Impressionist plugin: Custom styles (member posted)

[DannyRaphael]

The purpose of this thread is to share custom Impressionist styles created by RetouchPRO menus.

The following topics are addressed in this post:
* How to prepare and upload your custom styles
* How to install custom styles, brushes and papers
* A "Danny's favorites" collection of styles to get you started

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

WANTED: YOUR CUSTOM STYLES

If you have custom Impressionist styles you have created that you would like to share, there are 2 options for making them available to other members.

Option I: Preferred Method
See the TOP example in the Save Style options thumbnail below.

1. Save each style in a custom Category, for example "#Joes Chalk" or "#Joes Brushes." Be sure to precede the Category Name with a leading #. The leading "#" ensures the custom Catergory will display at the top of the Styles menu list.

2. The file name specified must be the same as the Category name, for example:
* Category: #Joes Chalk
* File Name: #Joes Chalk

This creates a .set file named #Joes Chalk.set.

3. Variant: This is the name of the custom style. Just remember it must be less than 31 characters, otherwise a corrupt entry is created that cannot be deleted.

When finished saving your custom styles...

4. Zip the .set file

5. Post a reply to this thread and upload the .zip file.


Option II: Acceptable Method
See the BOTTOM example in the Save Style options thumbnail below.

1. Save each style in an existing Category, for example "Charcoal."

2. The file name specified can either be "User settings" or a name of your choosing (better).

3. Variant: Precede your name with a character like "#" and your initials or name, e.g., "#Joes Kool Chalk." Doing this will distinguish YOUR custom styles from the rest.

Just remember the name must be less than 31 characters, otherwise a corrupt entry is created that cannot be deleted.

When finished saving your custom styles...

4. Zip the .set file

5. Post a reply to this thread and upload the .zip file.


When possible, include an example pic that illustrates the effect.

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

INSTALLING .SET FILES or CUSTOM BRUSHES or PAPERS

For those who have not installed custom brushes, papers and/or settings, here's how to do it.

1. Unzip the file.

2. Before the next step, it's a good idea to backup the receiving folder. In Windows, hold down the Ctrl key, then click on the folder icon, drag/drop to copy it.

3. Copy the file(s) into the appropriate Impressionist folder:
* .set files into \User Settings. (If you don't have a \User Settings folder, create one in the same folder as \Brushes and \Papers.)
* .tif brush files into \Brushes (take note of the file names) **
* .tif paper files into \Papers (take note of the file names) **

For custom styles: The next time you open the Impressionist plugin, you will see a new category in the Styles menu. When you click on it, the new style(s) will appear.

** For new papers or brushes, they will show up in their respective windows in alphabetic file name sequence, hence the suggestion to note their file name(s).

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

"MY FAVORITES"

When one first gets Impressionist installed, getting your arms around the 160 style settings can be pretty overwhelming.

The .set file attached is a collection of my personal favorites -- ones I thought were well suited for photo-art. Until you get the lay of the land, it's a good place to start.

Be sure to read the "readme" file.

Keep having fun!

~Danny~

[Fluffbutt]

Since 2004 member Fluffbutt has posted a number of custom settings and brushes.

For the sake of sanity, I've taken the liberty of collecting and condensing them into a single post.

IMPORTANT
* Many of Fluff's custom styles use custom brushes. Therefore you'll need to install the files from both the brush .zip files into Impressionist's \Brushes folder.
* Some of Fluff's settings take a long, LONG time to render -- even on relatively small, low-resolution images. It's not you or your computer... they just crunch a lot of pixels. Press ESC (and wait a few seconds) if you get tired of waiting.
* Some of Fluff's brushes are saved in separate custom categories, e.g., #Fluff Pencils.
* Others (from #Fluff Misc.set) are integrated among Impressionist's default categories. I've renamed these styles so the name is suffixed by "FB" to distinguish them from other brushes.

He's crafted some pretty spiffy custom settings and brushes.

Enjoy.

~Danny

- - - - - - - - - - -

I hope you enjoy my custom settings.

Fluffbutt

[DannyRaphael]

Here's a style I used for the attached tulips pic.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

Click HERE for a pencil sketch custom style and accompanying tutorial.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

Manjumena: "We want to see more!"

Sure. Been meaning to post my custom collection (v2) for awhile. Here it is.

Be sure to read the "readme" file.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

Steve LeQuier (aka: Trimoon) crafted these custom Impressionist styles (Chalk and Watercolor).

Unfortunately in the cpt.set available at www.Trimoon.com, he chose to integrate these styles among the default Impressionist styles. Many folks (myself included) were not able to find them.

So...

I repackaged them into #Trimoon.set and while I was at it added a bonus (softer) variation of his Watercolor variant (suffix: "-djr"). After dragging #Trimoon.set into \User Settings, these settings will show up under the "#Trimoon" entry in the Styles dropdown menu.

Enjoy.

~Danny~

[jch71566]

My two favorites are attached.

