4

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Cover image

Brand Nu, aka Radim Malinic, is one of our favourite illustrators and has graced the cover twice before with his blend of photography and colourful illustration. This image was originally created to promote a club night and the rest of the series can be seen online. His latest project was a collaboration with a number of great artists to form a 'visual mixtape' called Nu Visual Language, prints of which can be bought from the online shop.

'"jl www.brandnu.co.uk

Illustration:

BRANDNU Model:

VANESSA MARIE Photography:

RICARDO DIAZ

lIB AND NU HAS GRACED THE COVER TWICE BEFORE' ,

~

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ON THE COVER: M~RY 15 W~LkIN[J

Arisu www.advancedphotoshop.co.ukJuser/arisu "I've created this image for a Portuguese musician (Lyua Dust) [and it was] based on his song Mary 15 Walking. Every time I'd hear it I'd get this surreal, elevation and religious feeling"

THE COVER

This month's cover image is courtesy of Radim Malinie, aka Brand Nu. You can find out more about Brand Nu at the new and improved web portfolio: www.brandnu.co.uk

Perfect your fantasy painting skills

Ow pick of the best reader submissions this month

6

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INSI[JHT

10

News and showcases from around the globe

~m 10

Showcase: Perttu Murto Showcase: Theo Gennitsaxis Showcase: Go Media

I

COMMUNITY

22

Our readers' comments, feedback and images from our mailbox, email, website and forum

Mailbox

On the web

22 1.4

HELP

• r

~. ,I·

72

Tips, techniques and problems solved Helpdesk

Insider Info Workspace options

RESOURCES

88

Vital assets to improve your Photoshop work

Hardware and software ~

Book reviews

9,2

THIS MONTH'S CO

96

Superb stock art, project files and more!

CD guide 96

Brush index ~(lli

c

I@ 14

I' 18

B

TECHNI'QUE5

2

2

'2 '4

~~ INTERVIEW: CHRISTOPHER CO?« ir[i' 26

I1I1I The man behind Changethethought.com speaks out

Essential guides to professional Photoshop skills

F~NT~5Y P~JNTJNG

32

Doug Sirois explains how to create realistic brushstrokes

.. _ FE?4TURE: MI?«ED MEDI~

f;'f,' 38

5UMMERY ILLU5TR~TJON

46

An in-depth look at what mixed-media means in the digital age

Learn how to design fresh, colourful illustrations

~: PEER PRESSURE

j'·ii. 76

HE~O TO HE~D: P~R~DJ5E i"i"

52

,j Our pick of the best Advanced Photoshop reader creations

Two artists, one word - which will be your favourlte?

FE?4TURE: ULTIM~TE RESOURCES i"i~ 82

~DVERTI5ING IM~GERY

60

s

The best places to find stock images, textures and brushes

Recreate the current advertising trends

ai=' REVIEWS H· 88

:- .. ~ Strata 3D, SpaceNavigator, ColorMunki, Liquid Resize and more

RE~DER'5 WORKSHOP

5TE~MPUNK STYLE Hi'

66

Mixed-media at its best from one AP reader

7

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Rarely does an image start and finish in Photoshop without other resources and media being brought in from outside sources. We use digital photographs, pencil sketches, textures, graphics and more to bring our creations to life.

This issue, both of our features are looking at how you

can improve your imagery using a variety of stock

resources and media First, Adam Smith talks to artists who

specialise In mixed media artwork, both In a traditional, photo-collage way and a more modern, digital-only,

cross-application method, He explores the allimportant issue of what mixed media really is these days, If this inspires you, then our second feature on page 82 leads you

through the best places to find and purchase

stock imagery, textures, brushes and graphics - and we've helped you out by including a great selection of resources on the disc as weill

With your new and improved resources library, you can

get stuck into the selection of tutorials this month and really make them your own We cover everything from digital painting techniques (page 32), through fresh,

sketchy illustrations (page 46), to designing an advertising-style image (page 60),

This issue we also bring back our popular Head to Head feature, In-house artist Adam Smith takes on regular contributor Justin Maller to tackle a one-word brief - see what they came up with on page 52, We also challenged our forum users to take part, and you'll

find OUI' pick of the best here too.

Finally, we have put Kirk Nelson in charge of

breathing new life into our Hslpdesk. With his down-toearth and cheery yet informative manner, we hope you will enjoy reading this section and learn something at the

same time,

Keep designing and uploading your work to our website - it really does make our day to see your versions of our tutorials!

Julie Easton advancedpshop@imagine-publishing,co,uk

The next issue of M\lClnCE~[1 PllDtosllOP Boes on sale 1? Jul~ 2006

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Pt1Otosho ·

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Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill 8oumemouth

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Wacom has announced the expansion of its lJ~ distribution network thtouqh a new partnership with Gem Distribution.

Gem is an experierrced distribution company that has a long history of Stltcess with other la.rge software and technology companies such as Microsoft and Symantec. As such, it is sure to help bring Wacori1 a very healthy growth in safes on the graphics tablet, espeCially in the censumer market. The company will be distributlrfq

thl'! entire Wacom Cintiq range, Intuos3 pen tablets for prefessional users, as well as the award-winninq Bamboo family for consumers.

HITTING THE CONSUMER MARKET:

WaGGmis branching out its range to include more consumer opti0ns in tlie

guiseoftne

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"We are gla.cl'to enhance €Jur current psrtfollo with Wacom's high-quality interface devices," comments Simon Lee, Ge commerdal directon "Fur professional eigital content creators. there is no alternative and the Bamboo range of pen tablets in particular will be of great interest for consumers:"

Frans Ditmer, director of sales ClAd business development for Wacom Europe GmbH, is als0 hapRY about the new partnership and the benefits it will bring to the company: "With its extensive customer base jncluding high-profile retatless. corporate resellees, internet and mail order companies as well as independent retailers, Gem secures-a mass market approach, Additionally it provides access to new markets, which are of growing importance to Wacorn."

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Britain on View is the UK's specialist photographic library offering unique images of Britain and British life. To promote its ever-expanding source library, it has come up with a great offer available for all enthusiastic creatlves,

The latest budget royalty-free product, Britain 100, contains 100 high-resolution images covering a breadth of subjects such as lifestyle.Iandscapes and icons, Britain on View has alreaay stated that this is just the beginning in a range of original royalty-free CDs, looking to develop further CDs to fulfil this demand in the future,

Jasmine Teer, manager of Britain on View, is enthusiastic about this venture, saying: "We can now offer our customers an alternative to rights managed, which will please many of our existing customers and introduce new options for royalty-free clients, as well as introduce a more subtle and softer style of photography that has a truly British feel."

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SOMETIMES I THINK, SOMEl'lMES I AM (MIDDLE IMAGE): A veuew. Pencil went to illustrator Sara Fanelli for this book in the Illustration!

entries willl:ie eature(j in tfie famous

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ARRIVALS: '7his is a pretty old piece created using mixed waterc%ur and photography. It's produced as an A3 print"

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I ..... CYCLOPS CAT: Oliver Barrett, Go Media, far Fueled By Ramen Records ~ Description: T-shirt design created for Phantom Planet Using a Waeom - lntuoss in Photoshop. Coloured using watereolour textures

PAINT THE STARS:JeffFinley~ Go .

Media for Paint the Stars Clothing. t-sntn

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design created usmq a a

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FLYING DEER SKULL: Oliver Barrett, Ga Media, for Personal Exploration. I-shirt design created in Photos hop using various stock photography

Go Media is an art and design studio based in Cleveland, Ohio, that provides creative solutions for a range of international clients, most of which are music artists, bands or fashion companies such as Metallica, Mastodon, Coca-Cola, Virgin Mobile and more.

Jeff Finley, who helps to run the company, explains that there's always a lot going on behind the scenes at Go Media: "Some current projects are shirts for The Killers, The Clash, Ramones and Led Zeppelin. We've also been developing the identity and motion graphics for a new reality tattoo show that will air on A&E."

In those rare moments when the company is not doing work for clients, it keeps busy writing some great tutorials for its blog site (www.gomediazine.com) and creating a host of essential resources such as textures, fonts and its popular vector packs (www.gomedia.us/arsenal/).ofwhichyou can find a sample on the disc this issue. These vector packs have been used by many designers across the globe, meaning that Go Media's work could pop up just about anywhere: "Recently we spotted our vector packs in a Super Bowl commercial and a commercial for Miss Teen USA. You never know where you'll see them!"

The work process changes for each project to accommodate the client's needs, but there are some skills that are used whatever the project, as Finley explains: "I draw a lot with my Wacom Intuos3 tablet straight into Photoshop.llike to create my line-art with just a hard round brush with Pressure Sensitivity on. I also enjoy creating elements in 3D Studio MAX. We like to use various textures such as watercolours or stains to accompany our line-art. Our techniques are always changing."

Despite the wide range of clients that Go Media produces designs for, it maintains a distinct style and identity, but each of the designers also introduces their own personal touch. "Go Media's overall style is very illustrative and 'edgy', to use a cliche," says Finley. "Each of our designers has their own personal style and technique, but drawing is a fundamental backbone to what makes Go Media great."

'P.4' www.gomedia.us

19

Mllanesel Pllot(]sllOP

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Letters

00 you have a question or opinion about the magazine? Email advancedpshop@imaginepublishing. co. uk or visit www. advancedphotoshop. co. uklforum

SUBJECT: Misquote in Helpdesk NAIVIE~P.9~'? K~TIp~r .... -. -

It's amazing how commonly used phrases keep being misquoted/misused. In your response to question 4 in the Helpdesk section of issue 41, you say" .. .for all intensive purposes .. :: The phrase is actually'for all intents and purposes:

Your answers are always on-target with great info. Keep up the good work.

Editor replies: Whoops. Thanks for pointing that one out Donna. We apologise for the error and will endeavour to ensure that these sort of things are picked up before it gets out to the readers in future.

SUBJECT: Out of stock NAME: Gusd6idon

I am looking for a copy of one of your earlier issues - Advanced Photos hop magazine issue 39. I have searched the web everywhere and

can't seem to find a copy. I notice that it is out of stock - do you have any idea where I COLI ld get hold of a copy?

Editor replies: Hi Gus. Thank you For your interest in the magazine. Our issues do sellout quickly. but occasionally we do get some extra stock turn up, so keep an eye on www. imagineshop.co.uk and you might be in luck. Otherwise. keep an eye on the efv\ag section for the second instalment later in the year. This will have the full content of 16 back issues, including the one you are searching for.

SUBJECT: Disc miscredit NAME:~9'e Sh~~-'

I just opened issue 42 and on your CD under Exposure you have a piece of mine credited to Jorik Dozy, www.akajork.deviantart.com. Although I am happy for the exposure, it is a miscredit for both of us.

Editor replies: We're sorry Ihat this error slipped through the net Tracye. You vvill find your image on this month's Exposure on the CD with the correct credit and link so interested readers can find the rest of your excellent work. If you'd like to be featured on the CD under the Exposure section, get uploading to our gallery website (www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk) from which we select our favourite images of the month.

sett and sho mo. knc tha

exa Phc

WOI

SUBJECT: Website wonders

l\lA.-ilJI~: JUIl~yOLll1g

I have received my issue 43 this morning and

J deli

mo hav

can I echo the sentiments of MrThornton.1 too anc

would love to read tutorials on obtaining and rna:

[elil

ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP.CO.!JK:

Upload to our website for a chance to see your image on our cover disc

Call The po; po] you

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1051-101': Keep an eye on the Imagine eShop for past issues

_~._. __ .. . .. _. _. that may come back

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www,advam::edpho1oshop.co.uk Qull

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ped nage Ie can like

setting up a website. Like him, I am a hobbyist and would like to have my own site where I can show the work I have been doing, which is mostly photograph based. I would also like to know, when setting up a site, how do I do it so that stuff I put on there can be downloaded? For example, I have made a lot of my own Photoshop brushes and backgrounds that I would be 'happy to share.

As most of my work is montages, etc, I am delighted with the tutorial by Nik Ainley this month. I can see that being of almost daily use. I have found most of your tutorials interesting and they have encouraged me to do things I may not otherwise have had the nerve to try.

re te lich h.

d

too id

Editor replies: First, thank you for your kind comments on the magazine's tutorials, Iune. The l'.Jik Ainley tutorial has been proving very popular and we've seen readers'versions popping up on our gallel-y, so why not upload your artwork here for some qutck exposure.

;l.S for your question about setting up a website, you and MrThornton are in luck. Next

PHOTO TIPS (ABOVE) : Do you want to see more advanced photoretouching tutorials in the magazine? Let

us know!

POPULAR METHOD (LEFT):

This Nik Ainley tutorial has proved very popular - we'd love to see your take on it

issue, we will have a feature looking at the best web services for digital artists. Check it out in issue 46, on sale 17 July

SUBJECT: Retouching tutorial N'AME:SillahThI11ar

Hi Advanced Photoshop.1 wanted to write in and thank you for the tutorial on retouching in issue 43. I think that this is a huge area of Photoshop that often gets overlooked in your magazine, Many of us who buy the magazine are photographers first and foremost and want to know how to use the world's most powerful image-editing application to improve those shots, Can we have more photographic-based tutorials please?!

Editor replies: Hi Sarah_ You're not alone in your comments, and you will see that there will be more tutorials for photographers using

Photos hop over the next few issues. Keep your own open fOI- a tutorial on creative retouching in the next couple of issues_ Also, feel free to sendl on your own suggestions too.

III AM DELIGHTED WITH THE TUTORIAL BY NIK AINLEY THIS MONTH. I CAN SEE THAT BEING

OF ALMOST DAILY USE" __

•

~

Helpdesk~

C~eck Out OUr Improved HelPdeskon page 72

On the forum

I STJBJECT: 'WllY €:an't I speci1y the crop area in pixels?

FROM: aprilfo@l

Tlflis is d~ivin§j me mad, I AaMeEele-~ted the Crop tool, ~_ut can't Rnd the !;lox that allows me to spe(:iry. the crop a rea, eg, 100 x 1'00 pixels, This I'i1l:lst be in an obvious place, out

I €an'tfinGl it. Wn'ere is tlile bQx1 Where del enter m¥Jipe~ifil!i size?

FROM: NllEk S

L:00King a~ PS C52; select nhe tool, <lncl mnning across the tell» of your-screen you should see Width, Heiqht a'nd Res(;)l(;tion boxes, SelectVoEir desired S:etting by -entering them here, lAthe same toel sensltlve bar, cl h:k to!" left. Y0,I:l should see the option to add l\Je';V 1'001 Preset; aclC!! and name the setting. Hope that makes sense.

E;ROM: Medley

Right, except tnat only serves to prmv,ide the (mreet aspect ratio; You ea n still resize the box.

Aprilfo01, there is a way ereund this fflolstratiol'l', Using die Marquee tl!lOl, make a rec~q_Il§ul~r marquee. Gio to I:c;lit>(';opy to save tl:le seleGti@r:i't0ymlr C0mpl!!lten's

clij!looal'd. Thefl ~o to File>New. The dial0g ,

, 00)( wUl come up with the size of the irna.gJe i in theclipb0aKlqydefault. Simply hit O~ the.n pa5te.'(Ec;ljt>Past~) the seleotien intp

the new file, I?hotoshop puts it on a new

layer, leavin§ the BaGk@r0und layer blank,

S0 Y.OU l'T1<\cy or may n1;lt want to merge the layer with the l'la(kg~tiwl'ld layer.

-r;he Aiee thing is that you §et t!:le option to' keep the original file witi'lt;)l,lt l;!naAg-es. It 5011nds Gomplicated, hut once you leam the shmrtcblts, it takes about ternseconds:

Make the selection, AplplH€

Apple+W

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App>le+f'iJ Retur.n Apl'lle+li Al'll-'lle+E

Hope this Helps!

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23

MllanC8cl PllDtosllDP

Letters

On the web

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk Our website and readers' forum are 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!

CALLED FROM THE DEEP

ARTIST: Dan Maxwell

EMAIL: danrnaxedanmax.plus.com

WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.ukluser/danmax

"1 am a graphic designer living in Southampton and have been using Photoshop for about ten years now, mainly for photo retouching and web design layout. It hasn't been until recently that I've started getting more creative with it. I find Photoshop such a great tool to let your imagination go wild and 1 spend a lot of time experirnenttnq with filters and effects. This image was a combination of stock imagery (from iStockphoto.com) and illustration, Once I had the composition right, I applied various brushes and lig);J.til!lg effects. 1 just kept building it up layer by layer with illustrated bits before finally applying a Hard 1i§:htfColor Dodge or Multiply layer over the top,"

SUBMISSrv:E BLUE DROP

ARTIST: Fred Camar~o

EMAIL: fredcamargo2001@yahoo.com

WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co,ukluser/drawacircle "Submissive Blue 'Drop is a photo 1 took in Oakland, CA, and 1 completely forgot about it. I was looking through my stock and had created some new watercolors, Photoshop's abilities allowed me to layer each one of these watercolors onto the

photo. I opened the image of the two parrots and created layers using both scanned watercolor images. The Move tool is important to place each layer for a great effect and remember to always give your blending modes a try."

