Creative Interpretations: Mare and Colt

[Fluffbutt]

I really should post the original for others to play with, huh!

I'll try find it and post it in.

This is a 5 layer combination on paint engine, chalk and charcoal, both screened, the flattened and new layer multiply (a fre layers as needed to get depth), then the shadows maksed out and removed (with a transparency to the mask so as not to remove 100% of shadows).

Then result is a piccy with the colour pencil hatching, details in the hilights, without black black shadows. Whadaya think?

[Fluffbutt]

Here it is, the original..

[Fluffbutt]

Another piccy (I'll try find original too).

Exact same technique, but different paint engine setings, and a different setting to filters (and I added a graphic pen somewhere in the horses picture, in colour mode. Forgot to add that to the list)

[big_bad_toxman]

Hey Fluff!

I really like the effect that you've got there. Although, at the risk of sounding like a dill, what's this "paint engine" that you're talking about?

Cheers
Tony

[Fluffbutt]

Nah, not a dill. The stupidity comes in NOT asking something you don't know.. not in asking...

always question.. always (conspiracy theorist here.. LOL)

Paint Engine is a freeware tool Copyright © Fantastic Machines 1995-1998.

It has a large number of rather esoteric sliders that are easy to use, easy to see what they do, but bugger me if I (We?) know WHY or HOW they do it.

http://www.fantasticmachines.com/download-tc.htm is the place to get it.

I havn't really found a tutorial on it, but there's some preset settings here on the R'Pro forums.

[DannyRaphael]

Hey, Fluff:

Nice pic for us to play with. Here's my cut at it.

Basic approach:
* Cropped
* Replaced extraneous shadow in right foreground
* Did some color enhancement with a Hue/Sat adjustment layer
* Merged visible layers into a separate layer
* Applied a "blown skys" action to give the sky some color (hadn't tried this one before... it's okay)
See: www.outdooreyes.com/photosection20.php3
* Applied PS Dry Brush filter
* Saved and opened in Painter 8 to give it a more painted look

- - - - - - - -

GC: Go ahead and arty it up!

[Fluffbutt]

Danny, I LOVE that one.

That painter 8 must be pretty good. Does it use "natural" brushes - you know, like using a real one, but with da mousie?

[DannyRaphael]

Fluff:

Thanks for your kind words.

Yep...Painter's strong suit is it's natural media brush collection: Oils, Pastel, Chalk, Pencils, Acrylics, Watercolors (to die for, if you know how to paint with watercolors - I don't. They even 'run' [like real WC would] as you apply the stroke], Felt Pen, Crayons, Ink, Charcoal, Impasto-like effects, paper textures that react to brush strokes, etc. In the right hands (not mine by a long shot), the possibilities of the program are nothing short of amazing.

Painter 8 comes with about 400 factory brush settings plus you can create/customize your own brushes if 400 aren't enough. You can import/install brushes defined by other folks, too.

It's like Photoshop in the sense you more you know about the application, the more you realize you don't know about it.

At the moment I'm using a mouse. Folks with their yogurt together use a pen/tablet and get "real control" over their strokes.

~Danny~

[Cheryl H]

Fluff--Thanks for sharing--this was a nice pic to work with. I'll agree that paint engine is a great filter.

Danny--nice result with painter. It looks like you're having fun with it.

I'm still stuck in impressionist mode. I love this plug-in. This was done with an impressionist action I've added since I sent out the last revision. For those with my presets, it goes like this:

Bottom layer--crackled paint 1 (textured)
Next layer up--mosaic 1b (textured) opacity 50%
Next up--a copy of the crackled paint layer, blending mode darken
Top--a smart blur edge only layer with gaussian blur and distort glass. color burn at 33%

That's the action--then I took a copy of the original to the top and did a gaussian blur soft sketch. I think I put it at around 25% in soft light.

[DannyRaphael]

We're gonna have to start calling you "The Impressionist Queen" Cheryl! Very nice effect.

Just the right amount of detail and subtle paper texture.

~Danny~

[catia]

Nice photo Fluffy. Thanks for letting us play with it.

I prefer the house on the hill result myself. A little like my favorite preset, Arctic.

Danny, Nice one. Looks like the real thing to me. Nice brush strokes.

Cheryl, I like yours as well. It is a little light on my monitor; but the over all effect is nice.

I started in PSP8. Brushstrokes with the Impressionist preset. Then I saved the file and opened in PS7, adjusted the hue and saturation a bit, lowered the brightness and boosted the contrast a bit, and applied the vanGogh pattern layer set to multiply with opacity at 30%.

