a photo into a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the ear and left side of the face.

Note: I ran into a little technical problem when recording this episode.  You’ll notice the audio drifts a little bit.  Which basically means the sound and the video start getting more and more out of sync as the program progresses.  You’ll notice it more at the end of this program than at the beginning.  I apologize for this.  I have a few ideas on how to fix this, but in order to keep on schedule, I’ll post this episode the way it is.

Have a question or comment?  Join us in the forums!  We’d love to have ya!

Anyway.  On with the show!

This is part 2 of the continuing series where I convert a photo of a beloved pet into a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  We pick up right where we left off and work on the eyes, the forhead, and a little on the left side of the face.  For those interested, I’ve included the original photo along with the finished pattern so you can see where we started and where we ended.

If you have any questions regarding the techniques I describe, please let me know by posting a comment or asking in the forums.  On with the show!

There has been interest in the Scroll Saw Village forums on how to create a scroll saw pattern from a photograph. While there are hundreds of ways to design a scroll saw pattern, I share one technique that I use when it comes to difficult patterns. I’m using Adobe Photoshop in this screen cast. But these techniques can easily be adapted to your favorite graphics program.

Fair Warning: This is a monster of a tutorial. Each episode runs about 30 minutes and we have 7 episodes. So if you do the math, the whole series runs 3.5 hours long! Why so long? Well, first, the pattern proved to be a little more difficult than I originally anticipated. Normally it doesn’t take that long to create a pattern. And secondly, there has been interest to see the complete process. So, those who like to see the whole process will enjoy it. Those who only want the bullet points will be bored to tears. However, most of the information and techniques can be found in part 1.

One other note.  This is an experiment, so I’d love to get a little feedback. You can email me directly at scrollsawgoodies[at]gmail.com, leave a comment on the blog, or reach me on the Scroll Saw Village forums. Future episodes will be much more concise. I also plan on covering other graphics programs as well. If you’d like to see something specific, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

On with the show.