MARY IS WALKING

ARl'IST: Arisu

fOMAIL: arisuart@~mail.eom

WEB: www.advancedph0tosmop.co.uk/user/arisu "1 am a digital artist and photographer. My work is very i:nfl"uel1eed by Japanese culture, reliqton and medical art, I've created this image fGr a Portuquese rnusieian ('Lyua Dust) and it was based on his SORg MaiJJ'Is Walking, Every time I'd heal' it, r'd get tMs surreal, elevation and IeUgiobls feeling, So I decided to create something that

would remind in some way: of renaissance and with this surreal sense like if it is in ar.t«ltiJ.eF dimension. I usually associate golds to religion or religious imagery and

red to blood"

24

~d\lanced PllotosllOP

Nina Y C1rdl:hr.m·"lol1i"''''''UtiIl llr'I'U':: {Ju/jory

HIDDEN PLACE

ARTIST: Mario Sanchez Nevado EM.AIL: aegis.strife@gmail.com

WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.ukluse.r/aegis

"Although I am a freelance illustrator and I'm also working in an agency, my images for me portray my life, as they are like pages of a diary. When I create something I put my feelings on Hand 1 tell a story, other times I just let my hand. work alone, as in automatic writing. Few times I have to attach my imagery to concrete concepts. Creating for me is a way of feeling relieved, 1 love to experiment with different tools, medias (1 usually mix traditional and digital techniques), compositions and colour schemes.

For this image, Hidden Place, 1 spent around seven days without sleeping, completely submerged into the image, which is what usually happens - I can't go to sleep until I have finished an image. The process was quite similar with most elements. Cut, colour integration and most important thing: lighting. For doing a more or less realistic piece the most important factor you should keep on your mind is lighting,"

Imaginative, multi-talented and having engaged in nearly every creative discipline going, Christopher Cox is a name to watch

Christopher Cox might be from a small town in Midwest America, but his designs are taking the world by storm. The 31-year-old is an art director for an agency in Denver called Cactus and is also the man behind Changethethought (www. changethethought.com), a blog site that serves as inspiration for the creative community and also hosts Cox's personal portfolio of work.

Through Cactus and his other projects, Cox has done it all: art directed television spots, photography shoots, motion graphics and websites, as well as producing creative work for all things print, including a range of t-shirts. He

26

M\lanced PllotosllOP

is also in the process of printing posters for the first time, which will be sold through his online store.

Changethethought was launched in 2002 as a portfolio site for Cox to establish himself, but after spending some time blogging for Design Is Kinky (www.designiskinky.net). he decided to overhaul his own site into a "more robust blog", which was launched earlier this year commenting on the best in new design talent. As Cox says:"[The site has been] growing in audience almost exponentially month after month. So, that has been really exciting and I am not sure exactly where that may take me':

Cox has been drawing and painting since he was a child, when he would get bored of colouring books and draw his own creations instead. In his pre-teen days he became obsessed with comic-book art, before taking a deviation into performance art, fuelling a desire to be an actor, which still remains today.

He studied graphic design in college, switching from being a medical major. "I was immediately absorbed by design because, in many ways, it is a science unto itself;' Cox says. "I continued studying psychology while I started studying design and I saw a connection between the two. I have always been

:e he

15

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COLLAGES 2008: "I would really like to move to i:motheF count;r iry the future one! work abroad so I can get the. experience of creating for '!_nother culture" .

-: !;\dvflncElcl PI1!l[nsllOp

fascinated by how people respond to visual stimuli. I love vibrant colours and the computer allows you to really explore the outer limits as to what is possible with colour now."

Imaginative design

Cox can barely remember his first professional commission now, but a few years ago he attempted to embark on a freelance career, with his first project being album cover art for the now-defunct band The Receiving End Of Sirens. "The album turned out great' Cox narrates. "I was paid barely anything for the project, but it attracted a lot of attention. I still get asked if I can provide art from the album so fans can tattoo it on themselves:'

Since then, Cox has "held just about every job you could think of" in the creative arena. He has worked in publishing, advertising, Flash web design; he's done voiceovers for radio commercials, art directed television spots and motion graphics, made his own music for websites and curated blogs; he's even helped start the first internet television network - most of us would need a lifetime to achieve so much.

None of this would be possible without talent and a healthy dose of imagination, the latter of which Cox attributes to his upbringing:

"I think growing up in a small town actually made me more imaginative in a certain kind of way. There weren't a lot of places to go or things to do so I just had! to mace up my own little world to be in:'

WE'LL SHOW THEM (TOP RIGHT): "tteet as an artist you have some responsibility to listen to the undercurrent of society and feed that into your work"

RIO BRASIL POSTER (TOP LEFT): "Posters were a way for designers in the past to extend their abilities and earn extra income. So I think now is a good time to attempt something like that"

Nowadays, he keeps his work fresh by indulging in small. personal projects. "If things go stale at work, as they often do here in middle America, I freshen up by either creating new work to sellon my own or just create for art's sake;' Cox explains. "It's a constant battle in this industry to stay relevant and keep creating things that are new and interesting. I am not a big proponent of a singular style either, so I don't really put parameters on myself in that regard. I like to try new things constantly and with all the technology available now that is an easy thing to do:'

This belief in not keeping to one distinct style means that when asked to describe the style of his own work, Cox struggles:"1 have always

wrestled with this question. I don't really II

III JUST LIKE TO EXPERIMENT AND TRY WHATEVER APPEALS TO ME Il T THE MOMENT"

m

29

I\dllanced PllotosllOP

30

Advanc8cl Pll0tosllop

believe in style when it comes to graphic design. I see graphic design as a 'solution-based'form of a rt. It works best when it solves the problem defined by the brief. I have created design that is very trendy to very minimal:'Often with commercial artists, personal style comes through in personal projects, but even here Cox is reluctant to pigeon-hole himself: "I just like to experiment and try whatever appeals to me at the moment. I don't know if a long-term style will eventually evolve out ofthat approach or not. The two things I love most are colour and typography. Maybe a definable style will come of that, but for now I prefer to be style-less or maybe even style-full:'

Style advice

In commercial work, style can often be dictated by the client, which is something that Cox is very aware of: "When an agency starts pandering for money or taking on more than it can handle to make a buck, you start to see things turn for the worse. The creatives can no longer defend their ideas when the decision is made to give in to the client's every whim. When that happens you aren't really designing or being original any more. You are just being a short order cook. You are making food, but it is junk food. It only satiates momentarily and provides a sense offullness, but eventually it leaves everyone bloated and sick. It's all right to say no when you have to:'

So if it isn't the demands of the client influencing his work, what exactly is? "The present political situation in the US has had a huge influence on me and my work. I think growing up in middle America where people trust the government and then seeing it so shamelessly turn on those very people has really toughened me. It has also made me aware that community extends beyond just your particular locale. It means being conscious of the country in which you live and how that country influences the world. We all have to live on this planet and I think we are beginning to learn that if we don't figure out a way to come together and take care of it, our very survival may indeed

be threatened." a ne.

A strong set of ethics have certainly steered wor]

Cox throughout his career, as can be seen from reflel

some of the images shown over these pages. T!

The idea of authority, for example, is something cant

that Cox has always questioned: "I think people beca

are at their best when they are allowed to be beca

free and express themselves and discover who it ha:

they really are. My work and my need to reach reco.

out to my peers is my way of working towards work

learning more about who I am and how I fit into cut ~

this world:' Cc

He describes himself as a "news and and 1

information junkie': which comes through very

clearly on his Changethethought website, where thin]

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a news bulletin with stories from around the world are added, along with his personal reflection and comments.

These strong political views have also contributed to his career as an artist: "I think because my work has been so political. and also because I don't really have a recognisable style, it has been touch and go as far as published recognition goes. People usually either like my work or can't stand it. It usually doesn't seem to cut people in the middle."

Cox comes across as an insightful individual and this extends to his own work, of which he is very self-critical:"1 am never satisfied. I don't think I ever will be. Sometimes this is to my own

rom

:5.

hing ip!e

Ie Iho ich rds

into

vhere

detriment. I work very hard and [try to keep] myself inspired regardless of where 'I am stationed and who I am working for. I usually don't like my own work very much and never really think of it as being really all that good:'

There's no denying that whatever Cox says about his work, the technical skill that he exhibits in his pieces is truly excellent. However, in his typical fashion, Cox doesn't stick to any one particular technique to create his images: "I don't know if I have a real definable technique per se. I see something in my mind and I just use what I have to work towards realising that image."He continues, explaining where our favourite Adobe app comes in: "Composition

and colour playa huge part. I usually start out in Illustrator when I am working in typography. I go towards Photoshop when I want to create really spectacular effects or colour. I like to experiment a lot with dense layers and textures. After I achieve the texturisation I want, then I will turn to working with colour. I am a sucker for bright glowing colours on black. I just like the drama in that combination:'

And drama is certainly what seems to influence a lot of Cox's ambitions, whether literally in his dreams of becoming an actor, or in the debate his political art creates - but one thing is certain, and that is he will certainly help some people to change their thoughts. !l!I

31

Advanced PllDtosllDP

ON THE DISC

The files to recreate this imaqeare on the CO, but all the steps in the tutorial can be applied to any image. Hopefully, this

Sirois

Doug is a freelance illustrator who focuses on narrative illustration farbooks, conceptartforgamesand film, and finishing illustrations fareD and DVD coverartwork.Checkouthiswebsiteat www.dougsirois.com.

Brush libraries

mi!!· 2 Clean up the figures

" In this step we will take the pencil sketch and

smooth out all the line work and pencil marks into tones and gradations. This stage calls for you to use the Smudge tool. The brush we will use is found in

the Wet Media brushes and is called Oil Medium Brush Wet Edges, with Strength set between 80 and 90%

at Size 40. First duplicate your Sketch layer, then use the brush to smooth the pencil line work of the figures into brush strokes.

32

I\dllancElCl PhotosllOP

Create a true fantasy painting with mood, and the look and feel of a real traditional medium

Fantasy illustration has always put a spin on how we see reality, We connect with these images because they frequently utilise some realistic imagery (in this case, the characters) to make the viewers believe that the event could or might have happened.

This tutorial will show you how to take a concept and bring it to life on the page and create a cohesive fantasy painting. For this lesson to be truly effective, you'll need a Wacom tablet and stylus.

The lessons you'll learn in this tutorial are how to use Photoshop to bring a sketch to a finish that

Start from a sketch

To start, develop a penol sketch as a value study.

Work out all the contrast and value issues before scanning your image. Doing this before scanning the sketch will save you a lot of time. Having your sketch developed beforehand makes the next steps of the tutorial easier. Start this image off in Grayscale mode.

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conveys mood, drama and fantasy. You will learn to convert a pencil sketch to a toned underpainting,

and discover how to incorporate colour and give the artwork a painterly touch so that it looks as if it were created in a traditional medium, but also has a sense of realism to make the scene believable. We will break the process down into a series of steps that will help and strengthen your illustration skills as well as your attention to detail.

This lesson is ultimately about creating an image that will tell a story, whatever that story may be, and producing a strong illustrated image.

;!:~, Clean up the background

'"

Here we'll translate the pencil work of the background. We'll use the Charcoal Large Smear brush set between 70-90% a nd sized between 10-20. It gives a painterly texture to trees and other background elements, keeping the areas further from the viewer softer and closer objects more in focus.

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Change to Multiply In this step we need to take your image layer and ,mll;. 8 ColoW' the figmes

change the blending mode to Multiply, so the colour ,. This step requires that we add colour to the

you'll add underneath will be affected by the image on figures with a Hard Round brush at 100% Opacity. The

iii!!:' 4 Create foreground textures

,. Objects in the foreground will have more detail

than objects in the background. Use the Charcoal Large Smear brush set between 70-90% and sized between 5- 20 to create finer details and texture for tree bark. Accent with highlights the raised areas of the form. Move the brush at different angles to mimic the form and texture of the bark.

top. Now we can create a new layer for each of the characters and the background underneath the main image, and name them to distinguish between layers.

mii!· 9 Add mood to

:' the background

The way we will create the mood in this image is by adding colour to the background. The blue will give the impression that this scene is set in a dark dimly lit forest. Select the entire canvas with Ctrl/Cmd+A and create a new layer underneath your figure colours. Fill the new layer with greyish blue that's not too saturated.

34

nell/anced PhotosllOP

ml!i. 5 Convert the image to RGB mode

" In traditional oil painting, all the steps up to step

6 would be considered the underpainting of the illustration. In this step we will convert the image from greyscale into colour via Image>Mode>RGB, so we'll be able to add more colour as we start to paint the image.

'!iii! .• Layer Select Filter View Window Bitmap

Grayscale· Duotone

Indexed (OIOL,.

Mode •

AdjuSlmi?nts

Duplicate ... Apply Ima.ge .•• Calculations ...

" RGB Color

CMYK Color Lab Color Multichannel

Image Size ... Canvas Slze.,;

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character colours should be underneath the image layer. Colour each figure on separate layers to avoid confusion and corrections will be easier.

1

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,;;;!1;, Toning the image

In keeping with the idea of creating the underpalntinq, in this step we tone the image with a sepia colour for all the midtones and shadows, and white for the highlights. To do this go to Image> Adjustments>Gradient Map then pick a sepia brown. This will help unify all the colours in the painting.

sour

We'll now add the darkness to the figures to unify all the shadows in the image. Duplicate the Blue layer created in step 9. Drag the new layer above the figures' colour layers. Select all the layers of the figures' colours and add a layer mask, keeping blue only over the figures. Change the blending mode to Multiply.

aCCE are I the Brus too

1 Pull figures into the light In this step we start to pull some highlights out of the shadows by erasing away the darks created in step 10. Take your Eraser and choose the :Rough Round Bristle brush set at 30-40% Opacity and sized between 20-40. Erase away the blue over the figures where the light sou rce wou Id h it the fig u res.

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some warm highlights into the trees by painting with a brush. Choose the Rough Round Bristle brush at 10-30% Opacity, sized between 40-60. Create a layer entitled 'Tree Highlights: This should be above your blue background and under the figures. Paint where the light source would hitthe trees. The background lighting should be subtle and not distract the viewer.

Bill" 13 Highlight the figures

I' With the Rough Round Bristle brush and the

same warm yellow colour, create a new layer and start to brush in warm highlights overthe lighter parts of the figures. Put the layer on the top of your Layers palette. Change the blending mode to Hard Light. This will inrensify the yellow and will, start to unify the highlights throughout the image.

_.J

res to 31ue :he ures'

!~ii;' 5 Add hair details

On the same layer, with a small Airbrush, accent strands of hair on the characters' heads. These are fine details that will add more believability. Scale

the Airbrush down to 5 points to get super-thin lines. Brush single hairs in over the hair. Don't make the lines too similar in size and direction. Hair isn't always perfect.

vcr

y.

14 Facial details

In this step we zoom in on the facial features of the characters. We will use the Rough Round Bristle brush to tighten up the lights and darks, to make the faces more defined and realistic. Create a new layer above the highlights on the figures. Add some warm tones to the features such as the nose and ears.

16 Add cool light to shadows

With the Rough Round Bristle brush on a new layer, Opacity at 10-20%, loosely brush in cool blue on the back side of the trees opposite the warmer lit side. This helps round out the form of the tree. Keep in mind the texture of the tree bark. Tree bark is not always perfectly smooth, 50 make your brush strokes random to mimic tree bark.

Mimic styles

35

M\lanced Photoshop

"PAl TINGS OFTEN 'LOOK' LIKE THEY WERE CREATED IN PH _ TOSHOPm WE'LL MAK AN IMAGE WITH A TRADITIONAL MEDIUM FEEL:'

Sword detail

When you add detail to the focal point, it

makes the viewer's eye see exactly what you want them to see. In this step, on a new layer we'll add highlights and details to the man's sword. Using the Rough Round Bristle brush, we'll pick some lighter colours to show where highlights hit the handle of the sword.

Creating more contrast

In this step we will create more contrast throughout the whole image. We'll do this by simply duplicating the original image layer. Drag the new duplicated layer underneath the original and change the layer mode to Overlay. Now lower the opacity to a successful percentage. This will push the darks and the lights just enough.

36

MllancEJd PllotDsllDP

m~l' 17 Smudge highlight brush strokes !;~~,

On the Tree Highlights layer, take the Smudge tool with the Charcoal Large Smear brush and brush over all the highlights until all brush strokes look like texture rather than brush strokes. The direction of your brushing should follow the angles of the strokes. The Charcoal Large Smear brush creates nice random textures that work well with the form of the trees.

Smudge cool shadows

On the Cool Shadows layer, take the Smudge tool with the Charcoal Large Smear brush and brush over all brush strokes as we did in step 17. The direction of your brushing should follow the angles of the strokes. The Charcoal Large Smear brush creates nice random textures that work well with the form of the trees.

