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ISSUE 110
WELCOME
Welcome to the latest
issue of Advanced
Photoshop. I couldn’t
start without discussing
the ground-breaking news
from Adobe on the end of
the CS boxset and the
launch of Photoshop CC
ANNALISA SAYWELL The recent announcement at the Adobe Max
Editor conference in L.A. has sent our office into overdrive.
We’ve learned that significant changes are being
made to both the Adobe product line and the means
12
IN THIS ISSUE:
PHOTOMANIPULATION of paying for it all, and the important questions – PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW:
PHOTO EDITING
GRAPHICS
how, what, why and when? – have been on THE PURSUIT OF
DIGITAL PAINTING
TYPOGRAPHY
NEW MEDIA
everyone’s minds since the discovery.
So taking that into account, we discuss what LIGHT AND COLOUR
exactly all the fuss is about and bring you an update Marta Nael reveals her secrets on how to create a
colourful portfolio but still preserve realism
on what you can expect from the new tools as well
as looking into which features to get excited about
when Photoshop CC is finally released on 17 June.
Elsewhere in the issue, we bring you 15 great
COVER ARTIST
illustration tips and tricks, show you how to create
PETE HARRISON character concepts in CS6 and discover creative
http://peteharrison.com
Pete Harrison wields light photomanipulation all using Photoshop’s top tools.
and colour in many of his Our free disc is not to be missed either, with over
digital images, and as
lighting is so important 1,270 premium resources to choose from and an
when producing paint exclusive video tutorial, it really is a bumper issue!
effects - who better than
him to produce our cover
tutorial this issue.
FIND US ONLINE:
@advancedpshop /AdvancedPhotoshop
44 ABSTRACT GRAPHICS
DIGITAL COVER ART:
003
CONTENTS ISSUE 110
ISSUE 110
CONTENTS
EYE ON DESIGN
What’s hot, who’s in and the
latest art & design happenings
06 PRO PANEL:
Our contributors share Photoshop secrets
08 INDUSTRY FEATURE
Adobe reveals Photoshop CC
12 PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW:
The pursuit of light and colour: Marta Nael
18 PROJECT FOCUS:
Stunning mosiacs in CS6 28 ILLUSTRATION TIPS
56 CHARACTER CONCEPTS
76 ACTIONPACKED
COMPOSITES
36
DIGITAL
ALBUM
004 ARTWORK
TECHNIQUES REVIEWS
Professional artists reveal their high-end skills in our easy-to- We put the latest creative kit,
follow workshops books and apps to the test
20 STUDIO INTERVIEW
DKNG Studios 62 WORKSHOP
Atmospheric landscapes 82 FEATURE:
Head to head - Raw war
28 INDUSTRY FEATURE
15 Illustration tips & tricks 68 WORKSHOP
Create stylish vintage type 86 REVIEW:
Wacom Cintiq 13HD
36 INDUSTRY FEATURE
Digital album artwork 72 HOW I MADE
Shine by Kris Shields
44 INDUSTRY WORKSHOP
Abstract graphics 76 WORKSHOP
Action-packed composites
50 WORKSHOP
Liquid paint effects 88 READER INTERVIEW
Engaging photo illustration
56 WORKSHOP
Character concepts 92 RESOURCE PROJECT
Produce paint splash stock
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
SEE PAGE 22 FOR THE LATEST OFFER
62 ATMOSPHERIC
LANDSCAPES
96 ON YOUR DISC
Free with issue 110 of
Advanced Photoshop
TAILORMADE
CREATIVE CONTENT
Master paint splash effects for yourself
using Photoshop CS6
72 SHINE
88 ENGAGING PHOTO
ILLUSTRATION RESOURCE COLLECTION
Featuring 1,050 Photoshop brushes, 200
premium textures and 20 high-res images
PLUS:
• Tutorial project files
• Exclusive wallpapers for mobile and desktop
• Fonts worth $30
EYE ON DESIGN PRO PANEL
EYE ON DESIGN
PRO PANEL
OUR CONTRIBUTORS SHARE THEIR CREATIVE SECRETS, EXPLAINING HOW THEY
CREATED THESE STUNNING EFFECTS USING PHOTOSHOP’S POWERFUL TOOLS
DAN KUHLKEN GREG DAVIES
www.dkngstudios.com www.gregdavies.co.za
Running a small firm gives DKNG the opportunity to complete tasks Nothing imbues crispness in an image quite like a
more efficiently. Two heads are better than one, but 10 heads can be a High Pass-Overlay layer. Its effect can be applied to
circus. As a result, we’re limited in how many projects we can take on, any image, and we can all achieve this look by first
but this enables us to fully focus on the ones that we do choose. Our primary goal is to duplicating our image and then selecting Filter>Other>High Pass. Once
create great work – generating profit comes second. A larger team would increase our complete, set the new layer’s blend mode to Overlay, adjust the Opacity
bandwidth and that would decrease the quality of our work. to taste and then the image will look much sharper.
