VIDEO
TUITION
ISSUE
ISSUE
5249
47
Professional blending techniques | Content-Aware Scaling | Displacement maps | Master graphical art | Interview: Derek Lea
MASTER 25 T
28 BERXTURES
GRAPHICAL ART 20 STUSHES
IM OCK
Experts reveal the rules of
colour and composition in
ON TAGES
this popular style HE CD
NEW IN
CS4
CONTENT-AWARE SCALING
Make any image the right proportions for your
projects with this intelligent resizing tool
4-PAGE WORKSHOP
DISPLACEMENT MAPS
Design a striking underwater photomontage
• Match lighting and contrast between different elements • Clean up cutouts with
the Eraser tool • Control luminosity using Curves • Blend photos with the Blur filter
Cover image
“This is Pepper, a fictional character designed by Imageer:
Stanley Lau, a girl who always shows up with her MARIO WIBISONO
classy headphone and red outfit. This piece is
original Pepper fan art, submitted specially for The Pepper character:
Pepper Project. It took about 70 hours in Photoshop, STANLEY LAU
painted with a mouse. I gathered quite a lot of
references from Google images, mostly of Japanese
teen idols. This piece is greatly inspired by my all- IT TOOK ABOUT 70
time favourite Japanese idol, Yuko Ogura.”
/ http://raynkazuya.cgsociety.org HOURS IN PHOTOSHOP,
PAINTED WITH A MOUSE
3
Advanced Photoshop
Welcome to
k. t es ts or r
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TH
co n ce d te ig
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e. Co n stu wri des
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m n a nd
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aw d
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Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
It’s the first issue of 2009 and the wet,
rit . el E
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uc ng th a d os
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David and Sarah Cousens (Cool Surface), Sam Hampton-Smith,
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or rp - a
an y, g e l e t ur you
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uc ok are er e
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ou a B lan
ex TV
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techniques to add depth to a 2D illustration –
Cover disc
something that I hope you will find helpful outside of the Interactive Media Manager Lee Groombridge
Head of Digital Projects Stuart Dixon
tutorial. We also have tutorials looking at displacement Multimedia Editor Steve Litton
apxtrahelp@imagine-publishing.co.uk
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to his n. T t, g
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News and showcases from around the globe
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Professional blending techniques | Content-Aware Scaling | Displacement maps | Master graphical art | Interview: Derek Lea
5);<-:
Showcase: Jonas Eriksson
25 TE
/:)801+)4):< 28 BRXTURES
20 STUSHES
IMAGOCK
Experts reveal the rules of
colour and composition in
ON TH ES
14
this popular style E CD
,1;84)+-5-6<5)8;
4-PAGE WORKSHOP
Showcase: Phil McDarby 18
Design a striking underwater photomontage
PROFESSIONAL 07?<7
• Create depth with highlights and shadows
• Build Photoshop panels with Configurator
• Choose between CS4 and CS4 Extended
• Keep perspective with Vanishing Point
COMMUNITY 7 20
Our readers’ comments, feedback and images
from our mailbox, email, website and forum
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk
• Match lighting and contrast between different elements • Clean up cutouts with
20
the Eraser tool • Control luminosity using Curves • Blend photos with the Blur filter
Mailbox
9 771748 727009
7 70
is the work of talented Photoshop painter,
Mario Wibisono, whose work you can see at
http://raynkazuya.cgsociety.org HELP
Tips, techniques and problems solved
Helpdesk 70
Insider Info: Content-Aware Scaling 72
RESOURCES 7 86
Vital assets to improve your Photoshop work
86
nced p at
Book reviews
d va 88
the A nline shoo.uk
Hardware and software reviews
Visit o .c
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ot o
Ph .imag es, bo 64 74 THIS MONTH’S CD 7 96
www ack issu andise Discover the techniques Our pick of the best reader Superb stock art, project files and more!
for b d merch
behind this image submissions this month
CD guide 96
an Brush index 98
6
Advanced Photoshop
© Derek Lea
TECHNIQUES
FEATURES/REGULAR
FEATURE: CS4 INTRO – PART 3 7 26
Essential guides to professional Photoshop skills
7
Advanced Photoshop
SIGNS OF LIFE:
ADAA POSTER: Entries for the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Freddie Yauner’s Signs of Life is
Awards are being accepted now until 5 June, so get your work in a reactive sign, looking into the
soon to be in with a chance of winning lives of overworked pictograms
8
Advanced Photoshop
hot?
Joining the firm’s well-established family of Micro Four
Thirds cameras, the E-30 incorporates a range of art
filters and styles, bringing further creativity into the
HOT
camera. The filters are designed to help the
photographer create a mood or style that would have
otherwise had to have been incorporated during the
processing and digital editing stage. Currently, the
device offers a choice of six effects: Pop Art, Soft Focus,
Pale and Light Colour, Light Tone, Grainy Film and Pin
Hole. Other artistic subtleties can be attained via the POLAROID POGO
Multi Exposure mode, which allows several captures to From £90
be superimposed onto an image previously taken in www.polaroid.com/pogo
RAW directly in the camera. The DSLR is expected to go Polaroid’s PoGo is an instant mobile
on sale from mid-January. printer that lets users print images
ADDING GRAIN: direct from cameras or mobiles.
One of the filters provided on the E-30
is the Grainy Film filter, enabling
photographers to turn mundane shots
into exciting retro ones
POP ART:
Photographers can
infuse their shots
with vivacious
colour using the Pop
Art filter on the
Olympus E-30 ZPEN
£99
www.danedigital.com
A receiver and pen lets users write
E-30: The E-30 offers a choice of six notes or draw doodles by hand and
exciting filters, including Pop Art, Soft uploads the results onto your PC.
Focus, Pale and Light Colour, Light
Tone, Grainy Film and Pin Hole
www.olympus.co.uk
VUPOINT FS-C1-VP
NEGATIVE AND
FILM SCANNER
£65
9
Advanced Photoshop
NEWS:
customer notebook”. is encapsulated in a titanium high-gloss finish and a circular,
Merging the brand’s intuitive TouchSmart technology cloud-like inlaid pattern. Expected to retail at £799, the HP
and MediaSmart software, designers have spawned a TouchSmart tx2 is scheduled to go on sale from the beginning of
notebook they claim will revolutionise the way computer this year.
Q&A
users operate. “No more scrambling to use the keys and
touchpad for simple tasks like navigating your music files, or
even for complicated tasks like editing photos – it’s all there
for them on the screen,” says a proud Dave Brabham,
category manager, consumer products, Personal Systems
Group, HP UK&I.
McCLELLAND
Inducted into the National Association
with their laptop, thus making file access, trawling through
music, photos and movies a more immersive experience.
The science behind it suggests the product features
of Photoshop’s Photoshop Hall of Fame
in 2002 and having scribed over 80 capacitive touch, enabling more accurate input, and
books with more than four million distinguishes between a finger and a palm on the display to
copies in print, Deke McClelland (www. intelligently disregard accidental brushes or swipes.
deke.com) is a bit of a computer Additionally, the new asset means simultaneous input is
graphics and digital know-it-all. We catered for so users can use both hands to crop and move
caught up with him to get his expert images, or a digital pen can also be incorporated for more
opinion on Photoshop past, present creative and accurate demands. Alternatively, users can take
and future. charge via a remote control as the gadget hosts an
integrated infrared receiver.
Q: WHICH VERSION OF t
PHOTOSHOP WERE YOU MOST the TouchSmar
ED: As well as
FEATURE PACK the unit hosts a webcam, tw
o
HAPPY WITH AT THE TIME? tx2 touchpad, IR receiver and
12.1-inch
A: Hands down, Photoshop 5. That’s microphones, BrightView dis
play
when we got layer effects, which we
take for granted these days. We could
finally edit text on independent HP LAPTOP:
layers. The current cross-suite colour HP’s latest lap
due to revolut top is
www.hp.com ionise the way
management engine began in version creatives work
5, as well as Photoshop’s most
nondestructive feature, the History
palette and accompanying History
brush. I couldn’t imagine Photoshop
without those. Bokeh lens simulation for Photoshop
Alien Skin Software has announced
the availability of a
Q: THE MOST DISAPPOINTED? Bokeh Lens Simulation plug-in for Phot
A: With the exception of the Healing oshop.
Bokeh offers users several tools desig
brush, I recall being bored by ned for realistic
blurring and altering the mood of a BOKEH: The product
Photoshop 7. It was all flat, static scene. The technology carries a price tag of
allows photographers to manipulate
modifications at a time I was craving the focus and depth $199, which is
of field after the shot has been capt approximately £129
nondestructive filters, which were ured, either in
three versions away. In its defence, Photoshop or Photoshop Elements
. The technology also
though, we got the File Browser, enables users to place a radial swee
t spot for gradually
which turned into the Bridge. softening a scene everywhere exce
pt on the subject, an
effect traditionally achievable with
tilt-shift lenses.
Bokeh’s producers claimed the prod
Q: COULD PHOTOSHOP EVER uct is the first to be photographers with the creative freed
based on mathematics sophisticated om to manipulate
REACH A LEVEL WHERE IT IS enough to produce a the aesthetic quality of bokeh, inclu
natural blur and creamy highlights. ding the ability to
DEEMED FOOLPROOF? “Bokeh is the Japanese create heart and star-shaped bokeh
A: No. The first Photoshop borrowed word for ‘blur’, and is a photographic highlights.” By
term that refers to decreasing the depth of field, users
so much from MacPaint that it was the visually distinctive appearance can divert attention
of the out-of-focus away from distraction ‘clutter’ in the
almost straightforward. But functions areas in a photograph,” says Terence image, which is
Tay, the lead particularly useful for those users with
like Levels, Unsharp Mask and even developer of Bokeh. “Alien Skin’s Boke out full-frame
h plug-in provides sensor cameras.
the Magic Wand were serving up the
technicalities of things like Pixel The plug-in is compatible with Adob
e Photoshop CS3 or
Radius and the 8-bit/channel space www.alienskin.com/bokeh/ later, Fireworks CS4, Elements 4.0.1
or later (Mac) or version
from the off. There’s no other way to index.aspx 6 or later (Windows). Look out for a
review in Advanced
grow the program than up and out. Photoshop shortly.
10
Advanced Photoshop
s: “I like
us & Rose
Glamoro ta ge s based on
omon
realistic phot raphs and stock
og
my own phot sults and
I get better re
images. I feel my images while
l in
more contro
otoshop”
working in Ph
12
Advanced Photoshop
13
Advanced Photoshop
Dan Whetton
Dan ‘Frenzy’ Whetton is currently a 3D artist and designer based in the UK, who
describes himself as “a biker, artist and natural-born worrier”. He is incredibly passionate
about art and for him it is the biggest part of his life: “The art has always been there and
passion is my weakness, because I find it hard sometimes to deal with the reality of the
everyday grind.”
His background is less conventional, falling into a job making furniture and designing
‘on the fly’, which led to him discovering CAD (computer-aided design). His first art
commission was an album cover design for a rock group, who “I’ve never heard of since I
did it. Such is life”. From art at school, Whetton went on to do a Graphic Design diploma,
where he learnt the basic skills for becoming the digital artist he wanted to be.