To ar mailbehi layer Tran~ the 2 click the l Over tone use ( SOftE

~:ii;" 0 ::1 sword In this step we need to sharpen up the blade of the sword. We start with the Polygonal Lasso tool

to select the sword. Use the Rough Round Bristle brush to brush in the highlighted edge. Now use the Polygonal Lasso tool to select the middle of the sword.

spao clarki Rou~

"' 2 Adjust levels I~"
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To add a cast shadow of the main male figure on the tree behind him, create a duplicate layer of the man's colour layer. Transform the selection to fit the angle needed. Doubleclick on the layer and change the Layer Style to a Color Overlay and choose a dark tone of the background. Now use the Gaussian Blur filter to soften the shadow.

3 Add a figure shadow

We now need to add more shadow to the foreground to help distinguish it from the receding space behind the figures. We'll do this by adding a bit of darker colour to the underbelly of the roots with the Rough Round Bristle brush on a new layer.

6 Add

texture

the In this step we

len continue to make

ghts the painting feel

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by adding a canvas

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.ayers layers. For this

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canvas was photographed. Open the file and drag it on top of the Illustration file. Place the canvas texture underneath the Photo Filter adjustment layer and change the blending mode to Soft Light.

arks,

I IT~!' 25 Unify the highlights

This step gives the highlights a colour other

than white. This will create more moods in the piece. Select the Figure Highlights layer and the Tree Highlights. When you have them selected, create a new adjustment layer and choose Photo Filter. There are warming filters here that will give the effect of warm light.

Ii;. 27 Pop the highlights

Pop highlights to reinforce the focal point. Go Image>Duplicate. On the copy, hide the Canvas Texture and Photo Filter layers and Merge Visible. With the Dodge tool, highlight areas offaces, sword, sheath, clothing. Drag the flattened image on the original layered file. It should be under Canvas Texture and Photo Filter. Be sure to savel

Finish in

Corel Painter

37

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© Kareem Rizk life, dam Smith explores the style that is mixed media (]I

me of the industrys fine own attitudes and mettfyoas

ANAESTHIE$UA ••• lon EMOTION (fAR LEFT):

"Events ('''CIt happen as a youngster shape you as an aduit. These memories may be suppressed," says ian Jones

JOY [CENTRE I.JEn): "Real folds in pc/per create deptll while digital layers of texture are added after scanning to emphasise this: says «aree,» Rizk

BLOOD (NEAR LEH I:

Sanchez-Nevado 50)15: "~I did the main figwe with tobacco and ather fibres. It's all exoltatl'oll of life and energy"

ixed media is a long-standing and everpopular approach in the world of art and design. This technique is defined as the making of artwork where more than one medium has been employed, and it is something that most of us have indulged in to an extent.

It has, in the past, generally applied to 'traditional' techniques, for instance, working on canvas combining acrylic paints, inks, collage and textile. However, in an ever-evolving design culture, surely the relation of this style to application has become a little to pragmatic, if not outdated.

In a world where digital media is ingrained and ever evolving, who resolves what is considered 'traditional'media anyway) To omit the presence and contribution of digital software such as Photos hop would seem merely conservative, even perhaps elitist.

After all, in true essence mixed media is considered a more flexible technique due to its tolerance of different elements.

Any artist worth their salt is willing to push boundaries, especially with such a tangible method as this and there are many great examples doing just that. Interestingly, each is as distinct as the other, in style, application and, of course, attitude. Thoughts and ideas on such a liberal style are progressively shifting, coinciding, inspiring and even opposing, creating fervour for debate.

Yet with such a menagerie of artist examples to digest, how do these industry artists approach their design} Has the digital age influenced them with any degree of siqniflcanre? And how do they feel about the seeming 'dogmatic' attitude to such a progressive style? This is what we strive to discover.

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BIRD NO.5: "Watel'-damaged paper can create interesting boel\ground textures. voriation, ore built up using basic transparency etiect;"

l(iNGSWOOD:

"Comorning individual elements of oockgfOlind text!./re with transparency aeote: the appearance that all the textures are on one piece of paper"

Rizk may seem scathing when he states: "Digital applications will never threaten the value of traditional techniques, particularly mixed media. The computer is merely a tool and not a medium in itself. For someone not born into the computer age, it's hard to see how it would affect their practice in a significant way:' He does, however, endorse digital to a degree. "Digital production only makes up a fraction of my work. It's a completely different format, which can produce unique, varied results:'

II

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~

INQ.UlSHOR: 'This piece is simply concerned vvith vulnerability and helplessness with a dast: of irony "

Ian Jones

al itional rter is

RiZk raises valid points and these provoke more intriguing debate on the mixed-media subject. Yet some may question the idea that digital application can't be considered a medium. This can be keenly argued with evidence of the creation of replica media, such as brushes and textures. One thing that is certain is that with the advent of digital media more variety to approach and style has emerged.

Mixed-media illustrator Ian Jones concurs with this attitude: "Every mark I create is done so traditionally, Which are all composited digitally. I suppose it is a kind of symbiotic process with my work. Both sides are codependent on the other in order for images to work. I think that when art hovers between the traditional and digital, it can make for some interesting results!"

leone lOW it e

al

It's a

ELEGANTLY WASTED {ABOVE): 'This piece was simply on exercise in trying to capwre a fine balance between the beautiful

and Sinister';

His own style is both contemporary and classical. With a familiar and engaging immediacy about his application,

Jones admits: "My pre-digital work always had a dirty, textured feel, but through the use of digital software, I am able to take this look to the next level. It was a very exciting time for me as the potential of the mixed-media approach fast became apparent'

He is quick to endorse such digital mediums:

"Personally, I find custom brushes a vital tool in my work. Not just for applying colour in a textured fashion, but also for deleting back through layers via the Eraser tool. With experimentation, these simple techniques can yield impressive results. I also find that channelling is extremely useful when distressing or weathering a background for instance."

Although an artist with a contemporary appetite, he is keen to assert "I wouldn't say digital media is integral for all mixed-media artists. There are stili a lot

"EVERY MARK I CREATE IS DONE SO TRADITIONALLY. WHICH ARE ALL COMPOSITED DlGITALLY.1 SU,PPOSE IT IS A KI D OF SYMBIOTIC PR CESS"I~iIi.lci1e~

rool. Pi. canvas texture is then Lised to delete

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of mixed-media artists producing fantastic non-digital stuff:' After all, his own base materials are traditional, such as acrylic, pen, charcoal and so on. "I think it is important to keep an open mind when it comes to media;' he says. "Freedom is the key to any art, and digital art is certainly no exception. I think there was a period at the dawn of digital application, when artists got a little over excited with the applications and the traditional side of art was put on the back burner. We are now seeing more exciting images created through artists taking full advantage of all that is available to them without being a slave to one approach:'

The creation of'synthesised' media has never been so fervent and creatives are scattering the world wide web with access to some very practical samples. Below we've listed some of the web's more notorious and some elusive contributors for you to check out and top up your stock collection.

1.:oIJI.:I.Ii:.lo:.l~- This popular and in-demand creative resource portal provides creative professionals with an array of homemade samples and points to top industry contributors and where to exploit these. Resources include Photoshop brushes, the latest vector packs and texture collectives. It may not be as consistent, but at times there are some real finds here that will eventually lead you to the creative source .

••

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mL1lm~Hil:!]' - Hailed as possibly the

number one texture site, Texture King provides all sorts, from grunge to dirt, plaster to rust. All of which are great for applying tangible qualities to every mixed-media piece. Although not the largest resource site, with 337 textures on offer, those selected are of a high standard and are also absolutely free for download.

• •

resource. We recognise the creative appetite of our readership and so we provide an extensive stock list, through an array of contributors. Already with a resource list numbering over 1,000 samples, including brushes, swatches, textures and gradients, you're sure to f nd elements to create your mixed-media compositions. Quality and quantity, what more could you ask for?

©AndyPotts

©AndyPotts

OIL AND ENERGY (RIGHT):

"Illustration for Noble Independent Investment Bankers"

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Cool Surface duo David and Sarah show you how to combine real-world textures with Photoshop to create this bright and breezy summer image

(If England. They are currently illustrating a series-of books for Macmillan Publishing and produdng wor.k for a number of magazines. Their stylised ej-t boasts a mixture of Eastern and Western influences, and !las a tendency to inciudeJpretty'girls.

Option 1: Drawing it yourself

If you want to start from scratch, open a new A4 RGB file with the dpi set to 300. Create a new layer called 'Rough', and use Dave Cs Pencil 7 from the brush set on the CD to sketch your image using a light blue. When happy, create a new layer above Rough called 'Lines' and switch to black to draw your final lines, then click the eyeball in the Layers palette to hide the Rough layer.

di!.3 Lockdown!

:' Your next step is to click on

Lock Transparent Pixels in the Layers palette (the chequered square icon). Immediately below 'Lines' create a layer called 'Blends', followed by 'Hair', 'Clothes2', 'Clothes', 'Skin' and 'Background'. Now create one final layer called 'Above' and then position it above the 'Lines' layer.

Fill the Background layer with

grey, because it's never a very

good idea to colour on a

white background.

BY COOlllilSURF4;CEi

e love summer. Granted, hayfever can be a real pain, but it's lovely when it's warm and everything looks better in the sunlight. (Well, apart from LCD monitors, but let's not be pedantic!) So to celebrate the (hopefully) sunny season, we've come up with an image to invoke some of the more pleasant elements we associate with it.

In this tutorial you'll learn how to make the complete image, from the initial rough drawing all the way to using textures ranging from the back of a sketchbook to actual human hair, which you can find attached to the front cover.. just kidding: it's a scan on the cover CD!

Also on the cover disc we've included loads of other goodies, including custom brushes, textures and even the finished lines for those of you who may not feel like drawing but would like to take part in the rest of the tutorial. If you're using the lines provided, you'll need to download Mack's Remove White filter from www.photoshop-filters. com/html/macks.htm. This tutorial assumes you're using a graphics tablet, because frankly you'd be mad not to!

Option 2: Using the lines

If you're starting with the existing lines we've provided on the CD, open the 'Summer Lines.jpg' file and select Make a New Layer From Background, or

dou ble-click on the Background layer in the Layers palette to put the art on its own layer, and name the layer 'Lines'. Run Mack's Remove White filterto eliminate the white pixels, leaving you with just the lines.

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Custom

brushes

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mli;' 4 Size matters! 'iil~:'

Before going further, we're going to advise you to use as large a brush as possible, and view and perform the majority ofthe tutorial at 25%. Photoshop will pixelate views other than 25%, 50% and 100%, and using the larger views not only increases the chances of you fussing with details that are too small to notice, but will put increased strain on your arm as well, and nobody wants RSI ~ trust usl

"KEEPI GALL

F T E SHADING o Il SEPARATE BLENDS LAYER IS VERY USEFUL IF A CLIENT ASKS YOU 0 CHANG.E SOMETHING WITH UT WARING!"

Brush up on your colours

Using Dave C's Flat Colour Brush, block in the flat colours, ensuring that different sections of colour which are next to each other in the image are not coloured on the same layer. Starting with the top colour layer, in this case 'Hair', Cmd/Ctrl-click the thumbnail of each layer to select its contents, then hit Backspace on every layer below it. This deletes any colour that's overlapping, which will come in handy when we start the shading.

",jp' 6 Shady business ...

Now add some shading to each layer In turn, using Dave C's Pencil 7 (this is the brush that we'll

be using for the rest of this tutorial). Next, Cmd/ Ctrl-click the thumbnail of each layer and then apply the shading on the 'Blends' layer, and ~ seeing that we've deleted any overlap between layers ~ we can now happily colour away without having to worry about being neat!

i;~~' 11 note about shading

Keeping all of the shading on a separate 'Blends' layer not only means that all your shading is easy to manage, but it also allows you to painlessly change the base colours at any time later should you want to, without undoing all the hard work you did on the shading. It's very useful if a client asks you to change something without warning!

Background,check! Open 'background.jpg' from the CD, select the canvas (Crnd/Ctrl+A), copy (Crnd/Ctrt--C) and then paste (CmdICtrl+V) it into our image at the very bottom. The background is blurred so that it doesn't detract from the girl or design elements later. We've supplied a blurred background, but if you wanted to use your own photo, make sure you apply a Gaussian Blur to it.

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shou

so ze shoe Ontl iris, v light

Light in the shadows When shading, remember that although the sun is the primary light source, it's not the only one. Even areas in the shadow have light reflecting back on them. For example, the arm is casting a shadow onto her waist, but it's also reflecting ambient light from around her onto the same section (this is often called 'radiosity'). The grass and path will also reflect light back.

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Experiment with textures

ie,

all

ll!!i"'13 The eyes have it!

.1 Because the face is the main focal point, we

should spend more time making sure it's rendered well, so zoom in closer for the moment Because the eyes should be wet, add light reflections on the 'Above' layer. On the 'Blends' layer, colour in some variations on the iris, working in from the outside, going from dark to light Also subtly shade the whites of the eyes.

O Cover your bases

As human skin has lots of variations in colour, we need to make her skin look less uniform. Crnd/Ctrlclick the Skin layer, select the Radial Gradient tool (G) set to 25% Opacity, and add colour to her shoulders and cheeks and fingertips, as these are naturally more red than other areas of skin. Just be sure to choose a fairly desaturated red so that she doesn't look sunburnt'

mill"

~. .

A light touch

Next, add some light gradients with the

same settings as before, but using a pale yellow colour to her skin where the light source would naturally hit it This would include her forearm, forehead, chin and the top front of her shoulder. Also, you can add radial gradients on the clothing and hair layers where the light would be stronger.

m1i;'14 Lip service

" Now 'add highlights to the lips to make

them look glossier. Remember what we said about light sources, and add light from both the sun and surrounding sky. Combining these with the shadows will really help define the lips as 30 objects. Also, add more shades of colour around the eyes to draw attention to them. When done, zoom out to 25%.

mif:' 12 :e!~;e:e

locked the 'Lines' layer earlier, we can colour directly onto the lines without worrying about harming them. Choose a colour that will complement each section. Usually a darker and more saturated version of the fill colour will work - for example, brown for areas of skin in the sun and a very dark brown for skin in the shade.

A change of clothes

l\lext, we're going to apply texture to her clothes. Cmd/Ctrklick the Clothes thumbnail and use

the Lasso tool (L) while holding Opt/Alt to deselect everything except her top and skirt Open 'Pattern1.jpg' from the disc, select and copy it then use Edit>Paste Into (Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+V). Set the blending mode to Hard Light in the Layers palette and the layer Opacity to 79%.

49

/\[/lIam:ed PIlot(JS/l[)P

In the pink

Move the 'Clothes Texture' layer above 'Blends'. The colour is a little uninspiring now, so select

Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation (or press Cmd/Ctrl+U) and move the sliders to make the following adjustments for a more appealing shade: Hue -42, Saturation +11 and Lightness -11.

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MiAS OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN CREATING Il PIECE OF ARTWORK, WE ACTUALLY LIKE THIS

UNI TENDED CHANGE AND DECIDE TO STICK WITH IT"

:!!ir.- Because you're worth it! m~i' IDuminating matters

She's suddenly been transformed from a Now it's time for a little trick to simulate light

blonde to a brunette! As often happens when creating a scattering and create a bright sunny day. Press

piece of artwork, we actually like this unintended Sbift-Cmd/Ctrl+Opr/Alt+» to select the light parts of

I.

==j~!. Hair today ...

Now we'll add more realistic texture to her hair. Open 'hair.jpg' and copy. CmdICtrl-click the 'Hair' layer thumbnail and use the Lasso while holding Opt/Alt to deselect everything but the hair. Paste Into the selection (Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+V); transform it (Cmd/Ctrl+T) so you're happy with the position. Make the blending modes Overlay and place the layer below 'Blends'.

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Advanced Pll!ltosllOP

change and decide to stick with it. As the shading is on a different layer, we can Cmd/Ctrl-click the 'Hair' thumbnail and fill with a new brunette colour, leaving the shading intact (see, we told you that would come in handy!).

Liquify!

Now make the pattern follow the form of the clothes. Select Filter>Liquify and use the brush to push the pixels around so the pattern fits with the material's folds and curves. Select the Spot Healing brush (J) and

go te to se betw

use it to remove any unnecessary areas such as on the shou

underneath of her skirt where it flows up. paste

layer GauS

:::if:' 8 ~~~~~i!:~~:~'I~thes thumbnail, and on

the 'Blends' layer add very light green highlights on her, ahem, derriere. Hit Opt/Alt to colour pick a brighter green from the background to add ambient light to the area.

text. with (free ofte Scre

,-

L

the image on every layer. Hit Shift+Cmc/Ctrl+C to copy from all visible layers and paste (Cmd/Ctrl+V) Name this layer 'Luminosity' and place it below 'Lines'. Apply a Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) at 3.1 pixels.

lfthe ,ush ial's rnd :he

mIl!' 2 It all seems so hazy now ...