■ See more from Dan in this issue’s Studio Interview on page 20 ■ Greg shows how to create photo-based album artwork in our
main feature on page 36
© Greg Davies
MARTA NAEL
http://martanael.daportfolio.com
There are many ways to create focus in an image,
yet we can achieve more dynamic results by rotating
the horizon line. Placing the centre of interest a bit to
the right or the left, rather than the centre, is really useful for creating a
diverse composition. The arrangement of light helps create mystery and
can also be used to guide our eyes across a picture. Use this effect to
make certain elements stand out from the background.
■ Check out more of Marta’s work in her interview on page 12
006
The magazine for Adobe® Photoshop® professionals
Imagine Publishing Ltd
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It’s important to keep gradients
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Designer Steve Mumby
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■ Find Pete’s create-the-cover tutorial on page 50 Head of Publishing Aaron Asadi
Head of Design Ross Andrews
Contributors
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© Pete Harrison
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If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post,
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grant Imagine Publishing an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-
My work was based heavily in Photoshop before I learned to use C4D. Once I was able to free license to use the images across its entire portfolio,
in print, online and digital, and to deliver the images to
blend the two programs together, I realised how important it was to pay attention to the existing and future clients, including but not limited to
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■ More of Luke’s work can be seen in our album artwork feature on page 36
© Imagine Publishing Ltd 2013
ISSN 1748-7277
007
ADOBE REVEALS
PHOTOSHOP CC
WE EXPLORE WHAT THE LATEST VERSION HAS TO OFFER AND
A
GAUGE THE REACTIONS FROM A COMMUNITY OF PHOTOSHOP USERS
t this years annual MAX Conference, held in achievable in image editing even further. Moreover, updated to version 8 and includes its own set of
Los Angeles, Adobe announced its most its speedy operation means photographers and upgrades to complement a Photoshop workflow.
ground-breaking update since the release designers can create with even more freedom. This In this feature we go into greater detail about
of Photoshop CS6; the all-new Photoshop is all thanks to Adobe, who continues to perfect and what’s in store for us, presenting the most exciting of
CC. This version will be made available in June and provide superior image editing algorithms. the new Photoshop CC tools and options. We also
provides Creative Cloud subscribers with a host of New tools are supplied by the dozen and include share some of the Photoshop communities
brand new tools, as well as reinvented ones. the most advanced sharpening tool available, live thoughts and opinions on this latest update, in
Photoshop CC is geared towards photo editing like syncing with Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) and all-new addition to exploring the new innovative options
we’ve never seen, pushing the boundaries of what’s shape tool functionality. ACR itself has now been added to other software in the Creative Cloud.
008
PHOTOSHOP CC TECHNIQUES
NEW SMART
SHARPEN FILTER
When we say ‘new Smart Sharpen filter’, what
we really mean is revamped to the hilt. Adobe
has thought long and hard about supplying
intelligent resizing and sharpening functionality
in Photoshop CC. This latest revision shows a
great deal of diligence.
The Smart Sharpen dialog is now resizable, so
we can better scrutinize our working area. This is
something that we Photoshop users have been
persistently calling for, across all filters.
This version still operates through a set of
sliders, which makes the improved outcomes
that are applied even more outstanding. There
are only three in total (with Basic options),
including the regular Amount and Radius types.
However, Adobe has also added a Reduce Noise
slider in reaction to the haloing that occurred in
the results of previous versions.
This may seem such a small addition, but it
shows how Adobe is paying attention to even the
most specific usability issues we encounter.