In his early days, Whetton was immersed in design theories and CAD, working on art
tools as well as behind drawing boards. These days, he uses 3D packages and Photoshop
to create his comic-style artwork. At the moment, though, he’s so busy doing 3D
modelling work for engineering companies that he’s lucky to get some art in at the
weekends, but this doesn’t stop him working towards tipping that balance: “My ultimate
goal is to be my own hub of creation, working with other artists of various styles to
produce concepts for videogames, movies and multimedia of all types.” He has some work
on the back burner, such as a project for Custom Cruisers (a custom biker store), which
combines his passions of art and biking, involving flyers, banners and clothing for shows
throughout the year.
His inspiration comes from many places, and when asked about the artists that he
admires, he says: “A diverse and truly different bunch of artists helped, and continue to both
help and shape my creativity in many different ways and for many different reasons. Ashley
Wood and Brom are my number ones. Anthony Robinson, James Ryman, Boris Vallejo, Don
Figueroa, Todd MacFarlane, Greg Capullo and especially Ryan Church. He’s an inspiration and
then some, just for his visual speed and realism.”
ich
d Toyz range, wh
second of my Ba t ten different art
www.frenzy-world.co.uk Bad Bot: “The be ab ou
pposed to d!”
originally was su picting children’s toys gone ba
pieces de
14
Advanced Photoshop
15
Advanced Photoshop
www.bymichaelo.com
’s
ty: All of MichaelO
Timeless Beau
ag ery use s ph oto graphy at its core,
im d
inting techniques use
with a variety of pa nes
to integrate the sce
Crocodile
Tears: Stock
photography by
katanaz-stock.
deviantart.com
16
Advanced Photoshop
17
Advanced Photoshop
e
agon and th
The Wood Dr d a lot of my spare time
rd : “I sp en
Lady bi g photos, and
in forests takin
rolling around ed a ma cro lens. I was
rchas
had recently pu ic fee l yo u ca n achieve
e ep
fascinated by th tiny th ing s, like insects
phing
when photogra is image, I was trying to
th
and plants. With of microcosmic detail. The
nse
capture that se ed out in
form was block
Wood Dragon’s an at om y bu ilt up limb by
his
Photoshop and re of painting and my own
xtu
limb using a mi
tures”
photographic tex
18
Advanced Photoshop
Phil McDarby
Phil McDarby is a creative director from Ireland, whose wonderful dragon creations and
mystical woodland scenes really caught our eyes.
McDarby’s been working in graphic, 3D and videogame design for about ten years, but
around four and a half years ago he set up a games company along with some colleagues,
called Vyro Games. ”It’s been quite a journey getting that off the ground!” explains
McDarby. In his free time, he also takes on a multitude of freelance projects: “Everything
from graphic design, concept art and music for advertisements and short films.”
McDarby’s first commission was for a technology website, where he was asked to design
a splash screen by the client, Dave Eberly, a project that has taught him a lot: “It was the first
time I worked to a brief. He was a great client in the sense that he gave me a lot of freedom
to explore ideas.”
Surprisingly, given the level of expertise shown in the artworks over these two pages,
McDarby is completely self-taught – “I’m from the old ‘I wonder what this button does’
school of design!” – but is proficient in a number of applications: “I started with Bryce 3,
moving gradually through Maya, Max and ZBrush over the years, and now use a whole raft
of tools, primarily Photoshop, to bring everything together.”
Indeed, Photoshop is key to his artwork: “Photoshop sits above everything I do – it is
where I bring everything together. Beginning there with concept images painted using a
small, hard brush, importing renders, cloning out elements of photography for textures and
completing the imagery through digital painting/lighting with my beloved Wacom tablet.
Photoshop informs everything I do from start to finish and has done for ten years.”
www.philmcdarby.com
19
Advanced Photoshop
On the web
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk
Our website and readers’ forum is perfect for
showing off Photoshop creations. We present
the best images on the site this month. Log on
and upload to get your images here next issue!
THE EYES OF PINK
THE DRAGON ARTIST: Firnadi Iqbal
ARTIST: Darek Kocurek EMAIL: firnadi@yahoo.com
EMAIL: darek-k@o2.pl WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/firnadi
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/ “I am Nadi, a 30-year-old amateur photographer and
user/darekkocurek graphic designer. I have a small photo studio (Washang
Darek lives in Poland, and this is the Photographic) in my little town of Pontianak, West
second image of his that has been Kalimantan, Indonesia. I have been addicted to
awarded Pic of the Week. He explains to photomanipulation since I first got to know about
us how he created this image: “I am self- Photoshop 7.0. The first time that I knew about Advanced
taught in the field of computer graphics. Photoshop magazine was from the used-book shop in my
Nowadays, I work mostly in Photoshop to wife’s town. That was the beginning and now I am
create my digital art. interested in learning many Photoshop techniques from
“Usually, I try to connect photomontages the magazine.
with 2D graphics. Many of my pictures “The concept for this artwork is simple, using warm
are inspired by music or books. This tones. I used old stock pictures and images from the
image, The Eyes Of The Dragon, is Advanced Photoshop CD. It’s not a hard technique and I
inspired by a Stephen King story. It is a am sure the readers of this awesome magazine can do
photomanipulation from about 12 of my better than me! My motto is to just try and keep
images. Some elements like snow, lights, uploading and making friends from there.”
rope and details of buildings are drawn.”
FATA MORGANA
ARTIST: Archan Nair
EMAIL: archannair@gmail.
com
WEB: www.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/
user/archannair
Archan Nair is a 25-year-
old, self-developed artist,
multidisciplinary
designer and illustrator,
based in New Delhi,
India. Of this image, he
says: “It was completely
produced in Photoshop
and inspired by some
sweet and sour times of
an individual’s life. I started by sketching
the concept in my sketchbook. After that, I began collecting the stock resources
from various royalty-free stock sites. The artwork is a blend of painting and
photomanipulation. The background sky has been painted in Photoshop and the
desert is a stock image touched with tools like the Paintbrush. The other elements,
such as the female model, the cycle, etc, are all stocks blended and composed into
the entire environment. The small pond is again painted.”
20
Advanced Photoshop
Mailbox
Do you have a question about the magazine?
Email your thoughts to advancedpshop@
imagine-publishing.co.uk or visit www.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum
SUBJECT: Cogs and gears
FROM: Charli Neal
My name is Charli and I am a graphic designer
by trade. I worked in industry for three years,
but I have been teaching secondary school Art
now for six years. I love using Photoshop with
the kids and they love it, too. I recently bought
Advanced Photoshop 48 and was inspired by
pages 54-58, where Amy Marie Neal had
montaged mechanical imagery into a female
form. I would like to do something similar with
a class that’s mainly all boys by studying
surrealism and the work of Giger. I intend to
take photos of the kids and show them how to GEAR STOCK: You can find some great images of
montage in mechanical objects and cogs, etc, cogs and gears on a free stock site, like www.sxc.hu
to turn themselves into a cyborg. www.sxc.hu is invaluable for getting free
The problem I am having is sourcing cog- disc, which does happen from time to time due images of almost anything that you can use in
like imagery and the imagery used in this to copyright issues. My first suggestion is to go these sorts of projects. I did a quick search on
particular article isn’t on the CD. Can you help to Amy Neal’s fantastic gallery site (http:// there and found a number of gears and cogs
in any way? starfantazy.deviantart.com) and go to this that would be suitable for your project. Hope
particular image, as she has listed all the stocks that helps!
Editor replies: Hi Charli, thanks for your that she has used in the piece here. Most are
comments. I think that’s going to make a great from deviantART and are offered free for non- SUBJECT: Photomontage challenge
project! With that tutorial in particular, we were commercial uses (but check the stock providers’ FROM: Linton Rogers
unable to provide the source images on the terms and conditions). Otherwise, a site like For this photomontage (right), I used a range of
skills as shown in the magazine tutorial on
Colourful Photomontages (Advanced
Photoshop 49), such as the Hard Light
adjustments layer. I also experimented with
blending modes with the overlayering of
objects using Color Burn and Overlay. I found
this really enjoyable!
22
Advanced Photoshop
Photoshop CS4
Analysis tools Here is where you
access the Ruler and Count tools,
plus the Measurement Logs where
you can store collected data and
export to a simple text file
26
Advanced Photoshop
Part
S4 Extended Last month, we gave our
th ree
verdict on the standard
version of Photoshop CS4.
This time, we see how the
Extended version fares and
3D shapes There are a
number of shapes built
whether it’s worth the
into the program that extra cash
you can wrap 2D images
around, as well as the 3D Layers If you choose to
P
postcard effect which is convert a 2D layer into a
3D one, then the Layers hotoshop CS3 was the first version of the
shown here
palette will retain the image-editing software to come in two
original layer in case you versions: standard and Extended. The latter
need to go back at a later was aimed to introduce more multimedia features than
date to continue
the standard version, such as working with 3D models
working on it
and motion footage, and analysing images with
measurement and counting tools. CS4 Extended
continues the trend, and with the rise of motion
graphics, the use of Photoshop for scientific or medical
purposes and the increased availability of affordable 3D
packages, it is likely to be of interest to a greater number
of Photoshop professionals.
It is a lot more expensive than the standard version
(£890/$1,000 compared to £570/$700), but if you need to
3D panel Here, you create multimedia projects then it is an essential
can control the scene, purchase. It is the version that comes in most of the
materials, mesh and Creative Suite 4 packages, as it has its uses in the web
lighting by scrolling design and production industries, as well as many more.
through the options in
this panel. You can Of course, you still get all the enhancements of the
access these different standard CS4, including OpenGL support, which really
functions by selecting comes into its own when you’re trying to wrap photos
from the icons at the around a 3D model, for example, which is a resource-
top of the palette. Each
has a layer structure hungry process.
where you can select Over the next couple of pages, we’ll take a look at the
the different parts of the added extras that you get in the Extended package,
image and there are what you can do with it and whether it’s worth the extra
various Presets that you money.
can use to set up your
3D scenes
3D in Photoshop
Photoshop CS3 Extended made some great steps
into the world of 3D editing through the introduction
of 3D layers and the ability to import models.
However, CS4 Extended goes a lot further in its
handling of 3D application, and it’s really the main
selling point of CS4 Extended. It’s not going to
27
Advanced Photoshop
CS4 EXTENDED:
Expect to pay
£890/$1,000 for the
full version of
Adobe Photoshop
CS4 Extended
3D OPTIONS: The
3D menu is where
you control your 3D
layers and create
shapes and objects
from 2D images
Volume rendering
Volume rendering as a term has been linked
to Photoshop CS4 Extended, and it is a
technique used to show a 2D projection of a
3D data set. These are used commonly in the replace your 3D modelling software – but then that’s basis, it is so simple to use and get started, even
medical industry. A CT or MRI scanner will not the point. Photoshop usually comes into use without learning a whole dictionary of new terms,
create a 3D data set, which is made up of 2D during the average 3D user’s workflow, and what that the novice can have a lot of fun playing with the
images (or slices) taken in a regular pattern. Adobe has done is take that into account, making it new features. And if you use Photoshop alongside a
There’s a lot of technology behind the easier than ever to import models, texture them and 3D application, regardless of what the purpose is,
technique of volume rendering, but these 3D bring them into your digital projects. While it does then it’s surely worth the extra money over the
data sets can be rendered into a volume (ie all have basic modelling capabilities – simple shapes standard edition.
the individual 2D slices are merged into one that can be textured – it works best alongside other
image) so that you can rotate through all 3D applications, or you can download 3D models
angles and depths to view the projection. In from various places on the internet for free (including
terms of Photoshop usage, volume rendering 3DS, OBJ, U3D, DAE and KMZ files), and it has no
is used to convert text, shape and pixel layers capabilities for manipulating these shapes.
into these volumes using the same process, As we mentioned in the introduction, there are
with both creative and scientific applications. bonuses to using CS4 Extended on an OpenGL-
enabled system, as you’ll get the fantastic 3D widget,
which works a lot like the Rotate View tool but in 3D
(as you might expect), and is used to rotate, scale and
move your 3D objects.
