Textures, brushes &

an hour’s video tuition

ISSUE
ISSUE
51 49
47
Expert lighting skills | Professional paint effects | Work with textures | Industry insight 2009 | Interview: Aaron Sims

INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Top trends and practical advice
for creating cutting-edge art

EXPERT
LIGHTING
N
IN-DEPTH WORKSHOP

SKILLS Learn how to use

channels to create a
realistic landscape with
directional lighting

INTERVIEW

AARON SIMS PHOTOSHOP

We speak to concept artist behind
The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Hulk
MUST-HAVES
The ultimate gift guide
for digital artists
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk

HOW TO...
• Fake HDR photos • Use the Displace filter • Get the most from the latest version of Bridge
• Edit photos in Camera Raw 5 • Make an interlocking pattern • Run CS4’s accelerated features

ISSUE ISSN
51 1748-7277 £5.99
51
PLAY WITH PAINT WORK WITH TEXTURES
Take photos of paint and use Create this image using custom
9 771748 727009 them in digital art projects layer styles and homemade textures

001_AVP_51_Cover_DragonBirdMK.in1 1 12/11/08 18:58:58

 Cover

Cover image
Peter Jaworowski is a lead designer and
illustrator, plus he’s the co-owner of Warsaw-based
studio Ars Thanea (www.arsthanea.com). A
showcase of his work can be seen at The Hejz, and Imageer:
his impressive client list includes Nike, Nokia, PETER JAWOROWSKI
PlayStation and Warner Bros. This image was chosen
for our cover thanks to its great colour palette and
incredible attention to detail in the blending of THIS IMAGE WAS
various stock resources.
/ www.hejz.com CHOSEN THANKS TO ITS
GREAT COLOURS
3
Advanced Photoshop

003_AVP_51_CoverImage.indd 3 14/11/08 15:40:39

 Editorial

ur
Welcome to

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Editor in Chief Jo Cole

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in 2009. Designer Stacey Grove

Senior Sub Editor Colleen Johnson
On page 42 this issue, Nick Spence speaks to artists and Sub Editor Sam Robson
digital art experts to find out what styles and themes are Head of Design Ross Andrews
going to be big over the next year. Plus, there’s our guide Contributors

. of ur g ho 36
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ire e e sh n an

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Mark Mayers, Kirk Nelson, Nick Spence,

om re yo in e
to the ultimate style rules for 2009.

xf Se dg y o st
Aimee Stewart and Rosie Tanner
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On top of all this, we’ve got a wide variety of tutorials to apxtrahelp@imagine-publishing.co.uk

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4
Advanced Photoshop TORS
004_AVP_51_EdIntro.indd 4 14/11/08 15:41:59
 E
K SIT d
-LOO
NEW .advance.uk
wwwoshop.co
phot

ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP WEBSITE

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk
The Advanced Photoshop website has been given a major overhaul,
making it easier than ever to upload your images into our gallery, read
the latest Photoshop and magazine team news, buy current and back
issues and play with our new Photoshop Face-Off feature

ISSUE #51

inside... INSIGHT 7 08
News and showcases from around the globe
News 08
Showcase: Lisa Evans 12
Showcase: George Smith 14
Showcase: Jeff Huang 16
Showcase: Francis Tsai 18

COMMUNITY 7 22
Our readers’ comments, feedback and images
from our mailbox, email, website and forum
Mailbox 22
On the web 24
THE COVER Peer Pressure 76
This month’s excellent cover image is courtesy of

36 7 72
designer and illustrator Peter Jaworowski. You can see
more of his work at www.hejz.com

Add a steampunk edge

HELP
to your portrait images Tips, techniques and problems solved
Helpdesk 72
Insider Info: GPU acceleration in Photoshop CS4 74

RESOURCES 7 88
Vital assets to improve your Photoshop work
88
nced p at
Hardware and software
d va 92
the A nline shoo.uk
Book reviews

Visit o .c
shop ineshop oks
ot o
Ph .imag es, bo 50 76 THIS MONTH’S CD 7 96
www ack issu andise Celebrate the winter Our pick of the best reader Superb stock art, project files and more!
for b d merch
months with a snow scene submissions this month
CD guide 96
an Brush index 98

6
Advanced Photoshop

006-007_AVP_51_Contents.indd 6 14/11/08 15:48:48

 42
What’s going to be big in the
art and design world in 2009?

© Andrew Jones

TECHNIQUES
FEATURES/REGULAR
FEATURE: CS4 INTRO – PART 2 7 26
Essential guides to professional Photoshop skills

Continuing our look inside the new features of CS4

PUNK UP YOUR PHOTOS
Steampunk stylings and textures galore!
7 36
INTERVIEW: AARON SIMS 7 30 EXPERT LIGHTING TECHNIQUES 7 50
We snare an interview with Hollywood’s finest character creator The skills you need to create a snowscape with correct lighting

INDUSTRY INSIGHT 2009 7 42 FAKE HDR FROM ONE PHOTO 7

Learn how to get an HDR effect using Photoshop’s tools
56
What’s going to be big in 2009 for Photoshop artists?

PHOTOSHOP ESSENTIALS 7 82 PAINT EFFECTS

Use real paint in your photomanipulation projects
7 62
Must-have hardware and software for Photoshop users
READERS’ IMAGES
REVIEWS 7 88 GALLERY ROUNDUP 7 66
Epson printer, Dell monitor, Nik Software, Bridge CS4 and books We take a look at some of this year’s best galleries

7
Advanced Photoshop

006-007_AVP_51_Contents.indd 7 14/11/08 15:49:11

 Keeping an eye on the latest trends in contemporary photography, art
and design, Insight sets out to snapshot innovation in the making

Photoshop CS4
training solutions
Following the announcement and
subsequent shipping of Adobe’s Creative
Suite 4, a whole host of training programs
have cropped up to help you get to grips
with all the new features of Photoshop.
One company leading the way is Mekon
Creatives, a specialist in providing support
for users of creative software. Mekon’s
services include training, recruitment,
coaching and software support, and it has
recently announced a new CS4-
orientated course: Adobe Creative Suite 4
Upgrade Course – Print Design. While not a
HERE TO HELP
course aimed specifically at Photoshop, the whole of the :
Mekon Creativ
Creative Suite is covered. This course fundamentally integrates es
provides
new Adobe features, such as Adobe InDesign CS4, Adobe comprehensive
support for a ra
Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Illustrator CS4. The aim is to nge of
publishing prod
ucts,
streamline your workflow and enhance your day-to-day through training
productivity through familiarity with the software interface services and an
nual
support packag
and functions. Carol Edwards, Mekon Training & HR manager, es
Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) and Adobe certified Instructor
(ACI), explains: “To really benefit from the CS4 upgrade, the
new features of the software need to be mastered. A CS4 IVES:
ONLINE INCENT
upgrade course is a fast-track route to have ‘hands-on’ Mekon Creatives off if
ers a
nt
experience of the new features and see how they can be five per cent discou
oking
integrated into your workflow. The course means that you will you use its online bo
ring
form when registe
optimise the upgrade investment.” y of its
your interest for an
If, however, you’d rather do your CS4 training from the numerous courses
comfort of your own home, the ever-popular Lynda.com (www.
lynda.com) is now offering Photoshop CS4-based video tuition, CD or DVD should you prefer to take your learning offline. At
Photoshop CS4 New Features by Deke McClelland. This thorough present, however, Photoshop CS4 New Features is exclusively
course explores all of CS4’s latest additions and improvements, available through the Online Training Library.
including using the new interface with tabbed windows, the Another new course to be released comes courtesy of Total
addition of Adjustments and Masks panels and the latest Training (www.totaltraining.com/prod/adobe/photoshop.asp),
versions of Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw 5. Other Photoshop which has released a program called Adobe Photoshop CS4
CS4 courses offered by Lynda.com include Photoshop CS4 For Extended: Essentials, presented by Geoff Blake. The DVD package
Photographers, Photoshop CS4 Essential Training and includes six hours of dedicated Photoshop features, and costs $100
Photoshop CS4 Getting Started. Lynda.com offers an Online (approximately £67).
Training Library with various subscription plans to enable you to Finally, Photoshop Cafe (www.photoshopcafe.com) has
access these videos, although some are also available to buy on launched its CS4 Learning Suite, which is full of free handy guides
to all the new features, video clips and a link to buy Photoshop
LYNDA.COM: There are four dedicated Photoshop CS4 Secrets: Photoshop CS4 for Digital
video features on Lynda.com, including one on the new Photographers, which offers over six
features by Deke McClelland
hours of video for $100
(approximately £67) by Colin Smith,
the man behind Photoshop Cafe,
available as both a download or a
physical disc.

SUPERGUIDE: Photoshop
Cafe has released a free
guide to CS4, available on
its website

www.mekon-creatives.com
www.totaltraining.com/prod/adobe/photoshop.asp
www.photoshopcafe.com
www.lynda.com

8
Advanced Photoshop

008-010_AVP_51_News.indd 8 14/11/08 15:46:51

 12.08
D&AD Student Awards ’09
What’s
hot?
HIGHLIGHTING
SUCCESS:
Take part and
contribute to the
best emerging

HOT
talent within
design,
advertising and
communications
courses around
the world,
and promote it to
the creative
DEZINER FOLIO WEB
industries globally 2.0 LAYER STYLES
REGISTER NOW: The briefs can now be downloaded Free
from the D&AD Student Awards website upon www.dezinerfolio.com/downloads
registration with the site, then you have until March to
submit your entry
With well over 100 coloured samples,
these contemporary Photoshop layer
The New Year brings with it new, stimulating and innovative The continuous competitive and contemporary standard styles should suit every artist.
opportunities for the design community, with a multitude of the D&AD Student Awards, with the rewards of receiving
of exciting design-related competitions. But some are more
opportunist than others, and no more than the highly
the highly prestigious Student Yellow Pencil, see it remain as
one of the toughest student awards to win, and one of the THE SWATCH 007
prestigious D&AD Student Awards. Once again, it’s the time best first steps to a career in advertising and design that you VILLAIN COLLECTION
of year where a call for entries for this competitive could find. See the site for prices
competition are encouraged. The countdown has begun. The briefs can be directly downloaded for free from www.swatch.com/us_en/home.html
The next instalment of the D&AD Student Awards sees www.dandad.org/studentawards09 upon registration. All These Swatch watches celebrate
the event launch a fresh set of briefs to challenge students entries will be accepted from mid-January until 20 March. Bond’s legendary adversaries
and give them the chance to show the creative world what Nominations will be announced in early June and through 22-strong themed time-
they’re made of. The briefs included cover the breadth of showcased in an exhibition at D&AD New Blood in late June. telling collection, letting you know
creative communication, from 3D and graphic design, Winners will be announced on 2 July. when 007 minutes pass the hour.
advertising, craft skills, including illustration, photography
and typography, and, of course, a host of challenges in
digital communications. This means that the event will be www.dandad.org/studentawards09
even more rich and diverse than in previous years. Students
have never before had as much of a chance to shine.

Atomic Media and Display printing

If you’re looking for innovation in your print solutions for Artwork is easy to upload online, with a 50MB receiving
intended exhibition work, then look no further than Atomic capability, making sure that you follow the website artwork CIA SHOP
Media and Display. Its service essentially provides high- specs as to optimise your print quality. It even provides a Example: Spiral Studio – The
quality, large-format printing at a competitive rate. Coupled range of contemporary display stand solutions, making for Dressmaker, £120, approx $73
with its complete finishing services, it encompasses a a great all-inclusive service. As would agree its high-profile www.centralillustration.com/shop
complete solution for exhibition display. clientele, including international design agency McFaul. Here, you can get your hands on a
Its extensive service accommodates a range of material, collection of beautifully printed,
limited-edition Giclée prints from 58 of
from the traditional framed canvas to the innovative reverse-
the CIA’s finest.
mounted acrylic display. But the inventiveness doesn’t stop
there, as Atomic is more than willing to experiment, pushing
the print boundaries with films, metals and foils. Swatches ADVANCED
are available on request, while in addition to this, thickness, PHOTOSHOP: THE
lamination and encapsulation are tackled with an open PREMIUM
mind, too.
COLLECTION VOL. 3
£19.99
GOOD ENDORSEMENT: “Atomic are our number
one printers now (and we’re extremely picky). If it www.imagineshop.co.uk
excites us… it excites them… and they always have a The Advanced Photoshop bookazine
solution to everything we need doing” – John McFaul, features 260 pages of in-depth
quoted from www.atomicuk.com
Photoshop tutorials, is crammed with
portfolios by Photoshop gurus and
supplies a free resource-packed CD-
www.atomicuk.com ROM, too, which has all the project files
you need to complete the tutorials.

9
Advanced Photoshop

008-010_AVP_51_News.indd 9 14/11/08 15:47:17

 insight
Nikon releases D90
IN THE Nikon has announced its latest mid-class DSLR unit, offering
a complete hardware solution for creatives. It’s the first
D300, as well as features like Live View, D-Movie, Scene
Recognition and Picture Control. Add its innovative, high-

NEWS:
DSLR to carry movie functionality, which is commonly seen
on compact digital cameras.
However, the larger sensor inherent in a DSLR means that
you can get much better quality than ever before. The D90
performance features, such as the CMOS image sensor and
the wide ISO sensitivity range, and we are convinced that
this new camera will appeal to those looking for the next step
in creativity.”

Q&A
SCOTT GRAY
We question the managing director of
the Sony World Photography Awards
about its latest photographic event
Q: IS THERE A GULF IN
QUALITY BETWEEN
PROFESSIONAL AND
ENTHUSIAST ENTRANTS?
A: “What is clear is that the gulf in
quality within the amateur
competition is far greater than the
gulf in quality within the professional
competition. I think that the
Conceptual and Constructed category
shows a technological factor to a
greater degree. The vision and
creativity in the images within this
category for the amateur competition
is truly fantastic.”
Q: WHAT WAS THE THINKING
BEHIND THE ADDITIONAL
CATEGORIES FOR PROS AT
THE 2009 EVENT?
A: “We continually look to build on
and improve the awards programme;
as such, we met with several Academy
members, discussed the categories
and looked at various options. We
decided that by creating the three
umbrella genres and the respective
categories within them, we incorporate
most photographic practices.”
Q: WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS
EXPERIENCE FROM TAKING
PART IN THE SONY WORLD
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS?
A: “The competition itself allows
individuals the opportunity to have
their work discovered and rewarded,
and established photographers to be
judged by some exceptional
individuals within the photographic
community and win a fantastic prize.”
Find out more at www.
worldphotographyawards.org
offers truly cinematic results, with stunning image quality
and innovative high-performance features inherited from
Nikon’s new-generation DX-format flagship D300.
Standard with 12.3 megapixels, the D90 promises quality,
which is reinforced with its newly designed DX-format
CMOS image sensor and Nikon’s proprietary EXPEED image-
processing concept. This means that high-quality, high-
speed image-processing capability is realised. There’s also
improved ISO sensitivity with a range of 200-3200, D-
Lighting and Picture Control science.
The D90 packs it all in its stylish yet ergonomic shell, with
an operational layout that is highly intuitive. Plus, it offers
you the ability to capture approximately 850 images on a
single charge of the camera’s battery. The senior manager of
product planning at Nikon Europe B.V, Toru Uematsu, is very
enthusiastic about this latest Nikon invention: “The D90
combines imaging technology inherited directly from our
ss
st mid-cla
e D90 is the fir
IN MOTION: Th owing you to capture
INNOVATION all
www.nikon.com Movie function, quality
DSLR to offer a JPEG at superb
clips in motion
creative movie sti lls
high-quality
levels, as well as
Capture One 4
When Advanced Photoshop
went up to London’s CreativePro Expo
this October, we discovered the Phas
e
One stand, the team of which were
pleased to demonstrate its latest
innovative plug-in update, Capture
One 4.
This latest software is a product set
to expand the horizons for amateur
and professional photographers alike
.
Available in both standard and pro
additions, Capture One 4 essentially
supports your capture moments. The
software permits photographers to LEARN A LESS
customise and create ON: Inclusive
introduce you vid
their own tool tabs. Capture One 4
Pro specifically to the functions eo tutorials will
of Capture On
provides multiple monitor support e4
your workflow.
for a better overview of
Capture One 4 provides great functiona
captures, selects and images. The abilit
y to speed up
preferences like the High Dynamic
lity, including workflow is likewise optimal with the
ability to tether shoot
single images and applies extreme
Range tool, which takes directly to your workstation. Users can
highlight and shadow then match this with
recovery, eradicating the need for sepa predefined styles and instantly appl
y customised digital
rate shoots. effects to RAW photography, all while
Management is also made easy with you shoot.
this plug-in, for Capture One 4 and Capture One 4 Pro
instance when applying sessions to retail at $129 (£78)
organise all your and $399 (£241) respectively. These
can be directly
purchased from the official website
and here, owners of
Capture One 3.x Pro can also obtain
a free upgrade. There
www.phaseone.com/4 is also an option to try before you buy
with a 30-day trial.
For more information of Capture One
4’s functions, look
out for our review in our next issue.

10
Advanced Photoshop

008-010_AVP_51_News.indd 10 14/11/08 15:47:38

 insight
Lisa Evans
Lisa Evans’ career sewed its seeds through fruitful experiences in her art
education: “I studied a foundation course in Art, Media and Design
before specialising in Illustration. A lot of my fellow students were very
talented, and it was a constant stream of inspiration to work alongside so
many other talented people. It was the first time I felt I was doing artwork to
please myself, which drove me to create works I could be proud of.”
In her final year, she experienced her first taste of a commercial project: “I
won an advertising competition in my third year of my degree at Bristol
UWE. They commissioned me to do a calendar for a pharmaceutical
company, along with some other promotional materials. They were a really
nice company to work with, and it was a very good introductory experience
to the industry.”
Over her successful freelance career, her editorial works have graced the
pages of UK broadsheet newspapers, such as The Independent and the Daily
Telegraph, as well as several children’s books, including the adorable The
Flower by John Light. She explains: “The books are the most rewarding,
because they’re a contained, long-form product. The editorial and advertising
jobs tend to have shorter deadlines, which can be great, but working on
something so intensely for such a long time also means that you’re more proud
of the results. I really love the balance I have now between juggling books,
campaigns and editorial, and I don’t believe you have to pigeon-hole yourself
into doing just one or the other.
“My advice to anyone is to be careful regarding the business side of the
industry, though. The best thing I did was getting an agent, who has been
great in protecting my rights while letting me focus on the fun stuff.” So while
Evans’ agent takes care of business, how does she focus on her creative
approach? “Typically, I start by creating a range of different elements I’m going
to need for an image – usually drawing, but occasionally painting. I then use
Photoshop to develop those elements, adding colour and texture. Often the
images will change completely in terms of shape and composition, but the
original drawings provide me with a structure upon which to build. As I develop
my knowledge of Photoshop, I continue to try to organically combine the digital
and hand-drawn elements.”

www.firefluff.blogspot.com

Astral Plane:
“This image
was hand-drawn an
d then
finished in Photosho
p, with
more detail added
to the face
and some tweaks to
the tone of
the image”

Star Belly Fixes the

Teapot: “All the elements were
made separately and then
combined in Photoshop. The
texture on the girl’s dress and the
teapot is a pattern with the Opacity
turned down”

12
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012-013_AVP_51_Insight1.indd 12 14/11/08 15:27:12

 The Keepers: “All the fur was taken
from a small sample image and combined
to make the creatures, while the branches
were created by taking a photo of some
Bon Iv
different elem er, Mojo Magazin
lot of time in
ents were crea
Photoshop try ted separately, and I spen
ing different
the trees, deer
and the man
12.08
e: “Again, al

compositions a
l the
t
for
blossom and using that as a base from sitting over it”
which to create my own petal design”

: “This
ordstrom for a
Sophie, N e crea te d
e piec
was a sampl published by
n’s bo ok
child re ample of
It’s a good ex e when
Nordstrom. le pe nc il lin
sib
retaining a vi of it in Photoshop,
in tin g on top
pa
it the feel of
which gives
at erco lo ur s”
w

13
Advanced Photoshop

012-013_AVP_51_Insight1.indd 13 14/11/08 15:27:37

 insight

to
hat I was trying
Feather: “W silky
mp lis h he re was to create a
acco t my
oo th pie ce , bu t still keep intac
sm d
an d gr un ge . The large, blurre
grit by taking 3D
s we re cre at ed
area m>
ing the Transfor
renders and us
rp to ol to cre ate their shape.
Wa
plied a lot of
Afterwards, I ap duplicated on top
us sia n Blu r an d
Ga set
th Color Dodge
of each other wi de”
th e ble nd ing mo
as

Revenge: “This col

laboration is with Jen
friend, photograph nifer Osborne,
er and the subject
stretched pixel effe of this piece. The
ct was created using
and drawing a tall, the Marquee tool
slim rectangular sel
of the photo. Then ection over part
holding Cmd+Opt
(PC), I clicked and dra (Mac) or Ctrl+Alt
gged the selection
to duplicate it”

14
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014-015_AVP_51_Insight2.indd 14 14/11/08 15:34:08

 George Smith
George Smith is an artist who learns through ambition. Not one for education or the teaching of books, Smith
12.08 Alien rev
abstract, som
isioned: “M
y style is very
finds that looking, learning and replicating effects is the best way to approach his own liberated graphic style. et
most people. imes almost too abstract
I like to describ for
He explains: “I have taken no classes or read any books on design. What I have studied, though, is other controlled ch
ao
e my work as
people’s work. I soak up everything I see and design is one of them. absolutely in s, because I love going
sane with m
keeping it un y work, while
Sometimes when I create I find myself almost in a trance, as if I am der control” still
subconsciously referring back to the uncountable pieces of work I
have viewed and comparing them to what is in front of me.”
Immersing himself at a young age in digital design, Smith recalls
his earlier beneficial ventures in the then-budding online art
communities. “Back in the late Nineties, just before the dotcom
bust, I was very involved in the customisation/skinning
community of Customize.org. This was the place to be if you were
looking for anyone on the cutting edge of interface design and UI
skinning.” It wasn’t soon after this boom that there was a need for
wallpaper customisation, and it was here that Smith achieved his
first taste of a real commission: “Considering all of my artwork
was created in a similar aspect ratio to common desktop sizes, I
began sizing my artwork to them. Among all of my work was a
piece titled Gravity Well, which was created in a program called
Bryce. This piece quickly became one of my most popular
pieces of digital art and still remains there to date. Due to this
popularity, a representative from a custom computer builder
contacted me and asked me to create a few colour variations
of it to use as the default desktop wallpaper for each
computer model.”
Since then, he has never looked back and has launched his
own Naature clothing brand (http://clothing.naature.com),
worked on promoting numerous brands and bands, and is a
main contributor to pioneering art community depthCORE.
He reveals that Photoshop has heavily contributed to his
aptitude: “Photoshop is my canvas, and without it nothing I
create would ever exist. My photography and 3D
modelling are simply lost pieces of a puzzle without
Photoshop. Over the course of the last few years, I have
noticed that certain techniques I created have really
stayed with my work and are now staples to almost
everything I do.”

