PHOTO ART: Mini-challenge #042 - *Judy's Hibiscus

[DannyRaphael]

FIRST MINI-CHALLENGE?
See below for "Information and Guidelines."

Here’s another “mini-challenge” to play with in the Photo-based Art category until the next offical challenge is posted here.

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PHOTO ART: Mini-challenge# 42 – Judy's Hibiscus

This gorgeous hibiscus picture was taken Judy Howle, a new RetouchPRO member, who graciously donated it it for a mini-challenge. I’m sure many of you will be as inspired as I was when I saw this one.

Judy, of course, retains the copyright © not only for the original image, but for any photo-art versions of it. Unauthorized distribution or use without her permission is prohibited.

By all means check out her site: http://myweb.cableone.net/howle/page...hotography.htm

Many thanks, Judy, for such a great image.


~DannyR~

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INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

Unlike “official challenges” for this forum which can be found here, this one will be self-contained within this thread. It is intended as an opportunity to engage in this artform until the next official challenge is posted.

The rules are more-or-less the same:
* It’s a challenge, not a contest -- intended to provide opportunities to experiment, share methods and/or techniques and, most importantly, have FUN.
* Everyone who participates is a winner.
* There’s no expiration date.

GUIDELINES:
1. Use any method, application(s), style(s) you like:
. * Convert to sketch, grayscale, abstract, watercolor, oil painting, pen-and-ink, Conte crayon, impasto, van Gogh or any style of your choosing
. * Add elements from other images (collage) or replace the background
. * Hand painting? Tracing? Freehand? You bet. Always appreciate entries of this nature.
. * Apply filters from your favorite application(s) or tweak it with 3rd party plug-ins
. * Feeling animated? How about blooming on the fly?
. * Any or all of the above

Bottom line:
How you create this masterpiece makes no difference. Whatever floats your boat as long as you follow guideline #4 in the process.

2. When done, reply to this thread and attach your work (don’t forget the 100kb size limit).

Note: Multiple entries OK if you’re so inspired.

3. By all means include some verbiage on how you achieved your masterpiece so others will benefit from your skills and experience. Make it as descriptive as you like. Grammar and spelling will not be graded. Priority given to content, not how it is written.

4. Have fun.

[JBCaffrey]

I guess I'm going first.

I created a new layer with just the flower and leaves then applied the BuzzPro Watercolor stack.

Although not much of the background shows, I inverted it, applied the BuzzPro Watercolor stack and then used gaussian blur.

On top of everything is a layer filled with a paper texture to which was applied a layer mask. Then I revealed the picture beneath ala Trimoon's sketch technique.

Jim

[jerry]

Jim..Really nice affect..Very artlike .

Here is my try..(Kind of looks like a valentine..Oh well.. accident)

cut out flower and leaves
applied paint engine arctic..
created white background..

sampled pink from flower..created layer above flower and filled with pink.

added noise..and applied layer mask to uncover flower..
adjusted levels..

thanks
Jerry

[Blacknight]

KPT Fraxplorer for background, opacity dropped and hue/sat to suit - ran spatter filter - made three copies of original - darkened one with levels, the other with curves - ran trace contour and set fill to 43% - history brush for red flower. Blend modes luminosity and overlay.

[DannyRaphael]

Here's what you get by duplicating the BG layer, applying the Glowing Edges filter (1,20,3) and setting the blend mode to Luminosity.

~Danny~

[CJ Swartz]

Lovely treatments, everyone-- Jim (love the papery effect), Phil (that background is gorgeous), Jerry ( Valentines in October are special), Danny (strikingly lovely), Chuck (she gave you the idea, but had to execute it - lovely) -- you all are showing me something new each week.

I used Rough Pastels and Find Edges and used overlay blend on original. The background then seemed too dark and featureless, so I used levels and Hue/Sat to reduce saturation and lighten it. Added butterfly using custom brush.

[pstewart]

Chuck, this is just lovely...softness and texture both work. I think Trine will approve.

Danny, wow! Just about knocked me off my chair! It was really too big to fit on my browser window though so I (fortunately) missed some of the effect-- which no doubt saved my life! Seriously though, really daring and striking...I especially like how the leaves are bordered by the bright green "lights."

CJ, that's a great "paint" effect with a creative use of filters. I will have to remember that combination...thanks!

Here's my version, done with a lot of layer blending (difference mode was in there somewhere), color adjustments, and finished off with Andromeda Techtures.

Phyllis

[arthill]

I used Ink Outlines then on a layer above that I applied Smart Blur Edge Only set that to Soft Light and 50% transparency.

[Wanda Schwind]

I miss you guys Other obligations. Everyone, just lovely, wonderful, beautiful and any other adjective that applies.
I used photoshop, and painted the flower in Painter Classic, the frame, PhotoImpact. Thanks everyone for such a learning opportunity. Thanks, Danny. My small contribution.

Wanda

[jaykita]

I always enjoy looking at the early creations. Such fabulous talent.
Added my 2-bits worth, done with art history brush and trimoon's impr chalk sketch filter..

[PamSav]

Saw this one earlier and just had to have a go at it. I love flowers

Started off by extracting the flower and leaves from the background. Buzzed slightly, duplicated and used smart blur, edges only to get the outline.

