As an artist I enjoy the challenge to continually grow in my skills and abilities. There is so much more to learn that it keeps the work fun and fulfilling, and it's one of the reasons I enjoy sharing and teaching so much.
This challenge also means that I'm continually looking through various blogs and websites perusing articles and tutorials hunting for those gems that might be found by exploring some new idea. For me it's less about the specific task the tutorial is covering and more about the ideas being presented. Quite often there will be something discussed that catches my attention and gets me exploring some new idea.
One of the best presenters on the web has to be Adobe's Russell Brown. As one of Adobe's top evangelists he's part wizard and part showman always presenting tips and techniques in an entertaining way.
In the video below Russell talks about adding some drama to an image by creating fake Sun Rays. It's a cool effect, but the particular techniques that I thought you would be interested in was his use of the Polar Coordinates Filter along with the Overlay Blending mode. This Polar Coordinates Filter is used to take a series of vertical lines and turn them into a series of lines radiating out from the center. Now what else could we use this filter for? Hmmm....
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Roger Hagadone and GVC
Earlier this year I collaborated with photographer Roger Hagadone on a series of ads for Grand Victoria Casino in the Chicago area.
The image shown here is one of ten images we created for the campaign. For each of these images Roger shot the background and foreground elements inside the casino and then flew out to Los Angeles to shoot the models that would be composited into the images.
Working on set with Roger as he shot the models I quickly dropped them into the backgrounds so he and the client could preview how the final composited images would look. Then once the final picks had been made I took copies of all the files and returned to my studio where I started to work on crafting the final composited images.
To keep the focus of the image on the model I used Photoshop's Lens Blur filter and to create the illusion of a short depth of field and then progressively darkened the deepest parts of the background. The table was added in front of the model and I brought in just a hint of her reflected in the wine glass. Then I retouched the model and added a touch of stylizing glamour to give her that special look Roger wanted.
Below are the before shots used to create the final polished image.
The image shown here is one of ten images we created for the campaign. For each of these images Roger shot the background and foreground elements inside the casino and then flew out to Los Angeles to shoot the models that would be composited into the images.
Working on set with Roger as he shot the models I quickly dropped them into the backgrounds so he and the client could preview how the final composited images would look. Then once the final picks had been made I took copies of all the files and returned to my studio where I started to work on crafting the final composited images.
To keep the focus of the image on the model I used Photoshop's Lens Blur filter and to create the illusion of a short depth of field and then progressively darkened the deepest parts of the background. The table was added in front of the model and I brought in just a hint of her reflected in the wine glass. Then I retouched the model and added a touch of stylizing glamour to give her that special look Roger wanted.
Below are the before shots used to create the final polished image.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Digital Dissection - Photoshop Workshop Sept 24th, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Great info from X-Rite & CMG
Ever since Photoshop 5 debuted Color Management has become an essential part of any digital workflow. Back then, in the dark old days of Color Management, it was a challenge just to find any good info on what we needed to do to get our color under control.
And the tools for profiling printers and monitors were difficult to work with as well. The first printer profiling package I used, ColorBlind, required a two day training session just to learn the basics.
We've come a long way since then and the latest offerings from X-Rite have taken the ease of use even higher while also delivering some very powerful tools that allow you to get your color under control like never before!
I recently upgraded my profiling package to X-Rite's i1 Profiler and I have to say I'm very impressed. This software is easier to use than any I've used before and yet it also gives me some very advanced options that make it easy to get everything dialed in whether it's calibrating and profiling my monitor, or it's creating a profile for that new paper I've been looking to try in my Epson printer.
As I've explored this new tool I came across a great resource for information from X-Rite and my friends at the Color Management Group. If you're looking for tips on how to make great printer profiles, or how to produce Contract Level Proofs on your inkjet printer these folks have the info for you.
You can read some great tips on the cool new features in i1 Profiler in the Tech Corner section of their site as well as find links to downloads and more info here: http://www.i1upgrades.com/category/tech-corner/
And the tools for profiling printers and monitors were difficult to work with as well. The first printer profiling package I used, ColorBlind, required a two day training session just to learn the basics.
We've come a long way since then and the latest offerings from X-Rite have taken the ease of use even higher while also delivering some very powerful tools that allow you to get your color under control like never before!