www.endeffect.com

Chrome: “A big technique prominent in this piece is my

colourisation. A lot of times I will work completely in black
and white, then slowly add colour. One way I add colour is
to add layers of circular gradients in bright colours, and
set those layers’ modes to Overlay, Screen or Color”

15
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014-015_AVP_51_Insight2.indd 15 14/11/08 15:35:07

 insight
ting/
matte pain of
R ott en Apple: “A rp re ta tion
Th e my in te
ipulation of . There is also an
photoman ty
stop ia n New York Ci piece”
dy
rsion of this
animated ve

Jeff Huang
Jeff Huang is a 21-year-old graphic artist and illustrator living in New York
City. He’s a digital artist who works with both 2D and 3D skills to create his
surreal imagery, specialising mainly in digital illustration and
photomanipulation projects. He describes himself as a “diverse artist”,
saying that he has many styles of art as a result: “You can find my body of
work to be a blend of genres, such as traditional street art and graffiti,
surrealism, digital matte painting, 2D illustration and 3D abstracts.”
Huang has been drawing traditionally since he was a small child,
discovering digital art in his third year of high school when 3D abstracts
caught his eye. This led to him acquiring Photoshop, beginning his
journey to where he is now, teaching himself how to use the program and
experimenting with his own artwork.
“I like to incorporate 3D elements in my work,” Huang explains of these
experimentations. “However, where I don’t have the knowledge to create
in 3D, I make up for it in Adobe Photoshop. For the most part, Photoshop
plays a big part in my work. I’ve been a self-taught Photoshop user for
some time now, and I can humbly say that I’ve become quite an
advanced user and I can’t output any work without doing some sort of
touch-up in Photoshop.”
After launching his online portfolio, www.thefifthorder.net, he quickly
got his first commission: “The client sent me an email from my website
and we went from there. It’s silly actually, but the first commissioned
design work I ever did was that I created a design for a mouse pad.” Now
he’s doing various freelance work and getting exposure through features
here and there for a whole host of art magazines, including our sister
title Photoshop Creative. His main focus at the moment, however, is
finishing his final year of college.

www.thefifthorder.net

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 12.08

Hiphop
c
piece. Th racy: “This is a
e conceptu
hip-hop concept behind al
an th
and will d street art is in is piece is that
soon con vading th
sume ev
eryone” e world,

Diary: “Diary is a very personal piece

, made after
my relationship ended with my ex-gir
lfriend. The
road in this image symbolises the ‘path’
that we all
head down in our lives – I guess you can
call it our
‘life line’. Along these paths, there are a
constantly u could call this
events and unforgettable memories
that strike us. Memoir: “Yo sm pie ce . The
rre ali
In this image, the hanging mirrors symb conceptual su er
olise just is piece came aft
that – waypoints in our mind, which
allow us to inspiration of th g of an un real
reflect and reminisce back to all those the en din
also
unforgettable the past year. It e
and significant events in our lives that
we relationship in bm iss ion for th
experience down this ‘road’” serves as a su
2008 exhibition”
Desktopography

17
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016-017_AVP_51_Insight3.indd 17 14/11/08 15:36:21

 insight Macrotus: “Th
comic-book superh
is is a very stylised
ero.
take on a popular
this one, from scann I used a variety of techniques on
photo textures and
layers and masks”
ing and salvaging
custom brushes to
old pencil drawings,
many adjustment

018-019_AVP_51_Insight4.indd 18 14/11/08 15:38:17

 12.08

Orbital Station: “A giant, organically

manufactured spacecraft, painted entirely
in Photoshop. There are some photos of
skies and clouds I took that I used for some
of the star field/nebulae effects. This image
appeared in both Exposé and Spectrum”

Francis Tsai
Francis Tsai is an illustrator and concept artist based in America. A lot of his work
tends to be comic book work and fantasy illustration, with clients including Wizards
of the Coast and Marvel Comics. More recently, his work has been seen in the book
100 Ways to Create Fantasy Figures, which we have reviewed on page 92 this issue.
Tsai now works freelance, but prior to this he worked in the videogame industry as
an art director and concept artist. He explains why he made the decision to take the
plunge into freelancing. “After working behind the scenes for several years in the
games industry as a designer, I started to get the urge to develop my illustration skills
a little more, which is a very different skill set from concept design. Also, as is the case
with many artists, I wanted to get my work out in front of more eyes, rather than Ripper: “Ripper
Of Legend, a
having my work seen only within the walls of a videogame developer’s studio, which creature inspired
had a significant effect on the kind of work I’ve pursued.” by marine
Rather than studying design or art, Tsai’s education is actually routed in architecture, but he biology. Also
appeared in
feels that this has been an advantage. “The architecture programme I went through was a good Exposé 6”
balance between theory and practice. It provided a great foundation in terms of design, and
developing a distinct style is a continuing process of education and experimentation. It
certainly helped in my first job as a conceptual designer at Presto Studios, a small, art-oriented
videogame developer.” This basic training has also influenced Tsai’s style of work. “My artwork is
Cygnus la
ke
definitely influenced at some level by my architecture education. There is a certain style of line “Cygnus Lake :
is a
drawing common to many architects that has affected the way I draw.” character co
ncept for
a modern-da
Photoshop plays a huge part in the paintings that you see on this page, as Tsai explains. “I y space
opera story.
work almost entirely in Photoshop these days. Sometimes, I will start with pencil and paper and This
started out as
a
scan that into Photoshop. Primarily, though, it’s just straightforward digital painting.” drawing, whi pencil
ch was
then scanne
To find out more about Tsai, visit his website, where he also posts instructional information d in
and rendered to
in
on how he creates his images from time to time. Adobe Photos
hop”
http://teamgt.com

19
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018-019_AVP_51_Insight4.indd 19 14/11/08 15:38:53

 Letters
Mailbox
Do you have a question or opinion about the
magazine? Email your thoughts to
advancedpshop@imagine-publishing.co.uk
or visit www.advancedphotoshop/forum
SUBJECT: Inspiring tutorial
FROM: Robert Stuart
I was sorry to read Bruce Sykes’s letter
(Advanced Photoshop 49: Can’t Paint, Won’t
Paint). The very same portraiture article that
disappointed him inspired me to buy a
graphics tablet to start experimenting with
brushes and to review my approach towards
composition. Thank you very much for
publishing that article.
Editor replies: Hi Robert, thanks for writing in. It
just goes to show that there’s something for
everyone! What one person finds helpful and
inspiring will be less useful to someone else.
That’s why we try and keep our tutorials varied
from issue to issue, and hopefully give everyone
something that will instruct, inspire or invigorate
their digital art.
SUBJECT: Where to go next?
FROM: Edward Wendt
I am 19-years old and live in Australia. When I
was at school, I was always interested in art and
design. I had a way of looking at things in a
different perspective to the others in the
classroom. I was average with all my other
subjects, but was willing and passionate with
design. I read your magazine quite a lot; it gives
me inspiration to go for what I want in life,
which is to become as skilled and talented as
the artists that you interview.
I have just finished school and now I am
confused as to what I should do next. I really
want to become a talented digital artist, but I
have no idea what course or what school I
should attend to achieve absolute excellence. I
have read your interviews and picked up some
clues as to where I should head, which is more
in the direction of the videogame industry of
designing characters and environments.
But since your magazine deals with these
kinds of people on a day-to-day basis, I was
wondering if you could answer my question. In
order to become as talented as your
interviewed artists, what path would you
recommend that I choose? I would really
22
Advanced Photoshop
022-023_AVP_51_Letters.indd 22
appreciate the help. If you can’t answer my
question, then some general advice would be
just as useful, because seriously, I have no idea
about what to do next.
Editor replies: Hi Edward. You’re facing the same
situation as so many young, aspiring digital
artists do on a daily basis. Having interviewed a
great number of fantastic artists, I can safely say
that there is no one route into the industry. It
seems that the most successful artists use a
combination of education and experience to get
to where they are. Going into a course on digital
art can be a big bonus in helping to refine your
work and learn the theory behind great art, but a
lot is going to be self-taught. Practise with the
software that you have, try new things, figure out
how to emulate the art that you like – just
experiment and this will evolve your knowledge.
Definitely join communities like CGSociety
and the Advanced Photoshop gallery to get
your work out there and to get feedback on
what you are creating, as this will really help.
Having your work online is essential these days in
picking up that all-important first commission.
Take every opportunity to get your work seen –
send it in for readers’ galleries (such as Peer
Pressure) and approach magazines that you like
to show them your work (just email low-res
pictures across with a short bio and link to your
website). At the end of the day, you need to work
GET SEEN: Create your own gallery on websites like
ours to get your work out there and seen by the people
that matter
hard to make a living in this competitive industry
and make sure that what you’re doing is being
seen by the right people. Good luck! If any of our
readers would like to offer some advice, then use
the forum or email the Mailbox directly.
SUBJECT: Metallic magic
FROM: Pete English
Dear Kirk Nelson. Thank you very much for
revealing to us the secrets behind the black-
and-white metallic effect (Advanced
Photoshop 48). I have just followed your step-
by-step tutorial on my photos and I was rather
pleased with the final outcome. I have visited
Rodolphe Simeon’s website and found it
inspirational. I have also read an article about a
fantastic Moroccan photographer who uses
the same effects on his portraits. The following
link will take you to his site: www.photonour.
com. Once again, a big thank you for helping
me with my photographs.
Editor replies: Hi Pete. Your praise for Kirk’s
tutorial has been passed on to the man himself
– it’s always good to get feedback on our
Workshops. I’m glad you liked the technique – I
have been giving it a go too, and it’s a really
versatile technique just by changing the settings
as you go to suit your image. It would be great
to see the results of the tutorial on your images
– send ‘em in!
14/11/08 15:52:12

METALLIC MAN: One reader has been particularly
pleased with the results of this tutorial from issue 48
SUBJECT: Trouble with tutorials
FROM: Joe Smith
I really enjoy the magazines you publish. I
have bought the Photoshop Creative and the
Advanced Photoshop magazines. My
questions apply to both publications. The part
that is frustrating for me is working with the
tutorials. The results are exciting, but getting
there is a struggle. I can get specific with the
problems on three of the tutorials I have
worked with, but in general I would like some
feedback. The directions never go as planned.
It seems like steps are left out, the images
provided are DPI incompatible with other
images that need to be merged, or just
very confusing to follow. Do you try the
tutorials to make sure they work before they
are published? Is it just me? I have had others
try them and run into the same problems.
022-023_AVP_51_Letters.indd 23
What advice can you give before I give up trying
to use them? I am using Photoshop CS (not CS2
or CS3).
Editor replies: Hi Joe, thanks for your comments.
We do go through all our tutorials before they go
to press to check that they work. However, if any On the
reader comes up against a specific problem with
any of our tutorials, please let us know, as we can
then publish help on our daily blog service (at
forum
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk) to help
everyone out. Our tutorials can generally be SUBJECT: Did you know? Quick Mask
followed with Photoshop CS, although on hidden options
occasion we do use tools that are only available in FROM: icetrix
later versions. With Advanced Photoshop, we do By double-clicking on the Quick Mask
occasionally briefly cover over some processes button, a window will open where you can
that are commonly used rather than detailing change the colour of it, and also change if
them in full, as we have a lot to fit in into a you want the colour to be for the selection
relatively small space, but if there are techniques or the inversed selection. It can be handy
that you feel need more explanation, we are and neater (red annoys me!) Only tested on
always on hand to help or you can use the CS3… I can’t test it on my old CS now. Hope
dedicated help section on our forum. you like it.
“TO MAKE A FROM: revjessecuster
I’ve never used Quick Mask – I might have
LIVING IN THIS to try it one day!
INDUSTRY,
FROM: SaranKan 09
MAKE SURE
Yeah, same. I’ve never really used Quick Mask
either. I’ve always preferred Channel
THAT WHAT
masking. I also don’t understand fully how
you do the Quick Mask.
YOU’RE DOING FROM: belic
IS BEING SEEN People use Quick Mask?
BY THE RIGHT FROM: Lorraine
Hey, Rev… you’ll be using it to replace your
PEOPLE AND skies now, won’t you?
WORK HARD” FROM: Selden
I mainly paint and draw with PS. I’ve watched
an artist on a DVD render line art and he
used Quick Mask extensively. He would
quickly paint with Quick Mask on, for
instance, details on a shield so he could
quickly make multiple selection outlines.
Then he clicked out of Quick Mask mode and
painted on the image within those
selections quickly. This helps when blending
and adding other colours, etc, to those
particular parts because he could be sure
that they would stay within the selection. So
it’s a quick way to multiselect and paint and
work on those selections in a painting
without worrying about going outside of the
TUTORIALS: Are area you are working on.
our tutorials easy to
follow? Do we need to
break down steps
further? Your
feedback is essential,
Join the debate at
so let us know! www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum
23
Advanced Photoshop
14/11/08 15:52:41
 Website

On the web
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk
Our website and readers’ forum is perfect for
showing off Photoshop creations. We present
the best images on the site this month. Log on
and upload to get your images here next issue!

FETUS POLE
ARTIST: Marcel.lí Ribes Santamaria ARTIST: Pelle Piano
EMAIL: pbs@publissing.com MODEL: Sister Sinister
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/ EMAIL: at_sanna@hotmail.com
user/Bettors WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/sistersinister
“The composition Fetus is the last one Sister Sinister (www.sistersinister.se) is an alternative
among a series of illustrations for a fashion model from Sweden. “One of the most important
summer disco (http://waikiki.com), an things for me is to create pictures that tell a story, or is
outdoors event in the Mediterranean area something more then just a pretty picture with a pretty
of Catalonia (Spain). It tries to get the idea model in pretty clothes. That’s why working with Pelle
of closing season, waiting for the following Piano is so great. It’s so fun to work with him because you
summer, in order to open its doors again never know what you’ll get in the end… but it’s always a
to the people. piece of great art.” Pelle Piano (www.studiobild.com)
The girl winters, more or less, during says of the image: “The image is a composite. Sister
nine months, the period for a gestation, in Sinister was shot against a blue screen and extracted. I
a foetus position, until the summer then rendered a simple 3D background in Strata 3D. After
hatches; at that moment, she will come putting the images together, I desaturated Sister Sinister
back to the life, to the action, to the a little and put an adjustment layer on top for an overall
movement, to the dance. blueish colour cast.”
The girl is a total of different pieces of
pictures chosen at random. The rest of the
work is basically a task with paintbrushes.”

GO FREE… STYLE
ARTIST: Mike Karolos
(Smirap Designs)
EMAIL: smrpgraphics@msn.com
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.
co.uk/user/smirapdesigns
“I was born in Manchester,
England in 1984, but I have
spent my whole life living in
Greece. I’m a graphic
designer and currently
working at a creative design
studio here in Athens, but at
the same time try to find
time for freelancing and personal projects. I
started creating graffiti at the age of 13 and from then I knew I wanted to be a
graphic designer. This piece is a personal project that was made for Evoke’s latest
pack called Freestyle. My idea was to make a scene where I could play with the
word ‘freestyle’ and put a lot of symbolism into it. Every element in this piece is from
a different picture or created by me. When I was happy with the layout and with what
I had in mind to make, I then added the lights, fixed the colours and added the
texture and final details to it. To sum up, I wanted to make an eye-catching picture
that can also make you think, ‘what symbolism do I see?’”

24
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024_AVP_51_WebShowcase.indd 24 14/11/08 16:17:29

 Feature

Photoshop
Bridge button Use this to quickly
switch into Bridge whenever you
need to, saving you time when you
need to find the right image to
import into projects

Protect Tones Protect Tones is

available in the Dodge and Burn
tools and helps to, well, protect
the tones in your image,
keeping realism while editing.
There is also a Vibrance option
in the Sponge tool

Brush sizes Of course,

you can still edit your
brush sizes in the usual
way, but now you can
use a handy keyboard
shortcut to drag your
brush to whatever size
you want

26
Advanced Photoshop

026-029_AVP_51_Feature.indd 26 14/11/08 16:20:23


CS4
Make a note You can add handy
little notes to your images using the
Note tool, which now has its own
palette where you can freely edit
the text and flick through all the
notes quickly
026-029_AVP_51_Feature.indd 27
Photoshop CS4
Part
two
With the full version now in
our hands, we take a closer
look at the new features and
tools in Photoshop CS4 and
Help me! There is a give our final verdict
B
fantastic in-built Help
system in Photoshop etween last issue and this one, Photoshop
CS4 where you can find CS4 has started to ship, so many of you
out everything you need
have now got your hands on the latest
to know about the new
features, split into handy version from Adobe and have been playing with
task-themed categories the new features, getting no real work done – or is
that just us?
There are so many small tweaks and enhancements
that it’ll take time to get to grips with everything that
the program can do, but one thing for sure is that you
can get your work done faster and more efficiently
than ever before.
The dedicated Help system built into Photoshop
was our first port of call for finding out everything
that there is to know about the software. Handily, this
has been broken down into a series of themes, which
have various subcategories so that you can find
exactly what you need to know right away. Luckily,
now the program is out there in the public domain,
RAW photo editing If the internet has been saturated with video tutorials
you’re interested in using and there are new books released every week to help
RAW photography in you find out all of CS4’s hidden secrets.
your photomanipulation This month, in our continuing feature on the new
or matte painting
projects, then the Photoshop package, we take a look at some of the
improvements to most noticeable tool improvements: Camera Raw 5,
Camera Raw will custom Flash palettes, Bridge CS4 and more. We’d
certainly be of interest. love to know what you all think of the new
You can now make local
edits when you open Photoshop, whether you have it or have just been
your source reading about it. Will you be upgrading? What are
photography in Camera your favourite features? Email us at advancedpshop@
Raw, meaning that by
imagine-publishing.co.uk, or visit the forum at www.
the time you are back to advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum.
your project in
Photoshop, the images
you need will be all
ready to use. The plug-in Tool improvements
is not backwards- There have been some enhancements made to the
compatible with CS3, so
only CS4 users benefit various tools in Photoshop, which are designed to
from the changes improve the way that the tools work and speed up
common tasks.
Our favourite, and something that really has been a
long time coming, is the ability to preview a source
27
Advanced Photoshop
14/11/08 16:20:42
 Feature

Adobe Bridge
With Photoshop CS4, you also get the
improved Bridge CS4 as standard. It’s easier
than ever to switch into Bridge to find the
images you want to use, as there is a dedicated
button at the top of the interface to help you
out. Check out page 91 this issue for a full
review of the new features in Bridge.
Integration between the Creative Suite
programs is better than ever, enabling you to
view Flash videos, HTML documents and 3D
models from directly within Bridge if you are
CLONE TOOL working on multimedia projects – brilliant if
PREVIEW: With
the Clone tool, you you invest in one of the available CS4 suites.
can now see a The whole of Bridge in general is faster than
preview of the before, speeding up your workflow process.
source area over The interface has been streamlined as well,
the target area to
offering a List view to sort your content easily
make it easier to
line up your and a selection of different Review modes that
cloning effect can be navigated via keyboard shortcuts.

area in the Clone tool. What we mean by this is that

you Opt/Alt-click like usual in your source area, and
when you go to apply it to a new area, a preview of
the area you lifted from will appear over the target so
you can line it up perfectly or see whether your
cloning will be effective before applying it. It’s a really
simple idea, but it will serve to be a real time-saver for
those who do a lot of cloning.
Brushes in general have been tweaked in
Photoshop CS4, and the best thing that we have
found is that instead of using the old bracket keys
shortcut to change brush sizes, you can now press
Ctrl+Alt (Mac) or Alt+right-click (Windows) and drag
your brush to adjust the size as you go, which is an
intuitive way of working. The Dodge and Burn tools
have the option to Protect Tones, and the Sponge tool
NOTE TOOL: Add notes to your
has an added Vibrance command, both of which help image with the Note tool, then review
to control your editing process. them in the Notes palette
Finally worth highlighting is the Note tool and
related palette. You can add notes as usual, but now
you can look at all your notes in the Notes palette, know that there are plenty of new features, most lightening, adjusting the contrast and changing the
which has its uses when you’re working on a project noticeably that you can now edit RAW images locally colour of a large portion of the image. For example, in
with others. rather than having to go into Photoshop itself. Global real-world photography a graduated filter is often
adjustments (that affect the whole image) are still used in landscape work, so you can darken a sky
available from the basic tab options, but there are without affecting the foreground. The same principle
Camera Raw enhanced now two new tools that help you to locally (selected applies here, except that you don’t have a physical
Photoshop comes with Camera Raw, which has now areas) adjust your images, too. filter and you instead work with a gradient spread
been updated to version 5. If you work with RAW The first is the Graduated Filter, which is designed across the image. The gradient can be adjusted,
photos on a regular basis, then you’ll be happy to to work like a traditional filter on a camera, darkening, moved and rotated to suit your needs, making it

Next month: The 3D features in CS4 Extended

28
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 Photoshop CS4

highly customisable. It is possible to apply more than excellent blog, http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack, he

one gradient on any image, so that you can get the
exact effect that you are after.
The other new tool is the Adjustment brush, which
enables you to select an adjustment that you want to
make (for example, changing the contrast), then you
paint over the area that you want the adjustment to
be applied to. It sounds simple and it really is – you
can view the mask you are creating as you paint, and
there are all the usual brush options available. It is
possible to have more than one local adjustment
applied to an image, so that you can deal with
problem areas individually.
Customised panels
One thing that we touched on briefly last month was
the ability to have Flash panels running within
Photoshop, with a Kuler one and a Connections one
built into the program as standard. But what we didn’t
really go into in much detail is just how easy it is to
make your own panels and use them in Photoshop.
This is done using Adobe Configurator 1.0, which is
expected on Adobe Labs any time now (it wasn’t
there at the time of going to press, but on John Nack’s
expected it to be on there in the next few weeks),
which is a small application that works with
Photoshop CS4 (and only CS4 as it uses Flash panel Suite editions
extensibility system that’s new to the software) to There are a number of different suites
enable you to create your own panels. It looks to be a available for CS4 that include Photoshop, and
very simple system to use, with new panels created in can work out as great value for money if you
just five steps. You can drag-and-drop any tools that are looking for a complete package. Here is a
you use regularly into the new panel; you can add selection of those available:
videos and actions; you can rename the panel and the
buttons so that they make sense to you and you can Design Premium £1,468/$1,800
resize the panel at any time. When you export the (Standard version also available)
panel, it’ll be available from the Extensions menu InDesign CS4
from within Photoshop. Photoshop CS4 Extended
There is a fantastic article at www.imaging- Illustrator CS4
resource.com called Configurator 1.0: Build Your Own Flash CS4 Professional
Photoshop Panel, which is definitely worth a read to Dreamweaver CS4
find out more about how to use Adobe Configurator
Fireworks CS4
and the sorts of panels that you can use it to build.
Acrobat 9 Pro
There is also some handy information on
Adobe Bridge CS4
PhotoshopCafe.com. You can expect that, as soon as
Adobe Device Central CS4
this handy little app goes live on the Adobe Labs site
Version Cue
(http://labs.adobe.com), hundreds of custom panels
will be available free on the internet, created for
common tasks, such as retouching projects. Web Premium £1,405/$1,700
(Standard version also available)
Dreamweaver CS4
Flash CS4 Professional
Photoshop CS4 Extended
Illustrator CS4
Fireworks CS4
Acrobat 9 Pro
Soundbooth CS4
Contribute CS4
Adobe Bridge CS4
Adobe Device Central CS4
Version Cue CS4

LOCAL ADJUSTMENT BRUSH: In version 5 of GRADUATED FILTER: As in the real world, you can Production Premium £1,655/$1,700
Camera Raw, you can make simple local adjustments apply a graduated filter to your photograph to adjust After Effects CS4
without having to go into Photoshop large parts of the image through the use of gradients Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
Photoshop CS4 Extended
ADOBE CONFIGURATOR 1.0: Adobe Configurator
Flash CS4 Professional
from Adobe Labs enables you to create your own custom
panels for using in Photoshop CS4 Illustrator CS4
Soundbooth CS4
Summary: A worthy upgrade from CS3 or earlier, Adobe OnLocation CS4
Adobe has made enough improvements here to Encore CS4
justify the outlay (especially if you take advantage of Adobe Bridge CS4
the upgrade pricing). It’s not cheap, though, and you Adobe Device Central CS4
do need a reasonably good system to get the most Dynamic Link
from it.
Rating: 4/5

reviewed and rated – is it worth the extra cash?

