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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> s_j_v1 first PS challenge
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05/08/2005 11:10:45 AM · #1
this is swinging johnson v1 here, offering a PS challenge.

this is a pix of an office set on the unaired cop show "The Inside".

Do with what you want. Just go for it. I know there is talent out there in DPC land, so get it on.

I would like to invite Kpriest and Stikeslip to help with all available humor, and advice.



Message edited by author 2005-05-08 11:11:10.
05/08/2005 01:28:25 PM · #2
heres my submission.

Godzilla


05/08/2005 01:30:28 PM · #3
lol, i need to be a bit more attentive i couldnt tell you changed anything and then i nearly jumped out of my chair!
05/08/2005 07:44:09 PM · #4
bump
05/09/2005 11:20:22 AM · #5
only time for one quickie...


05/09/2005 11:22:28 AM · #6
In these PS challenges it would be nice to know the steps taken to create the images shown.
05/09/2005 11:26:17 AM · #7
Originally posted by cpanaioti:

In these PS challenges it would be nice to know the steps taken to create the images shown.


I agree. I would like to know as well. ;-)

Seriously, I don't think I could begin to remember many details, but I will try to put a basic description of the steps together in all those in my portfolio when I get some time.
05/09/2005 11:51:19 AM · #8
"Nocturne ΓΆ€” Post-Apocalypse"



Robt.
05/09/2005 12:13:48 PM · #9
Desktop Racing


05/09/2005 12:18:01 PM · #10
Originally posted by legalbeagle:

Desktop Racing



That's terrific!

R.
05/09/2005 12:20:34 PM · #11
Originally posted by bear_music:

That's terrific!

R.

I have to agree. Left you a comment Matthew.
05/09/2005 12:22:00 PM · #12
Originally posted by cpanaioti:

In these PS challenges it would be nice to know the steps taken to create the images shown.


In my Godzilla, I tried a differant technique in matteing. I went into the color select (select/color select) and tried to remove the background. Since it is a b&w, the process was fairly easy, but I still had to hand fix areas of the window so Godzilla didn't look so dirty.

Then I just sandwiched godzilla between the original office (bg) between the matted (top layer), flattened layers, and wa la.

Of course I fixed the office and godzilla to levels, and sharpen.

there are other matte techniques that I am still learning, but think is a definate tool to learn in PS.
05/09/2005 12:25:54 PM · #13
Originally posted by swinging_johnson_v1:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

In these PS challenges it would be nice to know the steps taken to create the images shown.


In my Godzilla, I tried a differant technique in matteing. I went into the color select (select/color select) and tried to remove the background. Since it is a b&w, the process was fairly easy, but I still had to hand fix areas of the window so Godzilla didn't look so dirty.

Then I just sandwiched godzilla between the original office (bg) between the matted (top layer), flattened layers, and wa la.

Of course I fixed the office and godzilla to levels, and sharpen.

there are other matte techniques that I am still learning, but think is a definate tool to learn in PS.


Thanks for the details.
05/09/2005 01:43:30 PM · #14
If I would have entered the Dream challenge, this is the kind of shot I would have entered:

:-D


05/09/2005 01:56:27 PM · #15
A couple more...

-
05/09/2005 01:59:17 PM · #16

05/09/2005 02:01:38 PM · #17
Originally posted by Strikeslip:

:-D

Strikeslip: He is Punctuation Marks!

I see what happens to your imagination when you didn't get no whoopie!
05/09/2005 02:10:06 PM · #18
I am humbled by your talent Kpriest.

Please oh great one, please teach me, an insignificant gnat, your magic powers.

I have books, but osmosis is not working like I thought it would.
05/09/2005 02:17:34 PM · #19
Originally posted by swinging_johnson_v1:

I am humbled by your talent Kpriest.

Please oh great one, please teach me, an insignificant gnat, your magic powers.

I have books, but osmosis is not working like I thought it would.

Thanks SJ, but I think you did quite well on the first entry (Godzilla). I will put a tutorial together soon. I did a how-to in a thread awhile back about removing a significant unwanted object in a Bear photo (at the zoo).

I am addicted to these types of things.

Gotta get some work done now.
05/09/2005 02:50:06 PM · #20
Originally posted by kpriest:

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

:-D

Strikeslip: He is Punctuation Marks!

I see what happens to your imagination when you didn't get no whoopie!


Sad but true.

05/09/2005 05:44:35 PM · #21
bump
05/09/2005 11:30:40 PM · #22
bump for the late shift
05/09/2005 11:49:35 PM · #23
Originally posted by swinging_johnson_v1:

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

In these PS challenges it would be nice to know the steps taken to create the images shown.