There are some real benefits in this version over
CS3; most notably, there’s the ability to paint directly
onto 3D models using the normal paintbrush options.
On top of this, you can convert 2D images and
gradient maps into 3D objects, and convert layers into
volumes (more on volume rendering in the boxout).
You can wrap a 2D object onto a 3D object, merge 3D
layers and turn video layers into textures. Everything
PROJECTIONS: Find out more about 2D to 3D is controlled through the 3D panels, making it easy to
projections by viewing the video tutorial at access and change settings.
http://tv.adobe.com The thing that really stands out about this upgrade
is the fact that while the features are aimed at WRAPPING IMAGES: You can easily wrap a 2D image
professionals who work with 3D modelling on a daily onto a 3D object in the Extended version of CS4
Your views: Let us know what you think about the new features in P
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Advanced Photoshop
Education editions
Adobe has now announced the arrival of its
educational and student editions of the full
Creative Suite 4 range, including Photoshop
CS4 Extended and collections. These are
available to students in full- or part-time
higher education, full- or part-time faculty or
staff employed at accredited education
establishments and students enrolled at an
accredited primary or secondary school
providing full-time education. The packages
work exactly the same as the normal version,
but are available at greatly reduced prices.
The products are only available to use after
valid identification of qualification for the
packages has been verified via email or fax.
The savings make it a much more achievable
purchase for students, with CS4 Extended
weighing in at just £159/$199.
Motion and video 3D TOOLS: There are dedicated tools for
Back in issue 51, we mentioned that a big growth area rotating, scaling and moving 3D objects in
for Photoshop users over the next year would be in the main toolbar
motion graphics – the ability to create still graphics
and then add animation to them. This was possible in Measurement and analysis
CS3 Extended and, like 3D before it, the features have It is easy to forget when playing around with all these
been greatly enhanced for CS4’s outing. Almost every great new features that there are more serious
designer who works with motion graphics works with applications for Photoshop CS4 Extended. The 3D
Photoshop, which is why Adobe has enhanced the functions that we’ve touched on, as well as volume
possibilities this time around. rendering, have great possibilities for use in the
For a start, there’s an enhanced preview of non- medical and scientific arenas.
square-pixel images, opening up more flexibility in However, there are other tools that can also be of
the way you work. Something as simple as keyboard use in these industries. For example, the Count tool
shortcuts can make a big difference to your workflow, has been enhanced. This tool, introduced in STUDENT SAVINGS: The Education Store
and there are new key combinations for the Photoshop CS3 Extended, counts the number of helps students by giving them great discounts
Animation panel for editing frames and Keyframes so objects in a given image, which is especially useful for on Adobe products
you ca control these functions quickly. counting in scientific images, such as those of cell
Again touching on the 3D capabilities, you can samples. Now, though, you can make multiple counts
animate a 3D object and its camera position, render in the same image, colour-coding them to make it
settings and cross-sections, which is sure to result in easier to see the individual counts. This data can be in scientific and medical industries, but for the rest of
some stunning motion graphics cropping up soon. collected in the Measurement Log panel for us, it’s worth weighing up whether you’ll use the extra
For those who work across cross-platforms, and comparison, and the data can also be exported as a features before making the jump.
aimed specifically at film and television professionals, text file for use outside of Photoshop.
After Effects can import 3D layers from Photoshop. The thing with CS4 Extended is that while there are Summary: If you will actually use the 3D functions,
Video in Photoshop has also been improved, with undeniably some really great new features here, it’s the analysis tools or the animation and video
functions, then the improvements over CS3 make it
the biggest significant difference being that it only really worth it if you’re going to use them. There
more than worth upgrading. In a dream world we
supports sound with videos rather than just silent are plenty of possibilities with Extended that just can’t
would all get CS4 Extended, as it’s so much fun to
files, as per CS3 Extended. Like we said about 3D, it’s be achieved using the standard version, especially in play with, but with such a big price hike, think hard
not meant to replace dedicated video applications, motion graphics and 3D application, which is sure to about whether the standard version will do.
but to improve and enhance your workflow on mixed- get even bigger next year. It’ll be snapped up by Rating: 4/5
media projects. artists, animators, film/television producers and those
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Advanced Photoshop
DEREK LEA
We interview the relentless and outspoken, not so commercial after all, artist
Derek Lea as he hits us with a few creative revelations
D
erek Lea is an enigma wrapped in a being a part-time professor at Centennial College I am simply an unhappy person. I tell my students
mystery, in both his artistic attitude in Toronto. There, he teaches the Graphic Design that it is the curse of being creative. There is a void
and approach. Lea stands for the Media program, including, but not limited to, in the life of a creative person that can only be
opposite of what many creatives are made to illustration and the design process. However, Lea filled by constantly pushing yourself.”
believe, that a steady style is the success to leaves us under no illusion about just how he
commerciality and being commercial is the road approaches his own students’ learning: “Art fulfils Breaking the rules
to success and happiness. Yet he operates as part me in some way that I cannot describe. If I am not Lea is a creative individual who lives his life by the
of the establishment that encourages this attitude, creating work that I am interested in or excited by, rules of pleasure, not leisure. Where his vocation
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Advanced Photoshop
provides finance, his freelance provides liberty, as strange time to be entering the business, as the
he explains: “I have a client base that is mainly switch to desktop computers was just
editorial work from magazines published around beginning. I designed magazines, worked as an
the globe. I avoid advertising. Although there is art director in an evil advertising agency, even
money to be made in advertising, the entire illustrated T-shirts for a while, until I eventually
business disgusts me so I just don’t do it. I enjoy landed a job as a professional retoucher at a
editorial commissions, as there is room to explore photography studio. I had been messing around
and do some interesting things. I do the odd book with Photoshop obsessively on my own until
cover as well, but not too many.” An illustrator who then, but it was my job at that studio that was
“wears many hats,” Lea is also a contributing instrumental to me finding my medium. I got
author, having written dozens of magazine articles very good at retouching and then eventually got
that discuss creative ways to use different software bored. I knew that Photoshop was an amazing
packages. Include his educational capacity and he tool, but I wasn’t doing anything creative with it.
becomes one eclectic character. However, this I was restless.”
multiplicity goes some way to explaining his
creative approach. Artistically assertive
(RIGHT):
Lea was artistically introduced to an evolving Since then, Lea has gone on to create a dynamic ARCHITECTURA image was an exercise in
s
digital climate, where exotic changes were being and successful portfolio of work that has graced “I’d like to say that thi it was quicker to simply
lity
symmetry, but in rea face is a
made and design attitudes were shifting. He the editorial world, producing bestselling titles then flip it over. The
create one side and mo del shot and around
gle
explains: “I studied Advertising and Graphic along the way, including Creative Photoshop: combination of a sin from
architectural details
Design in college, graduating in 1990. It was a Digital Illustration and Art Techniques. Not that 70 photographs of
historic buildings”
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Advanced Photoshop
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Advanced Photoshop
objective of the books and magazine articles I Birth of an Idea (above): “Inspired by the
write. I always tell my students that what is work of Seldon Hunt, I really wanted to try my hand at
using historical ink drawings as a resource. However, I
important is the content and execution, not the couldn’t sit still at the end of it all and had to create
tools. Digital artists have had to take too much flak some interesting shape layer objects to finish the
composition off”
for too many years for being digital, like it is not a
noble medium. I am passionate about art, and
there are a lot of good artists out there who
constantly blow my mind, digital or not. Check Premonition (top right): “This is one of the
out Jeff Soto, Stephen Kasner, Seldon Hunt, Chet first personal pieces I have created for many years. It was
lots of fun to work with ancient drawings, watercolour
Zar, Alex Grey, Sam Weber and, of course, the paintings and vector-based objects”
almighty Dave McKean. I have no time for trendy
bandwagon artists or whatever design studio is
hot at the moment.”
Nanotechnology (RIGHT): “This was a fun
Time for a change one. My idea of what a nanotech robot might look like
inside the system. All of the 3D textures were custom-
You may think that Lea’s flippant remarks are born made as an exhaustive series of image and texture
out of years of creaming at the top of the maps in Photoshop”
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Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cartharsis:
“This is the image that started it all for
me. I can barely stand to look at it any
more. However, it was a landmark
achievement for me at the time, and I
think it still holds up after ten years”
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commercial ladder, however, this just isn’t true. INTERVIEW (RIGHT): “The figures are Poser models,
This is just the way Lea is. Honest, forthright, a however, I never like the look of 3D clothing, so I
photographed human models under the same lighting
creative man on a mission, he recalls how in 1996 conditions and blended the different elements together
he entered an annual digital art contest to in Photoshop”
illustrate a magazine cover he disagreed with. An
entry again born out of frustration, at this time in his present stance. He explains: “I am at a stage
with his daily retouching work, he reveals: “I won in my career where it is time for a change. I really
second prize. The editor rang me up and said that like writing and exploring new techniques that
many people thought my work was the best but combine digital and tactile tools, so I’ll continue to
because it had a skull in the image, they weren’t write and do that. However, I am extremely bored
comfortable with it being the winner. Fine. with the 3D style and photographic illustration
Whatever. Not winning the prize was fine with me, that I have been doing since 1998 and have
because the commissioning editor started hiring decided to simply stop. Don’t get me wrong, it is
me to do the weekly front-page illustration.” lucrative, but at the end of the day I’m just an
The exposure was great for Lea, yet he still had artist, and when I create work that bores me I
a point to prove. “The following year, I entered the become miserable. I don’t care who you are, if
same digital art contest and said ‘Sod it. If they you’re selling your talent for money and getting
don’t like skulls, then watch this.’ I created an no satisfaction out of it, you’re a whore. I’m tired of
image of a man peeling out of his skin. The idea feeling like a whore and am no longer going to
was to show rebirth through art. It was ominous market myself as an illustrator per se until I do a bit
and I expected no one to notice. However, to my of reinvention.”
surprise I got a phone call from the editor telling Lea now finds himself at a crossroads, which
me that I had won the contest and $28,000 most would find challenging. However, he
worth of equipment. That allowed me to establish welcomes it with open arms. “I can’t wait to get
a studio in my home, quit my day job and out of my comfort zone. My comfort zone has digital art and illustration tool as well as studying a
illustrate full time. Many more and many bigger become dreadfully boring. Sure, it is safe and degree in Fine Art at a local university. He explains:
clients began to call, and that has been going on lucrative, but I am desperate for something new, “I think an entirely tactile medium will force me to
for ten years now. That same image won really new.” So much so that he’s open to the break away from familiarity, safety and my comfort
numerous awards.” possibility of a life outside of the design arena. zone. It will be very interesting to see what comes
A poignant composition indeed and one that Presently, Lea is venturing into busily finishing up of this. I have no idea how long it will take, but I’ll
fundamentally symbolises Lea’s creative attitude the second edition of his recent book, Creative resurface with a vengeance when I’m satisfied.”
throughout his own creative history, culminating Photoshop, discusses how to use Photoshop as a We’ll take that as a promise.