Catia

[Cheryl H]

Danny--I'm going to have to get you to have a talk with my hubby. He's a sweetie and spoils me rotten, but nothing like a queen level. I think I like the idea. I admit, I am stuck in impressionist mode--but it's such an awesome filter.

[rlspencer1]

Cheryl H or Anyone Else:
I have really liked what I have seen done the Impressionist plugin. So I bought Frontpage 98 and followed directions that DannyR had written, but I have a slight problem now. I have some setting that others have used and was told to put them in the "User Folder" but I don't have one.

Now the plug-in works I have tried it and this is my file structure:

ADOBE>PHOTOSHOP 7.0>PLUG-INS>IMPRESSIONIST>IMPRESSIONIST ACCESSORIES
then BRUSHES, FACTORY SETTING and PAPER

Question:
1. Do I make a folder under Impression Accessories calling it "user setting" or do I have to save a setting for the plugin to make a folder so it will recognize?

Thanks
Bob Spencer

[catia]

Here is an impressionist version done with Paint Engine in PS7. Faded to 35%.

Added a vanGogh pattern layer afterward.

Catia

[Cheryl H]

Bob

I have a hunch if you created a setting of your own and saved it the program would create the user settings (note the s) folder. You can also go ahead and make it yourself.

When you get set, I've got a ton of custom stuff if you want it.

Cheryl

[Neve]

Great posts!

I was impressed with yours Danny....way back then
Has your confidence using Painter increased since? Are you using Painter as much as you'd like to or less..?

[Yes...I'd say the more I use it/discover more features, the better I like it. I'm looking forward to getting IX installed with its more Photoshop-like functionality, which will be an enticement to use it more often.-djr]

I had no idea where I was headed with this one but finished with a watercolour of sorts.

PSP8.1 and Plugins
Cropped image.
Filter/PR Brightness
Adjusted Contrast
Slightly Buzzed
Duped bottom layer
L2 - Paint Alchemy/Oil Canvas Detail
L2 - Impressionist/Favourites: Paint/Free Daubs
Layer opacity reduced to 50%
Merged both layers.
Soft focus
Some more light Buzz...ing
Duped layer
L2 - Hard Light 40%
Merged both layers.

Thanks Fluffbutt for an excellent photo.

[Neve]

Glad to hear you'll jump to IX soon, it'll be a treat to see your posts I'm sure.

[JustChecking]

thanks for bumping this thread up wonderful works, people!

[CJ Swartz]

I Love looking at horses, especially when they are roaming free in lovely meadows! Am enjoying all the renditions. I can't say just what all it took to come up with this rendition -- I was experimenting with Fragment, Facet, along with the sharpen/aniso and layer mask painting, and inverting, and ...

[Neve]

Can't see it CJ - says it's an "invalid attachment" ???

[Neve]

I "see" it now.... Wonderful result.

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by Neve

Can't see it CJ - says it's an "invalid attachment" ???

You "caught me" while I was changing versions -- I didn't like the way the first one looked, so I took off a couple of layers and uploaded that one in its place.

[LQQKER]

Nice Photograph.

Cropped and straightened.
Xero clairity.
Simplified.
Ran several layers of optipix, then combined.
Replaced sky, simplified also ran optipix to bring out edges.
FP india ink
Nik skylight, polarization and brilliance used.
Hue & Sat adj.
Contrast adj.

[jaykita]

Bumped this one up again for your benefit.
Danny you never disappoint me, well, almost never this one's fabulous. Looker's is great! Neve, yours is too. Actually so are the others.
Mine was done with first define pattern and the pattern tool i used was the chalk brush, layer mask created on a fill white layer, painted with chalk brush, and finally impressionist filter chalk sketch.

[toodaloo toody]

everyones efforts are really nice

I LIke LQQKERS alot

HEY LQQKER
what program are you using?
I am new at this and I dont reconize many of the things you used to get that desired Look

ant help would be appreciated thanks
have a great day

[Swampy]

Great Picture and I didn't want to "artz" it up, but thought a mask and border might be nice.

Did minor color corrections to reduce the yellow some and liven up the grass.

[toodaloo toody]

I am having a bugger of a time trying to keep these files small for uploads

so here is a link to my version
I didnt paint it but I think it turned out alright


http://toodaloo.smugmug.com/gallery/...72105/Original

if you find you need a password its

robert

this is fun

[TylerRB]

LQQKER

Absolutely stunning!

T

[zip022]

A little of everything...makes nothing? I had fun tho'