To create a nice light and hazy atmosphere, go to the 'Lines' layer and use the Magic Wand tool (W) to select all areas outside the girl (don't forget the space between her right arm and body and above her right shoulder). Go to the Background layer then copy and paste. Name this layer 'Glow', place it above the 'Lines' layer and set the blending mode to Screen. Apply a Gaussian Blur so it bleeds over slightly onto the girl.

don her, reen

~tfu.25 Write away!

" Press T to select the Text tool and add your

text. We chose 'she loves me', 'she loves me not' to keep with the relaxed theme, and used the 'Bobsfrantic' font (freely available online), terracotta for the top left section of text to complement her hair, and a pale pink set to Screen for the bottom right text to tie in with the flowers.

jht

py his

Everyone has their fiaws

Her skin is looking a bit too smooth and flawless, so Cmd/Ctrl-click the Skin thumbnail, open and

copy the 'Cardboard texture' file from the CD and select Edit>Paste Into (or press Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+V). Place this layer above 'Luminosity' and set the blending mode to Multiply with 64% Opacity. Apply a Gaussian Blur at 1.9 pixels. Use the Spot Healing brush (J) to remove any larger specks.

'mIl" 4 ~~:::r n~::::: (Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+N) and

name it 'Flowers'. Place this layer above the Above layer and set it to Soft Light. Using the flower brush supplied on the CD, select a white colour and add some flowers to the image, using the brush like a stamp. The Pen Pressure settings of this brush mean that the size of the flower is determined by how hard you press on your graphics tablet.

Morefiowers

Nearly therel Create another new layer called 'More Pink Flowers' below the 'Above' layer and then set it to Screen. Colour-pick a dark pink from her clothes, and add some more flowers to the image. Next, using Dave C's Pencil 7, draw some flowing lines across the image.

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Finishing up

Go back to the 'Flowers'

layer. To create depth of field, apply a Motion Blur (Filter>Blur>Motion Blur) at a O-degree Angle and a Distance of 23 pixels. Double-click on the layer containing the bottom-right section of text in the Layers palette, and tick the Outer Glow box in the left-hand side of the Layer Style window. Take one last look at your image to check that you are happy with it, and you're done!

Keyboard

shortcuts

S1

I\d\lanced PhotosllOP

We pit our best in-house artist, Adam Smith, against one of our regular contributors, Justin Maller, to see what they can come up with based on just one word: Paradise

Advanced Photoshop's head to head challenges are always a lot of fun, and dueto popular demand we decided to bring them back - but make them bigger and better!

As usual, we have asked two artists to design an image in Photoshop with a simple one-word brief as their only guidance. This time, that word is 'Paradise'. Both artists have been given the same brief, the same time limit and absolutely no other instruction! We've also been running the same challenge, with exactly the same instructions, on our forum. You can view the best of these entries at www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum (go to the Head to Head section).

Head to heads are always an interesting insight into the mind of an artist. There are two ways of approaching a challenge such as this: you can take the word at face value and simply depict your idea of paradise, or you can use it as inspiration and as a jumping-off point for a more subtle approach.

Both artists have supplied some source images for their tutorials, which can be found on the disc, but try the techniques out on your own stock images. And if you missed our forum challenge, please feel free to submit your takes on the Paradise theme to advancedpshop@imaginepublishing.co.uk.

"HEAD TO HEADS AREL\N INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO THE MIND OF AN ARTIST"

52

MI/clnced Pll0tosll0P

53

/\cl\lClnC8cl PI1[]t[]~;ll[]P

1

From the ground up

The first place to start with any kind of concept

piece like this is with the setting. I've gone with a snowcovered mountain, but feel free to select an environment that suits you. This is going to be a portrait piece, so resize the canvas ratio appropriately - give yourself plenty of headroom. Name the layer 'Setting:

Cloud cover To add depth and make the scene more dynamic, let's introduce a cloud form. Open up 'cloud. jpg'from this month's CD. This is a 3D render

of a cloud that is ~ '=f,<=I~';;.;

handy for these little blending tasks. Set the blending mode to Screen add a layer mask, and brush the cloud in over the top of the centra I mountain area.

Now lives: Melbourne, Australia

Describes style es: "Medium to full yellowgreen, quite developed; complex fig, cashew and ripe peach aromas are followed by a full-bodied palate, again with fig, brake fluid, white peach and melon

,;. fruit; good balance and length."

i,lli' 9 More on the wings

. ;' . Distort (Edit>Transform>Distort) the two Wing

layers so that they stretch further and have a more distant perspective. Roughly balance the levels in the same fashion as with the main character, then break out the Dodge tool. Set the Range to Shadows and work on brightening both wings up to a pearly glow. Open up 'abstract.psd' from the CD and introduce a slinky form

to serve as a 'tail'.

liTHE BEST WAY TO ADD WINGS TO A CHARACTER IS TO FIND A GOOD PHOTO OF A BIRD IN FLIGHT"

~4,

MIIClm:Eld PhotosllOP

*1[1;'. Starting the sky

The setting you select will not necessarily be perfect. Here, the mountains had a weak sky, so bring in a larger, more dynamic one. Trawl through stock sites until you find something that really clicks. It's important to make sure the sky is bigger than the setting - place it beneath in the layer structure and name itSky'

sourc two I here contr

this s fairly the F anch com I entitl

Motion Blur (around 20px should suffice). Now create a new layer called 'Dodge' and sample a light colour from the sky. With the brush again set to 20% Flow, gently brush over the wings' outskirts so they blend nicely into the sky.

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place varia birds the n prep

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Adjust the sky ~~fl'

Adjustment layers are a quick way to balance stock sources. Here a Channel Mixer adjustmerlt will bring the

two into harmony. Different stock needs different effects;

here it needed a slight increase in the Red channel's

contrast (-10) and a slight reduction in the Blue (-20).

tant Ice it

Q,Jlpul Channt!l~ 1'%,_:3

;IIP;' The main figure

Time to bring in the star of the show. I've selected this shot of an airborne basketball player. Extraction is a fairly simple matter; open your stock image and get out the Pen tool. Zoom in nice and tight and start making anchor points until you have traced the figure completely. Copy and paste the result to a new layer entitled 'Figure:

Id

n~!!'ll Fine details

The devil is in the details! Here, I've etched and placed the small things that make the piece whole: the various abstract forms, subtle lens flares, polar bears, fiying Girds and the basketball hoop in the distance. This step is the most fun and contains the least tricks. The base is prepared - you're just adding the toppings.

Blend in the sky smoothly Hide the Setting layer and Copy Merge Sky with the adjustment tweak. Paste over the top of the Setting layer and add a layer mask. l\jow, using a brush set to 100% Opacity and 20% Flow, carefully paint over the horizon to

ease the transition between stocks.

Get the player in place iill[j· 8 Adding the wings

Free Transform (Cmd/Ctrl+ T) to rotate the figure to .:' The best way to add wings to a character is to find

increase his angle and make it look as if he's looking a good photo of a bird inl1ight. Make rough selections of

straight at the horizon. Bring up the Levels interface (Cmd/Ctrl+U and move both the Highlights and Midtone sliders back towards the Shadows to increase brightness and contrast. Experiment here until you have successfully balanced the figure with the background.

each wing, and duplicate to separate layers. Bring them into the main composition and position them behind the main character. Free Transform them so that they sit reasonably on his shoulders.

'~ii:'12 Polish

'''it' . Once you've got

the fine details in, you simply must'polish'the piece. At the bare minimum, you need three adjustment layers: Color Balance,

Cha n nel Mixer and Cu rves. There are novalues'to enter to achieve success, but you should be aiming to accentuate what is already in the piece. Here, I brought the blue shadows out and also emphasised the

yellow highlights.

55

MV,lrlCElcl Ph[)tosllOP

;;;j1;. 1 New horizons H'!I;. 2 Blue skies .

Download 704901_96170871.jpg'from www.sxc. . '!' Press Shift+OptJAIt+Cmd!Ctrl+E, creating a new l~jl'

and aF1plic:ation.

wh tyouwi.Sh.

I drew~ouf a few thumhnalls and from there I'd

"USE THE DODGE TOOL AT 101 HIGHILIGHTS, AND BURN TOOL AT 102 MIDTDNES, TO CREATE FORM AND E)(POSURE"

S6

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hu and select. copy and paste the island into a new profile document. Create a new layer beneath your pasted image, select a similar blue from the image sky and Edit>Fill. Apply a layer mask to your Island layer and erase with a 30% Opacity soft brush to integrate skyline.

e, !,nm. '!'I'

Tonal adjustment

Raise the Opacity and Fill values of these duplicates to 100% once more. You should now have what seems to be light ray effects. These layers should be placed above the others. Activate the adjustment layer options in the Layers palette and apply a Hue/ Saturation layer (Hue -5, Saturation -25). Place this above your blue to transparent gradient layer.

C3C:J ~ ~ (~

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Few suggestions

I've added a few oozes and embedded shapes using the Pen tool. I also copied and pasted in duplicated flowers, placing them strategically and merging them. I've applied Gradient Overlays with a Linear Dodge (Add) Blend Mode at 30%. I've also applied Drop Shadows at 35% Opacity, 135-degree Angle with a MUltiply Blend Mode, increasing Distance by 9-12px.

merged layer. Activate the Layer Style options in the Layers palette and apply a standard Background to Foreground gradient, and an Overlay blend mode at 55% Opacity. Create a new layer placed above all others, and apply a dark blue to transparent gradient, top to bottom using the Gradient tool.

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'l~~' 6 Colour eruption

Activate the Pen tool set to Shape Layers and have some fun drawing expanding shapes, all emerging from the composition point of your spheres. Keep in mind perspective to give shapes an explosive look. Use your Ellipse tool to draw a few spheres to juxtapose the sharp shapes. Apply your preferred coloured Background to Foreground gradients to these for a tropical taste.

is qui and, deerE 'Can a tool,

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Open 'Pureciouds.tif'from the CD and copy! paste into your composition, repositioning to the right side of your background using Transform options. Apply a Hard Light blending mode and a layer mask. With a soft-edged black brush, gently erase noticeable edges. Download and open '472134_29489409jpg'from www. sxc.hu and apply an active selection using the Elliptical Marquee tool. Go Select>Modify and apply a 2px Feather.

v

;5% id

Spherical

Activate your Ellipse Shape tool and set your Foreground Color to vibrant green (,#cSfe3f,), drawing out several circles as in the screenshot. Rasterize and apply a Hard Light blending mode to each one, then layer masks likewise. Select a soft-edged brush at 30% Opacity set to Dissolve and loosely erase the centres of your spheres. Now select the Rounded Rectangle tool.

)m

I

lVe rn

ii~' Adding depth

We need to apply 3D form to our shapes, and this is quite easy. Using the Selection tools to select edges and activating Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation, decrease/increase lightness for the desired effect. You can also use the Dodge tool at 10% Highlights, and Burn tool at 10% Midtones, to create exposure and form.

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ill~!. 1 Creative
seed
Copy and paste then resize
,Iy your marble, placing it over
your earlier light rays. You
can use the Hue options to
N. change colour. Duplicate
your Marble layer and apply
er. a Color Dodge blending
mode and a Motion Blur of ")1,
60 pixels at 72 degrees. \
Duplicate the same layer as
before a nd a pply a Screen
blending mode and Motion
Blur with the same angle
but at 160 pixels. !I;i!;' 4 Light fantastic

Draw out three lengths, rotating each at -14 degrees, placed from the top of your image centred in your spheres. Check the screens hot for quidance, Apply a layer mask to each, and with the previous Dissolve brush fade away the left edge, leaving the right. Decrease Opacity and Fill to 70%. Duplicate each one, plaCing above the original and apply a Screen blending mode.

You can apply appropriate shadows using the

previous Burn tool techniques. I've introduced wildlife with blue, red and yellow gradient overlays and Color Dodge blending modes for effect. I created the splash for the sea emerging shape by activating 'Splashjpg'from the CD, selecting Color Range and Highlights from the Select menu. I then copy/pasted it into my composition, resizing and editing with a soft-edged erasure.

51

/\dl/anced Photosll0P

16 ISSUES DF PtlOtosh

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Create a stylish Photoshop illustration that's all the rage

n the fast-paced world of advertising, brand managers are always looking for new and exciting ways of visual communication. Unless you've been in hibernation for the last year or so, you'll have noticed a growing trend in advertising that merges vibrant. vector-style illustration with product or fashion photography. This subject featured in an article in issue 42. We revealed how many of today's cutting-edge designers are being sought by the world's leading brands to inject some gusto into their advertising. It can be a tricky task to maintain a strong, clear message while being creative, requiring many skills to combine the two, but the best designers achieve this, strengthening both the brand and their own standing.

In this Masterclass you'll get to grips with Photoshop's lesser-known step-and-repeat function, as well as using the Pen tool to create those illustrative swirls that are so much in vogue. Then you'll see how easy it is to add them to a Custom Shape library and store them for future use. We'll also show you some nifty brushwork techniques that will add brightness and motion to your artwork.

Proof Colors

Create a new document (21.6 x 30.3cm), set the Resolution to 300dpi and the Color Mode to RGB. As your illustration is destined for print, go to View>Proof Colors (Cmd/Ctrl+Y) - this will prevent any unexpected colour shifts when flattened and converted to CMYK. Open 'Bottle_renderpsd', drag/drop as a new layer and position as shown.

m~l' 2 Add a grad

. Open 'Swirl_swatches.act' from the CD. Fill the

background layer with a dark burgundy ('Swatch l'). Set your Foreground Color to black and create a new layer above the Background. With the Gradient tool, select

the Foreground to Transparent and the Reverse option .•. Now drag a Radial Gradient from the centre. Set the . blending mode to Multiply and adjust Opacity to 50%.

Swatches

made simple

BY MARK MAYERS

An award-winning illustrator and designer based in Cornwall. He'll be sharing his expertise at the The MIDA Expo 08 in Malta with MetalFX seminars and workshops. See more at www. markmayers.co.u_k.

Wrap the logo

Eliminate the banding on the grad layer by goin.g to Filter>Noise>Add Noise and entering 20%. Open 'AP,logo.psd' from the CD and drag/drop above the bottle render. Re-size/position just under the upper bulge. Use the Warp tool's Arch preset (Edit>Transform>Warp) and drag down the central anchor point Now add a touch of perspective (Edit> Transform>Perspective).

~1

Ac!lIancElCl Ph()t()sll()P

:~~l;'4 Cast a shadow

r Add a layer style to the bottle - we used a

MUltiply Drop Shadow (Opacity = 100%, Spread = 12%, Size = 27px). Next, go to Layer>Layer Style>Create Layer - this releases the style into an independent layer. Now, use combinations of Skew and Free Transformations on the shadow until you're happy. We've disabled the visibility of the Background layer here for clarity.

mli!- 5 Shadow mask

" We need to add a mask to the bottle's shadow.

Add a mask to the shadow layer and, ensuring your Foreground Color is set to black, pull down a Linear Gradient at an Angle of around 45 degrees. Now you need to use a medium, soft-edged brush at 100% Opacity to erase areas around the base of the bottle. Finally, adjust the Opacity to 55%.

Jm~lllllli~~~~~~r~~!~~ i;;1~'6 Shape up

: Create a new layer above the label and add

;J"'~~~---""--'=="'-i'!11 central guides. Select the Custom Shape tool and the

default triangle shape. Choose Paths in the Options bar with a Width of 2.5cm and Height of lScm. Click and position the path at the bottom of the canvas. Pick bright

yellow as your Foreground Color, make a path-based selection and fill with a Foreground to Transparent Linear Gradient. Copy the layer and turn its visibility off.

Pen friend

or foe

62

tldvanced PllotosllOP

liTHE PEN TOOL AND CAN CAUSE A LOT OF FRUSTRATION WITH SOME PH'OTOSHOP USERS"

..

!l_~l' Panel selection

Create a document about 12cm square and, with the Pen tool, select Paths in the Options bar. Now begin to draw your swirl from the centre, extending outwards and finishing with a closed path. Use the Alt modifier key as you work and fine-tune the path by holding Cmd/Ctri to access the Direct Selection tool.

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[!!ii" Step and repeat

r"

Hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer, then Cmdl Ctrl+Opt/AIt+T. Shift-drag its central origin point up to the guides Enter 20 degrees in the Rotation field and hit Return; continue pressing Shift+Opt/AIt+Cmd/Ctrl+T to copy and rotate the shape. Highlight all your ray layers, merge them, set the blending mode to Overlay and the Opacity at 40%, labelling it 'Rays'. Position it above the background layer and mask the bottom quarter.

"1

'"Itl-

;ej~, 9 Custom library

• To store your shapes, you'll need to empty an

existing library. Click the arrow next to the shape in the Options bar and go Replace Shapes in the fly-out menu and choose Tiles (the smallest library). Hold down Alt and you'll see a scissor icon. Alt-click to delete all the shapes .. don't worry they're not permanently deleted! Now go to Edit>Define Custom Shape. Continue creating further shapes and adding them .. when you're done save them. Alternatively, you can load 'Swirl_ shapes.csh' from the CD.