29
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 Inter
view
Inter
view
AARON
SIMS
This is a man who knows the Incredible
Hulk so intimately that he could tell you
about every contour of his shirt-busting
body. Thankfully, it’s not as sordid as it
sounds – meet blockbuster character
designer, Aaron Sims
A
aron Sims is a very busy man, to say
the least. He’s responsible for a whole
host of Hollywood’s leading roles, and
the demand never lets up. As the founder and
director of the Aaron Sims Company, he’s
recognised as the leader in digital concept design.
At just 42, he’s seen as one of the main founders of
modern character design, and is celebrated
worldwide for his contribution to modern-day
film. We managed to grab him on a rare quiet
moment to find out how he has forged such a
successful career for himself.
Sims lived a rather unremarkable childhood
growing up in the late Sixties in Arlington, Texas.
His days were filled watching and learning from
his artistic father, who had an unforgiving eye for
detail. “My father was an incredible artist, who
created these intense drawings so full of detail,”
says Sims. “He used to take me to the local zoo
and take photos for reference, and then create the
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030-035_AVP_51_Interview.indd 30
THE HILLS HAVE EYES II
© FOX ATOMIC:
A mutant artwork taken from The
Hills Have Eyes II from 2007, a
horror/thriller
most elaborate drawings that would just blow me
away.” It’s this intense detail that Sims applied to
his work later on in life, giving him an edge against
the competition.
By his teens, Sims had developed a taste for
Hollywood. “I’d always been interested in the
entertainment industry but never thought I’d
actually be there as an adult. A career like I have
now seemed untouchable, especially being all the
way from Texas; I assumed that I’d never get into
movies as I wasn’t in Hollywood.”
With realistic expectations, Sims decided to
make the move to California to pursue a career in
illustration, with hopes, at best, of designing a few
book covers here and there.
Things take off
It was from this point that Sims found door after
door of opportunity opening up to him. “It was
such an exciting time. Unbelievable, in fact. I was
THE HILLS HAVE EYES II
© AARON SIMS:
A mutant artwork taken from The
Hills Have Eyes II from 2007, a
horror/thriller
contacted by an old school friend who was
working on A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. I got my
foot in the door and went from there,” says Sims. “It
felt so gratifying to be given an opportunity. At
just 19, I was certainly overwhelmed but not
daunted. I was just so excited to see what I could
do and what I could learn next.”
With the help of a supportive crew, offering
advice on how to make moulds, paint models and
assemble the mechanics of the models, Sims
received some of the most important training of
his career. His work as a special effects make-up
artist for the film industry quickly got him noticed
by Academy Award winner Rick Baker. Sims began
to collaborate with him on various projects in a
partnership that lasted over 12 years. It was during
this time that Sims produced special effects on
some of the most iconic movies of the Nineties:
Batman Forever, Gremlins 2, Men In Black, Mighty
Joe Young and The Nutty Professor.
14/11/08 15:56:02
 Aaron Sims

SATYR CONCEPT
© WALT DISNEY
PICTURES:
A concept drawing for
Film buffs will remember the cigarette-smoking I AM The Chronicles of
aliens in Men In Black, and it was the creation of LEGEND Narnia: Prince Caspi
an
these outer-space deviants that helped propel © WARNER
BROS
Sims to a successful film career. “My first sci-fi film PICTURES:
was Men In Black and I really enjoyed that process. Created for I Am
I was involved in right from the sketch, through to Legend, the
futuristic horror/
clay, to the painting of models. It was such a thriller starring
thrilling experience.” Will Smith
As films advanced, so too did technology and a
reluctant Sims dragged himself into the 21st
Century by getting to grips with Photoshop and a
host of 3D applications. “Learning these apps really
catapulted me into a new realm. Luckily, I excelled
and the benefits followed. I really didn’t expect
how much would blossom from it,” Sims explains.
“To be honest, I wasn’t very computer savvy back
then. I was in the mind-set of traditional tools and
found the thought of digital tools intimidating.
But once I tried it, I was excited. I don’t think I’d
have the patience for clay now!”

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 Inter
view
YETI CONCEPT
© UNIVERSAL STUDIOS:
Another concept drawing, this time
for 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of
the Dragon Emperor, depicting a
yeti creation
It was early days when Sims got his first taster
of Photoshop, but even then the app had some
amazing technology, which could be utilised for
impressive character work. “Rick Baker introduced
me to the first version of Photoshop, showing me
its capabilities. I found it amazing for coming up
with paint schemes, which I could try out in
Photoshop first before applying to the model. This
was a godsend because once you put paint on a
foam model, there’s no going back.”
It wasn’t until the Liquify tool came into play in
Photoshop that Sims got a real insight into what
Photoshop could do to help him. “The first version
didn’t have Liquify, but since that came along I
was hooked. I loved the way I could change the
proportions and use it to change shapes. I do
have a tendency to liquify everything I see!”
Playing with the big boys
Sims’ skill set has scored him a number of fans,
including none other than Steven Spielberg. Sims
made such an impression, he was hired for
Spielberg’s hit movie, A.I. “It was definitely one of
the highlights of my career, meeting him for the
first time. I just kept thinking, ‘This is incredible. I
love all his movies,’” he enthuses. “It’s an honour to
be there to see how he thinks; he’s a very
knowledgeable man and knows what he wants,
which is great. I can’t ever remember feeling
intimidated – he was immediately warm and
friendly. He’s very supportive of the artists he
works with and he said he really liked my work.
The best thing is he listens to suggestions and is
often really receptive to them, too.” With such
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Advanced Photoshop
030-035_AVP_51_Interview.indd 32
huge names behind him, it’s not surprising that
Sims is no stranger to the red carpet. “There are a
lot of people like me working behind the scenes
on movies who do not get the recognition and
respect they often deserve. By getting the
opportunity to be on the red carpet and get my
name out there, hopefully this will pave the way
for the next generation of artists to become
recognised.” This crusade is something Sims is
keen to battle until the movie industry takes
notice. He dreams of the day when character
design becomes an official category at the Oscars.
“Character design is so important to the world of
film. The characters form a huge part of the
movies – just think about the Incredible Hulk and
King Kong. They are both just as valid as any
actor and should be recognised. There will come a
time when this industry will be validated for the
work that it does.”
Until that happens, Sims is happy to keep
striving for perfection in his work. Despite the
recent writers’ strike, it seems there’s never any let- MAMMON © WARNER BROS PICTURES:
up for Sims and the rest of his staff. “It’s been a very A concept drawing for 2005’s Constantine, starring
Keanu Reeves
weird year, what with the writer strikes and all.
BY GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE ON THE RED CARPET,
HOPEFULLY THIS WILL PAVE THE
WAY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
14/11/08 15:56:51
 Aaron Sims

30 days of night
© columbia pictures:
Artwork of a male vampire for the
film 30 Days of Night, released in
2007 and directed by David Slade

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 Inter
view

Clay emperor head

© Universal studios:
This image was created for summer
blockbuster The Mummy: Tomb of
the Dragon Emperor

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 Aaron Sims

SKINWALKERS
© CONSTANTIN FILM
PRODUKTION:
A werewolf design for the 2007
film Skinwalkers, directed by
James Isaac

Very few projects have passed the R&D phase,” he

explains. “Luckily, we’re pulled into this
GOLDEN
MONKEY (INSET
BEING IN FX DOES MEAN I
TEND TO OVERANALYSE A LOT
TOP) © NEW
development phase to work on ideas, but this
LINE CINEMA:
year few people have been able to commit. We’re A drawing of the

contracted so we always get paid, whether the
film goes to the big screen or not, but it’s always
disappointing when it doesn’t.”
As well as his character design, Sims also works
alongside Alex Alvarez and the Gnomon School of
Visual Effects on a series of instructional DVDs. His
Photoshop techniques are always hankered after
by his followers, so he has just completed a
character design video using just Photoshop. “A lot
of people aren’t interested in learning all the 3D
apps, but want to know how to utilise Photoshop
to its limits. There was so much demand for a
Photoshop video that it made sense to make one.”
Getting some downtime
With such a busy workload, it’s no surprise that
Sims finds little time to relax. “It’s very hard indeed.
OF FILMS I WATCH
golden monkey from
The Golden Compass
EMBODIED
(ABOVE LEFT)
© AARON SIMS: Weirdly, I felt more freedom working for other
You can see more of
Sims’ work by visiting people than I do now working for myself. I’m
his website or investing constantly thinking about the next project. I never
in one of his
instructional DVDs
take a break, but then I love what I do so it makes
up for it.” On the rare occasion that Sims does take
a break, this self-confessed coffee addict loves
nothing more than to watch a good film. “Being in
FX does mean I tend to overanalyse a lot of films I
watch. I fixate on the characters and pick them
apart. But thankfully, I can relax when I watch films,
too. I recently watched Hellboy 2: The Golden Army,
and managed to watch the whole lot without
being at all critical!”
It seems that, for now, Sims has no intentions of
slowing down, and while he’s at the forefront of
his game, who can blame him? With a recent run
of amazing blockbusters, this self-made character
designer is happy conjuring up his weird and
wonderful creatures and nurturing them to life.
There isn’t anyone else in this world who can call
the Hulk his “baby”, and it’s for that very reason we
have no doubt Sims still has a very long career
ahead of him.
Aaron Sims’ works can next be seen in the
upcoming films, The Spirit and The Day the Earth
Stood Still.

35
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 MASTERCLASS

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036-040_AVP_51_PunkMC.indd 36 14/11/08 16:22:33

 PUNK UP YOUR PHOTOS
Want more colour and intricacy out of your steampunk creations? Leave the land of
sepia and explore the realm of vintage machines, punk flare and sci-fi ingenuity

ON THE DISC
On the disc, you’ll find the model image
(model: Miss Mosh, photographer: Marcus
J. Ranum) as well as a selection of images
taken by Aimee Stewart. There’s also a
document of links for the free brushes and
layer styles used.
OUR EXPERT Aimee Stewart
Aimee Stewart is a self-taught artist and freelance writer. She is
currently working with Duirwaigh Gallery on numerous
licensed projects to be released in 2009.
V
ersatility is the key to igniting your inner steampunk muse. This tutorial is structured in a way that allows
you to swap out textures, colours, brushes and stock photos to achieve a look that’s all your own. You are
highly encouraged to experiment as you go along.
These effects can be applied to photos of people, street scenes, steampunk machines and anything else you can
imagine. It will also show you ways of adding detail through painting with metallic layer styles.
That being said, there are elements of this tutorial that will be easier if you have a Wacom tablet to work with.
However, if you do not have one, you can either skip those steps or use brushes instead. Prior to starting the tutorial,
you should download and install the layer styles from the links provided on the disc. Above all, you will be able to
transfer any or all of these steps into other pieces that you think would benefit from them, whether they are steampunk-
based creations or not.

1 Ignition
Begin with a canvas size of
2,717 x 3,508 pixels at 300dpi. Layer
Duplicate two layers of the
‘MissMosh_byMJRanum.jpg’ file, styles
so that you have the original
beneath the working one. Utilising layer styles can be a great way to
Rename the top layer to ‘Mosh_ add intricate detail to your artwork. One way
to do so is to draw small details with your
Foundation’. With the Smudge
digital tablet with Layer Styles activated. For
tool, use a soft-edged brush
this tutorial, create a new layer on top of your
according to the area being work in progress, then go to Layer>Layer
worked and generally apply Style>Blending Options. A pop-up box will
60% strength on it. Don’t worry appear. Click Styles in the upper left-hand
about oversmudging, but make corner. You will see a selection of preset layer
sure that you both pay attention styles, as well as the metallic presets that you
to and work with the light and have loaded. From the Weathered Brass layer
shadows. style collection (see the link on the disc),
select Copper Weathervane to begin with.
Now, with a small radius brush on 100%

2 3
Opacity, you can begin drawing your details.
Ground control Lift off
You can embellish with thin lines to mimic
Once you have the entire piece airbrushed or Using the Polygonal tool, make a quick selection wiring, or experiment with dots and other
smudged, reduce the ‘Mosh_Foundation’ layer’s Opacity around Mosh. Inverse and delete the background. This designs that resemble metalwork.
to 60%. The point is to take the polished layer and let a can also be done with masking, the Pen tool or simply
little of the original skin texture through later. This way, careful erasing. The point is to extract the background.
you gain a touch of realism rather than having a blemish- Don’t worry about hair details at this point, since they will
free mannequin face. be added later.
“THE MACHINES
CREATED IN A
STEAMPUNK
SETTING ARE
BASED ON A
PRESUMPTION OF
FUNCTIONALITY”
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 MASTERCLASS
Go with the
4 Wings
Add ‘aimeestewart_stock_flyinga.jpg’ behind the
Mosh layers. Go to Edit>Transform>Rotate and turn the
5 Tattoo you
Take ‘aimeestewart_stock_flyinga.jpg’, cut out the
logo and then place it over her arm. Via Edit>Transform>
fflow image until the wing is positioned the way you wish.
Then lay ‘Grunge_background.psd’ over that, and erase
Rotate, turn it slightly so that it angles with her arm, then
go to Warp. Adjust the edges of the piece to curve with
until you have left the wing exposed but have blended her bicep by pulling on the corners. Then set the layer’s
The elaborate gadgets and machines created
the backgrounds together. Next up, go to Image> blending mode to Difference. It produces an interesting
in a steampunk setting are always based on a
presumption of functionality. It doesn’t Adjustments>Color Balance in order to match the effect, similar to a tattoo.
matter ‘how’ the clockwork Stratocaster background hues.
works, just sit back and enjoy! And don’t
forget that wildly inventive headgear is
always in fashion, and is best when created
with a heavy-handed dose of Victorian sci-fi
flare. So don’t settle for plain old goggles –
make yourself a Gyroscopic Aether Disrupting
Headset with a built-in Phonotelephote! You
never know when you might need that, do
you? And if your muse needs an atmospheric
boost, then dive into the wealth of an H G
Wells book or a Jules Verne novel.

6 Time will tell

Open the clock face stock (see the link on the disc)
and extract it from its background. Use the Magic Wand
8 Strands
For the hair, use the Smudge tool with a very small
soft-edged brush on 95% strength and pull strands away
tool with the Contiguous selection turned off. Click the as they would naturally flow. Follow the direction of the
tool on one of the black numbers and all areas of black hair, with a few stray strands. When you need to blend
should highlight. Select>Inverse and delete the rest. the hair where it overlaps her shoulder, select a chunk of
Choose the numbers you want, copy them and paste hair from that area, copy, paste, then smudge-drag that
them onto Mosh. Test different blending modes, such as layer. The hair strands will not interfere with the integrity
Overlay and Difference, until you find something you like. of the original stock photo.

7 Orbit
To electrify her eyes, take the plasma orb (see the
disc) and crop it from the background using the Elliptical
Marquee tool. Reduce the Opacity temporarily to help
you reposition it. Hold down the Shift key as you now
scale the orb to fit over her iris. Erase what overlaps her
eyelid. Reduce the strength of the Eraser and gently work
the edge of the orb layer so the natural definition of her
iris comes through. Repeat this process for the other eye.
Return to the original Opacity and apply Linear Dodge.

10 Main components
Extract the main lens of the vintage camera
(see the link on the disc) and add it as a layer. Go to
Edit>Transform, then Rotate, Scale and Warp this as you
wish. Set the Eraser tool to a low Opacity and erase the
lens glass slightly so that the hair shows through. See the
boxout on layer styles (page 37) for how to prepare your
new layer for adding metallic detail.

11 Elaboration

9
When you want to add more styles, simply
Wisps create another layer and repeat the process, only
Create a new layer over the model stock. Use the selecting a different layer style such as one of the
Eyedropper to select hair colour in the area that you Weathered Brass Styles (see the link on the disc).
want to paint individual strands in. With a tiny brush, Different sizes of lines and circles will give various results.
lower the Opacity by 15-25 per cent and paint smaller To illuminate areas, use Neon Styles and your detailing
rogue strands of hair back into place where they were will glow. You can even add preset brushes to these
originally smudged out. layers and they will take on the same effects.

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 12 Mayday
Using the vintage telephone (see the link on
the disc), extract the mouthpiece and earpiece. Place
those in the same position as a vintage pilot headset
would be. Go to Image>Adjustments>Color Balance and
increase the red and yellow tones to match the hue of
shiny copper and brass. Now extract the telephone cord
and piece it together so that it provides the skeleton of
the headgear you are about to create.
15 Picture perfect
For her lipstick, follow the same process as in
Step 14 while playing with the blending modes. Linear
Burn turns the lipstick a dark midnight blue. As the
picture progresses, go back and change it to see what
you prefer.
18 Vertigo
To add more dynamic visuals to the
headpiece, select the swirl orb stock (see the disc).
Extract it, resize it and place it over the lens of the
headgear eyepiece. In the blending modes, choose
Overlay at 100 % Opacity.
“TEXTURES 19
HAVE THE
ABILITY TO ADD
POWERFUL
DYNAMICS TO
YOUR PICTURE”
036-040_AVP_51_PunkMC.indd 39
13 Embellish
Repeat the process of Steps 10 and 11 and
continue to enhance the headgear. Add rivets, jewels,
14 Technicolour dreamcoats
Create a new layer on top of ‘Mosh_Main’. Set
the blending mode to Overlay at 100% Opacity. With a
wiring, designs… anything you wish. The sky’s the limit! large, soft-edged brush, reduce the Opacity to 15%
and select a vibrant colour, in this case sky blue. Paint
where you wish the colour to stand out, switching
colours as needed.
17 Supernova
Now, taking the colourful texture stock (see
the link on the disc), place it on top of the entire piece,
scaling it to fit. Apply a Gaussian Blur so that the details of
the texture are smoothed away, leaving only variations of
colour. Change the blending mode to Overlay at 83%
Opacity. Notice how the colour pops. This is a fun,
16
random way of experimenting with colour and light.
In shadow Textures can add powerful dynamics to your picture
Back to the headgear now. Select the through colour.
earpiece and go to Image>Adjustments>Curves.
Deepen the tones of the earpiece by dragging the
selection area down slightly.
Background shift
Take the same full-sized orb stock as before,
only this time in green (see the link on the disc). Place it
behind Mosh but on top of everything else, leaving the
white in place. Select Difference as the blending mode
at 100% Opacity. This will give you a dramatic shift in
colour and create some fun effects as it overlays the
wing area. It also enhances the industrial oil-slick type
hue of the colours, while keeping them vibrant. Now
follow Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation and cycle
through the colours to choose one that fits your
composition best.
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14/11/08 16:24:04
 MASTERCLASS
20 Grit and grime
Start playing with textures, such as the
Grunge Speckle texture (see the link on the disc). Add
the texture on top of everything else and select Overlay
as the blending mode with 100% Opacity (although that
can change with whatever texture you choose). Erase
until there’s just a hint of it overlapping onto her cheek.
23 Clockworks
While stock photos of gears and clockworks
always work well with steampunk portraits, another way
to add these elements is to use clockwork brushes (there
are plenty of gear brushes on the disc, see page 98 for
details, and also there are links to some) and apply the
same metallic layer styles as in Steps 10 and 11. Use the
brushes on separate layers for easy editing, using the
Warp tool to fit them to the headgear.
26
Illumination
Click on the ‘Mosh_Foundation’ layer and add
an Outer Glow of blue, with a blending mode of Screen
and a 75% Opacity. Then add an Inner Glow of pale
cream set to Screen at 75% Opacity.
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036-040_AVP_51_PunkMC.indd 40
22 Where in the world…?
You will notice a text file of geographical
co-ordinates included with this tutorial (named
‘coordinates.txt’). By following the same sequence as in
Step 6, add these co-ordinates in whatever font you
choose vertically on the cheek. Once you have them in
place, click on the Create Warped Text tool and apply the
Flag or Wave effect to mimic a slight curve of the cheek.
And you may ask, where do the co-ordinates lead? The
clues are here somewhere…!
21 Warp speed
Extract the main dial from the ‘aimeestewart_
gear.bmp’ stock and place it beneath other headgear
pieces. Edit>Transform>Warp to fit it to the curve of the
headpiece. Any other elements you wish to use can be
added by repeating these steps. Be sure to go into
Image>Adjustments>Color Balance to shift colours to
match or complement each other.
24 When lightning strikes
After you have embellished the headgear
with details, such as a clockwork hand for an antennae,
add some plasma orb lighting with lightning brushes.
Place them on separate layers and choose a very pale sky
blue. Apply a soft Outer Glow to these in the same hue if
you wish, with Screen as the blending mode.
25 Connections
To complete the headpiece, use one of the
lace brushes (#2211 was used here – see the link on the
disc) on a separate layer, beneath the rest of the
headgear. Erase to shape and then apply the same
metallic layer style to it as in Steps 10 and 11. Edit>
Transform>Warp to fit it to the top of her head.
27 Oil slick
Use ‘aimeestewart_oilstain.jpg’ image and
place it over the top of everything with the blending
mode as Soft Light. Erase as desired over the face. Take Create your own
textures
the ‘rainbow colour texture’ from the disc, position the
starburst stripes over the Flying A tattoo and set it to Soft
Light. Erase the edges and blend it as desired. Once you
have everything in place, now you can go over the piece. Creating your own textures is a perfect way of
Do whatever you like – there are no limits! adding your own distinctive look to any
artwork. Keep your camera handy, because
you never know when you might see a perfect
grungy wall, a cracked walkway or age-
stained paint that would be perfect for a
texture. Make sure you take the photo at the
highest resolution possible and straight on to
the subject, instead of at an angle. That way
you will avoid any strange distortions in your
artwork. Also, scanning things like old paper
and antique book covers will quickly fatten
your texture inventory.
14/11/08 16:24:36
 Feature

