Beauty's Embrace | Digital Photo Manipulation in Photoshop CS6

This image started from a stock image (below) from last month's issue of Advanced Photoshop. I thought it was kinda cool and thought it would make a great base for experimenting in Photoshop CS6.

STEP 1: Using the Magic Wand tool I quickly blocked out  a layer mask. After, I tweaked it with "Refine Edge" and a small round brush (on the mask layer).

STEP 2: Another stock image (same source) of a stormy sky was placed in another layer beneath the model.

STEP 3: A really great resource for finding brushes and other resources for Photoshop is a site called Brusheezy. Using some brushes I found there, I created another layer between my model and sky and laid in some brushwork in white drooping the opacity to 80%.

STEP 4: Creating another layer above the model, I added a few more brush strokes, leaving these at 100% opacity.

STEP 5: I duplicated the sky layer and moved it to the top at this point. Using Hue/Saturation, I adjust the color. After creating an accompanying mask, I used the Gradient tool (Black to Transparent) to fade the new sky layer.

STEP 6: Next I set the blending mode (new sky layer) to "Soft Light" at 100% opacity. Steps 5 and 6 combine for a nice subtle cohesion in color.

STEP 7: Using Nik Software's Color Efex Pro, I use "Film Efex: Modern" to achieve this grain effect which was a bit too strong.

STEP 8: When using Color Efex Pro, the filter effects are applied to a new layer combining all layers you have turned on. So leaving my working layers on. I set the new filtered layer to 40% opacity to achieve the final look I was after.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial. It was fun to create. Let me know what you think of the final image. I think the hardest part is sometimes knowing when to stop :)

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Photoshop | Hyper Realistic Manga

I was looking for something challenging to try to do the other week, when I stumbled on another book on Advanced Photoshop techniques. Saw this tutorial and had to give it a whirl. 

First thing was to purchase this shot of a model from iStockPhoto.com

Next was to adjust the head to give it a more rounded look.

Followed by shaping the jaw line a little :)

I selected her eyes and on a separate layer, enlarged them to start really changing the look. At this point she is starting to remind me more of a Mark Ryden painting. Which might be a cool post down the road when I think on it.

I apply a similar technique to the nose and mouth and desaturate the lips.

With the use of a layer mask, she gets a new doo and some ribbons. The new look is just about achieved. Time for a cool background. 

I really had a hard at this point settling. It was too much fun and really wanted the piece to be more than just a run through a tute. Something more original. But due to the amount of projects on my plate, I just went with it. The piece was a little dark and wanted to do something a little different, so I added one of Renata's necklaces to her, adjusted the color some and here is the final result.

I am working on an original piece for a friend, author Sam Kirshaw, taking one of her publicity shots and well, I will save the idea for later :)

Any questions on this, I would be happy  to answer, technique-wise.

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PHOTOSHOP | Advanced Techniques

The other month at Barnes & Noble Books, I discovered the UK's Advanced Photoshop Magazine. It has amazing tutorials. I was hooked. Looking through these pages I was inspired. The whole creative process is intriguing. The behind the scenes bit, the effort that goes on behind the door, stage or screen, design, photo, painting, etc. Those mysterious steps that lead to the elusive magical, amazing or just plain wow moments.

I really have been wanting and needing to raise my game and decided to give challenging looking tutorials a go, come what may. This was my first attempt and the steps I took to complete it. Be most happy to answer any questions but if you are seeking a straight tutorial, you will have to get November's AP 87, the latest print issue and following along. The downloadable tutorial for this project isn't quite online yet. In the future, I will to try and choose projects that are.

This was a lot of fun, like when trying to cook and actually follow the recipe, once I got started I started adding a few of my own ingredients and hoped for the the best.

The start was a model (courtesy of iStockPhoto.com) and the first step was to remove the background forever more to be known as BG via the PEN TOOL and LAYER MASK and touch up the water with the CLONE tool.

I originally thought to keep her right forearm and hand (deviation numero uno) but as you will see later I ditched the idea.

Next called for a few ADJUSTMENT LAYERS (color balance, hue/saturation, vibrance and exposure) It was really cool seeing how the ALs worked together and the variations created by the order in which they are stacked.

Then inserting a new BG texture from a site I never heard of and glad I did. STOCK.XCHNG Highly recommended for free stock files and much appreciated for the completion of little Pygmalion here.

Working in the LAYER MASK of the model we begin to blend her in with the BRUSH TOOL and tweaking the over all color with the ADJUSTMENT LAYERS and playing with opacities.

First try at creating depth by creating shadows...here's where it stated getting kooky, fun but KOOKY and at the same time felt like I was breaking new ground for me, so exciting too.

Now for for some serious retouching, never tried to to such an extent. The tute included a file of a statue bust to replace the bikini top. Then cloned out the bottom remaining strap. I think this stage was very pretty.

Getting close to a finish, I added a second texture for more realism and a carved from rock feel takes form.

One last texture and assorted noodlings... still very ethereal and decided to go for more contrast for the final

On an end note, I worked in Photoshop CS4 and pretty happy with the results here, definitely learned a thing or two, please let me know if you have any specific questions, I will try and be more detailed next time around. Hope you enjoyed this. Look forward to your comments. :)

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