Targ' layer Path on S, out r path dele' shap sam, layer act a buile you'

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cant selec shap to su to dE

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Name; lShap~ 1 I C ) :

cancel !

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.............. -----< ' j
"'"== ~---.______..
Ai == "FINE-TUNE THE PATH BY HOLDING THE CMDr'CTRL KEY TO ACCESS THE DIRECT SELECTION TOOL.:'

mll~ 1 0 Md yom shapes

" Create a group folder at the top of the stack

and label it 'Swirls 1'. Select the Custom Shape tool and with Shape Layers and Create New Shape Layer selected, begin to add your shapes using different shades of grey for clarity. The great thing about vector shapes is they can be distorted/scaled without losing their quality. Next, use the Pen tool and select Vector Mask and Subtract from Shape Area, then draw closed paths around any areas that are not required on the relevant vector mask.

i/

J hit to s,

he

e

rull!' 1 :::~g

Target your first shape layer, then switch to the Paths palette and click on Save Path in the flyout menu. Now the path is saved you can delete the original shape layer; do the same for the remaining layers. These paths will act as selections to build the illustration, as you'll see next.

lII~' 3 Shu.fD.e the layers

Continue making path-based selections and filling with contrasting Radial and Linear Gradients. Also, try to vary your fills by selecting the Reverse button in the Gradient Options bar. Keep each shape you create on its own layer for flexibility. Next, shuffle the layers

're to suit and generate selections from existing paths and the bottle layer

lU

to delete areas you don't want.

-

.mjIi'1 Load gradients

First, load the 'Swirl_gradients. grd' from the CD - we've supplied a selection of gradients to get you started, but feel free to modify them or make your own. Generate a selection from your first path, then create a new layer within the folder and add a Radial Gradient. If you don't get it right first time, try altering the angle/length ofthe selection line.

More swirls

Create another group folder labelled 'SWirls 2'

and add smaller foreground shapes as detailed in step 10. When you're happy, add them as paths and delete the layers as you did in step 11. Next, make path-based selections and add gradients as before - remembering to keep each filion individual layers. We also added some coloured spheres using the circular Marquee tool.

Groovy

gradients

6~

/Idvanwd PhotosllOP

'''i:'" Expand the selection

-'l" Here you will need to create a new group

folder at the top of the layer stack and then label It

. I ' Add a new layer to the folder, then

'Dotty Swn s. .

enerate a selection from one of your larger swirls. Go ;0 Select>Modify>Expand and enter 4Spx, then, as the final step, click on the Make Work Path icon at the foot of the Paths palette.

"';;'16 Dotty strokes

J"i~' With the Brush tool active, open the Brushes

palette and select a 7px, hard-edged brush. Adjust the

. to 356% and ensure nothing is selected and the

Spacing . B

new layer is targeted. Now click the Stroke Path Icon. y default, your Foreground Color will be used to create a dotted stroke. Build up several layers using selections from new work paths, then erase areas not required.

Image assessment

====,

Seamless pattern Create a new document:

SOOpx square, 300dpi and with a transparent background. Add central guides and choose a pink as your Foreground Color. Now, with the Custom Shape tool (set to Shape Layers), select the 'Blob 2', , which can be found in Photoshop s library labelled 'Shapes'. Hold down Shift and drag to create the first central shape. Duplicate the layer eight times and Shift-drag, snapping their centre points into position as shown.

'. .

, .. -

fJ@I,.IIM,

3. Custom Shapes

64

I\clllanc8cl PllDtosllOP

I ••• _

!ii!:;'1 Get grungy! h

" Open 'Elements.tif from the CD and use t e

Lasso tool to select some splashes (save the butterfly until later). Copy-Paste into your working file In, a new 0

roup folder below 'Swirls l' and label it 'Splats. Now g ;0 Layer>Matting>Defringe by lpx. Continueto Copy> Paste different splashes, then generate selections and fill with pink, mauve and blue.

gate hite Next eacll a bh, seco

I .. If' i~

L

AI]

pale Spa! Jitte Scat leav

he

each layer thumbnail in turn and, using the picker, select a blue swatch. Merge visible again and define as a second pattern.

Define it

Hit Shitt-Crnd/Ctrl-E to merge visible,

go to Edit>Define Pattern and label it accordingly, then hit Cmd/Ctrl--Z to undo your very last command.

'go Next, change the shape colours by double-clicking

y> j fill

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Select a pattern

Create a new group folder above 'Swirls I' and label it 'Pattern swirls'. Generate a selection from one of your larger paths and click on the 'Create new fill or adjustment' icon at the foot of the Layers palette, selecting Pattern. Clicking on the arrow next to the thumbnail will reveal your saved patterns. Select and adjust the scale to suit.

Particle effects

Create a new group folder at the top labelled 'Particles' and add a new layer. Now brush in some white particles sparingly. Build up the effect by brushing on different layers and setting the blending mode to Overlay. If you have a tablet, have fun experimenting further with the brush settings such as the Pen Pressure.

1

Subtle effect

Set the blending mode to Soft Light and

lower the Opacity to around 50% to achieve a subtle pattern effect. Modify the layer mask by either adding Radial Gradients or blending with a large, soft-edged brush. Create other pattern fills for some of the other larger swirls using the same technique.

"IF YOU HAVE A TABLET. HAVE ,FUN EHPERIMENTING FURTHER WITH THE BRUSH SETTINGS"

Brush settings

Select the Brush tool, open the Brushes palette and select a 25px soft-edged brush. Adjust the Spacing to 356%, enable Shape Dynamics with 100% Jitter and leave all other settings on 0%. Now enable Scattering and adjust to 1000%, set the Count as 5, leaving the Count Jitter at 0% and the Fade to 25.

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Add a dingbat!

Add a layer beneath the bottle render and label it 'Background particles'. Use a 72px brush with the sarne settings to add more particles using pinks, blues and yellows. Finally head over to www.dafont.com. We used 'Darrians Sexy Silhouettes' dingbat font to add some figures. If you intend using fonts always check licence restrictions. The font was rasterized, set to Screen and gradients applied. Give the butterfly frorn 'Elements.tif' the same treatment and you're done.

,6!§

t\dl/anced Phot(]sllOP

ON THEOISC

and model Wenona to provide the stunning base image forthis tutorial. The model stock, dress and Steampunk brushes are provided on the CD. All other files are linked SOYOU can download

Aimee is a self-tauqht artist whose work is an eclectic kaleidoscope of unique visions. She's powered by coffee, chocolate, music and afternoon naps! www.foxfires.com

STEAMPU N K STYLES

If you fancy being an airship pirate and tinkering on inventions made of polished brass, clockwork gears and tesla coils, this is right up your alley Grab your goggles, fire up the dirigible and let's go!

teampunk is a genre full of romantic Victorian aesthetics laced heavily with improbable steam-powered machinery

and scientific gadgetry.

50 it makes ser-se that artwork based on this would be as inventive as its namesake. This tutorial gives you liberal room to play with your own i'deas. The suggestions found here will enable you to utilise brushes and layer styles to achieve metallic details and colours that summon up thoughts of glowing laboratories and exotic airships. It will also help you establish what sort of stock will help you create a welltravelled, eclectic atmosphere.

You will need to download and instal the layer style plug-in I have linked you to in the text document on the disc in order to create the metallic brushwork. You'll also need to download the stock available at the links provided. There

are many extra stock choices for you, so you

can create your own look or mimic what is presented here.

Portions of this tutorial will be easier if you have a graphics tablet. Also, music is a huge inspiration - and my preferred 5teampunk soundtrack is Abney Park's latest album Lost Horizons, found at www.abneypark.com.

I have found it invaluable to be a part of the deviantART community. There are many stock providers there who enjoy working with artists, and provide quality resources for those who respect their rules and guidelines.

My advice is to branch out and think about becoming a member. The generous people who provided stock for this tutorial are: http://photography. ranum.com, http://angelus-knight. deviantart.com, http://neikeitaro. deviantart.com, http://epitomei-stock. deviantart.com, http://necrosensualart.deviantart.com, www.brushes. obsidiandawn.com and www.yazooy. com. I also utilise www.sKc.hu. but have found I really enjoy photographing my own stock as well. Other resource links to consider are http://commons. wikimedia.org, www.imageafter.com. www.freemediagoo.com and www. openphoto.net,

UTHINK OF GLOWING LABORATORIES AND EXOTIC AIRSHIPS ... "

67

Ildlianced Pllot[J~;11Dp

!!.'li'- lUloy

An initial backdrop helps create the mood of the piece and establishes the overall size of the work. For this particular portrait. you want to give the il'lusion of a waH and a floor. To do this, extract the aged paper stock, and add it in two separate layers. Let them overlap slightly, with the joining edge defining where you wish the 'wall'to end and thefloorto begin.

l.Rll:. 4 Frocks

.. w The dress provided only needs minor

Warp adjustments to fit. To fiip the skirt's edge, go Layer>Duplicate Layer, placing one in front and one behind the model. Select the front layer and Edit>Transform>Warp. Take the bottom right-hand corner of the Warp box and drag it over itself, right to left. Apply, then select the second layer and add a shadow behind her legs using a soft brush on Multiply at 15%. Opacity. To reveal the overlapped areas of scarf and jacket, select the front dress layer, reduce the opacity and erase the areas that overlap. Restore the opacity when finished.

•• ' ~ ~ 2 ::~::Od" and paste her o-i your

~ canvas, resizing as needed. Use a soft-edged

brush with the Smudge setting at 60%, and

smooth s'kin and fabric. Use small movements for the skin, and be careful not to over-smudge shadows. Reduce the size of the brush, and increase the intensity of the Smudge tool to refine areas around the eyes and mouth, taking

i.;if .. 6 Centrifugal force

A watch casing provides a great background frame, 50 extract it and resize it to fit your portrait. In the blending modes select Difference for colours resembling an industrial oil slick. By duplicating the layer, you can add to the intensity of the colours. You can also play with layer adjustments to change the colour and hue.

68

Ad\lanced Pll[ltosllDP

r,

r!E~· Bits and bobs

..

To create a true Steampunk girl, extra details are a must. Add machine gears. clock faces, and other bits and pieces of machinery to her qoqqles. Colourful dreadlocks, or fafs. are a perfect detail to add. Extract individual braids and use Edit>Adjustments>Warp or Filter> liquify to help morph them to fit your portrait. You can hand paint more braids in later.

___ -'=c:;oj 41;. Frippery

Layer the wallpaper stock, resizing as needed. Pick the Soft Light blending mode. For a bottom border, click the wallpaper layer and use the Marquee to select and copy a thin strip, then paste. Drag it to where the 'wall' meets the 'floor: Blending modes, Curves or Brightness and Contrast will help to blend this detail.

~+ 7 Cobbled brass

Choose a machine brush and stamp it on a new layer. Click l.ayec-Layer Style>Blending Options. Click Styles and choose Crude Orichalcum or experiment with others. Edit> Transform> Rotate the image, and place it wherever you wish, erasing overlapped edges. Repeat as desired. one behind her head to frame her face. Add more photo images, such as the clockface detail, beneath the brush layers.

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glot
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twi<:
is, b
the
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Place Bala mar TakE pail· ehai eus! 5te" Unl,

"IN THE BLENDING MO'DES SELECT DIFFERENCE FOR OLOURS RESEMBLING AN INDUSTRIAL OIL SLICK"

3 Smooth sailing

Time to add more details, I"yering as desired. Play with Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Color Balance for rich results. Add more gears and gadgets. Take your time, and hand paint strands of hair, laces, chains and other easily customisable features. It's a Steampunk world - unleash your imaginationi

to

~.n·8

'''!I'' Catwalk

To add floor detail. duplicate the clockwork layer and drag it down until the top edge meets the bottom of the wall. Now go to Edit> Transform>Distort or Edit> Transform> Perspective to pull the edges of the picture out until the perspective matches the floor. Again, blending modes are essential for blending this into the piece. Overlay and Soft Light both work very well for this.

aw/.QWI'/ ...... ////§/I',1///Q///f •• W/U//,..;.'///flXt'//,4",1///$////,I///d/////I'/////t'/////,-X,W/H//////Q//I,&W////H#$.Q////U//////Q/////,w/#///'///#////////////////A'Y/////d////////Q//#/U//////////////

Create Steampun1k props by combining maritime objects like clockwork globes and orreries with old gears, pipes and other industrial objects. I used the same globe twice and flipped it vertically. This one is left asis, but you can add all the detail you want with the extra stock provided. Experimenti

)r

p, 1e

W#/

~J...11 High voltage ~'l!'

Lightning brushes are perfect for

duplicating the bl'ue g,low of a sparking tesla coil. Select a bright blue, and apply each lightning brush on its own layer. Click Edit> Adjustments>Warp to curve the lightning around an object. For a steamier glow, use a large soft-edged brush on a low opacity and use Color Dodge or Pin Light in the blending modes to highlight reflective surfaces.

• of the overall piece. Click Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Hue/Saturation and experiment. Be subtle - you can always add more later You can also try adding different adjustment layers on top of each other and

_ - 1 Weather-beaten

• "'M" always P"" a P'CCo toqother

With Steampunk art, try cracked paint,

over the top of your work, then choose Multiply, Overlay or Soft Light In the blending modes

You can reduce the opacity 01 use your Eraser tool on a low opacity to eliminate textures from skin and other areas where It'S not needed.

By applying the same kind of metallic layer style you used on the machine brushes in step 7 to the brush you're drawing witih, you have an immediate 'metal' look that translates well when drawing chains, wires, jewellery or any other detail you come up with. By adjusting the opacity and brush size, you could draw metal meshwork, veils, ornate etchings, fish scales and many other things. Download a variety of layer styles and have fun experimenting! Remember, you can change the default layer options and add or remove things like drop shadows or pattern overlays to create a whole new look.

69

MVanC8[1 PllotosllOP

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Regular contributor Kirk Nelson steps into the Helpdesk shoes this issue, expanding his role as our forum's resident Photoshop expert

TRANSPARENCY LOCK

Hi! Love the magazine. It's always so filled

with··he·lpfuI"Tnfo. I was-wondering if you knew ofa way-to paint on a·layerandhavethe-paint exacilyma-tcfl that layer's transparency '--~ --especially if the layer contains several areas of diffe-renttransparent values,-lii<e a gradi_ent o·r· motion blur.

Edward Terramont

Hi Edward, great question. This is one of those things that sounds like it's going to be difficult but is surprisingly easy. In the Layers palette there's a series of icons next to the label 'Lock'. The first icon is a small chequerboard square. This is the Transparency Lock. Make sure your desired layer is highlighted and click this icon to lock the transparency. No fiddling with masks or flow levels on your brush. Now when you paint, your brush strokes will match the layer's transparent values precisely. And if you're at all like me, you'll forget that the thing is locked and later try to change the transparency and not be able to I'll then attempt to Photoshop a lock pick to unlock it instead of just clicking on that icon again.

STAMP VISIBLE

How can I make a flattened top layer of my layer stack without affecting-layers below? Louis Johnston

Ah, this is an ancient Photoshop secret that is passed down from one generation to the next .. What you need is the Stamp Visible function. Don't bother

!EASIER THAN 11 lOOKS: Use the Transparency Lock to keep a layer's transparency intact even while painting

72

I.\d\![lflCElCl Pl1()t[)~jllOp

11'011.1 ~AYIE TO I{NOW THE SECRET: The hidden Stamp Visible command creates a new merged layer without destroying the original layers

looking for it in your menus, you won't find it. It's

a specialised shortcut key Ctrl+Alt- Shift-r E (PC) or Cmd+Opt+Shift+E (Mac). This creates a merged copy of all visible layers directly over the layer that was active at the time. If you don't want the hand cramp that goes with this 'shortcut: you can also hold down the Opt/Alt key and go to Layer>Merge Visible.

KULER COLOUR

I'm looking for a site mentioned a few months agothat'-wifl-hefp produce harmonious colour schemes. It even lets you save"thecoloi.irs as swatC"i,-e's to he used-in, P~hoto~hop:·-··-·-·"'·-····· ,.

Simon Waterson

I think the website you're in search of is kuler.adobe. com from Adobe Labs. Go ahead and give it a try. You can select themes created by other members, or create your own with a handy colour wheel interface. When you get a set of colours you like, you can

Pre' Pre~ SUrf The the puc

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either jot down the relevant values underneath the swatches or enter a name in the title field and save the theme. This also gives you the option of saving the colours as an Adobe Swatch Exchange file ('.ase'). In Photoshop this file can be loaded through the

eOlOI.DR HARMONY: The Kuter site from Adobe Labs is a great resource for creating harmonious colour schemes

The first thing you need to know is that the amount of correction available is directly related to how badly overexposed the image is to begin With. If the pixels are completely void of any detail information (ie, the pixels are full blown out 100 per cent white), then

you cannot retrieve what isn't there to begin with. But usually the detail is there, just not visible to our eyes.