I recently upgraded my profiling package to X-Rite's i1 Profiler and I have to say I'm very impressed. This software is easier to use than any I've used before and yet it also gives me some very advanced options that make it easy to get everything dialed in whether it's calibrating and profiling my monitor, or it's creating a profile for that new paper I've been looking to try in my Epson printer.
As I've explored this new tool I came across a great resource for information from X-Rite and my friends at the Color Management Group. If you're looking for tips on how to make great printer profiles, or how to produce Contract Level Proofs on your inkjet printer these folks have the info for you.
You can read some great tips on the cool new features in i1 Profiler in the Tech Corner section of their site as well as find links to downloads and more info here: http://www.i1upgrades.com/category/tech-corner/
Friday, August 19, 2011
Adusting a Layer Mask with the Dodge-Burn and Blur Tools
Here's a technique I developed for quickly finessing a Layer Mask using the Dodge/Burn & Blur tools. The idea is to use the Burn Tool to bring the mask in tighter to the object and the Blur Tool to give the edge just the right amount of softness.
With a little practice you'll find this method works very quickly because it does not require you to be as careful as you would need to be with the Brush Tool.
Take a look at the video and let me know what you think.
With a little practice you'll find this method works very quickly because it does not require you to be as careful as you would need to be with the Brush Tool.
Take a look at the video and let me know what you think.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
3 Steps to Optimize Your Brush Settings for Wacom Tablets
As an experienced retoucher one of the most valuable tools available to me is my trusty Wacom Tablet. The ability to use hold the Stylus in my hand as I would a paint brush or a pencil makes the whole work of retouching and masking so much easier.
For me using a mouse for painting feels like I'm using a brick. I simply can't imagine how it would be possible to get my work done that way. Yet I am constantly surprised by the number of Photoshop users I meet who just can't seem to get the hang of working with the Wacom Stylus.
After speaking with several folks like this I realized that often times there are just too many variables happening at the same time when they try to use a Wacom or other pressure sensitive tablet. And in many regards this makes a lot of sense to me.
The default Brushes in Photoshop have a lot of power behind them and it seems like Adobe keeps adding in more power with every update. But these many of these default Brushes have overlapping controls that can make working with them very difficult, especially for users who are not used to being able to control so many factors at once.
For instance many of the default Brushes use the pressure sensitivity of the tablet to control the opacity of the Brush, but it controls the sizing of the Brush as well. In other words pressing harder or softer affects how much paint you're adding as well as how big the Brush is. Here is an example of the kind of effect this can create:
As I painted with this Brush I started out in the middle with a very light pressure and gradually used a harder pressure and then a lighter pressure as I finished the stroke. You can see how the size of the Brush and the hardness of the edge changes as I varied the pressure.
For many users this can make for some unpredictable effects that are harder to control. No wonder many of them want to just keep painting with their brick, er Mouse!
As I said in the beginning of this article Photoshop gives you a lot of control over the way the Brushes work. Let's take a look at our example again, but this time we'll also take a look at the Brush Setting as well.
Looking at the Brush palette you can see there are several controls available. Right now we're only going to be concerned with 2 of them.
Step 1) Just below the "Brush Tip Shape" name is a control labeled "Shape Dynamics". This setting is where you can control the shape and size of the Brush. Turning that control off (by un-clicking) allows you to keep the size of the Brush constant no matter how much pressure you apply. Now your Brush will act exactly the same way when you use the Stylus or the Mouse.
Step 2) Now go to the control labeled "Transfer" (In Photoshop CS4 and before this is called "Other Dynamics"). Clicking on that control will show you a few more options. The one we're concerned with here is called "Opacity Jitter". Click on the Control button right below that and you'll see a pop up menu like the one shown below:
Setting this control to "Pen Pressure" will allow you to control the opacity of your brush by changing the pressure you apply with your Stylus. The harder you press the more paint the Brush will apply. And the softer you press means the more transparent your paint stroke will be.
This control gives you a lot of power that can be pretty easy to master. With just a little practice now you should be able to easily control how much paint you're applying. If you want a softer, more transparent effect just use a lighter pressure. If you want more paint to be applied just press harder. It's really that simple.