INDUSTRY
INSIGHT
2009
Get ahead of the
game with our in-
depth guide to the
biggest trends you can
expect to see over the next
year, plus how you can ensure An
drew
Jon
es

that you don’t fall behind

©

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T
he end of any year is a time for reflection,
to take stock of your achievements and
consider those things you wished you had
done and have still to do. It’s a time to make plans, set
goals and look forward to building on your successes,
banishing the negatives and starting afresh, whatever
stage you’re at in your artistic endeavours.
That said, hopes and ambitions have taken a bit of a
knock this year, as economic uncertainty has helped
spread doom and gloom. There are clear concerns that
budgets for design and illustration could be cut as
industries tighten their belts and take work, freelance
opportunities particularly, in-house.
Despite the potential difficulties ahead, a trawl across
the internet and through the pages of this magazine
reveal a healthy climate for creativity. We are often
astounded by the quality and quantity of work out
Industry insight 2009
there, from long-established studios to new and
emerging talent. 2009 already looks to be another year
packed with potential and new challenges.
By their very nature, trends are cyclical. They come
and go, some dictated by fashion while others grow
organically over time. Until recently, many have been
driven by industry observers and magazines predicting
and promoting trends in fashion, art and design.
Those wishing to follow trends have looked to
traditional trendsetters to set the scene, but lately that
has all changed.
An abundance of websites, blogs, forums and art
communities, run by both professionals and
enthusiasts alike, now help shape creative thought and
invention, and therefore future trends. Websites such as
Computerlove, ConceptArt.org, deviantART,
depthCORE, Fecal Face, GFXartist, IllustrationMundo.
com, LCSV4, Netdiver, slashTHREE and Advanced
Photoshop’s own galleries and forum are all influencing
the great and the good. The internet has brought like-
minded people together in numbers to share and
inspire, promote and collaborate.
Stay on-trend in
2009
If you want to be creating work that’s at the
cutting edge of art and design for 2009 and
beyond, then here are our top tips for success.
1. Expand your skill set
The next year is all about innovation and using
software in different ways to create something
new, so practise with new techniques and
skills, browse online tutorial sites (we like
PSDTUTS.com) and try new things!
2. Partner up
Professionally, artists are joining together to
form collaboratives, which enables them to
take on a wider range of commissions. Use
communities like deviantART to find like-
minded individuals and work together on a
project. You’ll end up with a great piece of art,
and learn a thing or two at the same time.
3. Be conscious of your contemporaries

“MOTION GRAPHICS We all look to other artists for inspiration and

influence. However, it’s one thing to be

IS BECOMING MORE following trends and quite another to be

creating them. Watch what people are doing

POPULAR, ESPECIALLY and then apply it to your work with your own
unique twist. It will help your work stand out

SINCE PHOTOSHOP
from the crowd, and could attract clients who
want something that goes beyond the latest

CS3 EXTENDED ADDED

art and design fads.

4. Use online communities

MORE CAPABILITY The primary resource for following style
trends, art communities will help you develop

FOR DOING THIS” your style and learn all the new trends.

Join us, then, as we review the design trends and

creative communities that have helped shaped this year,
and try and predict what 2009 will hold, ably assisted by
several leading professionals and keen enthusiasts.

TREND 1: Move to motion graphics

The online revolution accounts for a trend that Anne
Brassier, of famed London-based cross-platform design
agency Airside (www.airside.co.uk), has seen
developing recently. “We’ve seen a gradual merging of
moving image and digital art. Now that broadband is
widespread, a piece of moving image can appear as a
main part of a website, and also podcasted or used for
broadcast. This is an exciting trend for us as we span
both worlds.”
Anna Goodson, of renowned illustration agency
Anna Goodson Management (www.agoodson.com),
confirms the trend: “Our illustrators do a lot of print work
for the most part, but we are also starting to do more
motion work and Flash for the web.”
Motion graphics, where an illusion of motion is
added to a design, is becoming more popular, especially
since Photoshop CS3 Extended added more capability
for doing this, expanding more in CS4 Extended. The
use of motion graphics can be cost-effective and

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 Feature
Communities
Expert advice

Andrew Jones
Famed artist and self-styled shaman, Andrew
Jones (www.androidjones.com), aka Android
Jones, is cofounder of the influential ConceptArt.
org online community.

Q What trends have you seen developing

within the CG community?

A As a contemporary artist whose primary

interest lies in digitally created art and
the development of online and physical art
communities, I have seen many trends. Andrew Jones’s on-trend
Professionally, one of the largest growing artworks can be seen on
trends I have seen lately is the rise and his website at
attention given to the position of the ‘concept www.androidjones.com
artist’, specifically the desire to ‘be a concept
artist.’ Outside the entertainment industry, I REBORN (RIGHT): “I
can see an increase in the perceived value of see our era as a unique
digital art within the realm of the fine arts. opportunity for
Over the years I have witnessed the shift to a humankind, with an
infinite potential for
new paradigm. Now, more than ever before, I
artists to reinvent
am seeing digital art receive the recognition themselves through
and appreciation that was once only what they do; and to
attributed to traditional work. emerge, reborn, on the

Q Do trends/styles grow and develop

organically, or do high-profile artists
and studios dictate them in some way?
other side,” insists
Andrew Jones
© ANDREW JONES

A I believe that all trends are born in

response to a need, whether on a
conscious or subconscious level. Within the
MOMENTUM (RIGHT): “The momentum of an avalanche
is often set in motion with one rolling stone,” exclaims
Andrew Jones, cofounder of the influential ConceptArt.org
context of digital art, I see a great curiosity, a © ANDREW JONES
need for clarity and, most importantly, an
inexorable search for inspiration. I have
invented myself over the last few years
performing as a live digital artist, taking my
laptop and Wacom tablet into nightclubs,
festivals and concerts to create new art on
stage, projected on walls or screens for the
audience. This type of art rips free the veil of
mystery behind the manifestation of the work
I create, while involving the audience as a
participant. I have received hundreds of
emails from artists around the world asking
for advice and sharing their live painting
experiences. The creation of live digital art
has taken on its own movement from the
underground into the mainstream.

Q What challenges will the CG industry/

community face in 2009?
The ‘concept artist’ is the modern
A No matter what story the fake economy
decides to weave, the world will always
need escapism; people will always be drawn
storyteller and the harbinger of
the new gods insists Andrew
to it through their desire to experience both Jones
beauty and fear. As our world changes and
re-renders around us, it is the opportunity
as well as responsibility of all dedicated
artists to create new and innovative ways to
express and support themselves. In a
changing world, the artists that can adapt
themselves through innovation will be the
ones that succeed. I see our era as a unique
opportunity for humankind, with an infinite
potential for artists to reinvent themselves
through what they do; and to emerge, reborn,
on the other side.

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 Industry insight 2009
the results are often stunning. “Motion graphics is still a
relatively young field, but in a short amount of time
people have got really good at what they do,” insists
Evan Dennis, associate creative director at Shilo (www.
shilo.tv), an Emmy Award-winning creative production
company, with studios in New York and California.
Airside and other modest design agencies and
studios are able to compete globally for new clients
because they offer a range of skills under one roof. While
once relatively rare, multidisciplinary companies are
becoming the norm, as Anne Brassier suggests: “It’s
happening fast; we were much more unusual five years
ago. But it makes so much more sense in today’s
multimedia world. No one gets their content through
one fixed medium, ie TV, any more, so integrating those
messages is crucial.”
Learning a few new skills beyond your creative
comfort zone, or collaborating with others to combine
areas of expertise, should serve you well in 2009, and
this is something that can be easily done by joining an
art community or forum where artistic individuals can
be found. Communities like depthCORE.com have
always inspired through their Chapters, essentially
online exhibitions, which rather than just offering digital
art categories, now have entrants sending in motion
graphics and cross-platform projects. Professionally,
there’s a very sound reason for becoming multitalented.
If you can provide a range of services, your appeal will
be more widespread and your potential is greater.
However, even if Photoshop art is just a hobby or a part-
FORWARD MOMENTUM (BELOW): “As
technology develops at an exponential rate, the
throttle has been released,” insists Andrew Jones. “The
bandwidth in which we can share the full expression
of our spirit and ourselves will be made manifest”
© ANDREW JONES
042-049_AVP_51_Feature.indd 45
time endeavour, then you can add another dimension
to your work by learning motion graphics skills and
getting yourself ahead of the game for 2009’s biggest
design revolution.
TREND 2: Keep on illustrating
While motion graphics appears to be enjoying a healthy
growth in popularity, 2008 has been another
exceptional year for illustration. “There’s been a host of
great work in advertising and publishing,” enthuses
Derek Brazell, interim manager at The Association of
Illustrators (www.theaoi.com). A renewed emphasis on
drawing and the sheer diversity of work on view has
typified the year. “Those cute characters don’t seem to
have loosened their grip, but drawing is becoming
increasingly popular. There’s a huge variety of styles out
there, and we see everything represented in the entries
to the AOI’s Images competition.” Anna Goodson is in
agreement, representing a wide range of illustrators and
illustration styles: “There are many trends at the same
time, and that’s great.”
It’s time to get to grips with the Pen tool in
Photoshop, then, if you want jump on the bandwagon
for illustrated characters. It’s something that does
require a certain amount of natural talent if you want to
go for an intricate hand-drawn look, but there are
various techniques for creating fun characters using a
combination of geometric shapes and bright, primary
colour palettes.
Despite a bumper year for illustration, the AOI has
repeatedly drawn attention to the Orphan Works Act of
2008 in the US, which, if successful, could adversely
affect artists, illustrators, photographers, designers and
anyone who place their work online. “Individuals need
to be aware of orphaned works. It’s very easy for images,
especially on the net, to lose their creator’s name and
therefore be open to exploitation by anyone. If
legislation allows them to do this with little risk, then it
will happen,” explains Derek Brazell. “However, the EU
and the UK are looking at orphaned works, and it
appears there will be more rigorous checks on who can
do what with an orphaned work in these territories.”
The Act is not the only doubt on the horizon facing
those working in the creative industries. The current
worldwide financial uncertainties are affecting budgets
and commissions. Individuals, particularly freelancers,
face similar challenges, but Derek Brazell at the AOI
remains optimistic. “There may be a downturn in
commissioning, and we are already hearing about some
projects being shelved, but illustration will survive all
that.” So it’s safe to say that for 2009 at least, illustration
will remain a key digital art trend.
TREND 3: Strength in numbers
One of the biggest changes in 2008, and a huge trend
set to continue into 2009, is working with other
designers or artists as part of a team. In the world of
commercial design, this is largely due to the economic
crisis. By banding together, designers and artists can
pool their skills, being able to take on a wider range of
commissions and therefore, keep themselves afloat
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14/11/08 16:14:24
 Feature
when the ultimate number of commissions is
going down, often with large clients turning to using in-
house designers instead of freelancing work out. These
collectives and studios can cover more ground, give a
greater output and produce quality work at short notice
by pulling together as a team.
“It’s a crazy time right now, and it feels a little
unpredictable. We don’t know how this will ultimately
affect the industry,” adds Noah Conopask, associate
creative director at Shilo. “We have to find solutions that
will work within a set of given parameters and still make
great work. So even if things get tight, we are still going
to do what we do. We might have to get even more
cunning in our strategy, and competition will be that
much more intense, but whatever happens there will
always be competition.”
Strength in numbers means you can pool your
resources to attract the work that Derek Brazell suggests
is still very much out there. “Organisations that keep
promoting their products through economic downturns
apparently do better as they retain or improve their
market share, and they’re still going to need great
images to do that.” Get in on the act by creating your
own informal collectives – with the rise of artistic
communities, and the ease with which you can set up
your own websites or blog sites, it’s not as hard as it
sounds. Put out the call on busy forums and learn to
work together on projects. While you might initially start
doing it for fun, it will help you build your skills and
future-proof your design experience.

TREND 4: A good education

As we move into 2009, educators, the custodians of
many a rising star, will need to ensure they are preparing
students for the realities of working life. The Centre for
Excellence in Media Practice, based in the Media School
at Bournemouth University (www.cemp.ac.uk), excels in
preparing both new and old heads for employment.
“We increasingly stress to potential students at our open
days the competitive and casual employment structure
of the industries they wish to work in,” explains CEMP’s
director Jon Wardle. “We make it explicit that to succeed
they are not only going to have to develop creatively,
but also as people. Many creative people, particularly
designers, find it incredibly hard to talk about their work
in ways that excites others, and increasingly it’s the
people who can do this that go on to succeed.”
Wardle believes Bournemouth students have a strong
track record of getting first jobs as soon as they
graduate, due to the emphasis they place on
developing ‘soft skills,’ such as negotiating for business,
pitching and writing treatments. “We don’t just talk
about these things, we directly assess them throughout
the course. Therefore our graduates are hopefully not
only at the forefront of current creative practice, but are
able to talk about their work, sell their strengths to
potential clients or employers and negotiate the nitty-
gritty detail over pay and contracts.”
A formal education isn’t essential, but good business
sense along with dedication and ambition is. All-round
skills, particularly the ability to communicate and
articulate your thoughts, while not a trend will still serve
you well in the forthcoming months and years,
especially if you are just starting off your career.
For those who enjoy learning new skills, especially
digitally, Adobe has been at the forefront of much
innovation this year with the launch of CS4 and a
range of new and improved features and tools. If you’re
keen to explore vectors with Illustrator, web design with
Dreamweaver, animate with After Effects or publish
online or offline with InDesign, then there’s never been
a better time. Adobe has streamlined workflows,
reduced the learning curve between applications with a
consistent and simplified integrated design
environment, and improved online collaboration tools
significantly. While a complete Adobe CS4 Suite doesn’t
come cheap, we now have the ability to produce high-
quality cross-media campaigns and compete with large TEAM OF MERCENARIES (ABOVE): Shilo utilised a
team of 2D animators, 3D designers, 3D modellers and
studios effectively, all from one software provider.
3D animators for this striking ad for Mercenaries 2:
There are plenty of places online where you can learn World in Flames
new skills, too, such as sites like PSDTUTS.com or © SHILO
PhotoshopSupport.com, with new tutorials added daily,
keeping you on your toes and your work fresh. GUINNESS ‘SPOKEN WORD’ (RIGHT): Shilo recently
Magazines like Advanced Photoshop are there to directed and produced this striking new spot for the
educate, too, teaching you new commercial skills on a creative team from ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi London
regular basis. and their clients at Guinness. Shilo created original
animated content, which appears around international
At the end of the day, it’s all about learning and musician and spoken-word artist Ainsley Burrows as he
developing. We’re entering a year of change, so whether speaks, to illustrate his words and thoughts
you teach yourself new skills, or are in formal education, © SHILO

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 Industry insight 2009
Expert advice
WORLD IN FLAMES:
Illustration
Working with San Francisco
agency Draftfcb for Electronic
Arts, Shilo created ‘Ca$h’ to
Anna Goodson
Anna Goodson is president of Anna Goodson
promote the release of Management (www.agoodson.com), a boutique-
Mercenaries 2: World in
style agency that represents some of the most
Flames, controlling the palette
and textures to match US celebrated illustrators from around the world, and
currency, as well as borrowing has recently opened a UK office.
elements from bills to use as
architectural and
environmental props Q Have you seen any illustration trends
emerging recently?
© SHILO
A Yes, I think street art is going to become
more mainstream, as it is very colourful
work, raw and emotional. Digital illustration
Anna Goodson maintains
an excellent blog at http:// will also stay fresh as illustrators continue to
annagoodson.wordpress. experiment with the medium.

Q com, where she offers tips

and advice for illustrators
and artists
Do you see the current financial
uncertainties having an adverse effect
on business?

“WHILE THE CS4 A

Of course the state of the economy will
have an effect on everyone, but it may
not all be negative. History has shown us that

SUITE DOESN’T when times are bad, clients are more prone to
do illustration because the costs are lower

COME CHEAP, WE then photography. I think editorial will be the

hardest hit. Magazines’ budgets come from

HAVE THE ABILITY the pages of advertising they sell. When there
is less of that, then magazines get thinner

TO PRODUCE HIGH- Q
and there is less to spend on illustration.
Finally, what advice would you give
anyone about to start 2009 by kick-
QUALITY CROSS- starting an illustration career?

MEDIA WORK AND A

I invite everyone to have a look at my
blogs. They are my honest approach to
the industry and I don’t hold back. I am
COMPETE WITH passionate about this industry and I think
that if anyone is interested in what I have to

LARGE STUDIOS, say, then have a look. I have been doing this
for close to 14 years now, so I have a bit of

ALL WITH experience. I don’t believe that I have all the

answers, nor do I think I know everything

ONE PACKAGE” there is to know about illustration – I am still

learning as well. For anyone about to start, I
say go for it! If you are passionate about your
work, then you will do just fine. Passion is
everything, so is believing in yourself, even
when others don’t. Don’t take no for an
answer and keep working on your craft every
day. Be open to constructive criticism; it helps
a lot. Put together a great portfolio of your
best work and hit the pavement. It’s going to
be an uphill struggle but it’s going to be great
once you get to the top.

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 Feature
Logo design
Expert advice
SCION TC: ATTIK’s campaign

Bill Gardner
Bill Gardner of Gardner Design (www.
gardnerdesign.com), a multidisciplinary design
firm with an emphasis on corporate identity and
brand development, is creator of LogoLounge
(www.logolounge.com), a vibrant online
community that allows designers to easily share
their concepts with peers and clients anywhere.
LogoLounge members can
search through thousands of
promoting the limited-production
Scion tC Release Series 4.0 included
custom, large-format interactive
billboards. ATTIK is a global creative
and brand-engineering agency,
committed to designing
extraordinary creative experiences
that inspire consumers through
compelling communications
© ATTIK

Q What logo trends do you see

developing in 2009?
logos created by designers
and firms known and

A We have yet to assemble the trends unknown, as well as upload

article for 2009, but having just their own logos
completed LogoLounge Book 5 for release in
June 2009, we have sorted through over
33,000 logos and certain clusters have
appeared that we will consider in the 2009
trends. As we look back at the last six years of
LogoLounge Logo Trend Reports, it becomes
evident that trends father trends.
It was in 2004 that we first identified a
number of transparent logos that were
starting to show up in the market. This trend
continued to grow with such fervour that by
2006, we needed to subdivide transparency
into 3D Transparency and Overlays as two
distinct forks in the transparency road. 3D
transparency allowed for logos that not only
were transparent, but also started to take on
dimensional form through gradation.
Overlays were very flat in nature and
appeared much like lighting gels in sheet
form, laid one upon the other. Now as we
look at this field, we are starting to see the
addition of sequence to the transparent
logos. This is where we still see through the
layers, but they are a series of elements
shown in a chronological progression of
layers. Another transparent trend seems to be
the construction of dimensional geometric
forms from transparencies. Imagine a cube or
more complex shape, where each side is
constructed of a coloured transparent panel,
and where you see through multiple layers of
the colour it becomes more intense or blends
with a different colour below it.

Q Beyond transparency, what other

trends have you observed?

A We tend to see the continued evolution

of the whole concept of embellishment.
This is best defined as images that are
generally solid in vector form, which start to
degenerate or grow with everything from
vines and floral motifs to lace-like patterns
that knock out of the forms. The result is an
image that is somewhat constructed and
formal and starts to convey the essence of a
human touch or a return to nature. The
introduction of at least three influences, Si
Scott, Ryan McGinness and Tord Boontje,
presents a language that, when blended with
traditional visual brand identities, allows a
more corporate entity to make a connection
to nature or sustainability. It shows off a
concern for aesthetics over substance, which
can sometimes be a winning argument.

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get whatever you can out of it, push yourself to build an
advanced skill set and you’ll find yourself in a much
stronger position to find work at the end of it all.
TREND 5: Community news
The growth of online communities to help inspire, offer
guidance and support show no sign of flagging or
fading. deviantART (www.deviantart.com) is among the
most popular and influential, with a grass-roots
following of enthusiasts and professionals eager to
contribute. Here, trends develop both organically within
and are influenced by the outside world, high-profile
artists and illustrators, the music and fashion industry.
“It’s a combination of both; a lot of the trends within the
community come from adverts or campaigns for the
fashion and music industry,” says Fiona Hooley, director
of community operations at deviantART. “Some of our
high-profile artists are successful freelance designers
and have been commissioned by top agencies to
develop cutting-edge graphics.”
Industry insight 2009
Recently, Hooley has observed a trend for mixed-
media work, a combination of styles that mixes the low-
tech hands-on approach with digital manipulation.
“Hand-drawn raw details and traditional printing
techniques, combined with slick, high-quality
professional photography to create a modern-feeling
pop art design, have been catching my eye.”
As for the new year, wider political campaign imagery
could be a strong influence, predicts Hooley. “With
recent political campaigns using old-school urban
graffiti-influenced typography combined with iconic
imagery as part of their propaganda, I think we’ll see an
inspired continuation in this trend throughout 2009.”
TREND 6: Go your own way
Trends come in all shapes and sizes, and some lead to
creative cul-de-sacs. You’ll need to be aware of what’s
contemporary in 2009 without simply copying the latest
trendy styles. “Trends arrive over a gradual period, it’s
only when they become ubiquitous that copying
Trends for 2009
Photoshop and
the web
The recent launch of Photoshop CS4 and CS4
Extended has once again highlighted what a
versatile application Adobe’s prime tool has
become, not least for web designers. “When we
first start to visualise a website, it begins with a
white canvas in Photoshop even if the website
will ultimately be produced in Flash,” explains
Matt Hill, OH Creative (www.ohcreative.co.uk).
Photoshop gives you a wealth of tools and an
easy-to-use interface for compiling your website
designs, suggests Hill. “Just as Photoshop is a
great tool for print design, it’s a great tool for
web design, perhaps better even. Another huge
plus of designing and building your site in
Photoshop is that if and when you decide your
site needs a bit of a makeover, it’s very simple to
change your visual elements in Photoshop and
then republish them, without ever having to
touch the code again.”