One way to address this problem is by using the Curves adjustment layer found under Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves. Below the graph you will see a set of three Eyedropper icons filled with black, grey and white, urn .. pixels. Anyway, click the dark one first and then sample the darkest area of your image to set the black point. Similarly, click the white Eyedropper and sample the lightest area to set your white point. This should fix most of the exposure problems in an image, but you can continue to

tweak the adjustment by setting the mid-level grey point with the grey Eyedropper and manipulating the curve itself.

Once you find a setting that addresses the problem area in the image, hit OK. Notice that the adjustment layer you just added also comes with a built-in mask. Use large soft paint strokes on this mask in order to restrict the application of the curves adjustment to the. areas you want.

Preset Manager (Edirc-Preset Manager). Change the Preset Type to Swatches and hit the Load button. Be sure to change the file type to .ase'to see the file. Then you have your nifty new colour theme right there for use in Photoshopl And notice you can create public themes for others to use too.

I'M OVEREXPOSED

I have a photo where part of the image is ove-r;;xp()sed:'Howd()fcorrect it witiiout affecting the-rest of the imagefl've trieeiusing the-Gradient tool on aTayer'mask"'hut it - .....

doesn't seem t()·beworkin9..l:~~nks!

James Oregon

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liill*UI:("·.iW"4

I'm currently in the process of preparing an image of a persons' face. I want to clone the scarred and worn forehead of a second subject onto the first. Don't ask me Why. II do not, however, want to pass over the skin colouratlon of the second onto tile first

as well.

In effect, what I need is something akin to a wireframe of the second person's forehead to pass over to the first person's forehead.

Grab yom pies

The goal is to transfer the elderly mail'S forehead to the baby's forehead, but still keep the baby's regular skin colour. Loosely select the man's forehead.

Colom match

Set Source to the baby image and Layer to

Background. Check Use Selection in Source to

Calculate Colors. Adjust Luminance and Color Intensity.

How would this be done in Photoshop? Mike Rendell

This little bit of Photoshop wizardry might be a bit disturbing to our more sensitive readers. If so, blame Mike, he's the one who wants to cover up a perfectly fine forehead with another not-so-fine one - and he won't eve", tell us why! So here we go Mike, you asked for it! To show just how effective this technique is, we've selected two dramatically different images.

Cut 'n' paste

Copy this to the baby imager. Transform it to match angle/size. Ctrl/Crndclk.k the thumbnail to select it, then go to I mage>Adj.ustments>Match Color.

Final forehead

Set Opacity to about 50% and use a layer mask to blend the new forehead into the image. Changing the laver mode to Darker Color or Luminosity may help.

EXPOSURE (LEFT): Use the Eyedropper tools in the Curves Adjustment panel to even out exposure, then use the mask to control where the curves are applied

HELPDESK

CALL FOR QUESTIONS

Want help With PhOt053hop?

Send your ernalis to us at: adv;ancedp:sh6p@imag.in~-publishing .• ee.uk or post a: message on our forum bQ8l'd at www.advancedpho:tositop.(!o.uklforum, Remember to sp®ci1¥ wheth.e:iI you're using €I. PC or Mac and the v8l'Sion number of yom edition of PhotoshOp.

13 -III

MvancEld PllotosllOP

Insider Info

file format back in 2004, more and more camera manufacturers and software companies have been adding support for it. Some cameras, including the Samsung Pro 815 and the Ricoh GR Digital, now use DI'IIG as their chosen RAW file format rather than a

lt's easy to convert your RAW files into the DNG file format and keep all your photographs consistent using this free tool from Adobe. It comes in both Windows and Mac versions, and currently converts files from over 150 cameras, with more being added all the time. Get it from www.adobe.com/products/dng.

Our pick of the best reader submissions sent to us this month

res

eer Pressure has once again been inundated with a volume of great artworks. 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 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 lScm. Send us low-res versions to advancedpshop@imagine-publishing.co.uk-we'll get back to you for higherresolution work 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 ofThe Illustration Source (www.iliustration-source. com), which is a great way to get your work seen. So, what are you waiting for?

Masle· of the macabre

"These images were inspired by a trip to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum and I thought, 'What a strange place the world is'"

NAME: CD Richardson

EMAIL: createdbycdrichardson@hotmail.com il'EB: WWw.advanc~dphotostiop.co.~kluseri cdrichardson / www.createdbycdrichardson.com

Advanced Photoshop reader CD Richardson has worked in the videogame industry for eight years and has been involved in many areas of production, from character/creature modelling to graphic design and promotional marketing materials.

The images here are part of a series that can be seen on Richardson's website. "1 decided to create some extremely bizarre creatures that could not possibly exist in our world, but present them as if they did," he explains. "1 started running with the idea that the world does nave some strange anomalies in it, and even the most difficult things to believe sometimes are true."

These images are all the result of a mixed-media approach to design: "1 experimented with some different approaches and mediums, but 1 thougITt that by manipulating photographs the images could have a surreal believability to them. It would heIR the purpose of

the images and rea,lly grollnd everything in reality, The creatures were brought to life using photo-manipulation/matte painting techniques and a few compositing tricks,"

The initial few images sparked an entire project around the concept. "Surprisingly, what started out as just one or two images quickly grew into a series, which then ultimately grew into an interactive web project that has more in common with a short storybook than an actual website!"

IMAGE 3: "I buried the images ~nder many layers of dust alld c uttn order to add an antique teet to them"

76

~[I\I(3m:El[1 PllotosllOP

TAKE ME AWAY: "I had this idea a long time ago. One day I found this awesome stock on iStockphoto.com. The blue shape was done in Illustrator and the rest in Phatosnop"

"j wanted to do something retro but with new elements. So I used

FOLLOW ME: "This one is still my favourite work. It was done very spontaneously, without a big idea. I used many text elements and two shapes from Illustrator"

Random abst.-acls

NAME: Michael Kammerer EMAIL: ephix@gmx.de

WEB: http://ephix,deviantart.com

Kammerer is 19 years old and works in Nuremberg, Germany as a digital media designer in an agency. In his spare time he does digital abstract art and has been doing so for about three years. He started out with 3D programs like Bryce and Cinema 4D, but that wasn't really what he wanted to do. A year ago, a friend told him to try Illustrator: "I had never used this tool before, but soon I started to like it. My work is usually done in

Illustrator and Photoshop. I create three to four abstract shapes in Illustrator and put them together to an image in Photoshop, so the main work is done in Photoshop. These shapes are very often just random creations. Sometimes I draw them on paper first.

Kammerer is the first to admit that his style isn't exactly mainstream:

"Maybe my style seems a bit crazy and random to some people, but I never start creating something without an idea in my mind about how it should look. I always wanted to be different and do things my way, so the most important thing to me is that I like what I do. Art is like freedom to me,"

77

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tliIri'lGITlQj

TERMINATOR 4 POSTER: "This was done as a personal project. I wanted to see if I could create a design that was visually stimulating and unique, yet remained in keeping with the previous images in the Terminator franchise"

Heavy texlawe

NAME: Paul Stuart Goodman EMAIL: Nineteen_psg@hotmail.com

WEB: www.nineteenpsgdesigns.co.ulc

Twenty-year-old Goodman is in his second year of a BA in Visual Communication at Doncaster College, specialising in Illustration and Graphic Design. He has always been interested in art, and up until a few years ago was set on becoming a teacher of art in further or higher education. That was until his discovery of Photoshop: "Since then I've been working towards a career in graphic design/illustration. I'm still hoping to teach, but maybe some time in the future _ it depends what hand life deals me."

As you can see from his galleries, Goodman's design style alters to complement the brief that he's working en _ an essential skill for any artist f)Gpil'\g to make a career out of their skin. However, he does have a few preterred mediums _ namely il'lk, peneil, watercolours and photo-manipulanon.

He keeps his style fresh by indulging in personal projects whenever he can: "1 have tried to do self-initiated work whenever 1 have the time. Some of it has been exhibited in Doncaster Museum as part of the Open Art competition. My dream would be to have my own gallery exhibition one day."

FASHION SHOW POSTER: "This poster was done as a live brief for Doncaster College End of Year Fashion Show. It is one design from

a campaign, including a flyer, two ticket designs, a promo T-shirt, event staffT-shirt and a large banner"

NATURE'S MACHINE: '}1 detailed photomontage made up of images of scrap and a stock photo of a woman's face. I used the Extract filter to remove the images from their backgrounds. A number of interacting texture layers have been used to create the new background and the circuit texture of the woman's face"

78

Mllancscl PI10t[]~;110P

NAME: Tiago da Silva

EMAIL: grafik@tiago-silva.com WEB: www.tiago-silva.com

Da Silva's art has been heavily influenced by comic books since he started to read them as a child. At school he used these inspirations in his first drawings, but later at college he was influenced by all the great painters through the disciplines of art and anatomy study. It was when he went to university that he first Clime across a new way of producing art: digital. Since then, most of his learning has been self-taught. "When I started doing my art digitally, digital painting was still something new and there wasn't a lot of information about it, so you were on your own," he explains. "But as the internet evolved so did the online art community, with forums and galleries. This was when I got a major evolution on my work Now it's already a normal and constant progress, as I go along accompanying other works, sharing info and techniques. I think the internet came to give a big improvement in art."

Da Silva now works as a freelance illustrator, currently producing illustrations for games (concept art), books, book covers, CCG collectible card games, magazines and comic books.

BEN GRIMM, 'fHE THING: "I always thought how cool could it be to have some portraits of the Marvel characters, close-ups, where you ceuki see the details, like they were real peopleyou would get that sense of emotion and life'

79

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thinKing

Our prize this month is a collection of two books, provided by Rotovision (www.rotovision.com).The winner will receive Color Management and Images, both of which have received good reviews in our magazine.

On our website, www. advancedphotoshop.co.uk/ competitions.php, we run a web challenge where you are asked to create an image in Photoshop using at least one of three images provided, Up until now, these challenges have been running for three months at a time, but due to their popularity, we are now upping this to a monthly event.

Check out the website for details of our latest challenge and how to enter. The winner will collect a special prize for that month (prizes change frequently) and they will also get printed in the magazine, along with two runners-up.

NAME: Mario Veltri EMAIL: marioveltri@ marioveltri.com

WEB: www.marioveltri.com

WINNER - MARIO VELTRI:

"When I saw the picture of the white tower, I suddenly thought it was the perfect perspective for a fantasy illustration. The monster that attacks the tower is a Drolem, a sort of Undead Dragon animated by necromancy. The whole illustration looks like a traditional illustration, but made using Photoshop"

Runner-up

NAME: Urban Carlsson EMAIL: urban.070@spray.se BRUSHES USED: From Stephanie Shimerdla

RUNNER-UP - URBAN CARLSSON: "For this piece I was inspired by Nelson Balaban's surreal photomontage [issue 36] with a dream-like scene full of derails. I have used six images"

Runner-up

NAME: Daniel G. Rodriguez EMAIL: dan@calibre-designs.co.uk WEB: www.calibre-designs.co.uk

RUNNER-UP - DANIEL G RODRIGUEZ: "To create this I focused on two of the images that you supplied for this competition (the lighthouse and sunset images). The shapes were created by using Free Transform (Perspective) and a combination of actions"

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/competitions.php

80 -

MllanC8[1 PhntnsllDp

IT'S YOUR RIGHT

Work interactively with 3D objects and see real-time results in Photoshop.

EXERCISE IT

Unleash 3D in Photoshop! Gain access to thousands of 3D models and accessories. New models released weekly.

ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR CREATIVITY

Download 30-day trial and free DAZ Studio at www.daz3d.com/bridge

With a wealth of free and royalty-free images, graphics, textures and brushes available at your fingertips, we discover the best ways to turn stock into success

BY Nicl<; Spence

Despite their shared origin, stock images, graphics, textures, brushes and fonts used imaginatively can all add a unique element to your Photos hop work.

Although it's always good to keep a camera, sketchbook and scanner close to hand, you simply can't source every image or rely solely on Photoshop's already impressive array of tools to get by. Many studios and designers, large and small, will tum to third parties to source stock to save both time and money. The internet is a gold mine for creative help and inspiration, as well as an endless source for images, graphics, textures, brushes and fonts. Google Image Search is a great starting point.

82

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TAKING STOCI{

MAIm THE MOST

OF THE ULTIMATE CREATIVE RESOURCES

but never assume you're free to simply right-click and download all you see. Each resource, however freely offered, will generally have some restrictions. Always read the small print, and if you're not 100 per cent sure when and how you can use the resource, contact the supplier and ask for clarification.

In recent years, many sites more concerned with sharing than making money have offered resources freely for download under less restrictive Creative Commons licences and Copyleft licensing. These may still have restrictions (non-commercial use, for instance) so it's good karma to again check the small print. From time to time, quality stock will turn up on less-than-

reputable websites and forums - often liberated from premium pay sites, which are best avoided.'Royalty-free' doesn't mean free, and numerous professionals earn a living offering stock photography, for instance, at a price to suit most budgets. With dozens of popular pay-for and free stock suppliers out there, it's worth investing time discovering which best suit your pocket and your needs. Beyond the internet, magazines such as Advanced Photoshop regularly offer excellent free and royalty-free resources on their monthly discs. If you haven't already, it's useful to start building a library of resources, from images to brushes, to be better prepared for your next creative adventure.

STOCI{ IMAGES

Publishers, advertising agencies, graphic

. designers and illustrators will often use stock images to embellish or finish a project when time and budgets are tight.

The industry worldwide is thought to be worth billions annually, and several stock houses such as Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com) and Corbis (http://pro. corbis.com) have a strong global presence. Many offer royalty-free and rights-managed images that can be out of the financial reach of creatives, althoug h in recent

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= AFFORDABLE STOCK: iStockphoto.com is the

... world's pre-eminent collection of member-generated royolty-free images available at affordable prices

Kelly Thompson, executive VP at iStockphoto outlines the company's philosophy.

Q ...

Why has iStockphoto become increasingly popular with digital artists?

a7:t:CkPhoto simply offers the best price/ performance ratio in the industry. With 35,000 images added per week from everywhere around the world, the collection is diverse and dynamic.

years established giants have been joined by so-called Microstock brands. These generally offer cheaper stock image options and are more open to users, professionals and enthusiasts alike. contributing content for a share of customer revenue. Among them, iStockphoto (www. istockphoto.com) is a leading light, while Fotolia (www. fotolia.com), Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com) and Stockxpert (www.stockxpert.com) have all made an impact in a competitive marketplace.

For those on the most minuscule of budgets, many royalty-free stock companies will offer a small selection of images completely free. The alternative is to invest only your time in researching many of the free stock providers offering to share their images without financial gain. StockXCHNG (www.sxc.hu) is among the very best and biggest, with an impressive list of statistics on its website and more than 350,000 photos online. Image categories are clearly defined, you can browse new and popular selections. and use an advanced search to filter results. Other free stock resources worthy of mention include Fontplay (www.fontplay.com/freephotos). morgueFile (www.morguefile.com), Photo.net (http:// photo. net) and Woophy (www.woophy.com). As with traditional stock companies, it pays to read the small print even when images are offered free.

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;:: EASY DESIGNS: iStockphoto.com offers free

... membership to source, purchase and download images or contribute your own images, illustrations ond videos for sale

Q ...

What do websiteslike iStockphoto offer people looking for inspiration?

a;: have a unique feature called the Designer's Spotlight. We encourage designers

to submit their work showing how they've used iStock images. With over three million registered members, we have many very talented designers. This is the perfect place to look for inspiration. With so many people contributing, we've actually noticed design trends starting to appear over time. There is even a style developing that's referred to as the 'iStock Style'.

Q ...

What's the best way to ensure images submitted are seen and used by others?

"ln recent years established giants have been joined by so-called Microstocl( brands"

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::: WORLD VISION: From contemporary creative

... imagery to news, sports, entertainment and archival imagery, Getty Images has its photos appearing in newspapers and magazines daily worldwide

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=: THREE MILLION AND COUNTING: Shutterstock ... is the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world, with over three million royalty-free images available by subscription

a ~:;words, keywords, keywords. If your images aren't-well I<eyworded, people aren't going t9 find them. Many contributors do their own marketing as well. They are welcome to put links to their collections or lightboxes in the description of their images.

Q ...

What role does the iStockphoto community and its forums play?

a~; contributors and customers are two of our largest stakeholders, so their comments and concerns are a high priority. They've helped shape and create the powerful brand iStock has become. They understand this and take great pride in the site. They even help police violations in image usage.

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Something of a renaissance man, illustrative designer Von Glitschka (www.artbackwash.com and many others), recently created a lavish book Crumble, Crackle, Burn (www.texturebook.com) to showcase his love for textures. Over 120 'timeless' organic textures are included in the book and accompanying DVD.

g ...

What do you think textures add to an image?

a ~~~ink authentic real-world textures add a nice organic flair to digital art, which at times can be too clean and too perfect. In essence, it adds a lot of character to an image.

g ...

Do you have a source library of textures that you use in your work?

a ~h:ve a set of my own that I don't share. I also often use the ones in my book. My library

is ever growing, though. Whenever I have my camera out I tend to capture a few new textures, which eventually will make their way into new sets

further down the road.

g ...