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B
iStock, some are free from sxc.hu. We have
also provided a paint effect and some
lack-and-white images are in a different class from colour graphics. They have a timeless quality that can alternative images that you can use in
make certain artwork really stand out, which sometimes colour artwork simply cannot match. The main place of the stock images.
difference between greyscale and colour images is not the lack of colour, but the difference in contrasts. A Pete Harrison
OUR EXPERT
greyscale image consists of black, white and greys that form a range that’s dark to light – the luminosity or brightness Aeiko is the online creative identity of UK designer Pete
level are the terms of contrast. Colour images do have a luminosity contrast, but they also have two other types of Harrison. After graduating from university, he quickly became
contrast – saturation and hue – so it is more difficult to create a rich image. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use one of the UK’s top up-and-coming designers. Since then, he
has worked in agencies in London and freelanced in mainly
photomanipulation when working in black and white. We will create a dynamic scene that does not look flat. Also, you graphic design, typography and web design for a variety of
will learn to create some interesting light effects that you can use to add to your images. Cutting out and isolating high-profile clients. He currently resides in South Devon,
designing and developing his clothing labels Funkrush (www.
elements, blending and merging them into a scene is important, and you will learn to do this, too. Photoshop is the
funkrush.com) and SuperCombo (www.supercombo.co.uk).
best program to do this as the tools it provides allow you to do photomanipulation and the lighting effectively.
1 Let’s begin
Download the landscape image from iStock, or
use ‘Stellenbosch landscape.jpg’ from the CD. Click on
2 Use the Pen tool
Download the statue image from iStock and cut it
out with the Pen tool. Right-click on the path, click Make Channel
‘Create a new fill or adjustment layer’ in the Layers palette
and select Hue/Saturation. Drag the Saturation slider to -
Selection and set the Feather Radius to 0. Click on the
background layer and copy (Cmd/Ctrl+C) and paste into mixing
100 and click OK. the main canvas, then size correctly.
The Channel Mixer is the most effective way
to turn images and resources into greyscale
from RGB. It allows you to mix the channels to
provide the optimum luminosity and
contrast. You can do it in an adjustment layer
on top of the resource, or alter it directly by
going to Image>Adjustments>Channel
Mixer. Play with the sliders to see how it
works and don’t forget to click the
Monochrome option – it does depend on the
subject matter, though! As you are working
with it, keep an eye on the original to make
sure you are altering it effectively.
“THE CHANNEL
MIXER IS AN
EFFECTIVE WAY
TO TURN IMAGES
INTO GREYSCALE
FROM RGB”
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9 Add some
abstraction
Import ‘paint splash.jpg’ into
10 Adding some lighting
Let’s add some lighting to the scene. Go to
your Brushes panel and choose a soft, round brush,
Photoshop. Go to making the size about half of the canvas. Choose white
Select>Color Range and click as the colour and click on the canvas. Use Cmd/Ctrl+T to
on the black, with Fuzziness scale it smaller and arrange on the scene.
set at 140. Click OK, then hit
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse
the selection and copy this
selection into your main
canvas. Arrange this
somewhere in the
composition, duplicating the
layer if you want, too.
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Advanced Photoshop
MASTER
GRAPHICA L
Som
ART
etim es less
up with seeming
rea
ly simple elemen
ts
take a look at graphical art built
lly is more, as we to create eye-catching designs
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Advanced Photoshop
A
s all us creative types are aware, art can be an colour. The aesthetic appeal of each composition
extremely subjective topic, causing debate comes down to the skill of the artist who created it.
among artists. Despite an artist’s own opinions Within and on the fringes of the commercial sector,
about a particular style, there are certain rules that are there are a number of international artists carrying
always adhered to when creating striking artwork, out such a stylish, minimal approach. A creative blend
such as composition, complementary colour palettes of graphic approach and digital application, fleshed
and use of space. But there is one factor within the out with significant photographic, illustrative and
art world that still seems to confound some artists, video elements, this artwork has promoted an all-
and this is that busy design is not necessarily together fresh style, which is becoming more and
better design. more in demand in industries such as music and
What we mean by this is that regardless of whether advertising. From the latest launch of MTV and E4
it takes you an hour or a week or even a month, television ad campaigns to the distinct album artwork
attractive design to a professional standard can be from musician Beck, including The Information, Sea
obtained with a bit of know-how. Just because you Change and Guero, this style is beginning to sell.
have used a mass of layers, applied complex digital But why is such a minimalist style so prevalent?
painting and retouching techniques and an What does it lend to its commercial uprising, and how
abundance of Filter effects, it doesn’t mean that this can you discover its secrets and replicate it? This is
particular design is better equipped to charm than a exactly what we asked a group of international artists
deliberate juxtaposition of simplified shapes and operating within the boundaries of this style.
TANGIBLE
(LEFT): Cover art
for Tangible book
by Julien Vallée
© GESTALTEN
2009
MTV ONE
(FAR LEFT AND
MAIN): Artwork
for MTV One
© JULIEN
VALLÉE
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Advanced Photoshop
equally important, as they are directly related to each Endorsing this opinion, that negative space is used
other.” Vallée adds further insight, saying, “I would in tandem with complex visual elements to create
define empty space as a place where you can breed in dynamic graphics and interest, is Vallée, as he says: “I
between the filled space”, meaning that empty space think that’s what makes a strong minimalist image,
is essential so your eyes can take a break in-between when you can understand the message with a simple
the different elements in the composition. In turn, this composition and still enjoy small details by looking
lends clarity and visual power to all design elements. closely at it.”
Mario Hugo, international freelancer and art
director, paints a bigger picture: “I think negative
space can be very tense and dramatic. It can make or Emotive colour
break a piece. If you take, for example, a single small Eric Carl agrees with this attitude when adding: “While
illustration and place it on a huge spread of negative I wouldn’t consider a lot of my work minimalist, it’s
space, your eye will take to the single existing because I pay attention to creating a pleasing
illustration. If you place two drawings a proper composition that it can appear minimal. For example,
distance from one another, the space in-between is while some of my work may have a large amount of
WORSHIP charged; the focus is on the correlation and distance different elements in use, I condense them into whole
POSTER: “If used to as opposed to the drawing alone.” elements that are easier to digest. At a glance, the
communicate
So it seems that modern-day artists are utilising the viewer easily comprehends the image as a whole, but
ineffectively, or used
in an unrestrained emptiness that space creates to exaggerate the visual with closer inspection they begin to see how large
manner resulting in quality of their works and to accommodate a masses break down into more detailed parts.” This is
simply a horrendous heightened aesthetic impact. Basically, this absence very much the case in his body of artwork, including
colour palette, means that artists are taking maximum advantage to White Shrine and Worship (left) .
colour would
certainly have a produce more complex and substantial design Colour is also mentioned as a considerable
negative effect” elements, ones that are far more fleshed out than contributing factor when taking into account the
© ERIC CARL those previously. delivery of individual elements and a composition
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“WHEN WORKING
WITH A DESIGN
THAT LACKS
COLOUR, ADDING
A VERY SMALL 3. The colour scheme throughout this
AMOUNT CAN composition creates a sense of unity as
all are saturated, but it also presents a
POWERFUL”
terms of temperature. A former theory implies that primary vessel to send a message, yes, it can certainly because the colour has to be in a certain harmony
such colours can be used to engage an emotional become the primary aesthetic. When working with a with the elements in the picture. If there aren’t any
response, with cooler colours, such as blue and green, design that lacks colour, adding a very small amount elements in the image, the colour still has to have a
being calming, and reds and yellows stimulating. can cause that colour to become immensely shape to be visible.” Mario Hugo also muses with
This attitude may seem all a bit formal, if not overly powerful. If you only include one or two solid colours certain significance: “I confess I don’t understand
psychological, but it seems more significant within against what is otherwise a black-and-white image, colour very well. I’m actually quite colour-blind, hence
this style than others when taking factors into the lack of competing colours can help the few on the aversion. I think in structure and tone. Colour is a
account. Vallée explains: “I think there are some display really have impact.” mood for me and rarely a device.”
colours that propose more or less instantly some Here, Hugo presents us with another
preformatted feeling or unconscious reaction. I think “fundamental”. The matter of structure is certainly
that choosing a good colour palette is as important as Arranging your elements worth addressing. How do these artists approach the
being able to create a good composition. The absence However, this ‘fundamental’ seems subjective, as structure of their layout and likewise their visual
of colour can also be positive.” Christina Magnussen, one half of the Oh Yeah Studio elements? Of course, we have entertained the idea
Carl agrees, saying: “Colour can become more and freelance graphics team, adds: “In all images, the that space is as essential as colour, but specifically,
more powerful the simpler the design becomes. shapes and colours will be equally important. I how do all visual elements coincide to present their
When it’s decided that colour is to be used as the believe that colours can’t be the primary aesthetic intended effect? We thought the answers to this
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Advanced Photoshop
question would be far more deliberate. However, we was at risk of seeming very flat, but triangles that that commercial sectors are mostly following the
were left quite surprised with our artists’ responses. serve as foreground, background and holes or trend that designers and artists create. They prefer to
The similarities between this approach and openings where humanist references are escaping, look at underground scenes moving for a while, and
graphics are there. However, more and more it seems create the illusion of some depth in the composition.” when there’s a clearly new trend, they want the same
that this style is far more interested in expression and This image demonstrates exactly how structured thing.” While Oh Yeah Studios believes: “It’s as simple
invention than deliberation and delineation, as Vallée as time changing, and so do stylistic expressions. It’s a
“I BELIEVE AN
explains: “At some point, I think that changing the natural evolution in art and design.”
way I work for each project helps me try new things, Both opinions, of course, hold weight here.
recycle myself and prevents being stuck in a sphere of
comfort. Getting rid of habits and being unstable EASIER-TO- However, considering this is a style that delivers
extremely digestible visual values, with a strong sense
helps to shape creativity. If everything is planned
from the beginning to the end, then it is only COMPREHEND of expression and many compositional possibilities,
this may also help explain its commercial appeal. It’s
production.” What Vallée describes here is a creative
chaos of sorts. Perhaps one accommodated by DESIGN IS A MORE not an approach restricted by archetypes like so many
others, as works amalgamate shape, image and colour
modern digital software.
You’d think after comprehending all other factors EFFECTIVELY and yet let them still obtain their own identities, all in
a single composition. Surely it is this that makes this
that there would be more habit to the structure of
these designs. That’s not to say that it is completely EXPRESSIVE style such an ideal vessel to sell a brand’s message to
the masses?
absent, but from what we can gather it seems far
more liberal than first thought, and digital software DESIGN” All the above are valid opinions and tell us much
about this existing and excelling style. But one thing
such as Photoshop may be accountable. With the that all our artists agree on is that less can certainly be
ability to edit and transform time and again in a visual elements should work together, in this instance more. “Even the most basic of elements can interact
nondestructive way, perhaps the need for creating diverse and expressive perspective and emotionally. They complement, create harmony,
deliberation has been replaced by creative added visual appeal through the placement of the battle, engulf and overwhelm each other. So space is
opportunity and therefore this style has transformed individual elements as well as them all as a whole. incredibly important and one of the most powerful
artistic arrangement into something far more tools in a composition,” comments Eric Carl, as he
instinctive than distinctive. leaves us with these wise words: “What’s unfortunate
However, subjectivity raises its head again here Viability of your visuals is that many people who are in decision-making
when Hugo explains: “’I make a lot of deliberate So taking into consideration all that has been positions and not entirely in tune with the nuances of
choices about the nature of objects in my design. Are revealed, understanding the application of this style, effective design easily mistake more design for more
objects touching? Crossing? Contained? The cover for are we any closer to understanding its commercial success, and it simply isn’t the case. The best you can
Flaunt (above) has a very rigid structure and the piece pull? What do our artists think? Vallée answers: “I think do is to know your stuff and try to educate them.”