009
Techniques PhotoshoP cc
other ChaNges
we presenT a few addiTional
feaTures ThaT have been added
to the creative cloud line-up
• Photoshop CC Blur Gallery and Liquify filter
can be applied non-destructively, now using
Smart Object functionality
010
New UpRight optioNs At first I wasn’t thrilled
Photoshop CS6 made massive strides in lens
correction with its Adaptive Wide Angle filter.
determining the best effects mechanically and to an
accurate degree – especially the Auto option.
about this. But there are a
However, this seemed to work best with fisheye Horizontal will apply one level correction that lot of pro’s. I am always
distortion. ACR8 with Photoshop CC has improved
results through its own advanced correction tools,
matches the best-case horizon in an image. Vertical
works to a similar effect. If we want to go the whole
upgrading to the latest versions
found under Lens Correction>Manual. The new hog we can apply the Full option, which will correct anyway. [Photoshop CC] will just
Upright options in here tackle all types of distortion.
There are five Upright options in total to choose
level, horizontal and vertical perspectives. Users can
manually edit effects further by using slider options,
spread the cost. You get a lot for
from. These provide one-click results, with ACR8 matching to Grid guides (enable Show Grid first). $600 a year
ChRis maCdoNald
“I agree with Fred. This is also the end of my
collaboration with Adobe. They are forcing us
into a cloud corner and I won’t be. I don’t need
every single new upgrade and I refuse to pay
for something I’m not going to use. I know a lot
of other colleagues that will also stop using
Adobe products because of the Creative Cloud
subscription. Now would be a good time for
some other company to come in and give
Adobe some competition.”
steve mCaleNey
“I have to agree that I will never rent software.
Adobe are making a big mistake as most
New Radial people will look elsewhere for their photo
FilteR tool New toNe iN editing needs – jolly bad show.”
Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) has always been revered for its aCR optioN bRad stRiCkmaN
ability to stylise photos and this reputation doesn’t look like Photoshop has always recognised the “Love it. The subscription option seemed like
it will be waning any time soon. Not with the inclusion of impact of HDR photography, with its a great idea to bring in more customers who
the new Radial Filter tool in ACR8, that is. Merge to HDR Pro and HDR Toning would normally just pirate it. If you want to
This tool lets users target a specific area of an image options both implemented and updated always keep up with the latest updates then
using a circular selection. The dimensions of this can be in Photoshop versions CS5 and CS6. it’s cheaper in the long run. I don’t understand
controlled and edited live by using control points. Applying Now users of Photoshop CC can load the hate.”
the Radial Filter tool opens its own extensive set of Merge to HDR Pro images straight into
options, which allow us to affect existing light, colour ACR8 and edit them. RobeRta kelley
temperature and sharpness within our targeted area. All we need to do is set Mode to 32 Bit “Haven’t decided yet.”
Other cool functions of the Radial Filter tool include the and select the Tone in ACR option, which
Jay leviNe
ability to create a new selection, which will duplicate the appears at the foot of the dialog. All ACR
controls are applicable to our images. “At first I wasn’t thrilled about this, but there
settings applied previously. We can also move our
are a lot of pros. I am always upgrading to the
selection on-screen, with ACR8 affecting the original This means we can add all of the new latest versions anyway. [Photoshop CC] will just
image beneath in real-time. This is a great way of instantly ACR8 tools to retouch and perfect looks. spread the cost. You get a lot for $600 a year”
seeing how effects look in other areas of an image.
FoR moRe iNFoRmatioN oN CReative CloUd aNd photoshop CC bUy issUe 111 oN sale 11 JUly
011
eye on design portfolio interview
portfolio interview
The pursuiT of
martanael.deviantart.com
lighT and colour
Marta Nael reveals her secrets oN how to create a
@Martanael colourful portfolio but still preserve realisM
M
astering a realistic paint style is never paint light and colour effects. I only published my first apply this same process in my digital workflow, to
easy, which makes digital artist Marta images online around three years ago. My portfolio maintain the same feeling.
Nael’s portfolio all the more amazing. is something that has helped me to improve, by
This issue we discuss with her how she comparing older works with more recent ones and wHy do you focus on Mixed-Media?
has nurtured her amazing mixed-media method and then only showing the images I’m most proud of. I believe my mixed-media style is one not used by
how she continues to improve it. We also explore many artists, and maybe this makes it popular. I
how Nael has successfully promoted art sales and How does your fine art work fuel your create a look that’s normally achieved using acrylics,
translated her already impressive brush skills into digital art? oil paints or watercolours. I think that when people
entirely different themes – from expressive portraits If you can’t paint in a traditional way then you won’t see my images they don’t recognise the artificial look
to skilled matte paintings. be able to paint digitally. This is something that every or airbrushed feel that some works have.
working artist should bear in mind. In my case, the
How Have you continued to iMprove on traditional training I received when studying Fine Arts How Has pHotosHop specifically Helped
your portfolio? became really useful. It helped me start a method you to replicate tHis look?
