[T Paul]

In this challenge you can use photos for reference, but none can be used for the actual image. You must create the image from scratch. Be sure to include your steps, as this will be a great way to pick up some new techniques.

Challenge:
Create a photorealistic toothbrush. If you need some tips there are some great tutorials out on the web.

When you've got your entry, just reply to this thread. Attach your file to your post (no URLs, please). Don't forget to include an excellent description on how you did it.

As always, this Challenge doesn't expire, ever.

[T Paul]

Here are a few tutorials that might help you out. As with all web surfing you may encounter some pop up ads and such if you don't have a popup blocker program running. Also it's always safer to surf with an antivirus program running on your computer.

Creating a rounded Shape:
Rounded Corners

Rounding Corners (3 Methods)

Smooth Shapes Video

That Plastic Look:
Plastic Look

Plastic Shape

Glossy Button

The Bristles:
Interface Cord (for toothbrush bristle just don't distort; could also use to create the toothpaste)

3D Pipe

Misc:
Segmented Pipe (need some ridges on that brush)

Adding Depth

[T Paul]

I used the freeform pen tool to create two shapes for the brush (inner layer and outer layer) and placed each on their own layer.

Applied different style sets and adjusted until I liked the results.

New layer. Used the rectangle tool and created a small rectangle for the bristle. Filled with a striped gradient layer to give the appearance of lots of bristles.

Used the oval tool to create an oval for the top of the bristles. Filled with noise to give the appearance of lots of bristles. Placed the oval on top of the bristle bar and used the transform tool to shape.

Created another oval for the bottom of the bristles where they come out of the toothbrush. Shaped with transform tool and placed under the bristle layer.

Merged the top oval, bristles and bottom oval to create a single bristle tube layer. Duplicated and placed along the toothbrush. Used hue and saturation to change some of the bristles' colors, and the transform tool to change the heights.

Created a new layer and used the freeform pen tool to create the toothpaste. Applied a style set and adjusted the opacity to give it a slight transparent look.

Did some final tweaking with the burn tool and painted in a few highlights and drop shadows for a final touch.


~T

[JustChecking]

wow, that's cool! looks like from the poster at the dentist

[T Paul]

Thanks JustChecking!

[barbarukas]

my first attempt at photo realism...

not too convincing, but I'll share it with you guys...

btw dont ask me for the steps, becouse I realy dont kknow that anymore. I just tried a whole lot of things

[T Paul]

Nice attempt barbarukas...it's a bit blurry though.

[Rob S.]

I tried a bit of a different angle. It may look a bit more like a long handled scrub brush though. The droplets should probably just be round, because at that size, I don't think you would have amorphous shapes.
I started with an oval and a rectangle that I slid together and, using an oval again, created the wasp waist of the brush.
I filled a small circle with white and gave it about 14 noise. Then I duplicated that layer about a bazillion times. For the shadows of the bristles, I just filled a rectangle with black, blurred it, dialed back the density and then duplicated THAT layer a bazillion times.
The drops were made with the lasso tool, painting the sides with either white or black.
The wet spots on the background were made by burning in selected areas at 50%.

[T Paul]

EXCELLENT work Rob! I really like the nontraditional top perspective of this. The water droplets look a little odd so perhaps you are right that they need to be more round. As for the rest, great work! The background water stain work is very shadow work and shadows are very well done, and I guess those bazillion layers paid off because your bristles look great too Also kudos for sharing your steps!

~T

[Punch]

I don't think the droplets look odd at all. Droplet shapes are formed by surface tension. On a polished surface [newly waxed car perhaps] the drops would be rounded or beaded because the surface tension is small.

On an object which has been used and has various deposits [minerals, dryed saliva] the surface tension is greater and not even, thus misshapened drops.

Overall I like the look. The only critical comment I might add is one of proportions. The droplets seem to be a little small. Once again surface tension would suggest that the water would form the droplets a little larger. The "dried" water stains seem to be more believable to me.

Kent...

[Swampy]

Excellent by all.. You get A's and go to the head of the class!

[ozonew4m]

right then... i thought i would have a go at this just to practice with Photoshop

this is a composition of 3 round edged red rectangles built up to look like a toothbrush.

1st rectangle is the brush holder which has white
inner/outerglow and a slight white angled gradient overlay, this was then duplicated over the top and another white gradient applied and set to 10% transparency.

i then flattened the layers, duplicated it again, and then scaled it to make the toothbrush handle placing the toothbrush handle layer underneath the brush holder layer to create the join.

the brush is also a rounded rectangle with a grey/white gradient overlay and then multiplied to create the brush, a drop shadow is also applied.

the curve on the tips of the brush is created with the warp tool and then gone over the top with a small leaf brush to create the used look and then a pass over with the blur tool..

then used a very soft edged 50% white brush to add a few more light to some of the edges

quite chuffed with it myself