“JUST AS Hill sees a bright 2009 for web design with

the trend for Web 2.0 sites continuing to utilise

PHOTOSHOP IS A Photoshop. “There’s been a huge increase in

‘Web 2.0’ styles in the past 12 months. Big

GREAT TOOL FOR buttons, glossy-looking interfaces, friendly

navigation, soft grads and drop shadows, and

PRINT DESIGN, IT’S although it’s no longer new, it’s still a very
pleasing, easy-to-use style.” Colour also has a

A GREAT TOOL part to play, and is often dictated by wider social

and fashion trends. “A few years ago saw a lot of

FOR WEB DESIGN. bold colour use on the web – glaring pinks,
oranges and greens – but current trends lean

IT’S VERY SIMPLE towards very muted, low-saturation colours”.

Following fashionable trends can have a

TO CHANGE YOUR
downside. “If you follow current trends, then
inevitably your website is going to look dated
within a year or two, so the best way to keep
VISUAL ELEMENTS your website looking cutting edge is to create
something totally new.”

CROSS-MEDIA LEXUS CAMPAIGN (LEFT AND
INSET): ATTIK produced this multifaceted marketing
campaign for Lexus to promote the 2008 Lexus IS F
high-performance sedan, including print ads, outdoor
billboards, innovative online ads and dealer assets
© ATTIK
AND THEN
REPUBLISH THEM”
becomes an issue, and if commissioners are using the
emulators, then they are being a slave to the trend,”
explains Derek Brazell. Feel free to soak up as many
influences as possible, but great work is essentially
timeless. If you keep a keen eye on your industry, you’ll
no doubt start to see trends developing. If you act on
them early, you can be part of the trend and not simply
a slave to it.
Knowing your audience and their needs can also
help you anticipate trends. “ATTIK is more influenced by
the shifting trends within the audience whom we are
attempting to communicate with,” offers Stan Zienka.
“Of course, every few years there is some creative group,
or individual, that affects the immediate culture of their
peers. It is then up to the people that find it inspiring to
go off and make their own innovative solutions, not just
copy what inspired them. Never stop reading, thinking
and making things.”

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 MASTERCLASS
The emphasis on correct lighting
and advanced techniques to
creating a realistic scene in this
tutorial inspired our ‘Expert Lighting
Skills’ cover

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 Expert lighting
techniques
Adding realistic snow to an unlikely environment
ON THE DISC
Information about the stock images that
we used is on the CD, but all the steps in
this tutorial can be applied to any
landscape image. We have also included a
selection of free images that you can try
out on the CD.

OUR EXPERT Mark Mayers

Mark Mayers is a freelance illustrator and designer based in
Cornwall, UK. With over 18 years’ experience, he can recall life
before Macs when he was a complete technophobe. Past
accolades include MetalFX Designer of the Year 2006, as well
as Highly Commended MetalFX Designer 2007. See more of his
work, both personal and commercial, 3D and 2D, on his
website at www.markmayers.co.uk.

W
hat do you do when a client requires a
chilly winter scene, but the only image
available is a warm summery one? At first Keep it
glance, changing seasons with Photoshop may seem
quite daunting, but as this tutorial demonstrates, it
real
needn’t be an impossible task. When adding snow, it’s vital to stay true to the
This tutorial takes such a scenario to the extreme. original lighting within the image. This will add
You’ll start off with a warm summer photo of Bryce a sense of depth and realism to your scenes.
Canyon with its distinctive geological structures, then Additionally, don’t be tempted to use pure
you’ll transform it into a chilly winter scene. Lighting is of white for snow. Try using a very pale grey
the utmost importance throughout, as that is the key to instead – this simulates how snow reacts to
keeping the whole thing looking real. You’ll be making light in the real world.
extensive use of Channels throughout to build up the
snow effects and ensure a realistic finish.
You’ll also learn how to utilise Photoshop’s Color
Range tool to drive snow into the rock crevices, as
well as a surprisingly simple method of laying down a
low-level carpet of snow. Finally, you’ll use the Burn tool
as well as adjustment layers to bring all these elements
together. Once you’ve mastered these techniques, then
you’ll be able to transform your own photographs into
wintery snow scenes.

“WHEN ADDING SNOW, IT’S VITAL TO

STAY TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL
LIGHTING IN THE IMAGE. THIS ADDS
A SENSE OF DEPTH AND REALISM”
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 MASTERCLASS
1 Enable CMYK preview
Create a new canvas that is 36cm wide and
30.3cm high at 300dpi in RGB mode. Open ‘iStock_
000002896997Large.jpg’ or a landscape image of your
choice, and drag-and-drop it as a new layer. Transform
(Cmd/Ctrl+T) and label it ‘Landscape’. As our image is
destined for print, hit Cmd/Ctrl+Y to enable a CMYK
preview. This will avoid unexpected colour shifts when
the final image is converted to CMYK.
4 Another duplicate
The channel that holds
the most contrast for the
right-hand horizon is the
green one. Duplicate it and
adjust the Levels using these
settings: Black point = 127,
Midpoint = 0.10; White point
= 229. Now use the Lasso tool
to select the horizon area as
shown and copy it. Then
target the ‘All land’ channel
and paste into the active
selection. The duplicate green
channel is no longer required,
so it can be deleted.
5 Clean it up
With black set as your foreground colour (Cmd/
Ctrl+D), clean up the channel by painting out any
white/grey areas within the land area using a hard-
edged brush. Vary the size of the brush as you work and
take your time, especially around the horizon line. Now
press X to set the foreground to white and clean up the
sky using the same techniques.
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050-054_AVP_51_SnowMC.indd 52
2 Density mask
Our sky looks a little flat, so later we’ll be adding a
new one with the help of a density mask. Switch to the
Channels palette and determine which one holds the
most contrast between the land and sky – in this
instance, it’s the blue channel. Duplicate it by dragging
its thumbnail into the ‘Create new channel’ icon at the
foot of the Channels palette and label it ‘All land’.
6 Low-level path
With the Pen tool set to the Paths option, isolate
the low-level foreground area and extend it into the
mountainous areas, making a slight overlap as shown –
we’ve stroked the path with yellow to make things
clearer in the screenshot. When you’re done, label the
path ‘Foreground base’. It’s essential to name temporary
work paths to avoid accidentally overwriting them.
3 Clean contrast
Modify the channel by hitting Cmd/Ctrl+L to
access the Levels dialog box and enter the following
settings: Black point = 42, Midpoint = 0.28, White point
= 207. What you’re aiming for is a clean contrast. Don’t
sweat over any small areas that the Levels adjustment
misses, as we’ll be fixing these as well as the right-hand
horizon area in the following steps.
Perfect
paths
Unlike temporary selections, such as those
made with the Lasso tool, paths are always
there ready to be made into selections. Once
you’ve drawn and saved your paths, you can
revisit them at any time to tweak them until
you’re happy. Remember, when creating paths,
use the Opt/Alt, Cmd/Ctrl and Shift modifier
keys as you work. You can also fine-tune your
path by holding the Cmd/Ctrl key to access the
Direct Selection tool to adjust the direction/
anchor points.
7 Foreground path
Click on the ‘Create a new path icon’ at the foot of
the Paths palette, then set the Pen tool to ‘Add to path
area’ and draw closed paths around the foreground
rock structures. Switch to ‘Subtract from path area’ to
create the holes (circled in white). Don’t sweat over the
sky area; we’ve already got a clean channel mask saved
from Step 5. Now save the path as ‘Foreground rocks’.
14/11/08 16:30:02
 8 Midground path
Set the Pen tool back to ‘Add to path area’ and “WE ONLY WANT THE BLOWN SNOW
TO APPEAR SPARINGLY IN THE
create another new path. Isolate the midground
outcrop of rocks, overlapping into the foreground and

FOREGROUND OF THE IMAGE”

base areas as shown. When you’re done, name it
‘Midground rocks’. We’ll be using selections from these
paths to add depth in composition later.

9 Snowed under
We now need to create a
channel for the main snowfall.
Duplicate the blue channel again
and name it ‘Snow 1’. Now hit Cmd/
Ctrl+M to access the Curves dialog
box. Click anywhere on the curve to
make a point, then set the Output to
107 and Input to 48. Click again to
create a second point and set the
Output to 199 and Input to 194.

10 Let it snow
Cmd/Ctrl-click the New Channel
thumbnail to generate a selection, target the top
11 Low-level snow
Now we need to lay a ground-level carpet of
snow. First Cmd/Ctrl-click your Foreground base path to
composite RGB Channel and switch back to the Layers generate a selection, target your Landscape layer and hit
palette. Add a new layer with a blending mode of Cmd/Ctrl+J to float the selection as a new layer. Position
Screen and name it ‘Snow 1’. Now select 6% Cyan, 3% this above the Snow 1 layer and label it ‘Low level snow’.
Magenta and 2% Yellow as your foreground colour, and
then hit Opt/Alt+Delete/backspace to fill the active
selection. Repeat the Fill command again to intensify
the effect.

12 Add a mask
Generate a selection from the Foreground
rocks path, target the ‘Low level snow’ layer and go to
Layer Mask>Hide Selection. Now generate a selection
from the Midground rocks path, while ensuring that the
mask is targeted and white is set as your foreground
colour, and then hit Delete. We’ll be blending the hard
edges of the mask later.

13 Black and white

Clip an adjustment layer to the Low level
snow layer by holding down Opt/Alt while clicking the
‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon. Select Black and
White, and in the next window pick the Neutral Density
preset. Check the Tint option at the bottom and set the
Hue at 202 degrees and the Saturation to 39%. Set the
adjustment layer’s blending mode to Screen, then drop
the ‘Low level snow’ Opacity to 75%.

14 Frosty adjustments
Add a new group folder labelled ‘SNOW’ at
the top of the layer stack, and then place the two snow
layers (including the adjustment layer) into it. Next, clip a
Color Balance adjustment layer to the Landscape layer
and then enter the following settings: Midtone Red =
-73, Midtone Blue = +75, Shadow Red = -22, Shadow
Blue = +17, Highlight Red = -11, Highlight Blue= +26.

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 MASTERCLASS
15 Refine the mask
Load Photoshop’s default Wet Media brushes
and blend the snow around the base of the rocks on the
‘Low level snow’ mask. Take your time and work with a
selection of small white brushes. Don’t forget to flip and
rotate your brushes as you work to avoid repetition. If
you go too far, you can always use a black brush to
reinstate areas.
16 Mountain range
Disable the visibility of the ‘SNOW’ group
folder and the Color Balance adjustment layer, leaving
just the ‘Landscape’ layer. With the layer targeted, zoom
in and use the Eyedropper tool to select the darkest
crevice area (A). Now go to Select>Color Range and
keeping the Color Range Fuzz to 88, set the Selection
Preview to None and click the Add to Sample icon to
select a fractionally lighter colour (B), then hit OK.
17 Snow blown
Enable all layer visibility, then add a new
layer within the ‘SNOW’ group (above ‘Snow 1’). Fill the
active selection with the same pale grey as before and
label it ‘Snow 2’. Now the snow appears as if it has been
blown into the natural rock crevices. It’s good practice
to save your selections as you work, so before
deselecting, switch to the Channels palette and click on
the ‘Create new channel’ icon and fill with white.

Try for
18 Sparse sprinkling
We only want the blown snow to appear
sparingly in the foreground of the image, so generate a
yourself selection from the ‘Foreground rocks’ paths, target the
‘Snow 2’ layer and go to Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal
Selection. Refine by erasing unwanted areas with a
When trying out these
techniques on your own selection of natural brushes. Use the Burn tool at a low
images, remember that Opacity (set to Highlights) on areas that would naturally
every photo is different fall under shadow on this as well as the ‘Snow 1’ layer.
and what works on one

19
image may not necessarily
work for another. For Hide selection
example, for the Desaturate the sky by generating a selection
woodland scene (right), from the ‘All land’ channel, then target the ‘Landscape’
the green channel was
Color Balance adjustment layer and go to Layer>Layer
also duplicated and
Mask>Hide Selection. With the selection still active,
modified with both a Curves and Levels
adjustment. We then ran the Paint Daubs filter target the ‘SNOW’ group folder and go to Layer>Layer
(Filter>Artistic>Paint Daubs), which gave the Mask>Hide Selection. Now modify this mask by using a
impression of snow clumps on the foliage. medium, soft-edged black brush set to a low Opacity to
blend the horizon.

20 Reveal selection
Open ‘iStock_000004983659Large.jpg’ or a sky
image of your choice, and select the sky with the
22 Finishing up
Set the blending mode to Hard Light and
drop the Opacity to 30%. Now use a large, soft-edged
Rectangular Marquee tool. Copy and paste into your brush set at 10% Opacity to blend the sky into the right-
working document as a new layer at the top of the stack hand horizon. You’re almost done, so sit back and review
and label it ‘Sky’. Transform (Cmd/Ctrl+T) it as shown, the image; we refined some of the masks, deleted the
then set the blending mode to Screen. Next, generate a extra channels and saved a flattened CMYK version ready
selection from the ‘All land’ channel again and go to for print.
Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal Selection.

21 Add an atmospheric effect

Select 8% Cyan, 8% Magenta and 5%
Yellow as your foreground colour. Add a new layer above
the ‘Sky’ and label it ‘Mist’, then hit Opt/Alt+Delete to fill
the entire canvas. Generate a selection from the
Foreground base path, ensure the new layer is targeted
and go to Layer Mask>Hide Selection. Fill selections from
the ‘Foreground rocks’ path and ‘All land’ channel with
black, too.

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 Step-by-step
Workshop

FAKE A HDR EFFECT

How to get creative with Photoshop’s filters and achieve the stylised high dynamic
range effect from a single image

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 ON THE DISC
On the CD this month, you will find
the base image we used for this
tutorial, ‘Tintern abbey.jpg’.

OUR EXPERT Kirk Nelson

Kirk Nelson, our regular Helpdesk contributor, steps out
from behind the curtain this month and answers a
popular question by manufacturing a stylised HDR effect
in Adobe Photoshop.

“STYLISED HDR HAS

THE APPEARANCE
OF A PHOTO WITH
HIGHLY SATURATED
COLOURS AND
GREAT AMOUNTS OF
DETAIL, YET IT HAS
A SOFT, PAINTERLY
QUALITY ABOUT IT”
O
ne of the most popular recent
photographic effects is known as
HDR, for high dynamic range. Even if
you don’t recognise the term, you’ll recognise the
effect. In essence, it’s a photograph where the
histogram of light and dark values has been
expanded beyond the range of traditional
photographs. Stylised HDR has a unique
appearance of a photograph with highly
saturated colours and great amounts of detail,
yet it has a soft, painterly quality about it. The
effect is produced by shooting several
photographs with varying ranges of exposure
and then combining them into a single image.
But what if you only have a single shot?
What if the captured scene is already passed
and there’s no reasonable way of getting it
back? What if the idea of playing with the
shutter speed or exposure settings on your
point-and-shoot digital camera gives you a
headache? What then? Well, then you fake it.
Over the next few pages, we’ll walk you
through how to achieve a fake HDR effect with
Source image: an assortment of Photoshop’s filters and
This is the resource blending modes. This technique is fairly fluid
file that we used
for this tutorial, and can be adjusted for taste or to work with
which is included other images. It depends a lot on blending
on this issue’s CD modes and low opacity. Each step is a subtle
effect that builds on the previous one until
several are combined to form a dramatic
transformation. Experiment with the settings
and make the image your own.

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 Step-by-step
Workshop
1 Let’s begin
Load the ‘Tintern abbey.jpg’ image from the
CD. Duplicate the Background layer and
2 The
sharper image
Make another copy of
desaturate it with Image>Adjustments> the Background layer and
Desaturate. Press Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert the layer move it to the top of the
and run a Gaussian Blur of around 12 pixels. Set stack. Go to Filter>
the layer’s blending mode to Overlay and reduce Sharpen>Unsharp Mask
the Opacity to around 75%. This step alone and adjust the sliders to
generates a very basic faked HDR image. reveal an extreme amount
of detail in the image. We
set the Amount to 257%,
Radius to 9.7 pixels and
Threshold to 5 levels.

3 Even more detail

Now we’ll use a different filter to
accentuate those details brought out in
4 Levels to lighten
Duplicate the Background again and
place the new layer beneath the High Pass layer.
sharpening. Go to Image>Other>High Pass. Use the Levels adjustment (Cmd/Ctrl+L) to
Adjust the slider until the image details are perform extreme lightening of the layer by
crisp, but have a soft glow around them. We setting the handles to the far left. Set the
found a Radius of 20 pixels to work very well. blending mode to Overlay and Opacity to 5%.
Set this layer’s blending mode to Hard Light Use a layer mask and a soft brush to restrict the
Doing it for real: and reduce the Opacity to 50%. effect from the background areas.
HDR photography
If you want the genuine article and not
some filter effect, it’s not as hard as it
sounds. The idea is to use your camera
and capture at least three exposures of
the same scene. Ideally, you’d want an
overexposed shot, a properly exposed
shot and an underexposed shot. Even
most consumer grade point-and-shoot
digital cameras allow you to control the
shutter speed, by doing so letting you
adjust the exposure.
Once you have your images, open
5 Levels to darken
Follow the last step
again but use the Levels
Photoshop and go to File>Automate>
adjustment to darken the
Merge to HDR. The routine includes
image by pulling the sliders
autoalignment, but it’s still best to use
a tripod and get the images as close as towards the right and
possible. True HDR images are 32-bit using the Color Burn
and can’t really be properly displayed blending mode. This image
or printed on most equipment yet. So doesn’t need as much
most of the HDR imagery you see has darkening as lightening, so
been downgraded to 16-bit. Often, the fill the mask with black and
images have been tone-mapped to use a soft white brush to
accentuate the colours and create that reveal the effect only over
ethereal quality that HDR imagery is the areas that were
known for. For some great examples, previously blown-out.
check out the HDR group on Flickr
(www.flickr.com/groups/hdr).

6 Create a soft glow

Create another duplicate of the
background and place it above the High Pass
layer. Set the colours to the default black and
white, then go to Filter>Distort>Diffuse Glow
and set the Graininess to 9, Glow Amount to 7
and Clear Amount to 6. Change this layer’s
blending mode to Saturation and reduce the
Opacity to around 75%.

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 7 A bit more glow
Duplicate the background again and move
it to the top of the layer stack. Run the Diffuse
Glow filter again with a Graininess of 0, Glow of
20 and Clear Amount of 10. Change this layer’s
mode to Soft Light and set Opacity at 25%.
Now the image should have a soft glow that’s
characteristic of stylised HDR photography.
“RUN THE DIFFUSE GLOW FILTER
(SOFT LIGHT, OPACITY 25%). NOW
THE IMAGE SHOULD HAVE A SOFT
GLOW THAT’S CHARACTERISTIC OF
STYLISED HDR PHOTOGRAPHY”
9
Sepia toned glow
Hold down Opt/Alt and go to Layer>
Merge Visible to create a combined layer. Set the
foreground colour to a mid-grey and background
to a light sepia. Use the Diffuse Glow filter set to
6, 7 and 9, and run the Unsharp Mask filter at 83,
4 and 5. Change the mode to Lighter Color and
set Opacity to 60%.
10 Green grass
Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer, check the Colorize box and set the Hue to
121, Saturation to 75 and Lightness to -80.
Change the blending mode of the adjustment
layer to Overlay. Target the adjustment layer’s
mask and fill it with black to hide the effect, then
use a soft white brush to paint the green back
onto the grassy areas.
056-060_AVP_51_HDRWS.indd 59
8 Detail enhancement
The glow effect is appropriate, but we also
need to bring back much of the details lost in
the process. Duplicate the High Pass layer and
move it to the top. Set the blending mode to
Linear Light and reduce the Opacity to around
25%. Now we have plenty of sharp details
without sacrificing the glow effect from the
previous steps.
11 Blue skies
Use the Select>Color Range
command to create a selection of the sky area.
Create a new layer and use this selection as a
mask. Set the foreground colour to a light sky
blue and background to a dark blue. Use the
Radial Gradient tool to create a blue sky as
shown here.
Plug-ins to help with
high dynamic range
LucisArt 3
$259 (approximately £175)
www.lucisart.com
LucisArt is a trusted and well-known
name for Photoshop plug-ins and
effects. With its simple interface and
professional effects, LucisArt has been
endorsed by many award-winning
photographers and designers. But
don’t take their word for it, as the
results speak for themselves!
Dynamic Photo HDRi
$55 (approximately £37)
www.mediachance.com/hdri/
index.html
MediaChance offers the impressive
and affordable Dynamic Photo HDRi as
a standalone program or a Photoshop
plug-in. This versatile piece of software
can create actual HDR images from
multiple files or pseudo-HDR from a
single photos. MediaChance didn’t
stop there, and packed this gem with
many other features from tone
mapping to batch processing.
Nill Photoalbum’s Fake HDR action
$9.75 or €6.75 (approximately £6)
www.nill.cz/index.php?set=effect
This action is set up to turn a single
image into a faux-high dynamic range
image at the press of a button –
specifically, the Play button in your
Photoshop Actions panel.
59
Advanced Photoshop
14/11/08 16:36:50
 Step-by-step
Workshop
12 Duller skies
Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer and clip it to the sky layer (hold the Opt/
Alt key and click between the layer thumbnails).
Keep the Hue set to 0, Saturation at -61 and
Lightness at 30. Use a Radial Gradient and a
large soft brush on the mask to blend the effect
away from the bright blue area.
15 Black frame
Now that we
have our stylised high
dynamic range image, let’s
enhance it further and
create a frame for it – this is
optional! Start by going to
Image>Canvas Size and
increasing the dimensions
of the canvas. Then create a
new layer beneath the
background layer (you may
need to double-click the
background to turn it into a
regular layer first) and fill
this new layer with black.
16 Blur frame effect
Now create a merged layer by
holding down Opt/Alt and Layer>Merge Visible.
Next, run a Gaussian Blur on this layer, then
desaturate it with Image>Adjustments>
Desaturate. Cmd/Ctrl-click the layer to create a
selection and contract the selection by 50 pixels
(Select>Modify>Contract). Then hit Delete to
remove the centre portion of the blur layer. We
have also added a black vignette layer for
increased effect.
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056-060_AVP_51_HDRWS.indd 60
13 Send in the clouds
Create and clip a cloud layer to the sky above the
adjustment layer. Tap the Q key to enter Quick Mask mode. Select
14 Different clouds
To make the clouds more realistic,
we’ll need some darker areas. Repeat the cloud
Filter>Render>Clouds to create a cloud pattern. Select all and scale step, but after rendering the Clouds filter, go to
the pattern up 500%. Exit Quick Mask and fill the selection with white. Filter>Render>Difference Clouds. Fill the
Use the Transform tools to adjust the perspective and then set the selection with black instead of white and use an
blending mode to Screen. Overlay mode instead of Screen. Don’t forget to
clip the cloud layers to the sky.
Quick tip
The beauty of this high dynamic
range technique is the fluidity of it.
Make sure that you don’t just always
use the exact same values; try
exploring this technique for each
image that you use it on. Experiment
by rearranging the layer order or
further tweaking the Opacity settings.
Additionally, different blending modes
will give different results. So you see,
the best way to learn really is just by
trying new ideas.
“THE BEAUTY OF THIS HIGH
DYNAMIC RANGE TECHNIQUE
IS THE FLUIDITY OF IT.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU
DON’T JUST ALWAYS USE
THE EXACT SAME VALUES”
17 Final touch
Complete the project
with a black line inside the blur
frame and a thin white line outside.
This can be done by creating a
rectangle shape and using the Stroke
Layer Style, then reducing the Fill to
0% to leave only the stroke hiding the
shape’s fill. Finish up with some added
text beneath the image.
14/11/08 16:37:19
 Step-by-step
Workshop

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 PLAY WITH PAINT
We take a look at a popular commercial style: adding paint effects to your photos

A
popular style of art at the moment is
integrating real paint effects, literally
photographs of paint being thrown
around, into digital art projects, most
commonly photomanipulations. We’ve seen it
done in various commercial campaigns, so it’s a
trend worth mastering to bring a professional
edge to your photos. We’ll be showing you how
Gagne providing our paint stock, and she’ll ON THE DISC
be telling you how you can prep your studio
and capture the same great images to use in On the CD, you can find multiple
paint pictures by French-Canadian
your own designs. Then we’ll reveal how to photographer Lise Gagne (www.
utilise simple options to great effect. Easy lisegagne.com). The model image
is also included by international
image selection, advanced layering and
freelance fashion photographer
enhanced filter effects are all addressed so Stuart Murchison (www.
that you can produce your very own high- weareadventurers.com).

to produce energy and attitude in your creative
compositions by replicating the innovative paint
effect, commonplace within the work of
international artists operating in the editorial and
print design sector.
This tutorial provides you with an in-depth
creative process, from start to finish. We have
international freelance photographer Lise
standard image. A whole host of Photoshop
functions are integrated, specifically channels,
blending modes, Blur and Sharpen filters,
Overlay-neutral layers, paint layers and even
the Plastic Wrap filter. This coherent and all-
inclusive tutorial will really get your creative
juices flowing and have you painting the
creative town red..
OUR EXPERT Adam Smith
Senior staff writer Adam Smith is a keen admirer of
contemporary digital design. With fervent interest, he
watches the editorial and online worlds of art for the latest
trends so we can bring them to you. In this tutorial, he shows
you how to utilise real pain effects effectively.