Took a snapshot of image (select all, copy merged, paste into new layer) and applied watercolour filter. Copied buzzed layer and brought to top, set blend mode to lighten. Took another snapshot.

Used Impressionist (jch Van Gogh) on new plain beige layer for background, used gaussian blur to blend and applied a gradient mask to soften the edges.

Duplicated outline layer and moved to top of stack, blend mode multiply, 11%.

New layer filled with plain beige. Applied mid grey mask to flower and leaves to partially reveal them, set fill to 36%

b/w clouds layer set to overlay, 34%

Phew ! I think that's everything ......

[TylerRB]

Pam

Result looks absolutely stunning. Glad you like flowers, because this one is a beauty.

T

[PamSav]

Thanks Tyler I was really pleased with how it turned out.

[alfredo]

Please be gentle. I started off in PS7. I made a copy which was converted to gray scale. I used the erasure and lasso to remove the background from the RGB original. I selected and copied the remaining image of the flower and leaves. I opened a new like size transparent background file. I pasted it onto the transparent file. I then copied it and pasted it onto the gray scale image. Cleaned it up, saved, then opened it in GIMP2.2. In there I applied the cartoon filter, and the fractal filter. Later I did minor tweaks in PS7.

It will take me a bit to learn the 100k dance. I'm willing to practice.

alfredo

[PamSav]

Great result Alfredo. I look forward to seeing more of your work

[alfredo]

Thanks.

I love playing with photos. It's time to start working on improving my skills. There's some great work here.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by alfredo

Please be gentle...

Welcome, Alfredo. Nice to have you. We're always gentle here!

It will take me a bit to learn the 100k dance. I'm willing to practice.

With Photoshop the trick is to use File > Save for Web... then adjust the Quality sider until you get the file size you want. Works like a charm!

Keep 'em coming.

~Danny~

[alfredo]

I never used the save for web. I never felt the need, or wanted to do anything to lower resolution, even though it doesn't matter that much online.

I hope to learn something, and maybe someday, pass on what I have learned.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by alfredo

I never used the save for web. I never felt the need, or wanted to do anything to lower resolution, even though it doesn't matter that much online.

I prefer SFW over File > Save as (.jpg). The file size displayed in the SFW dialog is accurate, whereas in the .jpg Options dialog, the file size value is generally low by 5-6 K.

[TylerRB]

Alfredo

Interesting work!

Welcome!

T

[nebgranny]

Here is my post..do not know what you were all looking for but tried to play . Might call this Free Art or something like that ! Neb

[Shivan]

i did a bunch of things that ended up getting an effect that i am not really too thrilled with, but i am going to go at it again tomorrow. it is late now, and i would explain all that i did, but it was just a lot of upsetting experimentation with a sub par result....but hey, my first post~! (oh yeah....talk about new to this!)....and i probably posted a picture that has a low res, so we'll see here.

[Patricia]

another one that's well worth re-visiting! I used Trimoon's watercolor tutorial for this one. And now, I need to quit for the night and get some sleep, this stuff is waaaay to addictive!

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by nebgranny

Here is my post..do not know what you were all looking for but tried to play . Might call this Free Art or something like that ! Neb

Neb:

Considering what I had to pay for Photoshop, Painter, my replacement monitor, etc., I sure wouldn't call this hobby "free" anything! But I sure like how yours came out!

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Shivan:

For a first time at bat, you done *GREAT*! (I especially like the BW background.) Don't worry about the low-res attachment. They gotta be that way in order to make it under the 100KB size limit.

Welcome aboard.

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P:

Absolutely lovely. Wonderful application of Trimoon's tutorial (www.Trimoon.com - "Artistic Expressions"). The color choices really make it.

~Danny~

[Shivan]

Originally Posted by DannyRaphael

Shivan:

For a first time at bat, you done *GREAT*! (I especially like the BW background.) Don't worry about the low-res attachment. They gotta be that way in order to make it under the 100KB size limit.

Welcome aboard.


~Danny~

gosh Danny, this type of thing really makes me feel good about attempting some stuff! i am definitely going to be doing more now, because you guys are just so dag-on accepting to newbies like me!

Thanks!!

[nebgranny]

Got ya on the FREE Danny. Understand totally. I also see I neglected to pay attention to the layer my font was on. I am just learning some techniques . I just did not pay attention to that little ?? detail. My first try at something like this. Thanks for the compliment!! Neb

[Legacy~Art]

Free@LOL

I have to say i must be luckier than some then cos most of my programs i have was given to me.

Apart from the computer, printer, camera i paid for them, but the programs all free.

Great renditions here everyone, keep up the good work!!!

Danny i think your the bestest moderator on the whole forum!!!

[Fizzgiz]

I like yours Neb. Told you it was fun. Here's mine, and I have absolutely no idea how I got to this because I started it late at night and finished it today and I was in and out of all of my programs. i do remember starting off by inverting it. If anyone asks me specifics, I might be able to remember some.

[nebgranny]

Hey Fizz: I like it! Really colorful! You are really going to town Girl!! I am proud of you and your excitement of learning the programs and their functions. Thanks and Blessings Neb

[vijayan]

Thanks for the very good picture.

This one I selected the Bg and applied mition blur-radial and in the image I did some play with levels and diffuse aniso....

thanks

vijayan