Tutorial: Sports Cards, Chris Rozema Artistic Action templates

[DannyRaphael]

Chris Rozema of Artistic Action (www.artisticaction.com) has graciously offered to craft a tutorial describing the steps he uses to create some terrific sports related photo-art. Examples can be seen at www.artisticaction.com/portfolio.htm under "The Pride - Poster Prints."

See the following post.

THANK YOU, Chris!

~Danny~

[Neve]

Marvellous - looking forward to that treat very much! With 3 grandsons, two into sports I'd naturally be hugely interested in doing something like this.....many thanks!

[artisticaction]

Thanks Danny,

Here are a few examples of what I call "The Pride" and How put one together

I have more samples of them posted at http://www.artisticaction.com/portfolio.htm

I usually use 2 (sometimes 3) photos for these 1 is a cut-out (cut-out the player from the background) and the other is just masked.

With the cut-outs, at least for me, it just took a lot of practice. I tried demos of Corel Knock-Out and Extensis Mask Pro and they worked alright but didn't give me exactly what I wanted without doing a lot of touchups, so I found it easiest to do them this way (with Photoshop of course) --

I have found that the best photos to work with to create the cut-outs are where the player is the focus and the background is uncluttered and blurred.

To create a poster print with a cutout image
1. Open Poster Template (or any background your want to use) in PhotoShop or Photo Elements
Add a Main player photo
2. Open main photo to use as cut-out selection
3. Make any photo color corrections and resizing (resize to the approx size and pixels as the background using Image > Image Size)
4. Use your favorite method for making a cut-out selection and place on top background layer
(see or tips for making a smooth selection below)
Optional lightly feather the selection
5. Ctrl + Click (Mac Command + Click) on Main Cut-Out layer
6. From Menu click Select > Feather > Feather Radius -- enter 5 then click OK
7. From Menu click Select > Inverse and then Delete key
8. Deselect main cut-out -- Ctrl + D (Mac Command + D)
9. If all looks fine then create a copy of this layer
10. Double click on layer under the one you just copied to add a Layer Style
pick Layer Style AAWhiteShadow (this style is included on your CD or DVD)
SAVE

Tips for making a smooth selection:


I start out making a rough outline of the object that I want to cutout from the background using the Lasso then I inverse and delete. I find it easiest to work on a white background. So I Ctrl + Click on the layer the image is on and copy and paste it into a new image with a white background and save is as a PSD

Then I use the Magic Wand --
with a tolerance of about 30 to 40, with Add a Selection hi-lighted. Start carefully picking spots outside the images to keep. If it selects inside the image to keep then click Ctrl + Z (Mac Command + Z)
Select as much or little as you like at a time but before hitting delete feather your selection of 2 pixels
To feather -- from the Menu Select > Feather > 2 px
Doing a slight feathering will smooth out your selection as to not have a jagged edge.

Repeat these steps as many times as need to remove the background - lower the tolerance as needed.
Another good tool for removing the background is the Lasso or Magnetic Lasso set them with a 2 px feather and the Add a Selection highlighted, if you selected too much then click on the Subtract from Selection
SAVE

Repeat these steps as many times as need to remove the background - lower the tolerance as needed.
Another good tool for removing the background is the Lasso or Magnetic Lasso set them with a 2 px feather and the Add a Selection highlighted, if you selected too much then click on the Subtract from Selection
------------------------
Add a background photo of player
1. Open photo to use
2. Make any photo color corrections (resize to the approx size and pixels as the background using Image > Image Size)
3. Using Lasso tool make a rough cut-out of player
4. Bring into poster template and place behind main photo
5. Desaturate ( to desaturate from menu click on Image > Adjustments > Desaturate
6. Set layer blend mode to luminosity, adjust Opacity to your liking (usually about 90%)
7. Optional -- if not happy with the way in looks then add a layer mask and using a large soft brush paint out what you want to remove, recommend painting instead of erasing since you can always paint stuff back in.
SAVE
----------------------
You are welcome to download a template demo and try it out this out. Please go to http://www.artisticaction.com/templatedemo.htm for details

We also have free patriotic team border to try out for Photoshop and Express Digital. Please go to http://www.artisticaction.com/patriotic.htm or contact us for details


Please feel free to contact me if any questions at:
chris@artisticaction.com

Thank you,

Chris Rozema
Artistic Action
http://www.artisticaction.com

[Neve]

Chris - Many thanks, you must've heard me wishing you'd call soon
Awesome work and obvious talent are evident in your posters. I'm due to leave for a few weeks (grandchild No. 5 due) and have downloaded your tute. I will savour this and will look forward eargerly to giving this a go. Thank you for sharing. I primarily use PSP8.01 and understood all the steps given no problem.

Cheers

[artisticaction]

Thanks Neve and best wishes with no. 5!

Please share what you come up with when you get a chance. Would love to see it.

Chris

[Neve]

Thanks Chris. I have one grandson who plays soccer and I will be keen to try this out and do a poster for him. I hope more folks call in here and show an interest too. You've put a lot of work into those tuts.

[dcm74133]

Chris,

You have inspired me to make one of my daughter.

Thanks,

David

[dcm74133]

And one of my son also.

Thanks,

David

[artisticaction]

Nice work David, I'm sure your children appreciate them!

Chris

[DannyRaphael]

Chris:

Just got back from a few days of R&R.

Wow... Your tutorial is great and Neve's and DCM's creations are terrific.

Thanks again for inspiring so many of us.
~Danny~

[W. Rose]

Hi Chris,
Those are great, your a very talented person.
Wayne

[Neve]

DCM - Wonderful results and very well done - something for your son and daughter to treasure.

Danny ? - You're still in R&R mode I haven't posted any results yet! That will have to wait, we're leaving Wednesday for a month or so.