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This thread was inspired by Tom Pinnock's entry in the Photo Art Challenge #1. I especially liked his use of multiple filters to simulate texture. Thanks, Tom. I needed that.
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It’s not uncommon for folks doing a “Photo-to-Art” project to apply some sort of texture effect to simulate canvas, rough paper, burlap, etc. Up until not long ago I (like many people I suppose) applied texture directly to my "finished" flattened image. The Photoshop Texturizer/Canvas combination has always been one of my favorites.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this method, it doesn’t lend itself to much flexiblity. And yes, there’s the ability to fiddle with the results with the Filter/Fade command, but that's a one shot tweek.
I dunno about you, but I seldom get it right the first time, even with the Fade command.
Perhaps a better way?
A friend recently demonstrated the following method that, to me, offers the benefit of easy “tweeking” plus practically unlimited creativity, aka, less time for mowing my lawn. Though written from a Photoshop perspective, this method should port to any application that supports layers and traditional blend modes.
Here's how he explained it:
1. Create a new layer on top of the layer stack; name it, say, "Texture."
2. Use the Fill command to fill the layer with 50% gray.
3. Create a texture using your method of choice, for example, the Texturizer, Craquelure, Noise, or Grain filters. Another way is to add Noise or Grain to the texture layer, then run filters such as Angled Strokes, Crosshatch, Graphic Pen, Mosaic, Dry Brush, Crystalize, Mosaic, etc.
4. Set the blend mode of the Texture layer initially to Overlay and adjust Opacity to suit. Experiment with Hard Light and Soft Light as well as other blend modes.
Talk about flexibility!
Wanna get really wild and crazy?
Use the method above to create more than one texture layer, e.g., Texture-Craquelure + Texture-Angled Strokes, or two Texture-Craquelure layers, one with cracks “far apart” and another with cracks “close together.”
How about selective texture application??
No problem. Create a layer mask for the texture layer and lightly airbrush black where you don’t want the texture to appear.
Make a mistake? Airbrush white and the texture will “reappear.”
Are we having fun yet?
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OK: Your turn.
What are some of your favorite hints or techniques to make a Photo Art image look like it was painted / drawn on something other than a flat, white sheet of paper?
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Remember, to paraphrase something Dudley Moore's character Arthur said it the movie of the same name, "Fun is a wonderful thing to have," so my recommendation is, "Have lots of it."
~DannyR~
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It’s not uncommon for folks doing a “Photo-to-Art” project to apply some sort of texture effect to simulate canvas, rough paper, burlap, etc. Up until not long ago I (like many people I suppose) applied texture directly to my "finished" flattened image. The Photoshop Texturizer/Canvas combination has always been one of my favorites.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this method, it doesn’t lend itself to much flexiblity. And yes, there’s the ability to fiddle with the results with the Filter/Fade command, but that's a one shot tweek.
I dunno about you, but I seldom get it right the first time, even with the Fade command.
Perhaps a better way?
A friend recently demonstrated the following method that, to me, offers the benefit of easy “tweeking” plus practically unlimited creativity, aka, less time for mowing my lawn. Though written from a Photoshop perspective, this method should port to any application that supports layers and traditional blend modes.
Here's how he explained it:
1. Create a new layer on top of the layer stack; name it, say, "Texture."
2. Use the Fill command to fill the layer with 50% gray.
3. Create a texture using your method of choice, for example, the Texturizer, Craquelure, Noise, or Grain filters. Another way is to add Noise or Grain to the texture layer, then run filters such as Angled Strokes, Crosshatch, Graphic Pen, Mosaic, Dry Brush, Crystalize, Mosaic, etc.
4. Set the blend mode of the Texture layer initially to Overlay and adjust Opacity to suit. Experiment with Hard Light and Soft Light as well as other blend modes.
Talk about flexibility!
Wanna get really wild and crazy?
Use the method above to create more than one texture layer, e.g., Texture-Craquelure + Texture-Angled Strokes, or two Texture-Craquelure layers, one with cracks “far apart” and another with cracks “close together.”
How about selective texture application??
No problem. Create a layer mask for the texture layer and lightly airbrush black where you don’t want the texture to appear.
Make a mistake? Airbrush white and the texture will “reappear.”
Are we having fun yet?
=============
OK: Your turn.
What are some of your favorite hints or techniques to make a Photo Art image look like it was painted / drawn on something other than a flat, white sheet of paper?
=============
Remember, to paraphrase something Dudley Moore's character Arthur said it the movie of the same name, "Fun is a wonderful thing to have," so my recommendation is, "Have lots of it."
~DannyR~
Thanks for passing that on.
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