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with highlights and shadows You’ll find the lines for this tutorial on the
CD and, as always, we’ve thrown in some
custom brushes for you, because we’re just
B
that nice!
eing shallow isn’t always a bad thing (it beats being pretentious!), but with your images a little depth David and Sarah Cousens aka
OUR EXPERTS Cool Surface
can go a long way. We’re going for a different feel with this tutorial; as opposed to giving you every last
technical detail, we’re going to tell you exactly why we’re doing something. You’re all intelligent, attractive, David and Sarah run Cool Surface from the Southwest of
England. They are currently illustrating a series of books for
charismatic people (probably!) who already know you press G to select the Gradient tool, but not all of you will know Macmillan Publishing and producing work for a BBC TV series
how to get the most out of your composition. We’re going to show you how to use a few design rules that apply to all out next year. Visit www.coolsurface.com for more.
images – not just character illustrations – to help make your 2D illustrations look more 3D.
We’ve coloured each element on a separate layer (eg, skin, hair, etc) and have used clipping masks attached to each
layer for the shading to make it nice and simple (just tick the box when making a new layer). To colour the lines, you’ll
need to use Mack’s Remove White filter (www.photoshop-filters.com/html/macks.htm). When you’re done with this
tutorial, feel free to post your results on the AP forums and we’ll stop by to see how you did and offer feedback.
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Advanced Photoshop
6 Small gradients
Also, add some faint red gradients to the nose,
cheeks and fingers as there is increased blood flow in
7 Lock your layers
Black lines very rarely occur in nature, so use an
old animation trick and colour your lines by locking the
8 Rim lighting
In any natural environment, there are always
multiple light sources. Light emanating from behind an
these areas, especially in the cold. Add some faint Transparency of the lines layer (click the chessboard object creates an outline effect (known as rim lighting).
yellow gradients in the snow and slightly heavier ones icon in the Layers palette). Use colours darker than your When rim lighting is combined with a primary light
on the small pillar to show the light emanating from shading, eg, a red colour would have a dark red outline. source, it helps the human eye understand the relative
the candle. space and 3D shape of an object.
9 Candlelight
As the candle is behind our character, it would be
casting rim lighting on her, so we have coloured the
10 On reflection
Light reflects
differently off different textures,
lines a very light yellow for her skin and trousers. This so add finer details with that in
helps to establish the position of these two objects in mind. The T-shirt only requires
relation to each other. The lighting on the left of the simple shading as it is quite
pillar is a light purple, so its source would be moonlight uniform, whereas her eyes and
reflecting off the snow. lips have more variation and
require more detail. A little extra
time on the facial details will
add a great amount of impact.
Likewise, thin detailed strokes
on the hair suggest its mass,
volume and how it’s made up
of lots of separate strands.
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Advanced Photoshop
18 Using refs
An important part of any illustration is
correctly depicting form. Upon closer scrutiny, we’ve
realised that the girl’s top isn’t rendered convincingly,
so we got our lovely assistant Sarah to pose so we
17
could see how the top should look. The shading was
Off the rails different than we’d expected. Don’t be afraid to get
Click Select>Color somebody to pose for you or use a reference to make
Range and click on the black sure your image looks right.
railings in front of the woman,
then set Fuzziness to 0. Use
the Lasso tool while holding
Opt/Alt to deselect any
unnecessary lines. While on
the lines layer, hit Cmd/Ctrl+X
to cut the railings and Cmd/
Ctrl+V to paste them into a
new layer. Add some orange
highlights with a soft
Airbrush, then apply a
Gaussian Blur of 5.2 pixels.
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Advanced Photoshop
21 Custom brushwork
Use the ‘Dave C’s dotted soil texture’ brush
from the brush set on the CD to add some grain to the
snow. Use the brush to add some variation of pigment in
the girl’s skin. Pick a mixture of reds, browns and light
yellows to add moles and blemishes, remembering to
use more red in the areas where there would be more
22 23
blood flow, eg, the nose, cheeks and fingers.
Fine fur Render the rat!
Use the ‘DC fine fur’ brush to help render the Still using the fine fur brush that we loaded
small fibres on the scarf, giving the scarf a much more in the last step, render the rat’s fur, remembering to use
natural softer edge without losing detail. Use lighter local colours (although the rat’s fur is white, it looks
colours to indicate the more convex areas of the scarf. purple in the night-time). Using the ‘DC colouring
Also use this brush to modify the shadows cast on her opacity’ brush, add the rim light details and specular light
skin by the scarf. on his eye.
24 Let’s rock!
Select the skull (Cmd/Ctrl-click on its layer,
26
and lasso out any other areas on that layer) and paste in
any picture of a rock or concrete surface, setting the layer Final touches
mode to Overlay to give the skull a realistic texture. If the Add any small touches you feel necessary,
rock texture affects the colour of the skull too much, such as speaks of dirt on the girl’s T-shirt, snow on her
press Cmd/Ctrl+U and slide the Saturation bar to the left trousers, etc. Press Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+~ to make a
to desaturate it. selection of the image’s luminosity. Copy the selected
areas and paste onto a new layer above all other layers.
Set this layer to Soft Light at 64% Opacity and apply a
Gaussian Blur (about five pixels, but judge by eye) to
simulate light scattering.
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Advanced Photoshop
56
Advanced Photoshop
P
www.sxc.hu (again, the links are on
the disc). We’ve also supplied the
utting aside the recent innovations create a convincing soap bubble, the Displace displacement map we used, but
that allow Photoshop to deal with 3D filter in Photoshop will help you quickly and you can create your own.
objects, essentially the software is a convincingly create an imitation three- OUR EXPERT Sam Hampton-Smith
2D application. There is a sleight of hand or two dimensional composite. Using Displace
Sam is an illustrator and graphic designer from Scotland. He
that we can apply as Photoshop users to suggest doesn’t add or change the tones of your regularly writes for magazines, teaches students in higher
the third dimension: drop shadows, embosses artwork, so it’s only half the job in most cases, education and is available for freelance design and
illustration. Contact Sam via www.ohwrite.co.uk.
and glows, but none of these effects help but once you understand the possibilities
describe the surface texture of your artwork. then you will see new ways to enhance and
The Displace filter (found by following develop your images.
Filter>Distort>Displace) is a commonly As well as mapping artwork onto textured What is a
misunderstood but very powerful tool that
every Photoshop artist has at his or her
backgrounds, you can also use Displace to
help add realism to digital paintings, and in
displacement map?
disposal. Using this effect, you can quickly this tutorial we’re going to examine using the
wrap images around and across textured effect in just this way, in order to create a A displacement map is akin to a set of
surfaces. If you need to paste a poster onto a faked view of the sea’s surface in an contours. The brightness of the pixels in
brick wall, simulate a screenprint on a T-shirt or underwater composition. your map will push your artwork in
different directions. Maps support two
channels: one for the X axis and one for Y.
1 2
We’re using single channel maps here,
Open source image Extract or mask out
which is effectively like having two
Open your model image or download the background
identical channels. If you want to get
the same one as us from iStock (image number The model is currently situated on a very static more creative, understand that the first
‘6462699’). This image will work nicely for our background. You can deal with this in a number channel pushes pixels horizontally, the
final composition as the model already looks like of ways, for instance extracting the background, second vertically. Bright tones apply a
she might be underwater with her hair floating blurring and transforming it, or selectively negative displacement and dark tones
up in the water currents. Increase the canvas size masking it out. We opted for the latter for this apply positive displacement. Mid-grey has
to 200 x 280mm. tutorial, adding a soft layer mask around the no effect, black moves pixels down and
model to allow for a quick, smooth blend to a right and white pushes up and left. With a
new background. single channel map, black moves both
down and right, while white pushes up
and left.
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Advanced Photoshop
7
Make sure your top cloud’s layer is
Save the map targeted, then choose Filter>Distort>
Add a Curves adjustment layer and ramp Displace. The percentage amounts are an
up the contrast a bit, then choose a grey-to- indication of how much displacement will
transparent gradient and draw a gradient over occur. Choose values around 100 on the X
the bottom half of the texture so that the texture axis and 10 on the Y, selecting ‘Stretch to
melts into grey. Then save your file as fit’ and ‘Wrap edge pixels’ before clicking
‘displacement map.psd’. OK. Photoshop will then ask you for your
displacement map, so choose the file you
saved previously in Step 7. If necessary,
merge your surface layers and run the
displacement again.
9
60% to complete the effect. small shoal in the bottom left of the image.
Add bubbles
Download ‘1014308’ from www.sxc.hu and
choose Image>Mode>Grayscale. Use the Levels
or Curves adjustments to make the background
black and the bubbles white. Merge this down,
then copy and paste the bubbles into your
image. Set to Screen and duplicate the layer
several times, altering the position and scale.
14 Create some
light swirls
We’ll add some swirls of light
amount of Gaussian Blur. Save your
file, and it’s now a ready-to-use
displacement map.
around our model to suggest
she’s in command of the
ocean. You could use a tablet
and pressure-sensitive pen
to do this, but we’ll use the “SWIRLS OF
Pen tool, so select it now.
Draw a single curved path LIGHT
wrapping around the model
in a downward spiral. AROUND OUR
MODEL HINT
15 Stroke, blend…
Choose a bright aqua blue colour as 16 … and glow. Repeat as necessary
Add an Outer Glow to the layer and change the blending THAT SHE’S IN
your foreground. With the Brush tool, set the size
to four pixels with 50% Hardness. Create a new
mode to Screen. Repeat this to create a complete set of light swirls. If
you’d like to make one streak stronger, duplicate that layer for an instant COMMAND OF
layer then go to the Paths panel. Right-click on
the path and hit Stroke Path from the pop-up
menu. Choose Brush and tick Simulate Pressure.
magnification effect. Create balls of light by filling a feathered circular
selection with white, then apply the same blending and glow options. THE OCEAN”
18 Add noise
As with any composite image, we can
help blend the different elements together by
adding noise. Create another composite, then
choose Filter>Noise>Add Noise. Select
Monochrome and Gaussian as the type. This
effect is an aesthetic decision; choose an amount
to suit your taste.
17 Sharpen
Fix any alignment issues, for example,
if the surface does not meet the background,
then create a composite layer by holding down
Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift while clicking on the
context menu from the Layers panel and
choosing Merge Visible. On this composite layer,
run Filter>Other>High Pass. Choose a value of
around 6 and then set the layer to Overlay for
instant sharpening.
