Unusual christmas card 3d

[The_Leena]

Hi,
I found this tutrial and I'm absolutely desperate to know how to achieve such an effect. Unfortunaletly, for me the tutorial is too obscure. Can anyone solve this riddle? What is the step by step, including with which tool some steo was made.
There it is: http://alfoart.com/christmas_card_1.html

[pixelzombie]

interesting, did you get their psd file?

[MiningArt]

A very nice effect. The steps are laid out pretty good.

[The_Leena]

I've contacted the author and I'll be getting the .psd file pretty soon.
MiningArt They probably are but take into account the fact that I'm not so advanced.

[palms]

Originally Posted by MiningArt

A nice very effect. The steps are laid out pretty good.

You think so John, maybe it's me then cause after the first few steps i was reaching for the headache tablets and gave up ! ! ! ! !

Palms

[The_Leena]

Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks so ;]

[butlermike]

Here's my effort. Not exactly Christmassy though.
Not that pleased with it as something just doesn't work. it doesn't really look like its inside the card. And the palm tree cut out wasn't great but then my low res photo wasn't easy to work with!
Maybe if i was to drop it down so that the sea/beach line was on the fold of the card...
I really like the effect in the tutorial so i'll keep working at it.

[MiningArt]

butlermike, you can see the basic effect in your try.
Palms, reading through it sounds reasonable, but haven't tried to actually do it.
update:
OK, tried it one time. Nothing like the example, but sorta like a card maybe.

[The_Leena]

Originally Posted by butlermike

Here's my effort. Not exactly Christmassy though.
Not that pleased with it as something just doesn't work. it doesn't really look like its inside the card. And the palm tree cut out wasn't great but then my low res photo wasn't easy to work with!
Maybe if i was to drop it down so that the sea/beach line was on the fold of the card...
I really like the effect in the tutorial so i'll keep working at it.

The image is a little too flat. Maybe you add some sticking out clouds on the right hand side of the image. I'm gonna try the tutorial this weekend.

[palms]

Leena i have found that sometimes a tut just dosent "click" into place, but you have the right attitude give it a go

butler mike a great go, I think the palm trees look good, One thing to look at again maybe is the sky/sea image i think that the perspective isnt right for the card.

John looks like a card again i think the perspective isnt quite right on the top of the card

And you are a rotten lot as i am starting to get itchy fingers and may well have to give it a try (when i find some time )

Palms

[MiningArt]

Don't do it Palms, those instructions are as clear as mud. :-)) I went astray about half way through. I really like the example results though, so may give it another try later.

[unimatrix001]

This is a good as i could come up with. It seems reading the tutorial the he left out some steps to force you to purchase the pdf file. So i fudged it from what i could read and see in the images that he had available. As MiningArt said this tutorial is clear as mud.

[The_Leena]

I am in possesion of the .psd file. And it was for free

[palms]

Originally Posted by The_Leena

I am in possesion of the .psd file. And it was for free

Is it of any help? I have got so far as to make the card shape ! ! ! ! ( cheating though used the photograph as a template)
Palms

[The_Leena]

Don't know yet. I will have time to check it out after this weekend. ;]

[palms]

Here is my attempt, not really happy with it but have other things to do
I didnt really follow the tut just messed around

Palms

[butlermike]

Here's another attempt from me. Still not happy and its still not Christmassy!
It's supposed to be a work in progress with the drawing/painting not quite finished on the lower part of the card. Supposed to be...
I think I may have to give up on this until my skills are a little more advanced.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Mike

[Doug Barber]

As a new comer here I just wanted to comment that this looks like a very cool process and one I will need to try.

Thanks for the link

Doug

[Sveltepig]

Hi all
Butlermike, your second attempt works better than your first.
I think the big thing here is to creat depth as well as pespective. The second card works better because the light area in the front of the bottom piece moves towards the viewer (always will, as it is light), and the area near the fold is darke, so moves away.
The background in the source image (tutorial) is also much darker, giving the necessary depth, and the cloud that is escaping form the card is very subtle, not as obviously out-of-bounds-like as your attempt.
my 2c
K

[butlermike]

I think you're right about the perspective. i was trying to make the card with a photorealistic idea in mind whereas the tutorial looks like its been 'created'. One day when my PS skills are more adept I shall try this again and to the letter of the tutorial![/I]

[rfbohac]

Butlermike,

I really liked where you were going with your first effort with the palm tree. I think you were right when you suggested that maybe if you brought the water line to the fold it would work better. I also think that if you used a layer mask to fade the cloud out at the top it would have worked much better. I don't think I would have tried the spilled sand effect and maybe more dramatic drop shadows from the palm trees would pop it better. I would really like to see you try that one again with the same idea. I believe it would be a great summer card image.

[butlermike]

rfbohac,
Thanks for the thought but on reflexion even with the water line moved i still don't think it would work properly. As stated in the last couple of posts I think it needs more depth/perspective for it to work right. i'm not even convinced that its going to work with a photo and needs to be an actual 'composition' as in the tutorial. I will give it another go at some point though, with that initial picture.
Thats a good idea about the trees and cloud though so thanks for the input and I'll post up my next effort when i get round to it.

[PhoenixWolf]

Originally Posted by The_Leena

I am in possesion of the .psd file. And it was for free

Long shot but do you still have the PSD file, and are you willing to share? I have been trying the follow the instructions but they are a little vague to me(photoshop newbie) so I would like to see what they meant layer by layer.

[Teresuka]

Hi! I'm looking for .psd file of this tutorial. I've been not able to achieve fair results (another photoshop newbie...). Help!!

[palms]

I think you will need to make a donation to get the psd file

I think most people, newbies or not ,have struggled with this tut, not sure if any one got the results they wanted

Palms