Making your balloons

1 The perfect model
Let’s begin by considering our image, as it
is key to getting a great artwork. This effect
works particularly well on contemporary
models with a lot of energy and dynamism.
When this paint effect is used commercially, it
will usually be based around a model. You also
want to make sure that it fits in with your
concept for the rest of the image.
2 First selections
We have chosen an image that
corresponds with our idea of having a paint
balloon popping. Let’s start by making our
balloon disappear so we can replace it with
paint. Activate the Polygon Lasso tool, make a
selection around the balloon and then select
the Patch tool, dragging from the centre of
your selection up and diagonally to the left
several times.
The balloons are easy to produce.
Download image number ‘1011246’
from www.sxc.hu (or see the link on
the disc) and erase the surrounding
white background. Open a paint splash
image, and copy and paste it into your
balloon image. Cmd/Ctrl-click the
balloon layer thumbnail and apply a
layer mask. Duplicate the balloon layer,
place the copy at the top of the stack
and apply a Pin Light blending mode at
70% Opacity.

3 Empty space
You’ll notice that
either the balloon has
disappeared or mostly so,
leaving a coloured blur. If so,
select your Clone Stamp, “THIS EFFECT
activate a soft-edged brush
and Cmd/Ctrl-click in WORKS WELL ON
corresponding clean areas,
then erase this interference. MODELS WITH A
Press Cmd/Ctrl+H to check
on your selection’s edge. LOT OF ENERGY
Attention to detail makes
for the best effects. AND DYNAMISM”
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 Step-by-step
Workshop
4 Editing image elements
Select the Polygon Lasso tool and draw a
selection around the model’s foreground arm
up to the elbow. Copy and paste into a new
layer and select the Move tool. Set the central
cursor to the bottom central point then rotate
clockwise by 22 degrees. You can blend the new
arm position using masking in your arm layer
and cloning in your model layer.
6 Smoothing the surface
Reduce the Opacity and Fill of this layer to
80%, then create a new layer and merge all as in
Step 5. With this layer active, select
Filter>Blur>Surface Blur, applying a Radius of
five pixels and Threshold of ten pixels,
consequently smoothing the skin. Create a new
layer and select a soft-edged brush at 10%
Opacity, set to Luminosity blending mode.
9 Pick your colours
Using the Color Picker, select the red tone
in your paint image and set Fuzziness to 200. Click
OK and, with your new selection active, activate
the Channels palette and save the selection as a
channel. Now you can paint in the visual values
you wish to keep with a white brush, and vice
versa with a black brush.
64
Advanced Photoshop
062-065_AVP_51_PaintWS.indd 64
5 Reducing noise
for effect
Create a fresh model layer
and place this at the top of
the layer stack, pressing
Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+E,
to merge all the layers.
Duplicate this layer and
select Filter>Noise>
Reduce Noise. Maximise
all settings apart from
Sharpen Details, setting this
to 90%. Add a layer mask to
this layer and erase any outer
glow around your figure with
a 50% Opacity soft-edged
black brush.
“BEFORE PROCEEDING, MAKE
ANY SMALL ADJUSTMENTS
NECESSARY, LIKE MORE
RETOUCHING TO THE SKIN,
HAIR AND EYE AREAS”
7 8
Retouch imperfections Picking out paint
Pick out skin tones by holding Alt, Before proceeding, make any small
activating the Color Picker and clicking on image adjustments necessary, like more retouching to
areas, then releasing to apply your soft brush, the skin, hair and eye areas. Now it’s time to apply
smoothing image areas even more. Once more, our paint effects, specifically creating the popped
create a new layer at the top of the layer stack, balloon effect. Open ‘A 16778 copy.jpg’ and select
merge all, apply an Overlay blending mode. the Rectangle Marquee tool. Cmd/Ctrl-click the
Select Filter>Other>High Pass. Apply a 2px Radius, image and select Color Range from the options.
sharpening all features.
10
Add your paint
Once you’re satisfied you’ve painted
in all the visual values you wish to keep, Cmd/
Ctrl-click the Alpha Channel thumbnail and
reactivate your layer in the Layers Channel,
then copy and paste into your composition.
You can then do the same with all your paint
image layers, using the editing and masking
functions to correct your paint elements.
14/11/08 16:40:04
 11 Tonal adjustments
Be mindful of direction when
arranging your paint layers, remembering we
are trying to create the illusion of an exploding
balloon. Use tools such as Warp and Masks to
manipulate shape. If tonal changes are
necessary, then utilise Image>
Adjustments>Variations, applying blue to
darken a colour, yellow to lighten it and the
Lighten/Darken options to adjust exposure.
13 Plastic Wrap
Here, apply a Highlight Strength
of 5, Detail of 10 and Smoothness of 15. Click
OK and apply a Lighten blending mode to
this layer, then apply a layer mask and erase
areas where the effect is too strong, like in the
hair and arms, using a 30-40% Opacity, soft-
edged brush.
Photographing paint by Lise Gagne
“We used two 1600 AlienBees
softboxes that were set at high
intensity to create a white background,
and placed them in front of and a little
bit higher than the subject to light it.
The subject should be around eight
feet from the softboxes.
The camera we used was a
Hasselblad H3D39 with an 80mm lens,
set to f11, 1/800 seconds and ISO 100 to
062-065_AVP_51_PaintWS.indd 65
12 Depth and realism
For added reality and depth, add “BE MINDFUL
manual shadows of paint splats by duplicating,
decreasing Lightness to -100 and applying a OF DIRECTION
4px Gaussian Blur. Also apply an Overlay
blending mode, using your mask to erase WHEN
disturbance. Create a new layer, place at the
top of the layer stack and Merge All. Then ARRANGING
select Filter>Artistic>Plastic Wrap.
YOUR PAINT.
WE ARE
TRYING TO
CREATE AN
EXPLODING
BALLOON”
14 Extra elements
Before we go and
add the finishing touches to
our composition and tie it all
together, go ahead and add
any more visual elements that
you think can add more
movement, energy and
decoration to the composition.
Remember to apply previous
effects, yet you’ll need to alter
effect amounts, as the
resolution and size of your
elements will affect these.
15 Bring it all together
Create a new Merge All layer at the top of the stack. Select
an Overlay blending mode and apply High Pass treatment as before.
You can then tidy exposure by holding Opt/Alt and clicking the New
Layer icon. Set the blending mode to Overlay and activate Fill Overlay
Neutral. Now use a soft-edged, 10% Opacity black brush to apply
shadow and use a white brush for highlights.
capture perfect stills. To make the paint
splashes, we used a gallon of red paint
mixed with water. This makes the paint
more manageable when flung. We
precisely put three quarters of paint and
one quarter of water in, and also covered
the table and the floor with plastic. A
helper threw a stone in the container and
‘click’, it was done. Around 50 photos were
taken to ensure some good ones”.
65
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14/11/08 16:40:29
 Gallery
roundup
As 2008 draws to an end, we take a closer look at the galleries that some of our readers
have created on the Advanced Photoshop website. If these images inspire you to get
your own online gallery, take a visit to www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk

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 Self Healing (left) © Nick Lay: “3D was used as a base for this Photoshop
illustration (Poser and CINEMA 4D, too). I rendered a few blocks and used Photoshop
to texture and create the hand-forming DNA effect. The piece depicts
humankind’s advancements in DNA research… and points to a day when we
can reprogram ourselves” NAME: Nick Lay (Rooster)
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/Rooster
The Last Lighthouse (above) © nick lay: “I used Vue to create the DATE JOINED GALLERY: 17 October 2007
mountains and general environment, then created the 3D models… and used
Photoshop to bring everything together. I painted most of the effects and used “I’m a freelance designer/illustrator working from home in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario,
Canada. I post my work on the AP gallery to get feedback from fellow artists… but it has
Dodge and Burn and Hue/Saturation to bring out the tones”
proven to be a valuable tool as well. I’ve been contacted by some great clients who have
seen my work on the site, most notably Goodby, Silverstein & Partners last month, a
Old World (right) © nick lay: “I created a model in Poser as a base, then commission for an Adobe CS4 campaign. So if you don’t have a gallery, go online and
used Photoshop to create the hair and skin textures. All the effects are a mix of create one! It’s a great way to get your work noticed.”
paintings and photomanipulations. This piece depicts a Sumerian creation story”

Electric Mistress (left) © luke davis: “Inspired by the Jamiroquai song, this,
for me, is my best and most favourite design. I created the text effect using two tutorials
I found on the internet, and then continued adding layers in and around the main stock
image. What I like about this image is that I recycled one of my earlier images and
incorporated it into this one. I added a blue haze around the whole piece for that
electric feel”

Francal2 (inset) © luke davis: “This was made for a friend of mine. She gave me
the stock image of herself and I literally started experimenting, using Gaussian Blurs and
an array of different layer blending modes. I chose to use cloud-like brushes in the
background to accentuate the grace and elegance of the main image, and added these
words (in Italian) around the stock”

NAME: Luke Davis (Starchild)

WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/Starchild
DATE JOINED GALLERY: 4 January 2008
“My name is Luke and I’m a student from England. I’ve been messing about with Photoshop
and Illustrator for about three years now. I currently study Computer Science at
Nottingham Trent University and still continue my graphic design work, but on a casual,
freelance basis. With any luck, I’ll get spotted.”

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 NAME: Miranda Adria (Bitchinblack)
WEB: www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/bitchinblack
DATE JOINED GALLERY: 24 December 2007
“My art has always been heavily influenced by both my personal experiences and the music
I listen to. I never create art simply for the sake of creating it; I always have something I
want or need to say through my art. I mostly specialise in photomanipulations and
photography, but love to experiment with other art forms, like digital paintings, vector art,
drawing, etc.”

BATTLE FOR HEAVEN (MAIN IMAGE) © MIRANDA ADRIA: “This

intensive piece required blending four different bodies to make the two, and
extensive manipulation of the wings (a big thank you to the stock providers for
this image!)”

FILTH IN BEAUTY (FAR LEFT) © MIRANDA ADRIA: “This is a

photomanipulation using five stock images from deviantART (another thank
you to the stock providers there!)”

FALLING APART (LEFT) © MIRANDA ADRIA: “This piece is a combination

of photomanipulation and painting. I photographed myself, used all my own
stock and painted the ‘sides’ of the missing areas and parts”

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066-068_AVP_51_GalleryRoundup.in68 68 14/11/08 16:43:44

 YOU DECIDE. . .
Vote for your favourite image with Advanced Photoshop
magazine’s new interactive game!

Newgn
desi site
web

VS

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/photoshopfaceoff
069_AVP_51_FaceOffHouseAd.indd 1 14/11/08 16:48:07
 Helpdesk
This month, Kirk tackles a few of the more obscure issues that readers have been
struggling with. See what he uncovers in the inner recesses of Photoshop BY KIRK NELSON
PAPER PATTERNS: Create interlocking wallpaper
patterns with the Offset filter
STAGGERING PATTERNS IS
STAGGERINGLY SIMPLE
Hi Advanced Photoshop’s genuinely genius
group of graphical gurus! Hopefully, you can
help me with something. I’m trying to create a
wallpaper pattern so that it ‘interlocks’. That is,
I don’t want a straight up and down, left and
right repetition; I want the pattern to stagger
at each row, almost chequerboard-like.
Carl Montgomery
Hey there Carl! Yeah, about that “genuinely genius
group of graphical gurus”, well, they sort of took
the day off. They left some clever note about being
allergic to CMYK channels and needing some “anti-
histogram-ine” So I’m afraid that all you’ve got is me
for the time being, sorry!
In any case, creating a staggered or interlocking pattern
isn’t as difficult as you might imagine. It’s not exactly
obvious, either; you’d almost think Adobe was trying to
hide the function. First, start by placing your pattern layer
centrally on a perfectly square canvas (ie 1,000 x 1,000px).
Then duplicate the pattern layer and go to Filter>Other>
Offset and enter a Height and Width setting of exactly half
the canvas size (500px in this case). Be sure to check the
Wrap Around option. This will wrap your pattern layer
around the sides and corners of your canvas. Flatten the
layers and define the canvas as a pattern with Edit>Define
Pattern. Now you can use it as a fill to create your
wallpaper with a perfectly interlocking pattern.
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072-073_AVP_51_Helpdesk.indd 72
SCRATCH DISK DILEMMA
Hey, how about a little help over here?
Photoshop is whining about ‘scratch disks’
being full and won’t let me do half the stuff I
need to do. I don’t remember putting
anything into any scratch disk, so how can it
be full? What’s going on?
Anthony Davis
Hi Anthony, here’s what’s happening: you don’t have
enough RAM in your machine to handle the images you SCRATCH THAT: Setting proper scratch disks will keep
are working with, so Photoshop resorts to using hard Photoshop happy
drive space and calls that area ‘scratch disks’. When these Scott, my boy, let me tell you something. We didn’t have
fill up, Photoshop has nowhere else to turn for memory automate this and automate that when I was a young
resources and starts issuing forth warning messages. artist. No siree, if you wanted to cut out nine dozen
There are a few things you can do to help alleviate the pedestrians, you had to use the Polygonal Lasso tool and
situation. Go to Edit>Preferences>Performance. Increase a proper steady hand, I tell you. I’m only kidding, Scott.
the amount of RAM Photoshop is allowed to use and set Nobody likes to do a monotonous task over and over,
your scratch disks a separate drive or partition. Also, try Adobe knows that. That’s why they built in some really
installing more RAM in your machine. It’ll be beneficial for great automated features. But usually, they like to hide
the future, too. Clear up more space on the drive that your them in places that can’t be found by mere mortals. You
scratch disks are set to and be sure to defragment this won’t find ‘crowd removal’ in the Filter gallery or in any
drive regularly to keep things running smoothly. adjustment window. You will find it in a Smart Object
stack mode, cleverly disguised as Median.
First, arrange all your photos as separate layers in a
INSTANT single file. Make sure they all line up by using the Auto-
CROWD REMOVER Align function. Then select all the layers in the Layer
Okay Helpdesk, here’s my situation. I wanted palette and convert them into a Smart Object. Go to
to get a shot of an empty city street in mid- Layer>Smart Objects>Stack Mode and choose Median.
afternoon. Since I’m not anybody ‘important’, I
couldn’t get the street closed for my
convenience – can you believe it?! Anyway, I
had the idea to set my camera up on a tripod HELPDESK
and take several pics of the street with a
variety of pedestrian traffic. My plan is to
CALL FOR QUESTIONS
then go and combine all the ‘empty’ Want help with Photoshop?
areas to form a single street totally Send your emails to us at:
devoid of pedestrians. Brilliant, right?
So I crank up my Photoshop CS3 advancedpshop@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Extended and start masking out or post a message on our forum board at
each individual person and find the www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum.
work to be mind-numbingly
Remember to specify whether you’re using
tedious. Is there any way to
automate this task? Or at the least a PC or Mac and the version number of
make it easier? your edition of Photoshop.
Scott Worthington
14/11/08 16:50:42

ON THE EDGE OF
REASON: Easy access to
your canvas edges
CLEARING THE STREETS: Let Photoshop remove the
traffic. If only it worked in real life!
Then watch as the pedestrians disappear, leaving an
empty street scene! How does this work? Well, magic.
Okay, not really. Photoshop calculates the median channel
value for each pixel and displays it. This is also a good
method for reducing noise in the image as well.
ART ON THE EDGE
I’m having trouble editing the edges of my
artwork. I can’t get Photoshop to pan far
enough over to let me have a clear shot at the
edge of my canvas. The canvas stops moving
as soon as the edge comes inside the window.
This makes for a very cramped workflow. How
can I get around this?
Irvana Glenicks
Irvana, you’ve stumbled upon one of those strange
Photoshop behaviours that can be downright infuriating! I
have to warn you, though, the solution is so trivial that
once I tell you, you may feel even worse afterwards.
Ready? It’s the F key. Honestly, that’s it. Press it twice, then
move your image around. Calm down, all we did is toggle
through the screen modes until we got to the Full Screen
mode, which allows more free movement of the canvas.
As an interesting note, Photoshop CS4 includes some
wonderful enhancements in this area. The new OpenGL
support allows you to toss the canvas around like never
before – you can even freely spin it round and round! You
can find out more about this in the Insider Info on page
74 this issue.
072-073_AVP_51_Helpdesk.indd 73
PRECISION SELECTIONS
Hi, I have to use a selection method that I’ve
never used before, which I don’t understand
very well. I have to use a 9px brush to trace
around an element. After tracing, I have to use
the Polygonal Lasso tool to make a selection
on the middle of the brush trace.
My problem is that after selecting with the
Lasso tool, it’s a 4.5px distance to the edge of
the element I have to select. So I don’t know
what to do to alter the selection that
precisely. I could contract my selection by 4.5
pixels, but is this precise enough?
Livia
Livia, what you are describing could possibly work, except
the Contract Selection input doesn’t allow for decimals.
Integers only. So you are faced with the choice of half a
pixel too much or half a pixel too little.
Consider doing it in a different manner. When you trace
the shape with your 9px brush, create this traced stroke
on its own layer. After using the Polygonal Lasso tool to
create your initial selection, go over to the Layers palette
and hold down Cmd+Opt (Mac) or Ctrl+Alt (PC) and click
on the thumbnail for the traced layer. This subtracts the
pixels off that layer from the previously created selection.
Photoshop even evaluates each pixel’s opacity when
creating the selection. It doesn’t get much more precise
than that!
FITTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: A puzzling selection
to be precise
es
n iqu
ch
Te
DIGITAL TATTOOS
I’m trying to add a tattoo to a photo of somebody, and
I’m having a difficult time trying to get the artwork to
follow the curves of the skin. The Warp tool doesn’t have
enough control points and the Smudge tool just makes
a mess of things. Is there an easier way?
Virginia Renquist
Why yes, Virginia, there is an easier way! This is the type
of job the Displacement filter was created for. This
technique takes the underlying light and shadow tones
and then wraps the image around them in a very
convincing manner.
1
Create the displacement map
Start by creating a desaturated copy of the layer,
and use the Smart Blur filter to blur out the smaller
details but retain the shape and lighting. Save this file
to use later.
2 Add some fresh ink
On the original file, place your tattoo artwork
where desired and use the conventional
transformation tools to get a close fit. Change the
blending mode to Hard Light to allow the skin tone to
show through.
3
Follow the folds
Go to Filter>Distort>Displace and set the scale
values as desired. You may need to experiment to find
the combination of values that works best with your
image. Click OK and then select the file created in the
first step as the displacement map.
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14/11/08 16:51:04
 Insider
Info
INSIDER
v INFO
GPU acceleration in Photoshop CS4
There are some fantastic new features available in Photoshop CS4, but you won’t be able
to access some of them without a dedicated GPU. We explain what this means, how to
know if your computer is compatible and how to upgrade if it’s not