How best can people collect and create their own?

a ·':'·u can read the chapter in my book that €OVefS this called Texture Exploring at my website IlIustrationClass.com. You'll also get access to ten free sample textures.

g ...

Finally, how can you avoid stock type textures from looking cliched?

a···

Easy. Avoid using fake textures and go out

and capture your own. It's far more fun and it's authentic looking because time and the second law of thermal dynamics have done all the hard work for you alr.eady.

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GOOD ADVICE: Glitschka offers useful pointers to help you do your own texture explorations, so you can notice and capture interesting textures in your everyday life

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TEXTURES

One criticism levelled at digital art, vector and pixel-based art especially, is that it can look too clean, crisp and precise, devoid of human input. Adding textures to an image will enhance character, create depth and give the

illusion of you getting your hands dirty for your art.

Grime, cracks, smudges, grain, organic wear and tear add atmosphere, ideal for creating a striking seductive image that goes deeper than simple surface decoration. Thankfully, potential textures, often aged by time, are all around us, and armed with a camera and ideally a scanner you can start

to create and collect your own.

For those looking for textures online, a Google search should produce thousands of hits and hundreds of useful resources. Many free enthusiast sites offer textures grouped by

type such as rust, metals, paint, fabric, glass, organic and even animal fur. As usual. it's worth checking links on respected Photoshop websites, forums and blogs, and ensuring those websites you do visit

are updated frequently and are

well stocked. TextureKing (www. textureking.com), a growing archive

for free stock photo textures, is typical of a site maintained by an individual, REH3design, which has a consistent

1((

CRUMBLE, CRACKLE, BURN: Von Glitschka's book showcases work from talented artists, giving insight on how to incorporate texture into backgrounds, and even as an illustration and typographic tool

=: ENJOY THE DIRT: Urban Dirty is a regularly

II1II updated online photo library featuring 'gritty, grimy and sometimes slimy' images for use in design and artwork creation

quality feel. Others rely on contributors uploading images, so while the choice may be vast, the quality is not always consistent. Those worth a visit include the famed Mayang's Free Textures (www.mayang.com/ textures), CGTextures (www.cgtextures.com). Urban Dirty (www.urbandirty.com)andTexturepacks.net (www.texturepacks.net).

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== FREE STOCK TEXTURES: TextureKing offers a

_.. range of suitably distressed textures free for personal and professional use

=: KEY TEXTURES: CGTextures gives you

II1II the opportunity to browse and search textures by keywords

BRUSHES

Fans of Photoshop brushes needn't look far for free resources - they thrive online with seemingly a mind-numbing number of brushes available. Simple to create and upload, Google lists around 1.42,0,000 brush results, and few Photoshop resource websltes. forums and blogs are without them. At their best, they expand Photoshop's own useful brush selection significantly, offering novel and fun ways to paint and decorate digitally.

== NAVIGATE RESOURCES: deviantART is constantly __ improving upon its functionality, and the gallery is scheduled for a revamp of its category structure for better ease of use

Often themed in downloadable files, many creators offer simple instructions on how to install additional brushes. Many novelty brushes prove popular, as well as those inspired by seasonal events such as Christmas, Halloween, birthdays and anniversaries. Some brushes will try to recreate decorative effects found in traditional painting, including graining, marbling, rag rolling, sponging, colourwash, verdlqris, stippling, frottage, clouding, ragging and dragging. Others offer exquisite and intricate patterns and designs, adding a real refinement and subtlety to your Photoshop work.

PhotoshopSupport.com (www.photoshopsupport. com/tools/brushes) is as good a place to start as any and includes links to some of our favourite brushes.

== BRUSHES GALORE: In the spirit of sharing,

.... deviantART community members regularly upload a range of resources including brushes

"FJJj}}} }J}}}J }~

"Few Photoshop resource vvebsites, forums and

blogs are w'thout brushes"

Among them, SOOml Brushes (http://brushes.500ml. orq), Seishido (http://seishido.biz),Brusheezy.com (www.brusheezy.eom), Photoshop Brushes (www. photoshopbrushes.eom), and myphotoshopbrushes com (www.myphotoshopbrushes.com) benefit from repeat visits. Online communities such as deviantART (http://b rowse .devi a nta rt.eoml resou rees/ applications/psbrushes) also offer numerous usercreated examples to lovingly share. For those feeling inspired, several online tutorials, including In obscuro (http://inobseuro.eom/tutorials/read/17 I), explain how to create, use and share your own brushes.

== EVERYTHING FOR PHOTOSHOP:

... Myphotoshopbrushes.com is 'a great collection of Adobe Photoshop brushes, patterns, tutorials and many useful Photoshop stuff'

Newest fQm)@r ~

deviantART. com

Kari Campbell, assistant director of Artist Relations at deviantART, explains the thinking behind the popular online community, which is both an online portfolio site and a resources centre for brushes, textures and stock photos.

Q:~Y are deviantART members so happy to share brushes, stock, textures, etc, for free with the rest ofthe community?

a~~: community is really enthusiastic

about helping to support fellow artists' efforts in their work. The resource community is quite large and very diverse, and with education being such a focal point on the site, sharing knowledge and tips is a natural inclination of the resource providers as well. The stock art and resource providers enjoy seeing their work being used in art genres such as traditional reference work and photomanipulation.

Q:~at can those looking for inspiration find on the site, in terms offree resources and added extras?

a~:tumes, unique posing, interesting architecture, objects, background scenery,

brushes, tutorials and textures. Inspiration is endless! Tutorials, club groups and an official chatroom also exist to help those who are trying to improve their work, and are readily available for beginners. There are also plenty of contests that involve resource use to spawn new ideas and get the creative juices flowing .

Q"".

What's the best way to ensure those

brushes, images, etc you submit are seen and used by others?

a---

Presentation and exposure are the best

ways to be seen on the site. You can do this by creating a 'brand' for yourself on the site. Getting involved in groups/clubs, participating in the chatroom and forum will all help get your name out there. There are also numerous artists who feature other artists' works in their journals as well as in news articles that highlight new and established resource providers.

B

Advanced PllotosROD

GRAPHICS

Your Photoshop skills may be first rate, but unless you're a dab hand with Illustrator your vector images may not be up to scratch. Vector clip art - public domain images especially - has something of a mixed reputation.

Often bundled free with software applications or used by third-rate designers to produce fourth-rate ads, they've previously been viewed with contempt or suspicion. Thankfully, in recent years things have improved dramatically and there are now numerous websites offering affordable and free vector images to complement your Photoshop skills. Many online communities have grown to satisfy the needs of vector lovers. Anchorpoint, for instance, is the name of the Vectorvault (www.vectorvault.com) community. Described as 'a network of talented individuals from around the world who share a common passion for

Jeff Finley of Go Media (www.gomedia.us/arsenal) explains why the renowned studio still finds time to create an 'arsenal' of vector graphics.

g---

What made you decide to start selling

your 'arsenal'?

a;: found having an 'arsenal' of design resources available is a huge time-saver and helps us get through low-budget projects or tight deadlines. We would often go back to a previous

Advanced Photoshop

:= NEW VECTOR TRENDS: "We are constantly on __ the lookout for new trends and we always listen to what our customers have to say," explains Jeff Finley of Go Media

vector art: it has already attracted thousands of members who benefit from free daily downloads, competitions and general self-promotion.

Vectorportal.com (www.vectorportal.com) offers a range of attractive free downloads as well as an informative busy forum. Other fine resources include 'stupid name, cool vectors'from Vecteezy (www. vecteezy.com) and Open Clip Art Library (www. openciipart.org), a project that aims to create an archive of user-contributed clip art that can be freely used under Creative Commons guidelines. Among pay sites, Go Media (www.gomedia.us/arsenal), ArtBitz (www.artbitz. com), Havana Street (www.havanastreet.com) and Stock Aid (www.orange32.com) all offer impressive graphics. Finally, for those wanting to convert Photoshop-like bitmap images to vectors online, auto tracer Vector Magic (www.vectormagic.com) does a fair job for free.

project and recycle some of the design elements. Why create the same dirt and grunge effect twice,

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== EASY VECTORS: Vecteezy is 'an index of free vector iIIIIIi graphics available for download by some of the best artists around the world'

== COOL VECTORS: Stock Aid sells cool selections of iIIIIIi retro-Iooking vector images

== STAY ORIGINAL WITH GO MEDIA: "We know

iJIIII people want the cliche dip art, but r.hpt is available all over tire elcice._We don't want to create VJfhat everyone else is creating all the time," says 'Jeff Finley

resources and then we put them online to see ifthey would sell. The response to our first set was very encouraging, so we kept making more.

g--

What do you think the appeal of royalty-

free vector art is?

- ..

The convenience of getting professional

looking results without a whole lot of work - very appealing to newbie designers and professionals on tight deadlines.

g ....

How do you prevent vector art from looking cliched?

a-··

That's the challenge. For the Arsenal, we like

to offer a mix of what some people might consider cliched, and other stuff that's new or unique. But it's always gotGo Media's styleto it. We make everything ourselves, so it kind of has a certain look to it that nobody else has. We also look to create stuff that we find useful in our own designs.

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· . . .

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Strata 3D ex

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Manufacturer: Stl'ata

Web: www.strata.com Price: £3951$695 Spec: Mac OS X 10.3

WjndowsXP 256MB IMM

330MB free hard drive space 1,024 x 768 screen resolution

ThiS highly expensive software package works alone or in collusion with Photoshop or Illustrator to render objects in 3D. Programs of this sort are incredibly useful to professional designers, but if you're more of a hobbyist user then you may baulk at its £4001$700 price tag. This is a shame, as Strata 3D ex is clearer and more intuitive than some other 3D rendering programs that we've tried, which makes it better for new users.

It's easiest to start off with round or semi-round objectsmuch of our testing was done on an apple shape. You can import an object as a basic rayframe or polygonal structure, then adjust planes, lighting and shadows. Layered images and EPS files seem to be the easiest to work with. It's relatively simple to create and render a simple, glossy 3D shape in

this way.

You can also build your own object using the Lathe tool. In the program's tutorials, a demonstration is shown of a 3D shape being made up from a simple 2D crosssection. So, if you're working with what will be a symmetrical 3D shape, you can create the basis for it yourself before fleshing it out into true 3D.

Textures are important in making 3D-rendered objects look believable, and Strata boasts a reasonable range of them, with the option to import your own and wrap them around your object. What's good about Strata is that it doesn't simply

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a lizardskin motorbike or a ruby canary, Strata makes it possible - and if such things aren't believable then this program at least

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Readers' offer

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Strata 3D ex is available for now through XChange Intemational for a special promotional price to Advanced Photoshop readers only for £316.00, normally £395, saving you 20%. To order, or for more information. visit www.xchangeuk.com. or calion +44(0)20 74904455 during UK business hours. Email address is info@ xchanqeuk.corn Quote the offer code: 'PHC02040S'.

nouveau-styled decor. You have to watch out for overtexturising, though - stick to pale, plain or reflective backgrounds, or use a slightly blurred backqround photo to enhance perspective. Too many textures may leave you with pixellated rendering artefacts in key parts of your image, such as reflections, shadows and outlines, breaking the 3D illusion.

Another little quirk is the necessity to use Photoshop to add the finishing touches, such as realistic drop shadows that make objects rendered in Strata look completely real. Although this does give you the chance to tweak your image for maximum believability or to add an object into larger pieces, it's a little annoying that many objects created in Strata still have that slight air of digital fakery about them. For Photoshop users, though, Strata is ideal- much of the control interface is similar to Adobe's iconic software so there's no need to waste time learning a complex new system. One thing you might find irritating, though, is the Ideas Book that accompanies the software. What it lacks in ideas it makes up for in the prose of its frustrated author, who spends several paragraphs telling you not to give up your day job. IIlII

DESIGN AT A ~IGHER POWER'

MULTI-PLATFORM: Strata 3D ex comes with both a Windows disc and a Mac disc in the box

Summary: Strata 3D CX is great for creating realistic shapes, but only when it's accompanied by Photos hop. The menus are easy to navigate if you're used to Adobe software, which given the nature of this magazine you should be! Specialist but good fun.

LEFT: You can start out by importing basic, shaded shapes to work on in 3D

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a a ~ • •

RENDERED AND READY: Rendering objects makes them much smoother and richer, ready to be imported to Photoshop for use in your digital projects

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Space Navigator for Notebooks

Use a 3D mouse to enable you to navigate objects and programs on the move

Approx 63.§mm wide

he Space Navigator for Notebooks' parent company, 3Dconnexion, is owned by Logitech, which is a good

sign. Its original 3D mouse, the SpaceNavigator, lets you navigate intuitively in a three-dimensional view, which is awesome. And the SpaceNavigator itself is really, really nice looking; a tactile nodule of rubber sat atop a paperweight-heavy chrome base, with a rather groovy cobalt blue LED uplighting it. You set up the Spacel\lavigator on the left and use it in conjunction with the mouse on the right, to get complete control over panning, tilting and zooming, enabling you to navigate around objects - such as those created with the other product on these pages, Strata 3D CX - much more intuitively. But portable! No. It weighs a ton.

Enter the Space Navigator for Notebooks.

Weighing in at half its big brother's mass, it's a lot more portable, meaning that you can cart it around in a laptop bag for 3D design on the move. It is smaller than the standard

Space Navigator though, and while this makes it great for commuters working on the move, it's not quite as ergonomic. The larger version fits snugly into the palm of your hand when you're working with it; the smaller requires you to squeeze just a little bit harder.

That's not the only problem we've found.

During installation it will politely inform you that if you want it for anything other than completely personal use, the professional software is $40 (about £20) a pop. Considering that the SpaceNavigator for I\lotebooks is considerably more expensive than the larger version, it adds up to a cost of well over £100 ($150). And for dedicated photo editors, designers and people who work with CAD programs, the professional software is the only option - it allows you to move around rayframes and models in 3D, so you can control edits and apply textures, effects, lighting and shadows with the mouse while navigating quickly and intuitively with the SpaceNavigator. If you stick to the Personal Edition software, what you're essentially left

with is a toy. Try the accompanying 3Dconnexion Picture Viewer and you'll maybe get to wiggle your image around a bit before getting stuck with it zoomed out into a miniscule speck. It does make Street View in Google Earth work pretty well, though. The question is, are you really going to use it?

Setting up a mouse to accompany a laptop is awkward enough on its own. The connections are simple - the SpaceNavigator uses USB which makes it easy to plug in. However, if USB ports are at a premium on your laptop, then you'll either have to invest in a portable hub (costing even more moneyl) or use your laptop's trackpad.lfyou can work like this, then that's great, but for many people it's counterintuitive. When you're working in 3D you demand absolute perfection - you can't afford glitches from mistimed mouse clicks. The full-sized SpaceNavigator is a great product - and while the smaller one has its advantages, it's not as good. ill

SMALL FOOTPRINT: The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks is small and portable

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TRAVEL COMPANION (LEFT): The device comes with its own pouch, which should fit in the front of a laptop bag

PRODUCT FAMILY (BELOW): The entire 3Dconnexion product family encapsulates a range of 3D mice

WITH LAPTOP (FAR BELOW): Use the 5paceNavigator on the left and the mouse on the right

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Summary: Rarher, than invest ilHhe SpaeeNavigater for Notebooks, you are tetter' offgl?lting a fl!l,ll-sized one, keepiaq your 3D design in the studio. and finding

I sometl'ling elbe to clo on1Iong;jOlJrney.5. Rating: 3/5

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Co orMunki Design

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I. • u · The ail-singing, all-dancing design solution for ultimate colour control

I Manufacturer: X-Rite and PAN ONE -Web: wwwcolormunktcom / wwweoleurconfldence.com

Price: £375/$732,23

Windows KP or Vista and Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, or Intel Core Quo (or compatible) or AMD Athlon XP or better CPU 5l2MBRAM

300MB of free disk space

USB ]DOft and lDVD-ROM drive 1,024 x 768 or higher display res0hltion with l6-bit video card Qui8kTime 7 software required f0I multimedia features

rought to you by X-Rite and PANTONE, the ColorMunki Design (a ColorMunki Photo is also

available for the same price) is said to be a first for easy-to-use convergent technologies developed specifically for the artistic community. This latest hardware is said to provide technological advancements that address core issues of colour creation, control and communication in a single integrated solution.

When opened, the product itself seems modest yet stylish in design and it seems hard to think that such hardware can provide the

• • ~ ~ enhanced solutions promised. However, as

• • • • they say, looks can be deceiving. Upon

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effortless installation and connection by

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" standard USB, the ColorMunki icon appears

• •• "' with its own preset options. These make

· . . .:

• • • •

• • • •

essential calibration clear-cut.

Profile My Display and Printer options provide an easy to follow, step-by-step walkthrough of calibration procedures that even the most unfamiliar individual can comprehend. Simply abide by the on-screen prompts and diagrams, adhering to your device dial settings,

Profile My Display, to calibrate your screen, corresponds with the ColorMunki's holder bag, This comes equipped with an openable closure at the bottom to protect and permit sensor transmission. Attached is the specially weighted strap that can be draped over your monitor and will stay in place sufficiently. This minimises the potential of screen damage through scratching that can be caused with other devices.