59
Advanced Photoshop
W
ON THE DISC hen Photoshop CS4 launched, them. They are not backwards-compatible with
There are no files for this on the CD. one of the things that really got CS3 or earlier, as you need to have the Adobe
All you need is Photoshop CS4
(which you can try for free for 30
us excited was that there would AIR platform that comes with CS4.
days from the Adobe site) and be the ability to build your own panels to be You can add any Photoshop function to a
Adobe Configurator (free from used in the program. This became possible panel, such as tools, commands, actions,
Adobe Labs).
through Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com/ scripts, text, video clips, images, etc. It’s easy
OUR EXPERT Julie Easton technologies/configurator/) in October 2008 enough to use, but make sure that you check
Julie has been deputy editor of Advanced Photoshop with the launch of Configurator 1.0, which is a out the Adobe Labs site for a free user guide,
magazine for the past year, and has been working with
free application that uses drag-and-drop as well as a list of the current known issues
Photoshop CS4 daily since its launch. Keep up to date with
the latest features and additions at www. technology to build panels exactly how you with the program.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk. want them, and enables you to export them for Over the next couple of pages, we’ll walk
use in CS4. you through the process of building, saving,
While anyone can download Configurator exporting and using your own panels in
and build panels, you must have CS4 to run Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Configurator.
60
Advanced Photoshop
TO YOUR NEW PANEL, simply click the arrow next to the Tools option
in the Object palette. This will display every
SIMPLY CLICK THE ARROW available Photoshop tool, which you can click
on and then drag to your panel in the Panel
NEXT TO THE TOOLS OPTION Editor. You can add as many tools as you like.
61
Advanced Photoshop
10 Widgets
The final option in the Objects
palette is the Widgets section. Here, you can
add simple text (say, if you want to remind
yourself of something or put a handy URL on
11 12
the panel), but you can also add video files. We
have chosen Movie Player. Click the URL folder Video files Save it out
icon on the right to locate a FLV file. Your FLV will automatically load into You can save your panels at any
the panel. Again, you can change the size of point so that you can go back in and edit them
your video window to suit and you can play in the future. Select the option from the File
the video through in the Panel Editor to check menu and it will save as the title of your panel
it over. You can rename it as we have done followed by .gpc, the file extension for the
before in the Inspector. panels. If you see an asterisk by the title in the
Panel Editor, then the panel hasn’t been saved
or has been amended since saving.
15
In order to use your panel in If Photoshop was open when you were working on your
Photoshop CS4, you will need to export it. This is panel, then you will need to restart it. You will be able to find your new Play with your panel
also accessed through the File menu. It will panel from the Windows>Extension menu. Click on it and it will open And there it is… our finished panel in
automatically export and save in the right as any other panel in the Photoshop interface. Photoshop CS4. You can play the FLV video, run
format in CS4’s Extensions folder in the program the action and use all the tools and commands
files. If you make any changes in the future, you directly from the panel that you created. You
will need to export it again. can create unlimited panels for each of your
common tasks or art styles.
d e r’sp
Rea k s h
rages fromanced
oartists
wGreo the
at imn the Adv website
o op
osh tail
de
Phot lained in
exp
64
Advanced Photoshop
I
f you thought those old pictures best texture images for this style can be ON THE DISC
collecting virtual dust were a waste of found within nature in the form of simple This tutorial starts with stock
images found on past Imagine
time, think again. This tutorial will explain a organic patterns.
Publishing CDs. All other image
rather simple style that most Photoshop artists By the end of this process, the artist should files are original creations of the
already know, yet tend to overlook due to its have a greater understanding of texturing, artist and free for use in
non-commercial artwork.
simplicity. When performing this tutorial, the custom brushes and using once-forgotten
artist will hopefully gain a better understanding images for new artistic review. Adobe OUR EXPERT Timothy L Wise Jr
of the use of random images for texture, and that Photoshop CS2 was used for this tutorial, Timothy is a full-time soldier for the US Military, living in
a little open space on the canvas doesn’t always however, those attempting this style could Wiesbaden, Germany, and working in the IT field. As an
artist, he has done freelance design that includes creating
require filling. use most versions as long as it is Photoshop. for the web. www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/twise.
The powerful textures that add a sense of Also, be aware that files can become pretty
creativity to the overall composition are large in a hurry, so make sure that you have
accomplished by any image that may or may plenty of both memory and drive space
not be dazzling in itself. However, some of the available to you. Custom brush
1 Fresh beginnings
WI’ll start the tutorial by creating a new
file in the scale of 2,400 x 3,600 pixels at 300dpi
2 Choosing your portrait
Starting off with a portrait that
encompasses a sense of emotion and energy is
As seen by the picture, any image can
become a possible texture brush if you
allow yourself to work through it. This
(do this by following File>New). It will be essential to pulling off this style. We’ll use a wave went through a fairly simple
entirely up to you if you want this format to be stock photograph for the needs of this tutorial, transformation by process of
RGB or CMYK. The 300dpi will save your images which was kindly provided by the folks at desaturation, inverting and Levels
suffering from pixellation when you need to Imagine Publishing. Since we’ll be using the adjustments in order to make it into a
custom brush. With that said, if you
make scale increases in moderation further Desaturate feature, it’s also imperative to either
find yourself working through this
down the road. find or adjust an image with proper shadowing.
tutorial scratching your head
wondering where you went wrong, the
forum is a great place to find assistance
from other artists. As an avid reader
and participant on the Advanced
Photoshop site/forum, I’m always
available for questions or concerns.
11 Continued texturing
Our spider image will need to be 12 Tweaking
Tweaking the colours will effectively change the overall “THE MORE
rotated 90 degrees clockwise (Edit>Transform>
Rotate 90° CW) and then scaled to fit our
look of our image so let’s go to Image>Adjust>Hue and Saturation.
Once here, we’ll modify the windows to reflect a Hue level of -77 and SHADOWED
canvas, as in Step 8. Now modify the
percentages to reflect 220 x 250 per cent, which
the Saturation at 8, then click OK. Set the blending mode of this layer
to Overlay and drag this layer under your sunset layers. SURFACES
should adequately cover our canvas.
YOU PLACE
UNDER THE
TEXTURE,
THE MORE IT
WILL POP OFF
THE SCREEN”
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Advanced Photoshop
15 Organics
Start as you did in Step 13,
this time opening up the PSD file named
‘Organics’ and drag the four layers onto
our canvas behind the portrait layer. The
placement of these elements is once
16
again subject to your own interpretation
of how the final image should lay out for Circles and spikes
the best effect. The scribbles were Like the previous steps, you’ll need to
created with a simple solid brush on the open the last supporting file called ‘Circles and
tablet while the spray was accomplished Spikes’. Drag those six elements onto your
by converting an old image of sea spray canvas and arrange accordingly. These elements
into a custom brush. This shows that no are custom brushes that anyone can make with
image is a total loss when you have the simple circles and actions, but that’s an entirely
will to create. different tutorial.
17 Layer positioning
As you can see, the image looks a bit
out of sync and requires some layer
18 The final stretch
After a little layer management and
softening of the hairline, it’s time to add some
19 The end
Now that your composition is near
completion, we’ll need to add one final tweak to
management to adjust the overall feel and simple vertical lines for effect. This can either the overall image. We’ll accomplish this through
weight of the image. So let’s start dragging be done with the Line tool with a heavy weight the use of a new adjustment layer (Layer>New
those elements behind the flowers and try or with the Rectangular Marquee tool (M). We’ll Adjustment Layer>Levels). Once you have your
some fine-tuning. This will also require a bit create a new layer just above the white new Levels adjustment layer, you’ll want to
more brushwork with the Eraser tool around the background layer and add two black lines to modify the Input levels to reflect as 41, 1.00, 255.
hairline to soften the look. the right of the portrait. Be sure to place this layer at the top of the list
and you’ll be finished.
67
Advanced Photoshop
70
Advanced Photoshop
2
– because that might rip a hole in the space-time Photoshop. The lack of mitre controls on a stroke has led
continuum and we really don’t want that! many a designer to do this type of work in Illustrator Form the first row
instead. But here at Advanced Photoshop’s Helpdesk, I’m Multiply the number of new layers by 50.
committed to giving the honest answer, good or bad. Increase the canvas width to match that number.
GET ANSWERS FASTER Photoshop can do a lot of things well, and even more Place the corner tiles, then select all the new tiles and
Hi there. I wanted to let you know just how things amazingly awesome, but a sharpened stroke isn’t use Horizontal Centres to autoposition the rest of the
much I enjoy your magazine. It’s one of the one of those things, unfortunately. tiles. Merge the tiles into a single layer for the first row.
few I make sure I purchase every single Let’s take a look at your options. Add a Stroke layer style
month. Keep up the good work! Especially the and look at the options available for it, especially the drop-
Helpdesk; I’ve learned much just from reading down menu for Positioning. By default, this is set to
those couple of pages every issue. I do have a Outside, which puts the stroke around the outer edge of
question about it, though. It occurs to me that the shape and generates rounded corners. If you change
most of the world seems to run an issue or this to Inside, the stroke then moves to the inner edge of
two behind due to shipping. Also, I imagine
3
the shape. The outside edges are nice and sharp, but look
the turnaround time for producing the what happened to those corners that point inwards – Rinse and repeat
magazine must be lengthy. So if I send in a now they are rounded. The third option, Centre, places Move your placeholder up 5px and repeat the
question to the Helpdesk, it could be months the stroke directly on the edge and all the corners process for the second row. Create rows until the top
before I see an answer. Is there a faster way? become uniform. But now they are neither sharp nor of the image, then expand the canvas height to 50
Venus Trexler round, but rather dull instead. times the number of rows you created. Then vertically
If one of these options align (Layer>Distribute>Vertical Centres) the rows.
Hi Venus (cool name by the way), your concern is works for you, then great!
appropriate. I realise that many readers are working on But if not, the best resort
deadlines and don’t have the luxury of waiting weeks is to either use the closest
or months for the chance that their question might be one then draw the sharp
answered in the mag. As a solution, I’ve begun work on a corners by hand, or just do it
prototype: Psychically Powered Hive-Mind Transmitter™, in Illustrator.
but an unfortunate incident with the Cerebral Generator
has been inducing nightmares. Trust me, it’s not pretty.
But while I work out the kinks, the magazine has
offered a much more reliable solution, albeit that bit
less amazing. There’s a forum on the website (www. CORNERS: The merits and
flaws of Adobe Photoshop’s
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum), so feel free to register stroke positions
71
Advanced Photoshop
W
ith the release of Photoshop CS4, one of the big buzz phrases that
surrounded it was ‘Content-Aware Scaling’, an algorithm licensed by
Adobe to use in CS4.