I paint on a daily basis, never give up and am never based in brush strokes, instead of line art. I found The use of several textured brushes is essential.
satisfied with what I do. This is what pushes me to myself always shading the entire canvas with a Throughout the years, I’ve downloaded tons of styles
improve my work. Creating a good portfolio is a neutral colour first, and then defining surfaces by that replicate the look of splashes and strokes. I’ve
challenge, especially when trying to master ways to adding to or erasing from this base. I then tried to even created some from scratch. I don’t use layers a
001
001
Boat in a storm: This artwork could be
seen as a play of colours, where i intend
to move away from reality and simply
enjoy painting. despite choosing an
insignificant subject, i tried to highlight
the use of light and colour
© ediciones Babylon
002
Ari: one of the images i’m most proud of.
i created this image as a concept art for a
video game, which never came out, sadly
© ediciones Babylon
012
040
002
eye on design portfolio interview
portfolio tips
LeArn nAeL’s inside Tricks To scuLpTing LighT,
BALAncing sources And finishing ArTwork
■ over-saturation
Paint light as if you were modelling shapes like a sculptor.
The contrast generated from painting coloured surfaces
and dark values creates outlines. Think of a reality were
there is only over-saturation, where no grey, black or white
exists. This really helps you to achieve colourful artworks.
■ adding noise
Once I’m done, I flatten all the layers and create a new one
on top. I fill this with a neutral grey colour then select
Filters>Add Noise>400%. Once I have applied that effect, I
blur it a bit then change the layer’s blend mode to Soft light. I
also lower Opacity to around 20%. This creates a nice grain
effect, barely visible, that will add a film effect.
014
005
My biggest
learning curve
from this experience was
use layer blending modes.
These let me integrate photos
with paintings a lot better
Bridges Island: The birds-eye view in this artwork was intended
to dramatise the scene. Here, I tried to push my skills in painting
light and colour even further © Ediciones Babylon
HOW HAS SELLING YOUR WORK HELPED TO Deadlines sometimes make me finish sooner than I scene by using light in order to guide the viewer’s eye
FURTHER YOUR PORTFOLIO? would do otherwise, however. around the image. Less important areas of the scene
Selling your art as a print or a canvas makes you see fall into shadow while the main action is picked out.
whether or not people value your work. It also WHO OR WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR GREATEST The central figure and the monster beside her are
reveals what subject people enjoy the most in your INFLUENCES? easily spotted from the rest.
paintings. Plus, it means expanding more and I’ve loved fantasy and sci-fi since I was a kid. I spent
reaching more people – especially if you get the all my childhood watching films and reading books WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LEARNING
chance to sign and sell it. based on these genres. Their influence appears in CURVE WHEN PRODUCING YOUR PORTFOLIO?
my work almost automatically. Traditionally I’ve learned a lot from each painting. The only way to
HOW DID YOU PROMOTE YOUR PORTFOLIO TO speaking, I’ve always enjoyed the art of Friedrich and learn is to practice on a daily basis, and putting in lots
POTENTIAL CLIENTS? Turner, or the Impressionism movement. Sorolla is of hours involves producing commercial work. My
To become a professional illustrator you need to be also one of my favourite artists. As for digital art, I biggest learning curve from this experience was the
good at actually illustrating, but also able to promote love the works of Maciej Kuciara, Ruan Jia, Danny use of layer blend modes. These let me integrate
your work everywhere and in any way possible. Luvisi, Jonas de Ro, Dave Rapoza, Andrée Wallin, photos with paintings a lot better – especially in
Whenever I wanted to get some commissions I had Marek Okon, Raphael Lacoste and Dylan Cole, to matte paintings, where I can apply a Screen blend
to show my work. The Internet is a very useful tool name but a few. mode or turn a greyscale sketch into a coloured one
for reaching out to lots of people, especially on social with the Color mode.
networks. Appearing in magazines and art books is WHAT’S THE MOST IMAGINATIVE PIECE OF
helpful too, as it gets you recognised in a competitive WORK YOU’VE CREATED? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS
world of artists – I sent my images whenever there I believe it would be the piece entitled Don’t Be Afraid, LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR OWN PORTFOLIO?
was a call for entries. Monsters. It’s based on the commonly known Believe in yourself and never give up. Never be
‘Beauty and the Beast’ story, but with a little child satisfied with what you do; no matter what people
DO YOUR PERSONAL AND COMMERCIAL being the main character and lots of monsters tell us, we can always improve. Also, don’t upload
STYLES DIFFER? surrounding her. The idea behind this image is not to every single artwork you create to your portfolio – be
To be honest, it’s been three years since I did my last judge someone at first sight – even monstrous- selective, and only use the ones you think add
complete piece of personal work. But thankfully, I looking creatures can be afraid of you and willing to something new, add value or make you feel that
have quite a lot of freedom when painting at my job. be your friend. I tried to explain the meaning of the you’ve achieved what you were looking for.
