PHOTO ART: Mini-Challenge #56 – Chicago Skyline II

[DannyRaphael]

Forgive the brevity. I've got the flu. I'll populate this post with the traditional verbiage tomorrow.

Picture by Art Hill.

For the record I screwed up last week. THIS is the image that was supposed to have been posted for the mini-challenge. Second chances are good!

[catia]

Adjust levels.
Duplicate layer (BG copy #1) and set Brightness = 15, contrast = 20.
Duplicate layer (BG copy #2).
On BG copy #1 apply cutout (8,3,3)
Select BG copy #2, set blend to soft light and opacity to 80%.
Merge down.
Smart blur (2,20,low,normal)
Hue =5, Saturation =20
Apply Sandstone texture
Sign, flatten, resize and save.

Catia

[Cheryl H]

My goal was a watercolor over sketch look. This process is still wobbly--the top 2 layers vary by image in the blending mode that's best. Also, while I used the find edges method for the sketch on this one, I find that the soft sketch (gaussian blur method) is frequently better.

Make 3 duplicate layers from the background. We'll start at the bottom and work our way up. Leave the background layer untouched. Each number represents a layer.

1. (bottom duplicate) Filter--Brush Strokes--Sprayed Strokes (20, 25, right diagonal); Filter--Brush Strokes--Sprayed Strokes (20, 25, left diagonal); Edit--Fade--65%; Filter--Artistic--Sponge (10, 0, 15)
2. (middle duplicate) Filter--Artistic--Sponge (10, 0, 15). Set Blending mode to Lighten. (sometimes other blending modes look better--it depends on the image)
3. (top duplicate) Filter--Stylize--Find Edges. Set to Overlay blending mode (try others modes) at around 30% (note: good values for this layer vary by image--anything from 20-70%)
4. The image is probably overly washed out. Add a new Levels Adjustment layer and clip the ends to the ends of the histogram.

[lkroll]

Just playing around. Not pretty to most, but I enjoyed the challenge.

[Steve Conway]

Watery color..............

Steve

[Legacy~Art]

Oh Wow Steve that is a lovely watercolour and you used psp9 too, well done!!! Steve reminds me of paint by numbers!!!

I got carried away again with trimoon tuts.

[Steve Conway]

I thank you kindly. I am not a great watercolor fan, but thought this rendering was ok.

Steve

Originally Posted by Legacy~Art

Oh Wow Steve that is a lovely watercolour and you used psp9 too, well done!!! Steve reminds me of paint by numbers!!!

[lkroll]

Good job Steve. Humbled I am.

[Chance_1]

Catia: like your colorful watercolor like effect.
Cheryl H: Cool looking transparency effect you have obtained.
Steve Conway: Cool looking water color.

Here is my water color, in Painter 9, painted on wet layer with dry camel brush with high opacity to give it a night time effect.

[Kraellin]

chance,

that's quite a bit different. i like that.

Craig

[Chance_1]

Thanks Kraellin! I need to figure out how to get an avatar going !

[Kraellin]

you're welcome.

dont know if you can upload an avatar to here. i put mine on another site and link to it from here. use your profile to add the link, if that's how you do it. i suppose you could just make a thread here, attach a picture, and link to that. shld work.

Craig

[ydelle]

Danny great second try -howed you do that???

[Steve Conway]

No offense or "humbling" intended. Your version showed a lot of imagination and was quite well done. I only have the guts to post what I do because I believe in "the eye of the beholder" idea. And what looks great to some will look like junk to others. 8-)

Thanks for your kind comments.

Steve

Originally Posted by lkroll

Good job Steve. Humbled I am.

[Swampy]

Danny, ya caught me in an arty mood. Fun project!

Photoshop CS

1. Ran a sketch filter and adjusted the levels on the result
2. Painted on a new layer with a Dry Brush
3. Added frame

[Steve Conway]

How 'bout a storm on the way? Windy city and all that stuff.

Steve

[TwoLaidBack]

This is my humble try at this challenge.

Simple Watercolor effect using PSP v8.
TwoLaidBack

[Nanls]

Painter Arcylic, history bush in PS, uped H/S

Steve.. very, very, nice watercolor
Legacy.. lovely ...
~Nancy~

hmmm, having problems uploading, well try again manana.

[Steve Conway]

Thank you much. I appreciate your nice comments.

Steve

Originally Posted by Nanls

Painter Arcylic, history bush in PS, uped H/S

Steve.. very, very, nice watercolor

[garazon]

Found this I had done when I first came across RP , but never posted, can't remeber how I did it, but I'm sure there was a porcelain effect somewhere in there, and looks like an airbrush and ink PSPscript.
Looking back through the images posted to this thread I think it was Chance's image that got me on this moonlight kick I seem to be on now.

[Peter S]

Liked the way the clouds came out in this one.

Lucis and poster edges mainly

Peter

[alexmeta]

Two attempts of watercolor

[Janet Petty]

Alex, I really like number 2. It is bold, crisp, and refreshing.

Janet

[palms]

Originally Posted by alexmeta

Two attempts of watercolor

Again Alex i like this technique you are using. Which software are you using ?



Palms

[alexmeta]

Janet, Palms thank you.
I use Photoshop CS and plug-ins - Impressionist, Snap Art, Virtual Painter.
But I prefer to make my works in PSCS, filters only without plug-ins -- the watercolor you like.

[Rombagirl]

My hometown! I used many different techniques; began with faux HDR, minimal line art, gradient map, adjustments to saturation, contrast, various blending modes - a total of 8 layers.

[Kraellin]

i like those watercolors, alex

and nice one, rombagirl and welcome to RP

[MiningArt]

changed to a pano of the skyline
made the clouds a bit more interesting
highlighted the detail of the buildings