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PERSONAL PREFERENCES:

Build colour palettes automatically from your own digital images, PANTONE Libraries or readings that you take from whatever happens to inspire you

SENSORY SCIENCE: The ColorMunki also has the potential to read ambient fighting within your workspace with the easy-to-use dial and button function and sensor science

As you proceed, a virtual pad presents itself, prompting the ColorMunki to read a series of colour patches, determining the gamut and colour response of the display. You can set a weekly period reminder to re-profile and access a before and after comparison,

visual ising the powerful effects applied by this procedure. The Profile Printer option shares the same dynamic function yet has its own specific variety of options.

This preset allows you to create new profiles for a plethora of print destinations. Built-in memory also identifies entered paper types to optimise calibration effectiveness. Corresponding measure charts are printed and applied on a scanning basis, manually dragging the ColorMunki from bottom to top of coloured rows. This, however, is a process that requires patience to achieve aptitude. Also presented, for proficient results, is an onscreen prompt, telling users specific drying times for inkjet printed Test Charts, as colour typically changes throughout.

The 'Create a color palette' preset is a real selling point, providing users with a multitude of options, producing palettes that can be seamlessly imported into popular design applications including Photoshop, In Design

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PERFECT PRINTS: The Print Safe feature allows you to check the colours you want to use before the printer does and shows you what colours are achievable in virtually any printing situation on paper

ALL-INCLUSIVE: With ColorMunki you can quickly calibrate monitor, printer and projector all with the same device. Just set the appropriate setting to tune your colour without the need for additional accessories

and QuarkXPress. You can choose from PANTOI\jE Color Libraries, system-level colour pickers, inspirational images, colour harmonies and keyword searches.

Here you can upload images and photography and these will be separated into a corresponding colour palette in a newly created project file. You can even create palettes captured live with the ColorMunki's powerful sensor science. Just set the smoothto-use dial to six o'clock and then click on any tangible object or surface.

Fun extras exist in the 'Snap to:' command, allowing you to witness the variations in screen and print output tones dependent on contemporary paper types; the Relations options, including Visual Harmony, Variations and Similar; and a keen set of proofing options that permit you to, again, determine paper type and corresponding colour affected by simulated effects of lighting.

Summary: We love thrs prod un! It provides excellent callbraucn results within a compact and easY-lo-use device. F,or a conststent workflow, this is a must. It's not cheap but the results are worth it.

Rating: 5/5

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STANDARD INTERFACE: Removing all pixels in _ & " "

a seam reduces the height or width of the image Il" a "

by one row or column or can enlarge by " II " ~

duplicating. The final verdict's still out .. .. • •

We review this preview product from (mOne software

or Intel Core processor

Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista, 1 GHz or faster Pentium 4 or equivalent

1,024 x 768 or higher display at mlllions of colours

256MBVRAM

512MB physical RAJy1

15MB free hard disk space

NOW available for immediate download, onOne promises to provide photographers and graphic artists with a ground-breaking solution to resizing images.

Liquid Resize provides an algorithm known as Seam Carving, which allows users to maintain the original aspect ratio of a digital image whenever they enlarge or decrease. However, does this product sound too good to be true, and does it provide as powerful a solution as our favourite application tool?

Upon installation, Liquid Resize allows easy upload of an image. From here, resizing couldn't be any simpler. Users are

presented with information regarding original image size and then a set of options, alike to Photoshop's Image Size command. Simply designate new Width or Height Pixel ratios

or Percentages and the software automates the changes.

Activating the 'Maintain aspect ratio' option will synchronise corresponding parameters. You can also activate the 'Animated Retargeting' option, which offers users the chance to witness live adjustments and retargeting effects take place in the image window. This, however, will dramatically slow the application process, annoyingly so in some instances for much larger resizing.

Images over 1,000 pixels may take a very long time to process, but this is a problem being addressed by onOne. Masking options, although basic, are provided to designate affected areas. This works by applying Protect Area and Delete Area brushes, doing both as they state, although the purpose of the Delete Area sull seems eccentric.

We did notice the larger the image resize and closer the zoom, the more erratic the brush was, however, again, onOne is looking to resolve this. This tool itself seems elementary and improvement is needed to maximise its effect. Oil

Summary: Bearing in mind this is a product in its infancy, the overall effect of its algorithms can be hit or miss, but when they're a hit it seems a product with potential.

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Path Styler Pro 1.5

This single filter is crammed with various cool creative features

Spec: Adobe Photoshop CS3, GS2, CS required Available as just the 'Photeshop plug-ln, or as a bundle with the Illustrator version

Includes over a 100 diverse style presets

ath Styler Pro 1.5, a Shinycore creative solution,

is a playful plug-in for Photoshop that should have logo designers parting with their purses. Those familiar with Photoshop should find usability rapid to an extent, as most options are alike with the software, inclusive of gradients and layering.

Instantly accessing colour change of your intended typography, you can manipulate the Size and Depth of your effect, determining volume and depth respectively. Most application effects are determined by slidebars, so functionality is smooth and easy.

Standard options also include lighting effects. Users can apply four separate samples from the bottom-left of the user interface, by clicking the icon pointer and then select a single colour cast. You can then visually see your applied direction with on-screen prompts and apply with ease using the virtual ball scrolling system.

The Material drop menu allows you to distinguish a surface texture, including Multi-Gloss, Glass and Plastic

among others. Each again comes

standard with extended application

options including Shadow, Highlight and Glossiness, determining the visual impact of your typography.

However, Path Styler Pro offers a few high-end

options in a similar accessible fashion as those that are standard. These can be accessed in the 'Add a new appearance' item drop-down menu. Here users can apply effects such as Texture, allowing you to add multiple relief or irregularities to the surface. Light Map allows you to use maps of presets as light for your object in addition to those mentioned.

Separated Texture is useful when you want to add a material other than that of the original surface. This coincides with the ability to import textures from the style presets for every design solution. Contour Picker is also certainly worth mentioning. These styles can be utilised to control the shape of bevels, the output of maps and the bumps of textures and can manipulated using anchor points.

All ill all, this isn't the most advanced plug-in, but it has some great little features for the price. I!!I

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Summary: li'atl;) Styler Pro option. offer users rnexlrnurn contrel over numerous creative chokes.

Rating: 3/5

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Master the macabre and conceptual design with this edition from Keith Thompson

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The first sections are more concerned with concept, with the gloriously ghastly 'Inspiration' chapter showcasing a gallery of traditional, medical and popular culture resources, including classic horror movies, comics and videogaming samples. However, for all the promise, it could have been a bit more expansive than it is.

The following chapters are more practical in nature. Included are 'Working Digitally', which presents essential tools and organisation to grasp a proficient workflow; 'Working Traditionally' does likewise. 'Anatomy Exposed' includes some real essential techniques, such as the spectrum for ghoulish skin tones. There's also 'Creating Atmosphere', revealing applicable authentic lighting effects, and 'Character Poses', charting many functioning examples to demonstrate the correct action within a composition.

All such examples provide ways for creatives to get straight into the design process and familiarise with professional techniques used by leading conceptual artists. But once the learning is over, the fun lives on and the title offers an almanac of undead creatures. Each study contains its own monstrous tale, but more importantly is accompanied by annotations to aid creation, notes providing what's necessary to recreate the creation, and reference to which technique sections in the title will enhance your ability to do so. ~

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Drawing And Painting The Undead, authored by Keith Thompson and published by David And Charles, is as much an encyclopaedia of the underworld as it is a practical resource for creature creation. For those of you with an interest in the world of gaming art, animation and the graphic novel, you're sure to love this title.

This full-colour glossed publication covers all bases for a vast range of creative purposes. So that you can evolve your conceptual abilities, the 14 preliminary chapters present essential creative subjects, both traditional and contemporary. Although not guaranteeing absolutely perfect results, these sections will advise and demonstrate the core essentials needed for acceptable artwork and provide a means to evolve your style.

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Summary: A title that provides some 'dead' oood examples and practices without losing its creative soul. Maybe not to everyone's liking but sure to suit fantasy fans.

___ .;;.Rating: 4/5

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Spec: Presents elements of desiqn as VIsual language

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snape, CO]0Ur: tw!0g-raphy .

Visual structure keepmq in mind audience's ==:;i:Vl=:' s""u;!!al percejJtion

Expert tuition from Dr 1i Yong Park

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Visual communication can be said to be a broad subject as well as one that's subjective, as design techniques evolve and expand. So how does Visual Communication In Digital Desiqn, written by Dr Ji Yong Park, fare when trying to tie everything down from this massive subject injust 216 softbacked pages?

Well, for starters, this title provides a systematic approach to techniques and practices, which promotes concise learning for any designer reading through. Each of the 12 chapters is subdivided into distinguishable topics, clearly represented through annotation and diagram. This is a title that explores the science behind creativity, so don't be put of by the pallid aesthetics of its pages.

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Concise learning starts with a simplification of core principles such as points to compose form, the utility of line and its cause ofform and direction, and a breakdown of the necessity for values such as space and colour. As the chapters progress, the learning presented becomes more involved and specific.

Topics such as direct and inverse proportion, the golden ratio, and colour theories and effects are explored in detail. These sections will help all levels of creative people to understand and build design from the bottom up, promoting a greater awareness of the production process, especially suited to those hoping for a commercial career.

This may sound a little too much like schooling and you may think where's the fun in that? But when reading through this title it really does leave very few stones unturned. paying attention to the more fundamental practices in design and so becoming as riveting a read as it is edifying.

The title also provides an innovative Student Gallery section at the end of every chapter. These seem to be presented as example briefs for design enthusiasts to relate understanding through meaningful practice, thus demonstrating their education as they go. There are some really entertaining tasks here, such as digital format Package DeSign and emotive Texture Design. If you have the time, then we recommend trying these out to improve your skills. I!!II

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NEW LANGUAGE: This full-colour publication serves as on introduction to understanding the art of visual communication and the subsequent creative process of design

Summary: A title concerned with presenting core theories to succeed at every design level but perhaps a little lililinspiring aesthetically, with a notable absence of obliging creative techniques. Rating: 3/5

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We explore the maRY different styles from around the world from tjblis massive geme of design

Build a unique image using the techniques in our infonnafive Workshop

~M~5TEHCU~~j5: CREAH~RE CONCEPTS

Draw aAd paim:t an tlltner-worl.qliY [GAcef'lt Gn~ature

How to add 3D' and other elements to rmotographs

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Now you can have a professionally designed website for just £35 p.a,

Clikpic is an easy-to-use service for photographers who want a website without the cost and hassle of setting one up.

Using our online admin system and a wide choice of stylish template designs created especially for photographers, you can create and edit your own web site quickly, easily and very cost-effectively.

• minimal technical expertise required, the system has been designed especially far non-technical people

• update or change your site whenever you want and as often as you want

• opt to have your own domain name for an extra £6 p.a.

t& if you already have a domain name, you can link it up to your Clikpic site

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• programmable slideshow facility a bulk image uploads"

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travelographv.co.uk

How to use !;ne f;h:lIw"II'M.:evl ITj)ilio~©$iu"'~;l .'£:[}

This issue we've got some delightful extras for you to peruse and use in your creative projects

Building a good source library is essential, so that you always have on hand the files you need to complete your projects.

To help you out we have put together a free disc packed with resources to help you add to or start your own collection.

This issue, we have got some great contributions. Go Media has provided a sample of its popular vector packs, which have been used by designers from across the world. Load up the EPS file on the disc to access 130 vector images. We also have a selection of 50 embellishment brushes from Graphicxtras.com, which can be loaded easily into most versions of Photoshop. We've had great fun playing with these ornamental and decorative brushes and we're sure that you will too. Free Graphics Centre is becoming a mustuse stock image library, thanks to its free image selection. We have 22 high-res images on the disc to give

you a taster of its range of photos. Finally, we have added to out everexpanding archive of textures, gradients, patterns and swatches to give you plenty to play with.

There is even more to the disc than just resources, as it is a one-stop shop for all the project files you need to follow the tutorials, there are essential PDFs of past features and useful bits of information. There's also a rundown of the best galleries currently on the Advanced

Photos hop website.

We are looking at improving our disc over the next few months, so please email us with any suggestions that you might have.

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RUNNINO THE DI5C5

These discs have been compiled to run on PCs running Windows XPNista and Macs

ILLUSTRATION: Master the

The CD-ROM should autorun once placed into your disc drive. If not, follow the instructions below

1. Browse to

My Com puter.

2. Right-click on your CD drive and select Open from the drop-down list.

3. Read the 'readme' file if there's one present to find out which files you need to launch to run the

CD interface.

We su pport 05 X 10.3 and higher unless otherwise stated.

This CD-ROM Interface will NOT auto run when placed into your CD drive. Instead:

1. Double-click the CD icon on your desktop.

2. Read the 'readme' file if there's one present to find out which files you need to launch to run the CD.

L1CEN5INO

Some of the software

on these discs is

shareware, which means that if you continue

to use the program

you should register it with the author and

in some cases pay. Freeware programs

that may be included can be used free of charge indefinitely. Trial versions of software are either time-limited (eg, they will stop working after 30 days) or have some features disabled.

Free Graphics Centre

Fantastic stock resources for your creative projects

Free Graphics Centre, provider of quality stock photos, graphics and illustrations, has supplied us with 22 free stock images, which you can use royalty-free on all your noncommercial projects. These samples cover a breadth of urban imagery to utilise in numerous creative endeavours. If you should need something more specific, then check out the Free Graphics Centre website (www.freegraphicscentre.com). where download of all images is absolutely free of charge.

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The best from the AP gallery site I 9 rap h i c S

This month's CD provides an assortment of portfolios from some of the best new digital artists I

inhabiting the Advanced Photoshop gallery website (www.advancedphotosop.co.uk). I www.graphicxtras.com and

Navigate to the Exposure section from the main disc interface and you can see a preview of j www.gomedia.us

each artist's work, as well as link to their home page to see more examples. You can also link I In line with our mixed-media and ultimate

directly to our gallery website, where you can rate and be rated in our artistic community. resources features, we have got some really great stock files to help you build up your creative projects. First up, Graphicxtras.com, a royalty-free resource provider for applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Painter, provides both a set of 50 embellishment brushes. Second, Go Media (whose work you can see on page 18) has given us a sample of 130 vector images from its popular Arsenal to play with. See over the page for more information on both of

~ these CD resources.

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Resources

Even more added extras

! Each issue we provide a massive archive of i files for your digital projects, which should help you build your source library for mixed-media projects.

We have hundreds of textures (including

i a large selection from Image' After, www. imageafter.com). patterns, swatches and gradients, so there is sure to be something to suit your needs.

You can see a rather handy preview of the newest additions to the archive on the CD, and just one click will take you to the full selection.

Essential PDFs

Must-read advice and reviews We have a selection of PDFs on the disc for you to peruse. First, we have a sample of our eMag product, under the eMags tab, with the Peer Pressure, Helpdesk and Resources pages from the last Ave issues.

You will also And a link to the Imagine I

e5hop, where you will And the first volume

of our full eMag at a great price.

We also have a fantastic two-part

feature on Photoshop C53 and a qulde t;c copyright for you on the disc, as well as colour wheels and handy shortcuts, all of which you can find under Essential PDFs in the Resources section.

*AII stock photos, fonts and brushes supplied on your CD are free for non-commercial use only. To use them commercially, go to the relevant site to purchase your chosen image

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Brushes supplied by www.graphicxtras.com

G raphicxtras.com (Andrew Buckle) has been developing plug-ins and resources for Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter, Paint Shop Pro and many other applications for about ten years now. The site contains approx 360 different unique products, most commercial but some freeware ones. There are many different collections of brushes on the site, as well as custom shapes sets (50+ shapes sets), styles (7,000 of them) and much more.

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Go Media Inc. (www.gomedia.us) is a US based design firm who prides itself in elaborate custom digital concepts for print, web, apparel, identity and motion graphic applications. They have continued to make strides in the music and entertainment industries providing designs for world-renowned artists such as Metallica and Korn and record labels such as Warner Brothers Music. Infusing tried and proven traditional principles with the momentum and edge oftoday's modern culture, Go Media is recognised for its diversity in all facets of the craft.

Overtime, Go Media has built up a large library of commonly used design elements. It found itself constantly going back to its library and recycling stuff like textures, splatters, flourishes, etc. In November 2006, it thought it might be able to earn a little extra income on the side by offering these design elements to other designers. It ca lied it the Arsenal of Design Weaponry. What started as a side project turned into a fulltime job of developing fresh resources for the design community. Today, the Arsenal has about over 100 different products including vectors, textures, fonts, motion graphics, 3D abstracts, icons, and more. There are free samples to download on the site at www.gomedia.us/arsenal.

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Pilato'S

The magazine for professionals by professionals