016
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project FocUS
stunning
mosaics in cs6
We ask artist Charis tsevis about his signature style
T
and hoW he CommuniCates both the part and the Whole
he mosaic is one of the earliest known Next I had to create a colour version of the mosaic
forms of art, with examples of glazed tiles that made use of the specific colour palette of AKTO
carefully placed to form larger works College’s new identity. There are six colours along
dating back to 1500 BC. with the white parts. Everything else had to be
Clearly we haven’t tired of the aesthetic approach coloured with these hues. Obviously, I painted certain
even thousands of years later, as renowned Greek parts of the photos in order to keep the warm tones
artist Charis Tsevis proves. His signature style is that for the skin. I then did the same for the focal point of
of contemporary digital mosaics and his carefully every illustration and left the cold tones for the rest of
arranged images burst off the page thanks to the the composition.
about tHe artist exciting and busy composition of smaller icons. After that I created a series of simple icons in
Charis Tsevis His work recently caught the attention of one of Illustrator that would be the stones of my mosaic.
www.tsevis.com the largest and most respected private art colleges These icons had to be simple and iconic in order to
Tsevis is an award-winning visual in Greece – AKTO – which wanted a campaign that be recognisable when very small.
designer based in Athens, Greece. would feel fresh and human-centric. At the same Once I’d prepared my photos I had to create my
He studied in Milan and Athens, but
now manages a modest studio time, AKTO wanted a treatment that would mosaics. I worked with a series of custom-
serving prestigious clients all over re-establish the values of the institution in the developed scripts inside Synthetik Studio Artist for
the world, such as Coca-Cola, Nike
and Toyota. He’s also worked with
current economic climate. this part of the work. Then I switched back to
agencies like TBWA, Saatchi & “Four sets of values were selected to represent Photoshop where I proceeded to build up the mosaic
Saatchi and BBH, as well as the values system of the college – art and science; in a manual way.
publications such as TIME, Wired
and the Wall Street Journal. word and image; tradition and innovation; experience Once I had the final mosaics I created the layouts
and development,” says Tsevis. “The visual style of in InDesign and worked on the TV commercial. Ex-
name of project the campaign needed to be based on these values students at monologue.gr made the commercial.
values+
but also build around my signature mosaic style. As
@tsevis
such, to create the icons I used the tools of art are tHere any pHotosHop sHortcuts to
education, knowledge and culture. These represent Help quickly replicate tHis style?
the necessary skills of craftsmanship and the wider Unfortunately, there aren’t. There are many bits of
meaning of education.” software that can create mosaics but the result that
Read on to discover how Tsevis took these all these programs offer simply isn’t good enough
elements and built an eye-catching illustration that without a lot of manual correction.
explores education as a whole, while also
considering its constituent parts. wHen creating mosaics, How do you
Alternative collage ensure tHat tHe final image doesn’t
How did you go about producing tHe just get lost in a mass of tiny icons?
mosaic effect? It’s actually very difficult because I’ve seen the
I was very lucky to be a part of AKTO College and original photos and I am always going to recognise
thus able to use all of the creative people that live each and every part of them. The problem is that the
within it. I also had access to a huge collection of rest of the audience hasn’t seen the source images,
photos taken by Stefanos Samios, a multi-award- so I have to constantly check with others to ensure
winning photographer. that what I’m creating remains recognisable. I also
We chose a set of images of students that we need to constantly ensure that what I’m creating
wanted to have at the centre of our campaign. I then imparts a very iconic composition that will send the
processed the photos in order to fit the mosaic so right message to the viewer.
that they would reflect the atmosphere that we
wanted to get across. In this type of work it’s How do you go about selecting tHe
good to simplify photos as much as possible rigHt starting image?
and correct the parts that are complicated or Mosaics are essentially photos in low resolution; a
difficult to understand at a glance. photo with big pixels. As such the subjects have to be
“The most difficult part was showing the
characteristics of the face but at the same
time keeping it blurred to create the
photographic depth of field.”
