Digitally Airbrushed Car

[ApWizard]

hi guys, my newest work... airbrushing a car

1)source A tha car

[ApWizard]

2) source B ... the DRAGON

[ApWizard]

the final version...all critics allowed

[DJ Dubovsky]

Looks pretty cool. I think you did very well with it. You did great in making the reflection show through the dragon. I think that adds to making it look realistic.
DJ

[T Paul]

Great job seamlessly combining to two photos! That’s one mean looking dragon! I wonder if he will help prevent door dings?

-T

[pierresplace]

Hi,
Is the original "source a" photo airbrushed or was the dragon airbrushed onto the car? I'm confused, sorry.
...Pierre...

[ApWizard]

I've digitally attached the image onto the car (maybe I'm wrong call this "airbrushed")

[Vikki]

Looks pretty good.
I'm wondering if you used a diplacement map? My guess is no.
Have you tried that? It works wonders for this type of work.

[ApWizard]

I've tried it but I'm not be able to map the colors correctly (follow: power distort ).

Any ideas in how to correctly map the colors?

thanks in advance

[revilo]

very cool work - i like it! It looks real.

As for the girl on the cube.. meh -use 3d. Its far more flexible and easier. there are also tools in PS for creating 3d objects with images applied

[Vikki]

I'm not sure what you mean about "mapping the colors".
Also, "power distort", not sure what that it is either, but it seems like a lot of work.
This is what I meant:
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips/pdf/waveofpast.pdf

[ApWizard]

oh well, I know both the method You post with the pdf file. Using a blurred grayscale image is the basic procedure with displacement map, but, how You can see in the power distort tutorial, wtih a correctly mapped colors You can achieve better results (see the cube and others examples).

So, thank You for the pdf i re-try with others images (as You can see the image was posted 1 year ago) and post it again for other constructive critics (like Yours and others).

Thanks again, I'll try to improve this tecnique

[venivedi]

It looks great. I can stand look back the dragon if passing by that car.

I also have to try to improve displacement map skill. So far...I'm staying long~~~ at a basic steps. Do you mind I'm going to give it a try with your source?

[ApWizard]

ok Venivedi, got it

[venivedi]

Thanks ApWizard. I'm having some trial and error with that.
...
# After transforming the dragon with perspective
then duplicate that layer twice.
# First, hide the dragon layer, then Select>Color Range>Midtone(at Car image), Shadows, Highlights in order.
# With each saved selections I made each mask for three dragon layer. Then tried changing their layer blending modes.
That's about it.

Layer Pallette of Attached Image

I haven't used D-map yet...By the way it's a little out of control from the start. Wish me luck. ^^;;;

p.s. Just a question...When did you apply D-map? I mean Earlier part or later part in the processes?

Here's what I came up with.

[ApWizard]

You did a great job!

I think You have to apply the D-Map after the perspective distortion (before putting in highlights)...

My trouble in this kind of work is the perspective distortion, in the car image I'm not be able to find the "escape point/points" so I've to do it with my "eye-meter" consideration ...

[venivedi]

Thanks ApWizard for kind word. ^^

In fact, I thought the car image has 'three escape points', for now it seemed to me 'two'...but still hard to set them on a location.
As for using D-map, my trouble is that not only the car's body shape but the reflected image also affect the distortion a little. So...I'm trying to get a somewhat easy solution.