The idea behind it is that you might not always have the exact images that you
want to incorporate into a project. For example, the proportions could be all wrong,
but the content of the image is just right. Rather than just giving up and looking for
another image, Content-Aware Scaling enables you to protect the content that you
want to keep in the image and scale the image without affecting these areas. For
example, you might want to turn a standard image into a panoramic without
sacrificing the main subjects, be it a background or people. And it takes almost no
time to do, which means that it saves you hours of searching for a new image or trying BEFORE (ABOVE): We wanted to reduce the
to painstakingly rework an existing image by hand. image size here without losing any scale in the
penguin itself, so we created a selection of it first
the image while you are resizing it. If no
OUR EXPERT Julie Easton
area has been specified, then it will
As deputy editor of this title, Julie has spent plenty of
intelligently keep the most visually AFTER – CONTENT-AWARE SCALING
time immersed in the new features of Photoshop CS4, (ABOVE): The difference between using this
and has been scaling her photos up and down with this interesting areas. It can intelligently
and cropping is that the penguin has been
great new addition. recognise skin tones, so that people are preserved, but Photoshop has also recognised
automatically preserved when resizing. other elements (like the bits on the ground) and
kept them, too
Shortcut solutions However, if you want to select an area for
yourself that you want protecting, it’s as AFTER – FREE TRANSFORM (LEFT): If
simple as making and saving a selection. we were just to Free Transform the image to the
scale that we wanted, this is what would happen
As with everything in Photoshop, it
pays to know your shortcuts in order Application
to save time when editing. To access
Content-Aware Scaling via your
There are two ways of using Content-
Aware Scaling, depending on whether
Seam carving
keyboard, use Cmd+Opt+Shift+C you want to define an area yourself or selection first, using any of your
(Mac) or Ctrl+ Alt+Shift+C (PC). If you want to find out more about
let Photoshop analyse the image for the preferred selection tools. Save your
most important areas. selection when you have made it the technology behind Content-
Background If you want Photoshop to make the (Select>Save Selection) and the saved Aware Scaling within Photoshop
This hasn’t come out of nowhere, decisions, then all you need to do is selections for any image will then CS4, then take a visit to www.
seamcarving.com, which is about
however. The seam-carving algorithm select any unlocked layer in a document appear in the Protect drop-down menu
the creation of the algorithm and
was developed by Shai Avidan and select Edit>Content-Aware Scale. in the top toolbar when using Content-
how it works. You can also download
(Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs) and You will then get corner handles come Aware Scaling. a PDF full of information.
Ariel Shamir (The Interdisciplinary Center up the same as if you were using Free However, you do need to bear in
and MERL) for content-aware image Transform or the Crop tool. Drag it into mind that this isn’t a foolproof solution,
resizing, but it has only been since its your new scale and Photoshop will and there are going to be times when
integration into Photoshop CS4 that it protect the areas of the image that it it’s just not going to be possible to
has come to the public’s attention. The thinks are important. massively rescale your image without
feature is designed to let you rescale and This isn’t always going to work as you affecting the composition. The other
recompose at the same time, analysing expected, though, so it pays to make a thing to bear in mind is that there is a
lot going on in the background with
this technology, so it isn’t quite as
instantaneous as you might expect. On
our iMac, there was noticeable lag
when we were making adjustments,
which can be frustrating when you’re
trying to make tiny adjustments again
and again.
Still, it does a generally good job that SEAM CARVING: At www.seamcarving.
will save you plenty of time on complex com, you can download more information
CHOOSE YOUR SELECTION: If you have STAY IN SCALE: As we have selected to about Content-Aware Scaling from the
created a selection, you can choose to preserve it protect the boat, all the other information is lost resizing projects and is certainly worth creators of the technology
from the Protect drop-down menu first, preserving the scale of the boat a play with.
72
Advanced Photoshop
B o oshokpaCreziatinveeCo£1 2 .9 9l 4
Photo llection Vo
Photo editing Artistic projects Techniques
Choose from a huge Great advice to increase
Give your photos the
cts your knowledge of the
ultimate makeover with array of creative proje Photoshop tools
our top editing guides and improve your skills
Volume 3
eMag £19.99
12 issues of Photoshop Creative
Over 900 pages of tutorials and features
P
eer Pressure has once again been inundated with great artwork. The
chosen entries this month offer an array of insights into the creative mind,
sharing and revealing individual approaches and skills. We always include
your email and web address so that interested parties can get in touch.
All you have to do is send us high-quality TIFFs or JPEGs (RGB or CMYK) at 300dpi,
which can be printed at a minimum size of 15 x 15cm. Send us low-res versions to
advancedpshop@imagine-publishing.co.uk – we’ll get back to you for work with a
higher resolution if needed. Alternatively, log on to our forum at www.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum. We cannot provide individual image assessment.
Each issue we select one image to be Best In Show, and that lucky person will win
a fantastic prize, courtesy of The Illustration Source (www.illustration-source.com),
which is a great way to get your work seen. So, what are you waiting for?
Fashionable forms
NAME: Robert Shields
EMAIL: robert.r82@gmail.com
WEB: www.robshields.net
74
Advanced Photoshop
of
THE WEDDING: Another
David’s interpretations of past
one
and present paintings, this
is his idea of Jan Van Eyck ’s
i
famous Portrait of Giovann
Arnolfini and his Wife
CANDICE UNLEASHES
HER DEMONS (RIGHT):
“One day in the winter of
2005, a story popped into my
head about a girl who dies
and becomes a ghost. Her
desire to become human
makes her look upon the
human race with jealousy
and rage. Ultimately,
through Eastern philosophy,
she learns to attain inner
peace and help mankind”
75
Advanced Photoshop
The darker
side of art MOURNING ART: “Exp
ressing sadness
and inner pain by art”
NAME: Shwe Thiri Khit
EMAIL: info@shwethirikhit.com
WEB: www.shwethirikhit.com
76
Advanced Photoshop
show
Sponsored by…
Not only is David Ho this
month’s Best in Show, they have
also won a year’s full Option 3
membership to The Illustration
Source, worth £150, and Featured
Artist slot for January. The
Illustration Source Ltd is the newest
source of original art, freelance
illustrators, photographers, artists
and designers on the net. Visit
www.illustration-source.com for
more information. If you’d like to
stand a chance of winning an
Illustration Source portfolio, send
your images to advancedpshop@
imagine-publishing.co.uk.
INFERNO: “I created this piece through the Evoke
collective for Oxfam Australia for its campaign on global
warming. To construct the piece, I used Photoshop, my
Image requirements
You’ll stand a better chance of
Wacom, Poser and CINEMA 4D. I wanted to portray the
‘inferno’ of the world, and created the piece with many seeing your work in print if you
open concepts that would challenge the viewer’s adhere to the following criteria:
interpretation” make sure that your images are
high-quality TIFFs or JPEGs (RGB or
CMYK), 300dpi, and can be printed
3D integration at 15 x 15cm minimum. Don’t forget
to include a small text file detailing
NAME: Saad Ali Moosajee
how you created your work as well.
EMAIL: saad.moosajee@gmail.com
WEB: http://saadart.com Terms and conditions
By submitting images to Advanced
Saad Moosajee is 15 years old and was Photoshop’s Peer Pressure, you
born in London, England, although he’s hereby grant Imagine Publishing
ethnically South Asian and currently and, if relevant, clients to whom the
resides in the US. Even as a child he loved relevant work has been provided,
an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-
art and design, although he wasn’t aware of
free licence to use such intellectual
it for a while. “After many years of randomly
property in relation to work similar
staring at billboards or album covers came or equivalent to the work. This
the realisation that I both had an eye and a love includes the right to showcase work
for aesthetics. I started illustrating from an on multimedia formats. By
early age, although computer design only took submitting work, you also confirm
off when I got my first Photoshop program as that your images do not infringe
an 11th birthday present.” any copyright regulations should
He says that initially it was too complicated they be published.
for him, although he has now gained semi-
mastery of it, as well as a fairly rudimentary
knowledge of 3D programs Poser Pro and
CINEMA 4D, which are used to produce all his
works, along with a Wacom tablet.
“My artwork is the result of the visions and WANDERER: “This
messages that come to me portrayed on a canvas,” piece was created for the slashTHREE collective’s
he explains. “I draw inspiration from Magritte and ‘30th Century’ exhibition. The background photography is by Nicholas
Giger, and I often like to portray world issues or Creevy (www.nicholascreevy.co.uk), and the piece itself is based around THE PRIZE: Check out The Illustration
the concept of a lone 3D robot wandering through a Thirtieth Century Source’s website to see the portfolios of
situations. I would call my style a mix of parking lot. I produced the robot by constructing and stitching 3D parts previous winners of Best in Show
photomanipulation, matte painting and 3D.” together with Poser, CINEMA 4D and Photoshop”
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Advanced Photoshop
chall
enge THIS
MONTH’S
PRIZE
Our prize this month is Adobe
Photoshop CS4 One-On-One by Deke
McClelland (O’Reilly), which shows you
Peer Pressure WEB everything you need to know about
the latest version of Photoshop,
CHALLENGE – THE WINNERS including a DVD-ROM with over four
Challenge reference: AP 051 hours of video.
Runner-up
NAME: Firnadi Iqbal
R
EB E
EMAIL: firnadi@yahoo.com
W I NN
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/
user/firnadi
W MIGHTY CENTAUR: “I created this
picture starting with a friend’s photo. I
thought, ‘What am I going to use the brake
plate for?’ so I put it into his hand, like a
shield. I had an idea of the statue being like a
pyramid and then used blending layers to
create a lightning effect. The Airbrush and
Smudge tools came in handy for that”
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/competitions.php
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Advanced Photoshop
PROTECT YOUR
ART ONLINE
Image theft may pale in comparison to robbing a bank, but to those who find
©
their work stolen, the results can be traumatic. Nick Spence investigates ways to
protect your work online
T
he internet has many positives: the chance to learn, share, T
BESSAN
participate and collaborate, offering the possibility to © M A RC
explore the world beyond your horizon. As a tool to
showcase you and your work, it offers great potential, a chance to be
seen by a global audience and attract clients and commissions
regardless of your location. Yet for every positive, a few negatives lurk
on the dark side of the internet. From dodgy downloads and scams to
nasty viruses and dubious pills and potions, the internet is not a place
for the reckless. Being prepared and aware of the potential dangers
online should help protect you. The same caution should apply when
putting your work online. Creating your own website, placing your
work on a blog or forum, selling your designs on an online shop, these
are all good, but you don’t want to find your hard work has been
hijacked by those looking for quality images for free.
The simple way to ensure your work isn’t stolen or plagiarised is to
stay offline altogether, although this will severely restrict potential
©
interest in you and your work. Much better is to limit the damage that
can be done by using a range of measures, including copyrighting
© ANDY POTTS
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©
080-085_AVP_52_Feature.indd 80 9/12/08 15:26:31
Protect your art online ©
Case study
Andy Potts
Award-winning London-based illustrator Andy
Potts (www.andy-potts.com) couldn’t believe
his eyes when he came across the work of a
Dutch artist. A selection of his paintings, which
he sells and exhibits internationally, bore an
uncanny resemblance to his own work, created
for a selection of prestigious clients and
displayed on his website. Such was the similarity
between Potts’ illustrations and these paintings
that it raised serious concerns. What isn’t clear
is whether the artist managed to copy them
from relatively small JPEG files found on
Potts’ homepage. “I’m pretty sure this guy was
able to blow up some very small web images
and paint on them large scale quite successfully,”
explains Potts.