Step 3) Once you have set your Brush up as you like it be sure to click on the "Brush Presets" button, then click on the "Create New Brush" button to save your brush as shown below:
Since many of Photoshop's tools, like the Rubber Stamp Tool, make use of Brushes you'll find it's now easier than ever to get just the effects you want. Many Photoshop Pros make a variety of Brush Presets with different sizes and hardnesses so they have a wide range of handy settings available to them. To make these various Brushes just go back to your Brushes palette and click on the "Brush Tip Shape" control shown below:
Here by changing the Size and the Hardness options and then saving each Brush you can create your own variety of Brush Presets that will be easily available to you whenever you work in Photoshop.
For me using a mouse for painting feels like I'm using a brick. I simply can't imagine how it would be possible to get my work done that way. Yet I am constantly surprised by the number of Photoshop users I meet who just can't seem to get the hang of working with the Wacom Stylus.
After speaking with several folks like this I realized that often times there are just too many variables happening at the same time when they try to use a Wacom or other pressure sensitive tablet. And in many regards this makes a lot of sense to me.
The default Brushes in Photoshop have a lot of power behind them and it seems like Adobe keeps adding in more power with every update. But these many of these default Brushes have overlapping controls that can make working with them very difficult, especially for users who are not used to being able to control so many factors at once.
For instance many of the default Brushes use the pressure sensitivity of the tablet to control the opacity of the Brush, but it controls the sizing of the Brush as well. In other words pressing harder or softer affects how much paint you're adding as well as how big the Brush is. Here is an example of the kind of effect this can create:
As I painted with this Brush I started out in the middle with a very light pressure and gradually used a harder pressure and then a lighter pressure as I finished the stroke. You can see how the size of the Brush and the hardness of the edge changes as I varied the pressure.
For many users this can make for some unpredictable effects that are harder to control. No wonder many of them want to just keep painting with their brick, er Mouse!
As I said in the beginning of this article Photoshop gives you a lot of control over the way the Brushes work. Let's take a look at our example again, but this time we'll also take a look at the Brush Setting as well.
Looking at the Brush palette you can see there are several controls available. Right now we're only going to be concerned with 2 of them.
Step 1) Just below the "Brush Tip Shape" name is a control labeled "Shape Dynamics". This setting is where you can control the shape and size of the Brush. Turning that control off (by un-clicking) allows you to keep the size of the Brush constant no matter how much pressure you apply. Now your Brush will act exactly the same way when you use the Stylus or the Mouse.
Step 2) Now go to the control labeled "Transfer" (In Photoshop CS4 and before this is called "Other Dynamics"). Clicking on that control will show you a few more options. The one we're concerned with here is called "Opacity Jitter". Click on the Control button right below that and you'll see a pop up menu like the one shown below:
Setting this control to "Pen Pressure" will allow you to control the opacity of your brush by changing the pressure you apply with your Stylus. The harder you press the more paint the Brush will apply. And the softer you press means the more transparent your paint stroke will be.
This control gives you a lot of power that can be pretty easy to master. With just a little practice now you should be able to easily control how much paint you're applying. If you want a softer, more transparent effect just use a lighter pressure. If you want more paint to be applied just press harder. It's really that simple.
Step 3) Once you have set your Brush up as you like it be sure to click on the "Brush Presets" button, then click on the "Create New Brush" button to save your brush as shown below:
Since many of Photoshop's tools, like the Rubber Stamp Tool, make use of Brushes you'll find it's now easier than ever to get just the effects you want. Many Photoshop Pros make a variety of Brush Presets with different sizes and hardnesses so they have a wide range of handy settings available to them. To make these various Brushes just go back to your Brushes palette and click on the "Brush Tip Shape" control shown below:
Here by changing the Size and the Hardness options and then saving each Brush you can create your own variety of Brush Presets that will be easily available to you whenever you work in Photoshop.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Choking a Path with Photoshop and Illustrator
Every now and then a project will involve creating a Clipping Path which the client will then use in a layout program such as Quark Xpress or InDesign to make sure the background drops out completely.
Now creating a Clipping Path is simple enough, but what happens if the client needs the path to come in a little bit tighter, commonly called "choking"? Moving each point on the path in a few pixels can be very time consuming especially when you have a complex path.
Here is a video tutorial I created showing you how to easily accomplish this using Photoshop and Illustrator together.
Now creating a Clipping Path is simple enough, but what happens if the client needs the path to come in a little bit tighter, commonly called "choking"? Moving each point on the path in a few pixels can be very time consuming especially when you have a complex path.
Here is a video tutorial I created showing you how to easily accomplish this using Photoshop and Illustrator together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