T
here are plenty of great new features in Photoshop CS4, which we have
been looking at in more detail in our series at the front of the magazine (the
second part is on page 26 this issue), but one thing that has really been
hyped about the release is that the whole of Creative Suite 4 is the first application
of its kind to take advantage of the power of native GPU acceleration. But if that
means nothing to you, then we’ll explain exactly what GPU means and what extra
features you gain as a result.
What is a GPU?
First things first, it helps to know what a
GPU actually is. It stands for graphics
processing unit. The GPU either sits on
top of the video card or will be integrated
directly into the motherboard – what you
ideally want is the former. With
Photoshop CS4 being such a resource-
hungry application, by making use of the
GPU and taking the strain off the CPU,
you get better graphics and faster
workflow. You can run Photoshop CS4
without having a dedicated GPU, but it
does unlock added features and speed. In
order for Photoshop to access your GPU
and give you these benefits, then your
display card must have a GPU that
supports OpenGL, have 128MB RAM and
a display driver that supports both
OpenGL 2.0 and Shader Model 3.0.
If you have CS4, it’s easy to find out if
you have a compatible GPU or not by
simply going to Photoshop>
Preferences>Performance and looking
in the GPU section, which will be greyed
out if you can’t access the functions. Of
Video card options
The best video cards available come
from NVIDIA and you can get them
for a very reasonable price. If you’re
wanting to use Photoshop, then
either a Quadro or GeForce card will
suit your means, but if you’re going
to be using other Creative Suite 4
applications, then a Quadro is
recommended. The best card you
can get at the moment is the Quadro
CX, which is billed as ‘The Accelerator
For Adobe Creative Suite 4’, however,
cheaper solutions are available for
those with a budget to stick to.
course, you’ll find out soon enough
anyway, as soon as you select the
Rotate View tool and it won’t let you do
anything! If, however, you want to know
if your video card is supported before
investing in Photoshop, then there is a
full list of tested cards on the Adobe
Knowledge Base (some cards not on the
list may also work, but they haven’t
been tested for compatibility) at
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/
viewContent.do?externalId=kb405711
&sliceId=1. Make sure that whatever
card you have, you have got the latest
driver, which you can check on your
manufacturer’s website. In order to
check what card you have installed, on
a Mac you need to go to About This Mac
from the Apple menu, then hit More
Info to open the System Profiler. From
here, select Graphics/Displays to see
everything you need to know about
your GPU setup. On a PC, you will find
this information over in the Device
Manager, which is accessible from the
Control Panel.
For more information on how
NVIDIA and Adobe CS4 work together,
see www.nvidia.co.uk/object/
builtforadobepros_uk.html.
FLUID ROTATION: The rotation compass
lets you drag an image in any direction smoothly
PIXEL GRID: When you zoom in over 500 per
cent (and up to 3,200 per cent), you will see a pixel
grid, giving you crisp separations between
individual pixels for incredibly accurate editing
If you don’t have a supported card,
you’ll either need to upgrade to one
that is supported (see the boxout for
our recommendations) or make do
without the extra features and speed.
The added extras
So what does GPU acceleration actually
mean for Photoshop CS4? Quite a lot,
actually. For a start, everything works
faster, and this is especially noticeable
when you’re panning or zooming your
way around large images. The Zoom
tool is instantaneous, with no lagging,
AUTOMATIC DETECTION: If you have an OpenGL video card then you will automatically get
the new features, but you can check if the extras are activated in the Preferences. This area will be
greyed out if your card is not compatible
OUR EXPERT Julie Easton
As deputy editor of Advanced Photoshop, Julie has
been immersed in the possibilities of CS4 since the day it
was first rumoured, and thinks that everyone should
have the chance to experience the full power of the
software for themselves.
and completely smooth no matter how
close you get. When you get to 500 per
cent, you can get right down to a pixel-
by-pixel view with no bleeding
between the pixels – this pixel grid is
perfect for extremely precise editing.
A new function is the Birds-eye View.
If you’re zoomed into an image, you can
hold down H and click with your mouse
to zoom right out. Reposition the
viewing rectangle and you’ll
automatically zoom back into the new
position, which is simply brilliant for
fast navigation.
The Rotate View function is fantastic
– a compass comes up on-screen and
you can literally pull the image in any
direction to spin it, without any need to
enter an exact rotation angle as before.
Similarly, the Hand tool has been
updated with the ‘flick pan’ ability,
where you can drag across the image
and it will then pan in real-time in any
direction you want.
There are plenty more advantages,
especially if you are going to be using
the 3D functions, as the GPU
acceleration really does make things a
lot quicker and easier here. It’s worth
the video card upgrade if you’re
shelling out for CS4.

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 Our pick of the best reader submissions
sent to us this month

P
eer Pressure has once again been inundated with great artwork. The
chosen entries this month offer an array of insights into the creative mind,
sharing and revealing individual approaches and skills. We always include
your email and web address so that interested parties can get in touch.
All you have to do is send us high-quality TIFFs or JPEGs (RGB or CMYK) at 300dpi,
which can be printed at a minimum size of 15 x 15cm. Send us low-res versions to
advancedpshop@imagine-publishing.co.uk – we’ll get back to you for work with a
higher resolution if needed. Alternatively, log on to our forum at www.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum. We cannot provide individual image assessment.
Each issue we select one image to be Best In Show, and that lucky person will win
a fantastic prize, courtesy of The Illustration Source (www.illustration-source.com),
which is a great way to get your work seen. So, what are you waiting for?

LEOPARD (RIGHT): “I began the images

by creating random organic shapes within
Photoshop that could then be used as a mask
to paste the model image into. I then started
the process of stripping the colour out of the
images to achieve a monotone look, as I
wanted the colour from the brushstrokes to
stand out”

Passion for
fashion
NAME: Darren Stack
EMAIL: darenstack@googlemail.com
WEB: www.artchetype.co.uk

Darren Stack has been in the design industry for over 15 TIGER (BELOW): “The image
was built up using both my
years, working as a graphic designer, artworker and now own selection of brushes and the
as a studio manager, although his main passion is excellent brush sets by
illustration. “I am constantly trying to push myself to Adam Woodhouse”
create a personal style that can work for any format and
to stand out in a competitive market,” he explains. While
his preferred tools are Photoshop and Illustrator, he still
likes to use natural media to experiment with and bring
some rawness to the illustrations. “Just like Photoshop,
they can produce unexpected results, which adds to the
feel of an image.”
After his time in the industry, does he have any advice
for up-and-coming artists? “My experience has taught me
two important things: try and follow your own style, and
always name your layers!”
This series of images was inspired by our Fashion
Illustration feature in Advanced Photoshop 46. “Initially, the
idea was to create a poster for Mac OS Leopard with a
fashion feel, but as the image developed I focused on the
Fashion Against Fur campaign, as the stark white images
with the paint/blood splatters seemed a natural
progression.”

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 Funky chicken!
NAME: Courtney M James, aka Punkychicken
EMAIL: cjames@punkychicken.com
WEB: www.punkychicken.com

Courtney James is a graphic designer/

illustrator from Detroit, Michigan. She has studied
classes ranging from graphic design to
photography and painting. Nevertheless,
Courtney’s true love lies with the creation of
digital art and design: “This media has given me
the opportunity to accurately express my own
personality and depict the elements that make
this world beautiful.”
Her passion for her art is inspiring: “There is
nothing in the world that I would rather be doing.
I feel extremely fortunate to have found the one
thing that I truly love. I wake up every morning
excited about what I am doing and really can’t
wait to see what the future has in store for my life
as an artist.”
Courtney uses both Illustrator and Photoshop to
create her artwork, but she sometimes
incorporates watercolour and textures to add a
mixed-media feel to her artwork.
When asked about her individual style, she
says: “I think that when you really apply yourself
to a piece of art, it tends to have a unique style.
By allowing yourself to be unrestricted, you
give yourself the freedom to do something that
even you are surprised and proud of.” Wise
words, indeed.

COFFEE CREAMER AD: “This was commissioned by

International Delight. It shows the moment when the
coffee is just mixing with the cream by portraying the
exchange of flavour”

DESIGN IS: “This is a personal work. A

design created to show the simple yet
complex beauty that is captured in
movement and flow”

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 Discover the thinking behind the art

Photo magic
NAME: Ken Coleman
EMAIL: kenartcorp@gmail.com
WEB: www.flickr.com/kencoleman
BEST
IN SHOW
Ken Coleman has been working in Limerick
City, Ireland, as a digital artist and photographer
for a number of years. During that time, the
talented artist has completed a wide variety of
projects, ranging from CD covers to music-
based promotional artwork, as well as press
work for local magazines.
The progress shots here show an insight into
Ken’s work, the before and afters exhibiting the
amount of work that has gone into each image.
So where does he get his inspiration from for
transforming a model photo into something a bit
special? “The inspiration for my personal work
comes from a love of fantasy art and surreal
photography, as well as film and animation.”
To complete Ken’s images, he uses a range of
different programs that revolve around his main
tool, Photoshop, such as Poser, ZBrush and
Fractal Explorer.

LEANNE MOORE: “This shot was

created using the greenscreen shot,
lighting effects created from Lens Flare,
the Screen blending mode and wave.
The rest of the image was created from
my own library of sunset images, as
well as some butterfly photos to create
custom brushes combined with
Photoshop’s own brushes”

CLOCKWORK MUZZY:
“Clockwork Muzzy was created
using greenscreen photography,
custom brushes, lighting effects and
3D work completed with ZBrush”

076-079_AVP_51_PeerPressure.indd78 78 14/11/08 16:57:06

 best in
THE GLOW-WORM SECRET: “This is my
latest personal work for my portfolio. I wanted
to tell a story within the story, and I like the
mixture look of photo and illustration. The
house in the background was from another job,
and I needed special permission from Disney to
use it for my personal work”

DÉJÀ VU (ABOVE): “Inspired by the

music of Dream Theater; while listening,
just for fun I created a dark work of art,
show
very different to my standard commercial Sponsored by…
fare. I visualised something about murder Not only is Ken Coleman this
in some dark alleys and the souls of month’s Best in Show, they have
victims that never rest” also won a year’s full Option 3
membership to The Illustration
Source, worth £150, and Featured
Artist slot for December. The
Illustration Source Ltd is the newest
source of original art, freelance
illustrators, photographers, artists
and designers on the net. Visit
www.illustration-source.com for
more information. If you’d like to
stand a chance of winning an
Illustration Source portfolio, send
your images to advancedpshop@
imagine-publishing.co.uk.

Image requirements
You’ll stand a better chance of
seeing your work in print if you
adhere to the following criteria:
make sure that your images are
high-quality TIFFs or JPEGs (RGB or
CMYK), 300dpi, and can be printed
at 15 x 15cm minimum. Don’t forget
to include a small text file detailing
how you created your work as well.

PIRATE STYLE (RIGHT): “A personal project Terms and conditions

done for my portfolio, inspired by my
own traditional painting (as you can see here: By submitting images to Advanced
http://illugraphy.deviantart.com/art/ Photoshop’s Peer Pressure, you
DOLPHIN-family-45551303)” hereby grant Imagine Publishing
and, if relevant, clients to whom the
relevant work has been provided,
an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-
free licence to use such intellectual

Fantasy creations property in relation to work similar

or equivalent to the work. This
NAME: Tom Krieger includes the right to showcase work
EMAIL: illu@tomkrieger.com on multimedia formats. By
submitting work, you also confirm
WEB: www.fotoillustration.de
that your images do not infringe
any copyright regulations should
Tom is a busy digital illustrator based near Hamburg, Germany. He does a blend of digital illustration and they be published.
photomanipulation, which he refers to as ‘photoillustration’. Tom has worked in the advertising industry for
about 16 years now, and does all of his work in Photoshop. At the moment, he is concentrating on doing
workshops and tutorials to show off his very different illustration techniques, as you can see within the
images exhibited here.
Most of the jobs that he takes on are for the advertising industry, usually to create colourful, moody and clear
artwork: “Every time, (each is) one step further than the photo!”
Tom’s basic education in digital art came from studying Visual Communication, but most of his
techniques have been picked up by himself, “learning by doing”, as he says.
As well as the tutorials and workshops that take up his time at the moment, a DVD is in the pipeline for next
THE PRIZE: Check out The Illustration
year, something Tom is very pleased about. “This is a great possibility and a pleasure to create my own ideas – Source’s website to see the portfolios of
and I do have a lot of them – and to show Photoshop users my techniques in order to create something photo- previous winners of Best in Show
illustrated with all the basics.”

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 web
Discover the thinking behind the art

chall
enge THIS
MONTH’S
PRIZE
Our prize this month is 100 Ways to
Peer Pressure WEB Create Fantasy Figures by Francis Tsai, a
bite-size tip-based guide by an
CHALLENGE – THE WINNERS established concept designer,
Challenge reference: AP 050 courtesy of publisher David & Charles.

On our website, www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/competitions.

php, we run a web challenge where you are asked to create an Runner-up
image in Photoshop using at least one of three images provided. NAME: Beatrice Julien
These challenges are updated monthly and they are becoming WEB: www.
increasingly popular, so get your entries in for a chance to win. advancedphotoshop.co.uk/
Check out the website for details of our latest challenge and user/Beatrix
how to enter. The winner will collect a special prize for that month EMAIL: mmbjulien@yahoo.com
(prizes change frequently) and will also have their design printed THE LAST ONE: “I wanted to
in the magazine, along with two runners-up. render an opposite atmosphere to the
original photo. I created an aquatic
environment and added mermaids in
the background, as I always like to add
a fantasy touch to my artwork”

E B ER
W I NN
W
Runner-up
NAME: Hayden Wood
EMAIL: wood.hayden@gmail.com
SNOW TRUCK: “I converted the stuck
safari truck to a high-performance ski truck.
The sand converted nicely to snow with a few
adjustment layers, then I used my own
photographs to complete the winter
environment. The blasts of snow make it
look fun and fast”

NAME: Thodoris Ioannou

EMAIL: thodorisioannou@yahoo.com
WIND: “First of all, I replaced the sky with a cloudy one from my own photos. Then I
changed the lighting of the houses using Color Balance. I copy and pasted five leaves and
duplicated the layer many times. Then I used Free Transform, Wrap and Perspective to give
the direction – then exactly the same with the papers. I copy and pasted the balloons, the
cats, the shoe, the flag and the shadow behind the window. For each one, I lowered the
contrast using Curves and desaturated as much as needed. A little bit of Levels for the
blacks… and the adventure begins!”

www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/competitions.php
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 Feature

PHOTOSHOP
We take a look at
B
e it birthdays, Christmas or just function and likewise suit each creative
a good old bit of retail therapy, situation. We’ve also been conscientious of
the must-have it’s always a good time to invest
in some of the latest creative goodies
price, yet at the same time are fully behind
the motto ‘you can’t put a price on quality’.
software, on the market. However, with so many We present items from some of the top

hardware and contemporary products available for

Photoshop users, which merchandise do
added extras that you invest your hard-earned cash on?
What fundamental factors should
every digital artist encourage you to buy? Is it fashion? Is it
brands, plus some up-and-coming
manufacturers. If you don’t want to take
our word for it or want to share your own
favourite items, then visit www.
advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum. Scroll

should have function? Is one more important than the

other? Well, before you get yourself
down to the Your Views section to
comment on our feature.
bamboozled, the Advanced Photoshop
team are at hand to provide you with our
favourite products and we explain why
every Photoshop artist should have them.
This feature will showcase a select
choice of the market’s more sophisticated
and downright stylish products, and we’ll
be telling you just what makes these true
must-have devices. We’ve left no stone
unturned, scouring the internet,
catalogues and previous issues of
Advanced Photoshop to source you a
range of items that should cover every

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 Photoshop essentials

ESSENTIALS

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 Feature
APPLE IMAC
Product info: The iMac we have chosen offers a 24-inch screen at 1,920 x 1,200px
resolution and a flat-panel widescreen display. It also has an Intel Core 2 processor,
which offers fast running speeds of 3.06GHz, plus 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 memory.

Why you need it: Let’s be honest, the main reason you want an iMac is its pure sex
appeal, what with its splendid glossy widescreen display and its oh-so stylish
design. Nothing says ‘I love you’ more than this crisp, clean, slim and aesthetically
wholesome piece of hardware. Of course, it’s not all mouth and no trousers, as the screen
gives you a decent working area and the colours are vivid and bright, with ultimately
better visual environments. Sure, there are those that will argue you can get an equal PC
for a lot less money, but where’s the fun in that? (Of course, if you are one of these
people, then there’s a great example of a PC
below, just for you!) The iMac simply looks
professional, has bags of design credentials
and has the power to run all
your essential programs with little
trouble. It’s worth going for the model that
we have recommended here to get the 2GB
memory and fast processor, as it will make
those resource-hungry Adobe apps run
much more smoothly. It’s our Mac of choice
for our art and design projects.

www.apple.com

APPLE IMAC SPECIFICATIONS:

■ 1,920 x 1,200px resolution
■ Core 2 Duo processor
■ Anodised aluminium frame
and glass cover
■ Ultra-thin Apple keyboard
■ ATI Radeon HD graphics standard

From £682/$1,199
DELL STUDIO HYBRID DESKTOP
Product info: The Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop PC provides high performance with its
Intel Pentium Dual Core, Intel Core 2 Duo technology, 4GB 667MHz Dual Channel
DDR2 SDRAM and up to 320GB Serial ATA hard drive.

Why you need it: What makes the Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop such a great little PC is the
machine’s personality – we like it just as much as our treasured iMac! It comes available
in interchangeable and premium sleeves, which include fashionable leather and
bamboo finishes, addressing the modern designer’s desire for chic products. Another big
selling point is that it’s an extremely flexible wireless piece of hardware, which can be
housed throughout your workstation and will undoubtedly decorate it at the same time.
It’s also a device with a conscience and includes ultra-modern environmentally friendly
technology. This will appeal to the eco-
friendly user – something we should all DELL STUDIO SPECIFICATIONS:
be concerned about. It also includes a ■ Energy-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo
competent amount of RAM to allow mobile processors
smooth cross-platform access and design, ■ Intel Integrated Graphics Media
and comes standard with a sophisticated Accelerator X3100
seven-in-one media reader. This also ■ 320GB Serial ATA hard drive
allows you to enjoy optional DVD, HDMI ■ Intel High Definition Audio 2.0
and Blu-ray standard viewing, which can ■ Optional Blu-ray disc player
make all the different to your on-screen
artwork and design.

www1.euro.dell.com
£499/$807

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 Photoshop essentials
accessories
VFS-004 DELUXE NEG 10TURIO PENTABLET-/
AND SLIDE SCANNER NOTEBOOK-BAG
Why buy: For those lacking a scanner with a Why buy: Essentially, this protects your
film/slide-scanning function, or just to get equipment from environmental hazards
something less space-consuming yet equally as well as making a fashion statement –
capable, the VFS-004 is a worthy purchase. why wouldn’t you want one?
Brand: Veho Brand: 10Turio
Retail price: £89.99/approximately $158 www.veho-uk.com Retail price: Approximately £15/$25 www.wacom-shop.net

CS4 DESIGN PREMIUM

Product info: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium includes InDesign CS4,
Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4,
Fireworks CS4, Acrobat 9 Pro, Adobe Bridge CS4, Adobe Device Central CS4 and
Version Cue CS4.

Why you need it: If you are going to be making the most of more than just Photoshop
in Adobe’s new Creative Suite 4, then the Design Premium is our pick of the collections
available. With the inclusion of Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks, this ultimate
package maximises high-quality cross-media design opportunities – something that is
going to be an incredibly useful skill set over the next couple of years. Each software
includes its latest CS4 face-lift and delivers compelling content that will ultimately let
you achieve never-seen-before results.
Innovations across the software range
CS4 DESIGN PREMIUM
include video, animation and 3D design
SPECIFICATIONS:
tools, all coherently integrated within
■ PC: Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
SP1, 2GHz or faster processor, 9.3GB simplified workflows. One of the best
hard disk space reasons to buy, however, is the price. Even if
■ Mac: Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4, you just want Photoshop Extended and
PowerPC G5 or multicore Intel Illustrator, you’re only paying an extra
processor, 10.3GB hard disk space
£100/$200 to get all the programs you will
■ 1GB RAM required ever need for website design, Flash
animation and so much more.

£1,468/$1,799 www.adobe.com

ONONE PLUG-IN SUITE 4

Product info: onOne Plug-In Suite 4 provides six award-winning plug-ins that
include Genuine Fractals 5 Print Pro, PhotoTools 1 Professional Edition,
Photoframe 3.1 Professional Edition, Mask Pro 4.1, PhotoTune 2.2 and FocalPoint
1, each available as plug-ins through Photoshop.

Why you need it: No other plug-in package provides as much capability to amend,
enhance and overall improve your photography and design as much as onOne’s
Plug-In Suite 4, while at the same time actually making it a lot quicker and faster than
using Photoshop’s built-in tools, and we’re all for a time-saver. The software included
offer really quick and efficient ways to edit your images. The effects of each edition
are really impressive, and we would especially recommend it for the way it provides
quality standard colour correction and
extremely enhanced masking capability, ONONE PLUG-IN SUITE 4
which can be a persistent problem in SPECIFICATIONS:
digital design. Not any more, though, as ■ PC: Windows XP SP2 or Vista
soon as you grab this product. Plug-in ■ Mac: Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
Suite 4 also provides a real source of ■ Photoshop CS2 (v9.0.2), CS3 or CS4
entertainment, as you’ll not only enjoy ■ 512MB of RAM
applying professional standards but
■ 3GB of disk space
you’ll also be able to produce cool
■ DVD drive
graphical effects through its many
options and applications.

www.ononesoftware.com
£315/$500

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 Feature
WACOM INTUOS3 SPECIAL EDITION
Product info: The Intuos3 A4 USB Special Edition celebrates Wacom’s 25th
anniversary, coming in black or gunmetal grey. It includes high-performance
functions, such as tilt sensitivity, pressure sensitivity with as many as 1,024 levels,
customisable ExpressKeys and doesn’t need either batteries or a cord.

Why you need it: Why would anyone need a Wacom pen tablet? That’s like asking
why Michelangelo needed pencils and paper. The Wacom Intuos3 A4 USB Special
Edition is essentially the must-have media for any digital artist. Not only does this
advanced machine put its point across with its increased levels of pressure sensitivity,
making application feel as familiar and traditional as possible, it also makes a
profound design statement through its shiny, sexy black exterior and matching input
devices. It also provides an extra
dimension in application with the
included Airbrush, meaning you can use
its unique finger wheel to precisely
control application. The Special Edition
is our choice thanks to its included
accessory pack: five Standard nibs, five
Felt nibs, five Stroke nibs, five Flex nibs,
an alternate Pen Grip (without side
switch holes), a nib-removal tool and a
replacement side switch.

www.wacom.com

WACOM INTUOS3 SPECIAL

EDITION A4 SPECIFICATIONS:
■ 1,024-level pressure sensitivity
■ 440 x 340 x 14mm physical size
■ 305 x 231mm active area
■ 5,080lpi resolution
■ +/- 60-degrees tilt
■ Free professional accessory kit

£433/$761
X-RITE (PANTONE) COLORMUNKI DESIGN
Product info: The ColorMunki Design provides buyers with ColorMunki palette-
creation software, ColorMunki colour-calibration software, Quick Start guide and
a spectrophotometer.