Potts’ US representative, Anna Goodson
Management, and the Association of Illustrators
EUROPA COVER: A striking cover design for French here in the UK were both equally amazed at the
magazine Europa by Andy Potts about the rise of non- artist’s sheer nerve, and felt rightly that Potts
governmental organisations
had a excellent case for copyright theft. Potts
© ANDY POTTS
quickly informed the artist that he faced legal
action if the paintings were not removed, and an
images, using digital watermarks, reducing images agreement was signed that none of Potts’
down to a size that’s difficult to reproduce effectively copyrighted work would be used again in future.
and creating a password-protected area of your Since many of the original paintings were
website for high-res examples that’s only for clients. sold, Potts asked for financial compensation. All
Each has its pros and cons. Digital spoilers, such as well and good, except Potts discovered that to
visible watermarks for instance, will prevent images actually sue someone for clear copyright
from being printed and sold but won’t prevent infringement, even in another EU country, would
anyone from simply borrowing or copying your image be a long and costly venture.
or design. No amount of protection will be effective if “I have been royally ripped off this year by this
someone wants to mimic your style. Having your artist and there’s not much I’ve been able to do
name stamped in big letters on everything can also about it unless I commit to a very expensive,
be annoying to the viewer and allow you to be stressful and probably unsuccessful lawsuit,”
perceived as a misguided amateur; after all, few large adds Potts.
studios and illustration representatives see fit to use
watermark images. Getting the balance right should
ensure you look a professional outfit without FACEFULL (TOP): Personal work from illustrator Andy
seemingly being overly precious about your work.
Potts, one of the most creative illustrators in the UK, who
has been recognised within the industry by a BAFTA 16.3 PER CENT
OF IMAGES USED
nomination and a prestigious AOI award
© ANDY POTTS
Watermark images
Third-party sites where you can buy a simple but
effective website off the peg should offer some image
GETTING TO KNOW YOU (ABOVE): Book cover
design by Andy Potts for the collected short stories of sci- ON OUR GALLERY
protection tools as standard, which you can choose to
activate or not. “Just over 40 per cent of Clikpic
fi writer David Marusek
© ANDY POTTS PAGES ARE
customers, based on a sample of 100, have opted to
watermark their images within the Clikpic system,
service Mr Site (www.mrsite.co.uk), suggests that
while fewer users watermark images, the numbers are WATERMARKED;
which can be done literally at the click of a button, so
it is clearly an important issue for artists”, explains
still significant. “Around 16.3 per cent of all images
used on our gallery pages are watermarked, meaning THE REMAINDER
Tim Hunt, a director at Clikpic (www.clikpic.com),
which offers a website-to-go service. “It reminds a
that the remainder are open to potential theft,” says
Spice. “Watermarking offers you the best protection in ARE LEFT OPEN
potential thief, who can often be a casual observer
who is completely unaware of copyright issues, that
they need to think before copying.” Stuart Spice,
my opinion, as it acts as a ‘spoiler’ for the image
without detracting from the impact of the image.”
More primitive methods, such as disabling right-
TO THEFT
technical officer at professional website builder click (or Ctrl-click on Macs), fail to take into – STUART SPICE, MR SITE
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Case study
Share and
share alike
Although you need to be concerned about how
and where you put your images online, many
seek to actively share their work. If you’re stuck
for suitable inspiration or reference material,
there are numerous free and legal resources
available online. Stock.XCHNG (www.sxc.hu),
Freerange Stock (www.freerangestock.com),
Fontplay (www.fontplay.com/freephotos),
morgueFile (www.morguefile.com), Photo.net
(http://photo.net) and Woophy (www.woophy.
com) all offer free stock. Images may have
restrictions on use, but many are offered under
Creative Commons licensing or the Copyleft
licensing scheme. This allows for some but not
all copyright restrictions, giving the user the
ability to modify an image, for example, as long
as the resulting image is bound by the same
Copyleft licensing scheme. Good karma dictates
you always read the small print, but few
restrictions should apply.
deviantART (www.deviantart.com) actively
encourages the use of other people’s images.
Some of the more impressive Photoshop
photomanipulations found on the site take
elements on stock images freely offered by the Charles Darwin: 12 February 2009 marks the 200th anniversary
community. “The resource and stock art of the birth of Charles Darwin and Nature magazine commissioned
this striking portrait by illustrator Jonathan Williams
providers go out of their way to offer a wide © Jonathan Williams
variety of high-quality material that comes from
artists that span the globe,” enthuses Kari
Campbell, assistant director of artist relations at third-party Photoshop plug-ins, to increase the size Copyright and wrongs
deviantART. Browsing the Stock Photography of images, results are mixed at best. “Place only very Placing a copyright message on your website won’t
gallery enables artists to locate suitable stock for highly compressed JPEG images at small dimensions protect you from theft, but it may deter some from
their various projects. “deviantART provides a on your site. That way, if the image is stolen, it is of simply downloading without thinking. Marc Bessant
forum for stock art and resource providers. Here, such a small size and low quality that an attempt to (www.marcbessant.com) is a well-respected designer
deviants are able to ask questions about tips, resize or reuse the image in any way will produce a and illustrator with numerous CD and DVD covers,
share information on what they find in terms of very degraded version of the image,” suggests Mr books, logos and posters under his belt, who has
creating the best resources possible,” insists Site’s Stuart Spice. There are positives and negatives in never been a fan of visible watermarks: “In places I’ve
Campbell. “This open platform is a great way to doing this, not least reducing your work down to a seen watermarks, they have always looked pretty
communicate with the Gallery directors resolution and size that won’t do you justice. “There is awful. I think the best thing is just an overall
regarding any questions they might have one main detractor, which is that the image may lose disclaimer somewhere tidy on the front end of the
concerning this valuable genre. Artists can also impact so it won’t be shown in its best light, crucial if site. I’ve seen my work printed in magazines blatantly
post threads if they are looking for something in you plan on selling your pieces,” adds Spice. Play from a low-res source from the net. Obviously, I’m
particular for a piece that they are working on.” around with the Save For Web function in Photoshop thrilled someone is interested, and in the most part all
to see how your work will look at different sizes while exposure is good exposure, but I wish the effort had
aiming to keep the resolution, 72dpi, the same. been made to get better-quality examples.” Much of
step-by-step
protected via a digital watermark that uses Digimarc technology. Digimarc software is included as standard
in Photoshop and a Digimarc ImageReader is also available
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Exotique 4
A title that will blow you away with its stunning examples of
the very best digital character creations
Author/Publisher: Ballistic Publishing
(from around 45 countries –
Web: www.ballisticpublishing.com
a record in this series),
Price: $52 (approx £34) Soft Cover; $115 (approx £75)
Exotique 4 delivers above
Limited Edition. Both editions plus shipping
and beyond the expected aesthetic value.
About: 215 artists from over 45 countries
This title looks to be the benchmark for CG character art
322 pieces of inspiring work
books. Its included 208 full-colour glossy pages packed with
Exclusive works from the world’s leading
digital design never let up. This edition’s examples seem even
CG artists
more tangible and lavish than last time round, covering a
Thumbnail, single-and double-page images
plethora of genres, such as sci-fi, fantasy, modelling and
Extensive artist contact index
nostalgia. Exclusive artworks from some of the world’s finest
talents are also on display, including Bobby Chiu, Jonas
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Advanced Photoshop
Mudbox 2009
Digital sculpting that aims to bridge the gap between polygon and pixel,
Autodesk’s latest modelling software release is put under the spotlight
“Perhaps the most works fairly well, it’s unfortunate to note that Real-time effects: Along with real-time
shadowing, Mudbox 2009 can also use image-
texture directly version in both name and function, although flattened, turned on or off and even controlled
onto a model”
exploration and implementation show that by a mask. Another nice touch is that Mudbox
these changes are a genuine improvement. allows the opacity of each layer to become
Even for those with no previous experience of negative, so details that were pressed into a
the software, the brushes behave in a natural character’s body can be pushed outward and
and intuitive way. Use the Knife brush and a vice versa.
clean groove is carved into the surface; switch Perhaps the most prominent addition to
to the Scrape brush and it’s possible to carve Mudbox 2009 is the ability to paint texture
away sharp corners. On top of this, the effects directly onto a model. Often touted as a major
of each brush can be controlled with a ‘stamp’, selling point of its rivals, it’s clear that this was
a template image that alters the shape much an area the development team have spent a lot
like Photoshop’s own brushes. A welcome of time addressing. Painting itself is a
addition is the Steady Stroke option, which deceptively simple affair. Mudbox offers a
results in the brush dragging behind the seemingly limited set of tools: a Paintbrush,
cursor, naturally smoothing out the wobble of Airbrush, Pencil, Eraser, Color Picker and
your hand and helping to keep the surface of Projection brush. However, combining these
the model clean and smooth. Use Mudbox tools with one another, along with the use of
with a graphics tablet and its sculpting stamps and stencils, allows for a surprising
brushes come into their own. The entire amount of variation. The Projection brush is
process not only feels extremely organic, but especially powerful, allowing any external
the tools themselves feel geared toward fast, image to be laid over the screen and then
effective feedback. ‘rubbed’ onto the surface from any angle.
Traditional into digital: Combining a stamp,
it’s possible to vary the texture of the sculpting strokes, The ability to store the sculpting information Another benefit of Mudbox’s painting is that
mimicking the effect of real-life tools in layers offers an invaluable, nondestructive the resolution of a texture isn’t dependant on
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Advanced Photoshop
3
low-polygon object, such as an in-game asset
or background element. Painting onto the object
Texturing isn’t limited to colour either. ambient occlusion, can give a more accurate Using the Projection brush, rub the
Mudbox has multiple channels, meaning that preview of the finished article and most information from the photograph onto the
it’s possible to paint bump maps for fine detail importantly, bypass the need to export to surface of the geometry.
or specular maps, and see their effect on the another application to do so. The 2009 release
model’s surface in real-time. As with sculpting, is a giant step for Mudbox, as the inclusion of
textures are stored in layers that can be faded texture painting, 64-bit support and general
over one another or turned on/off completely. performance enhancements make it an
However, it is only possible to alter a layer’s important asset to any 3D pipeline. 5
opacity at present; there are no Photoshop
blending modes, nor is it currently possible to Manufacturer: Autodesk
rearrange their order. Along with its limited Web: www.autodesk.com
ability to manipulate images, Mudbox is really Price: £450/$745
another tool in the texturing process as Spec: 32-bit: XP Pro SP2 or Vista
4
opposed to an all-in-one solution. This is what Business SP1; 64-bit: XP Pro x64
the developers are aware of, and while it is SP2 or Vista Business SP1 Sculpting more detail
possible to edit a texture in Mudbox and 32-bit: Intel Pentium 4 (or You can then use the stencil as a
Photoshop simultaneously, Mudbox does not equivalent); 64-bit: Intel EM64T, guideline or even as a mask to sculpt more
support the PSD file format, which makes the AMD Athlon 64 or Opteron detail into the object’s surface.
process of sharing data between the two 1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
applications unnecessarily cumbersome. 650MB HD (2GB recommended)
The other major addition is the strong Hardware OpenGL graphics card
emphasis on presentation. Users can create
Summary: Mudbox 2009 offers a superb and
and store multiple lighting setups and camera
powerful toolset for both creating and
views to display the model in the most
texturing 3D assets. However, it does require
appropriate way.
a powerful system to implement all of its
Image-based lighting, real-time shadows
features effectively.
and the new Viewport Filters, which offer
Rating: 4/5
effects such as real-time depth of field and
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Advanced Photoshop
Spyder3Elite
Is this the most innovative Datacolor calibration system to date?
Manufacturer: Datacolor
Web: www.datacolor.com
Price: €175 (approximately £145)/$249
About: StudioMatch Assistant
Increases light sensitivity by 400 per cent
Seven detector colour engine
LCD, CRT, projector as well as notebook
displays recognised
New SpyderProof function
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Advanced Photoshop