JCH VanGogh works best if you create a brush stroke direction file for it. The best way to do that is to open the image in Photoshop, duplicate it, convert it to Grayscale, manipulate the tones with levels, curves, channel mixer, threshhold -- whatever way you like.

Then save as a .bmp file. When JCH VanGogh is invoked via the Impressionist dialog, click the More Controls button, choose Orientation from the dropdown menu, and File... from the Orient the Strokes menu. From the File... dialog, choose the grayscale .bmp format orientation file.

Caution: This setting RENDERS SLOWLY, but the results can be very cool.

JCH Painter works all on its own, but it renders rather slowly, too!

Now, what I do to give these some more personality, is to vary the brush size and background color. Often, I make selections (feather them), and use different brush sizes for different areas.

Well, I'll give more specific examples later, but you can get started now.


Thanks, everyone, for contributing here!

-Jeff

[DannyRaphael]

This .set file contains 31 custom styles I've saved while experimenting with "pencil sketch" effects.

Does anyone need 31 styles on one category? Definitely not. But I figured I'll make the whole bunch available and you can pick/choose which to keep or toss.

==> Be sure to read the ReadMe file.

The attached image is based on layers created by duplicating the background numerous times, applying the following customs styles and blending them with layer masks:
0 100 V Detailed II (SLOW)
2 085 Soft detail brightness
4 097 Loose Conte Faithful
8 090 Conte Unsmudged Mono
9 070 Very Loose & Wide 60

There’s no practical way to describe steps in detail. It’s just a matter of blending/experimenting/combining/cloning until you like what you see.

Have fun.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

Here's a pretty neat setting (Panter1) from digital artist extraordinare, Mike Finn.

You can see by the example attachment it is fairly aggressive.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

These two styles (watercolor A, watercolor B) can be used in conjunction with other effects to render a very convincing watercolor effect.

Examples:
* http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/att...chmentid=15424

Method to create this look:
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/sho...76164#poststop

Important:
* Download and unzip the .zip file
* Put the .set file inside Impressionist's \User Settings folder
* Put the .tif custom brush in the \Brushes folder

BIG THANKS! jaykita for sharing your settings.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

I was experimenting with the Impressionist > Texture > Crosshatch Web - Monochrome and came up with three variations that I thought rendered sketch-like effects that had possibilities.

#1 - Detailed
#2 - Detailed, but softer (not as sharp) than #1
#3 - Loose with little detail

(Like all Impressionist custom brush sets, upzip the .zip file and drag the .set file into Impressionist's
\User Settings folder.)

I applied each brush style (in #3, #2, #1 order from the bottom up) to copies of the base image (click HERE).

Hide all layer masks (Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide all) were added to the top two layers. The foreground color was set to white (press D and X keys). Using Photoshop brush Chalk 36, I airbrushed white on each layer mask to selectively reveal detail.

A new layer was added and the three layers below were combined into it by entering Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E (or Alt + Layer > Merge visible). A reveal all (regular) layer mask was added to the new layer (Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal all).

A new layer was added under the combined layer and filled with white (Edit > Fill > White).

Back to the combined layer, I clicked on the layer mask thumbnail to activate the layer mask. The foreground color was set to black by pressing D and black was airbrushed around the outside to isolate our cute, little girl.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

Well, the Mad Scientist was at it again. I was experimenting with the Stamp > Dry rag style, substitued a "smudge" brush, tweaked the Size settings (min, max, width, height) and came up with this set of three.

Smudge Paint 1S = Smallest strokes
Smudge Paint 2M = Medium strokes
Smudge Paint 3L = Large strokes

The basic method I use is to duplicate the original background three times and apply a style to each copy, with smallest to largest applied top to bottom.

Add Hide All layer masks to the medium and small layers and with foreground color set to white, paint on the layer masks to restore as much detail as you like.

See this thread for before and after examples.

[DannyRaphael]

For those who have read Jeremy Sutton books or viewed his DVDs, he uses a method in Painter that he calls "mucking up" (that's muck, with an M) for creating an underpainting. This is essentially an application of digital "paint" that very, very loosely resembles the final result. It becomes a background onto which varying degrees of detail are eventually applied.

While experimenting with Impressionist the other day I came upon a custom style that "mucks up" an image Jeremy style. There are three variants: Medium (M), Large (L) and Extra Large (X).

Perhaps you will find them useful in your creations.

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

I was *sure* I'd posted this .set file a long time ago, but I sure cannot find it...

I must be getting old -- in fact, I know I am. Here it is anyway.

Click here for one example and the attachment below for another. Both have a layer created by duplicating the Background and applying Impressionist custom style "#Mosaic > Square variable on white".

On top of the mosaic layer is a layer of "lines" created by duplicating the Background again, dragging this layer above the mosaic layer, applying Stylize > Find Edges followed by Image > Adjustment > Levels (to eliminate some noise). Changing the blend mode of this lines layer to Darken neutralizes the white allowing the mosaic layer below to show through.

Have fun.

~Danny~

[Neve]

Thank you. I missed the muckup one altogether and really appreciative as I'll certainly try this one out very soon.