Why you need it: Simply, the ColorMunki Design is a product that makes the worrying
problem of colour correction less daunting due to its easy-to-follow, step-by-step
calibration process. Its dial function is extremely easy to operate, and its inclusive software
offers you advanced options, so it will certainly enhance your appreciation for and
understanding of colour application. Its modest-yet-fun design only adds to the appeal of
this already comprehensive product, and its included holder bag really means no
annoying screen suction, keeping interference and cleaning to a minimum. The
ColorMunki Design is so desirable mainly as
X-RITE (PANTONE) it can make even the most unfamiliar
COLORMUNKI DESIGN individual comprehend the true meaning
SPECIFICATIONS: of colour. It helps, of course, that
■ ColorMunki spectrophotometer it is a well-designed piece of kit. It’s
■ Allows synchronisation with the most stylish colour-calibration kit we’ve
contemporary software come across, and it’s definitely one of the
■ PANTONE Color Libraries smallest. The community aspect of the
■ All-new Print Safe feature website is another bonus, as you can share
and add created palettes – discovering
new schemes you’d never have thought of.
£299/$524
www.colormunki.com

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 Photoshop essentials
MX AIR RECHARGEABLE
CORDLESS AIR MOUSE
SPECIFICATIONS:
■ Recharging station
■ Laser performance
■ Logitech SetPoint software CD
■ Freespace motion sensing
■ Li-ion battery

£99.99/$160
MX AIR RECHARGEABLE CORDLESS
AIR MOUSE
Product info: Logitech’s MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse offers innovative
Freespace motion-sensing technology, with nine customisable buttons. The
ergonomic model lends itself to a familiar and comfortable grip, accommodating
hand movement operation.

Why you need it: The MX Air rechargeable cordless mouse is the equivalent of Knight
Rider meeting James Bond, in aesthetics and functionality rather than being able to
speak or shoot deadly laser beams. Possibly one of the coolest-looking mouse
products we have laid our eyes and hands on, this is a product that makes you want
to shout “I’m a designer with attitude!”
However, the MX Air is more than just a MODERN OFFICE ELASTIC MESH
pretty face, and is high functioning and
multifunctional as it acts as both a SYNCHRO CHAIR
mouse and a media remote. This makes Product info: The Elastic Mesh Synchro Chair provides style with utility. The product
it a superbly entertaining and ultimately displays a black mesh seat and back with Silver Vein framework, and is highly
convenient recreational device within breathable and form-fitting with its mesh fabric material.
your working stations and well worth
purchasing. It works well, it’s sleek and Why you need it: Having comfortable seating at your work station is essential for a
stylish and there’s just no other mouse digital artist, considering the expected long hours and late nights working on addictive
quite like it. artwork. The Elastic Mesh Synchro Chair brought to you by Modern Office is an
exceptionally preferable option. First of all, it’s a more cost-effective solution than most
products, and accommodates style and luxury with its thin, highly breathable, form-
www.logitech.com
fitting mesh fabric seat. Its back conforms
naturally to the user’s body. Nelson
Balaban, international graphic artist,
certainly likes it. “I’ve been using this chair
for quite some time and it’s very
comfortable. It fits in every space and it’s
just as light as a feather.” Include fluid
adjustments and pivoting armrests that
are width-adjustable, and you’ve got one
leisurely seating solution well worth
investing in.

www.modernofficefurniture.com/mesh-
chair.htm

MODERN OFFICE ELASTIC

MESH SYNCHRO CHAIR
accessories
SPECIFICATIONS: ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP
■ 2:1 synchro tilt/tension control SUBSCRIPTION
■ Full-function pivoting armrests Why buy: Your essential guide to all things
■ Cast aluminium base with dual wheel Photoshop, we’ll make sure that you brush
carpet casters up on your digital creative skills. Minimal
■ Form-fitting mesh fabric seat cost for maximum creative inspiration.
Brand: Imagine Publishing Ltd
Retail price: 13 issues (UK) £62.30, 13
£395/$625 issues (US) £80/approximately $127 www.imagineshop.co.uk

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resources

Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP

Promising users 30 per cent more on-screen real estate alongside competitive
functionality, does Dell’s latest monitor deliver?
Manufacturer: Dell Staying environmentally friendly: The
Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP is, like its predecessors,
Web: www.dell.com ENERGY STAR-compliant, meaning it consumes less
Price: £568.70/From $689 electricity, uses fewer raw materials and generates
About: Higher than HD-ready resolution: 1,920 x 1,200 less heat than a CRT

16.7 million colours/110 per cent colour gamut

178 degrees horizontal and vertical
viewing angle
HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, HDCP, USB, and xD/SD/MS/
MMC/CF memory cards accepted

I nternationally renowned monitor manufacturer Dell has

released its latest innovative product to revolutionise
the marketplace, the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP. But how
does this piece of hardware compare to others in its already
flattering product line of HD-standard monitors?
Well, first of all, we should address that with its expansive
1,920 x 1,200 resolution, this monitor is greater than high-
definition quality. This, of course, allows designers to
scrutinise and create high-quality images to a greater degree.
Couple this with the 24 inches in size and the Dell
UltraSharp 2408WFP’s implemented dynamic contrast ratio at
3,000:1, which has rarely been seen before as many other
monitors fall under the 2,000:1 mark, and you have one
exciting piece of creative apparatus. This utility is enabled
separately through its physical menu options, and, once
activated, it intelligently decides when to adjust the exposure
of the display, dependent on the open image.
If this should become an annoyance, the monitor operates
naturally at 1,300:1, which is far from disappointing. With the
high resolution, proficient contrast ratio and a 400 cd/m²
brightness level, this monitor is more than capable of Further incentive is the monitor’s installed HDMI 2.1 audio- only as long as you’re willing to dig deep
producing stunning colour representation. In comparison, the out connection, which allows the machine to be linked to Blu- into their pockets for a creative high-
average monitor on the market has no more than 300 cd/m², ray DVD players, HD-DVD players, cable boxes and even definition experience.
making the image a machine alive with colour. games consoles. This is where the monitor comes into its With so many capabilities and notable
own, with sound and image quality at an HD standard, improvement in this latest monitor, it really
making it a truly multipurpose and high-functioning piece of is hard to find fault. However, if you should,
digital apparatus. In addition, a dual-display function is then there are guarantees. Specifically, the
possible. With quick menu access, the monitor screen splits in Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP offers a Premium
two, allowing for an alternative video stream while editing on Panel Guarantee, ensuring replacement of
your computer using the S-Video input. UltraSharp series monitors with zero bright
We feel the 2408WFP model is fairly boxy, and, once pixels. This means that if you should notice
stationed, makes for awkward manoeuvring, and thinner only one bright pixel, then a free panel
monitors on the market will almost certainly command a exchange is guaranteed during the limited
slimmer retail price. But on the flip side, its tilt and rotating warranty period.
pivot functions provide extremely fluent positioning of the
24-inch monitor, accommodating portrait, landscape and Summary: This is a creative device that
many more on-screen image-viewing angles. seems comprehensive in price when
Fully equipped with a range of relevant memory card slots, regarding its inclusive high-quality
functions. It seems suited to the high-
along with USB ports on one side, and you have a space-
end designer market with its
effective device that helps keep your desk tidy, as you no
sophisticated utility, and enthusiasts
longer need a card reader or USB hub hanging around. All in may wish to look elsewhere for a cost-
all, the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP is essentially for serious effective solution.
Clean and tidy: Monitor stand port slots help you keep the
numerous cables manageable and untangled. This is extremely useful in digital artists and perfect for those who are looking for high Rating: 4/5
minimising movement problems when the screen is turned on its side performance and ultimately defined graphic capabilities, but

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resources

Epson Stylus Photo R2880

The latest large-format print solution from Epson, but how does it fare in replacing
its previous first-rate products?
Manufacturer: Epson Print like a pro: Considering all of the
factors, the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 is certainly
Web: www.epson.com designed to deliver large-format photos worthy of
Price: £570/$800 display in a gallery
About: Advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head with
ink-repelling coating technology
Epson Ultrachrome K3 with Vivid Magenta
pigment ink
Built-in Radiance technology
Consistent output with Epson PreciseColor

T he Epson Stylus Photo R2880 is a highly regarded

addition to the Epson large-format machine range, as
Epson assures cost-effective, exhibition-quality prints as
well as advanced colour application through its numerous
installed technologies. But does it really live up to any of
these boasts?
Well, it certainly looks the part with its acrylic-finished shell
in silver and black. For a particularly bulky piece of machinery,
and heavy moreover, all draws and lids open and fold
discreetly. In comparison to its dimensions, which will
accommodate a fair bit of studio space, the Epson Stylus
Photo R2880 keeps print noise to a minimum, which can only
be good for detracting from the stress of those paper-heavy
print jobs.
However, the printing times related to the Epson Stylus
Photo R2880 may be attributed to this. We found that a single
print, from start to finish, spooling to physical finish, took up
to an average of four minutes per print. This can detract which we discovered after doing a few test prints of our own. technology and ultimately demonstrates
designers who are looking for a quicker print solution for The professional, eight-colour ink set really does make for a that a wider colour gamut substantially
those urgent workloads. Understandably, this factor is slightly conclusively toned printed image. We even explored the approves accuracy and gradation. In terms
irritating; however, when looked at in perspective, it’s a potential hazard of gradient distortions that can occur in of printing, it seems just as efficient as the
necessary sacrifice. The Epson Stylus Photo R2880 is, in fact, a some printing processes, but the R2880 was more than award-winning Epson Stylus Photo R2400
diligent machine that is firmly in the ‘slow and steady wins the capable of resolving such a problem. This efficiency can be that it seems to be replacing. It even
race’ philosophy. The laying of ink, coupled with and attributed to the machine’s Radiance technology, which weighs in at around £100 cheaper, so it’s
advanced by its impressive creative sciences, offer meticulous ensures smoother colour transitions and improved highlight less of a burden on your bank balance.
and extremely successful print solutions. Even the cleaning of and shadow detail. Coincide these abilities with a few other
print heads takes up to between six to ten minutes to ensure With the tried-and-tested Ultrachrome K3 technology also performance-enhancing operations, such
clear and clean treatment. incorporated, premium black-and-white print quality is as automatic nozzle checks and a mist-
Incorporating advanced magenta pigment, this printer achieved. The Epson Stylus Photo R2880 allows you to collection system promoting greater
handles a truly outstanding range of reds, blues and purples, produce outstanding tonal range using three-level black machine reliability and a superior facility
towards media types, including the ability
to print on roll paper, fine-art media or
1.3mm thick art boards, and the Epson
Stylus Photo R2880 is a preferable product
choice. Considering all these factors, the
misgiving of the print time discrepancy
can surely be forgiven.

Summary: A little patience may be

necessary for this thorough machine,
yet it’s a reliable solution for producing
high-quality print production to a
simple setup: The three buttons on the front of the model enable you Managing monochrome: Users of the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 professional standard every time.
to quickly perform basic maintenance tasks without any hassle and it’s can control neutral or toned black-and-white prints by using the Rating: 4/5
super-simple to use them Advanced Black-and-White Photo mode

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 resources
Bridge CS4
Adobe’s minor adjustments make for big improvements in productivity and decision-making
Manufacturer: Adobe
Web: www.adobe.com
Price: Included with Adobe CS4 software
About: Adobe Bridge Home
Task-based workspaces
Extensive List View
Web galleries and PDF contact sheets
Enhanced Camera Raw adjustments

C oinciding with the launch of Adobe Creative Suite 4,

Adobe Bridge CS4 now includes superior functionality
and several new advanced options. This makes it more
efficient, taking it another evolutionary step away from being a
mere digital filing system.
Essentially, the new Bridge interface promotes better
accessibility. It also looks extremely sexy with its
contemporary style. The new icon-based options at the top
of your workspace make your applications far more logical,
speeding up routine tasks. A great example of this is the Path
Bar navigator. This allows you to return to any stage in the
chain of selection and application, which is great when
scrutinising image collections. There is also the Camera
Import option, which still functions the same yet is readily
available in this new option set.
Bridge CS4’s redesigned option set also makes it easy for
you to comprehend file data and arrange imagery to your
preference with the click of a button. Selecting one of
Essentials, Filmstrip or Metadata will automatically transform
your workspace, and will also provide various corresponding
preferences in the new extensive List View. Situated to the
left of your workspace, this set includes drop options for
Filter, Collections and Metadata. Selecting one of these
options will allow you to specify particular image types in the
related workspace.
The new Refine option will certainly be a big hit across the
creative board. Selecting Review Mode from this drop menu
will provide you with full-screen, interactive Carousel view.
Selecting the Magnify tool allows you to inspect acute
blown-up image detail before making that conclusive
MADE SO EASY: You can sort through a larger number of assets more
easily, organising through virtual-based groups, eradicating any real
physical movement
decision on which images to dispose of and which to keep.
Then you can reject images before creating your preferred
sets in this option, too.
Another practical new addition is the advanced colour
management option. Selecting Edit>Creative Suite Color
Settings, Bridge CS4 automatically synchronises all image
colours. This is a great function as it means that your images
will have their colour managed and be consistent across all
Creative Suite 4 components. However, we must warn that
this is an option only applicable upon installing the complete
suite package. Enhanced Camera Raw options are also
available. By designating your preferred images and then
selecting File>Open in Camera Raw, Adobe Bridge CS4
allows you to apply nondestructive adjustments, such as
Clarity, Exposure and Temperature, to your images in the
Camera Raw 5.0 dialog box. You can then isolate these
adjusted images using List View>Filter>Camera Raw options
before batching.
BRIDGING THE CREATIVE GAP:
A destination area provides visitors with up-to-
date tips and helpful resources for all your Adobe
Creative Suite 4 software
ALL-INCLUSIVE: The nondestructible
capabilities in RAW 5.0, when directly activated in
Bridge CS4, make for a great time-saving and
entertaining creative solution
Still available, yet looking brand new,
are the advanced PDF and Web Export
options. The software now provides an
integrated interface when clicking the
Output icon in the workspace selection
options, which doesn’t rely on revisiting
Photoshop to apply settings. Bridge does it
all itself. The PDF and Web Gallery Output
supply extended drop options that cover
your every creative need, from colour co-
ordinating your websites and arranging
composition to setting specific document
size, material and layout settings for your
PDF-based print work. Live previews are
available for both options, so you can be
certain of effects before Okaying anything.
Summary: Essentially, Adobe Bridge
CS4 maximises logic and convenience,
while promoting style when organising
and editing preferred files. The redesign
and new tools, options and accessories
make this a truly worthy upgrade.
Rating: 5/5

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resources
Nik Software Viveza
Revolutionised colour control is offered in Nik Software’s latest image-enhancing solution.
But how does it compare to Photoshop’s inclusive options?
Manufacturer: Nik Software
Web: www.niksoftware.com
Price: $249.95 (approximately £155)
About: U-Point technology
Selective Brush tool (Adobe Photoshop only)
Smart Filter-enabled
Easy slidebar application
Advanced colour options
N ik Software’s Viveza is a product that offers the
promise of maximising your image-editing skills in a
quick and easy fashion, obtaining professional-standard
results. Looks like Viveza keeps its promises.
Upon installing and opening this colour-corrective plug-in,
you won’t be excited about its interface. In fact, it all seems a
bit bare, even predictable if you’re familiar with the Nik
Software range. This, however, is not a problem. It coincides
with the latest Nik face-lift with an upgraded interface, a
professional contemporary colour-neutral appearance and
resizable work area. Viveza is a plug-in that presents all the
best bits in a concise fashion, cohering with Nik’s simplified,
modified and enhanced standard. Perhaps not as expansive
as other product range siblings, yet it does exactly what it sets
out to do.
Within this software, the familiar U-Point technology
incorporated is utilised to the maximum and seems more
relevant than in other Nik Software products. Serving
application extremely well in addition to isolating image areas
intuitively based upon their characteristics, users can apply
designated effects with ease. Also, this means that you don’t
have to struggle with masking, and once again it’s a handy
little time-saver.
In this instance, the Control Points allow you to dictate
Brightness, Contrast and Saturation amounts, once more
using the simplicity of slidebars. Of course, you can gain
advanced control over your application in the Details Slider
options. Activating the All button opens up an extensive
range, allowing you to control an image’s Hue, RGB values and
Warmth. These extras make for an all-inclusive toolset that
PICTURE PERFECT RESULTS: Enhancements are automatically and
naturally blended throughout your image for spectacular results and
maximum time-saving
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092_AVP_51_VivezaReview.indd 92
EXPOSED ACCURACY: U-Point technology brings a new level of UNDER SCRUTINY:
precision and efficiency when adjusting image exposure and colour Isolating specific
image areas and
maximum inspection
are applicable through
Viveza’s extensive
option extras, such as
the Selective Brush
tool, CCP list options
as well as multiple
viewing scenarios
Photoshop’s brush tools. Again, this
enables quick and easy application of any
selected filter.
Tidy extras are also included, if not
immediately apparent, that will make your
SMARTER THAN MOST PLUG-INS: When used as a Smart Filter, application of this software even more
Viveza offers continuous image-editing capabilities with Color Control leisurely and enjoyable. Take as an
Points, without any loss of quality or image detail
example the Show/Hide effect of the
makes understanding and application of colour correction Control Point option in your CCP list. Upon
both logical and coherent. Especially relevant when isolating activating this, a colour range appears,
separate areas of exposure to adjust highlight and low-light isolating precise areas of application.
image areas, as opposed to if you were to use Photoshop’s Another nice inclusion is the ability to
dotted functions. apply your Viveza effects to a range of
Viveza seems all about making colour application opened documents. All you do is press
convenient, especially when considering its Smart Filter Cmd/Ctrl+F and Photoshop will instantly
compatibility. Essentially, this allows you the constant ability apply previously made effects.
to revisit and fine-tune your Viveza applications at any time
and make adjustments within a single Photoshop layer. This is Summary: Viveza is a simple program
a great way to achieve maximum effects and keep your file that addresses two of image-making’s
size to a compact minimum. All you have to do is select most important factors – colour and
Filter>Smart Filters from your Photoshop Filter options and lighting – in a coherent fashion that
play away. The Selective tool is a great hands-on option that ultimately provides expert effects. A
worthy addition to your plug-in set that
allows users to rectify particular image effects. Selecting the
will really speed up related application
Brush button in the Viveza palette will then automatically
and outcomes.
apply a layer mask to your image layer. Here, you can brush
Rating: 4/5
any light and colour changes into or out of your image using
14/11/08 17:09:15

100 Ways To Create Fantasy Figures
Francis Tsai provides a multitude of tips and techniques on how to produce superior
conceptual character design
Author/Publisher: Francis Tsai/Impact Books
Web: www.impact-books.com
Price: £12.99/$19.99
About: Quality advice from top industry artist
Francis Tsai
Over 120 full-colour pages packed with
stunning imagery
100 ingenious techniques
1 00 Ways To Create Fantasy Figures is a book that
presents an assorted blend of traditional and
contemporary art resources, so fans of the fantasy genre
can find entertainment when learning to create
professional-standard character design.
One notable difference this title has compared against
other such fantasy resources available is that it focuses solely
upon figurative invention. Needless to say, if you are looking
for a more expansive resource then this isn’t the book for you.
However, this difference acts as a positive, permitting the title
to dedicate over 120 pages of core character design values.
Top industry concept artist Francis Tsai presents the art
examples with good authority. With a commission list
100 Habits Of Successful Publication Designers
Following on from the previously successful 100 Habits Of Successful Graphic Design, does this Rockport title deliver
similar standards?
Author/Publisher: Laurel Saville/Rockport
Web: www.rockpub.com
Price: £27.50/$40
About: Insider secrets from top industry
contributors, including Maya Drozdz, Vince
Frost and Todd Simmons
Working examples from top industry agents,
such as IdN and Adbusters
Over 185 full-colour artwork-packed pages
Five contemporary topical chapters
E ver wondered how all those successful artists and
designers in the creative arena stay on top? Well, if you
have, then 100 Habits Of Successful Publication Designers is the
title for you. Revealing trade secrets on how to work smart and
stay creative, this book polls a breadth of successful creatives
who share their fond and familiar designs, and reveals just how
they have maintained and changed standards.
The book’s working samples centre on publication design,
such as the design of books, magazines and journals. This
may seem a niche industry area, but the advice on offer will
surely benefit the attitudes of a range of creative types, from
graphic designers to illustrators. However, before you even
start absorbing this information, you’ll be drawn to this title’s
intelligent graphic layout, producing aesthetic pleasure
093_AVP_51_BooksReview.indd 93
resources
including Marvel, Midway Home Entertainment and Rockstar
Games, his teachings in this title are invaluable.
100 Ways To Create Fantasy Figures addresses the genre by
presenting five informative and fundamental chapters,
including Researching The Character and Communication
With The Viewer. Within each chapter, Tsai presents an
exciting range of diversely imaginative figures. Each chapter is
dissected into a single-page reference, addressing an element
of conception or application. This makes this title easy to
understand and digest, through bite-sized creative
information. Included are topics such as Grasp The Keys To
Expression, Find An Identity In The Face and numerous
INVENTIVE ETHNICITY: 100 Ways To Create
Fantasy Figures includes creative solutions for
sections on exploring character archetypes. every sort of being, from elf to orc, dragons to
This format makes the title more of a creative how-to Dracula and many, many more cool characters
encyclopaedia and less of a start-to-finish creative resource.
Summary: This title isn’t far removed
So we would recommend it a dream resource for those of you
from other similar fantasy titles, but
already with a keen interest in the conceptual topic, either in a allows artists to focus on a specific area
professional or enthusiastic capacity. Tsai’s hints, tips, tricks and digest some fundamental design
and overall teachings promote a realisation of anatomy, and invention rules that will certainly
attitude, personality and posture. With lavish character improve your own creative process.
examples, the title is a real inspiration through sensation of Rating: 3/5
the visual variety.
through its abundant
powerful design examples.
This in itself is a visual
edification, reinforcing the
teachings in this title.
100 Habits Of Successful
Publication Designers is
similar to the book reviewed
above in its approach to
presenting its beneficial information. Its likewise bite-sized
topics make creative learning and understanding more
comprehensible, which is good as the title can be very
official in nature at times. However, each grade of creative is
considered within the book’s lessons, with core principles
and terminology being addressed and abbreviations and ADVANTAGEOUS ANTHOLOGY: This
slang thoroughly explained. insightful compilation of top publication
designers helps promote the successful approach
There is some great inventive recommendation provided and execution of design
by some of the industry’s big hitters, including Arem
Duplessis, art director at The New York Times Magazine, Kalle Summary: Punctual and informative, 100
Habits Of Successful Publication Designers is
Lasn of Adbusters and Laurence Ng, founder of IdN
a title that involves steady and coherent
magazine. Some of our favourite topics include habit 58,
professional learning that will benefit its
reiterating the importance with working relations, habit 40, target readership and promote a better
addressing the importance of a product’s habitat and habit attitude in all artists.
68, relating the importance of having interest in and regard Rating: 4/5
for your own design.
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