In my Godzilla, I tried a differant technique in matteing. I went into the color select (select/color select) and tried to remove the background. Since it is a b&w, the process was fairly easy, but I still had to hand fix areas of the window so Godzilla didn't look so dirty.

Then I just sandwiched godzilla between the original office (bg) between the matted (top layer), flattened layers, and wa la.

Of course I fixed the office and godzilla to levels, and sharpen.

there are other matte techniques that I am still learning, but think is a definate tool to learn in PS.


Could you please explain this a little mopre clear for the ones who really don't know how this is done... I would like to learn this. thanks in advance.
05/10/2005 12:01:13 AM · #24
Just do as explained first of all.

When you get into color select, the first ink drop samples the colors that you want to pull. I took my slider all the way to the left to make the pix black. Pressing 'control'(on the pc) reveals the original pix when sampleing.

the 'plus' color ink drop adds color pixels to what you want to pull, the 'minus' ink drop gets rid of color pixels you don't want.
when I pressed OK, I had marching ants revealing the part of the pix I want to keep, (the black), and the part I want to disgard (whites). When you see the "marching ants", like I said, I had to hand clean up the marching ants that I did not want, or the other way around.

after cleaning up, I moved the copy of the pix I wanted to a new file.

the rest is in previous posts.

I hope this helps. I am not much of a teacher. Kpriest, and Legalbeagle, and strikeslip are better than me.
05/10/2005 01:49:12 AM · #25
One of these days I will do a step-by-step tutorial - it's difficult for me to put one together after the fact because I pretty much male it up as I go along and I often have to backtrack if I can't get the effect I am looking for.

That said, here is what I can remember from this pic:
-Make a copy or backup of the original image. I can't remember how many times I accidentally overwrote the original.
-When you open the original image, make at least 2 duplicate layers of it and leave the original on Layer 0 (or Bkgd) and make it invisible.
-The top layer copy will be used temporarily to halp masking. Go to this top layer and adjust the brightness and contrast for MAXIMUM contrast. This will force all unwanted elements (some of the lighter buildings outside the window for example) to go to white.
-For this pic, I use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to first select just the windows.
-Now use Select color range as SJ explained - turn the "fuzziness up and resample as necessary to get the pixels you want to remove.
-Once you have clicked OK to that, go to the lower layer copy (with original, non-high contrast) and turn off visiblity of the top layer that we just used for selection assistance.
-Now you can just hit the DEL key and remove the pixels. Deselect the mask and see how it looks. If it was messed up, use CTRL+Z or UNDO to go back to where you need to.
*** IMPORTANT TIP: UNDO is your friend. Some people try to try to correct mistakes by heeping on more edits in a forward direction. It is always better to UNDO a command, rather than to execute another to compensate - even if the end result is the same. It keeps the History neat and streamlined and makes it easier to see what you did that matters.
-At this point you have basically removed the glass from the windows and left the blinds. Now anything you put in a layer below it will show through. When you are just experimenting with this type of editing, it is best to save out a copy of the PSD file before you forget and start going to town and inadvertently merge layers together - you'll always want to have the "Master" copy with the replaceable background ready to try different things on (Godzilla, Woody, Naked Chicks, etc.). ;-)

***NOTE: In this pic, I could not easily mask the blinds in all three windows, so since the middle window came out the best, I hacked out the other two windows completely and then duplicated the middle window and placed it in the other window spaces and used Free Transform (CTRL+T) to shape it into place and match the angles. I often look for a good representation of one area that I can duplicate into other areas. Then I might add some unique anomalies to it if it looks too uniform.

To me, the critical skills in doing these are masking, blending and layering. Use temporary copies of layers as noted above to help with masking, use the blur tool to help soften jagged edges from hard line masks and try to keep every individual element on its own layer.

Other helpful tips that work for me:
- Learn the keyboard commands! These make this go a lot faster.
- When you mask a unique area (like the middle window), copy and paste the selection onto a hidden layer to make it easy to select that same area again. CTRL+click on a layer selects everything on that layer. You can CTRL+click on a hidden layer to quickly mask an area on the layer you're working on.

Well - not very organized - just kinda spewed that all out. But hopefully it helps. Also - keep in mind there are several, if not many, different ways to accomplish the same thing. I am using PS7 (bought CS, but haven't felt compelled to install it yet) and I learn new things every day that make me realize I was doing some things the long way. So if anyone knows better ways to do some of these things, chime in. SJ, for example talked about Matteing and I am not too familiar with that feature. I use Select Color Range and / or just meticulously mask of detailed areas manually.

Practice, practice, practice. Try tools you have not used before - ("I wonder what this does? click click click") Have fun.

edit: Holy Crap! You never realize how long your post is when you are typing in this little box, but then you click POST and see it in the thread! :)

Message edited by author 2005-05-10 01:51:15.
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