ORIGINAL IMAGE
iconic, simple and legible from the start. Even though brushstroke is also important for me. Ideas like Corel
this is the starting point, I then work a great deal on Painter’s Image Hose or Studio Artist’s Movie Brush
my source images to prepare them for a mosaic. are something that Photoshop is missing.
There is not one image I have ever used without
altering it substantially. WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU OFFER TO OTHERS
LOOKING TO CREATE WORK SUCH AS THIS?
HOW MANY LAYERS ARE NECESSARY IN AN Even though I’m a dedicated fan of technology, I
IMAGE LIKE THIS? would suggest that they first understand how
There are usually around ten or more layers. There mosaics are formed before and after technology.
are different mosaics with various parameters, sizes People tend to believe that there is an easy and
and corrections. automatic way to create a mosaic but this is not true.
Mosaics are images where you should
WHICH NEW PHOTOSHOP TOOLS WOULD YOU simultaneously see the parts and the whole. There is
LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED TO MAKE a huge tradition of human creativity in this field.
PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS SIMPLER? Stone mosaics, typewriter art, ASCII art, pixel art and
The ability to have a colour image as a brush is very many other art movements and techniques are very
Rejected mosaic important. Being able to use many images in a helpful areas for a newbie to explore.
019
eye on design studio interview
studio interview
DKNG StuDioS
We intervieW the founder of dKnG to discover
L
hoW this Los AnGeLes-bAsed studio is fusinG
the creAtive reALms of iLLustrAtion And desiGn
ike many other studio start-up stories, this
one begins with two college friends who took
very different paths before teaming up to
form their own design studio: DKNG.
Founder Dan Kuhlken studied graphic design, aware
that this would eventually lead to an artistic career.
Nathan Goldman, however, focused his energies on
both graphic design and art direction before working
full-time at DKNG.
So the pair collaborated in the field of design while
their nine-to-fives kept them apart. This is how they
encountered a career-changing opportunity. “We
came across the chance to create posters for the
Troubadour, a world famous venue in Los Angeles,
California,” Kuhlken tells us. “Together we built a
large portfolio of posters for them, over the course of
a couple years. Eventually, this caught the eye of
potential new clients and our career has continued to
flourish since then, one project at a time.”
DKNG is now known for producing high-quality
graphic design and illustration. Its services also
include brand and identity development, web design
and development, packaging design and apparel
design. From this, it becomes apparent that Kuhlken
and Goldman have a special interest in operating in
the entertainment industry.
The studio works with a bespoke philosophy,
believing that every client has a unique voice and
therefore that every new project requires a distinct
perspective. However, due to the fact that the studio’s
origins lie with gig posters, it’s noticeable how this
experience has inspired a few noticeable factors in
DKNG’s design – the application of bold colours and
shapes, specifically. “One of the main purposes of a
poster is to grab the viewer’s attention as quickly as
possible,” explains Kuhlken. “The first thing people
see is colour and shape. It’s only when they look
closer that they actually notice the variant details.”
Setting these elements aside for now, DKNG’s
design and illustration styles can change drastically
from project to project. Kuhlken believes that a
stubborn dedication to a niche style is commercially About the studio
detrimental. “To us, this is not what a design firm DKNG StuDioS
www.dkngstudios.com
should express when dealing with a wide variety of
@dKnGstudios
clients. We want to show we can do it all,” he says. DKNG is a full-service graphic
DKNG goes some way towards achieving this design and illustration studio.
principle through the different personalities that the Catering primarily to the
entertainment and music
duo bring. “Nathan and I wear many different hats,” industries, the duo behind the
admits Kuhlken. “We’re both involved in the creative studio have worked with some
impressive clients. dan Kuhlken, Creative director nathan goldman, Creative director
and business sides of our studio. For instance, I
020
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eye on design studio interview
strong portfolio and successful marketing. Kuhlken time. This makes complete sense, because if a client ■ talk to colleagues
makes sure that the DKNG website and social is impressed with what we create then it’s very likely Sharing our progress with each other often sparks a new
solution and gets projects moving quickly, so we’re not stuck
networks are constantly up to date and active. “We that we’ll work with them again. “Creating something spinning our wheels on a problem.
don’t know what lies ahead, but we do know that we can be proud of is a big part of what we do,” says
■ Warm up the office
someone will see what we create and possibly reach Kuhlken. “We’re very selective about who we work It’s easier being creative on demand when we’re existing in a
out to us with more work because of it,” he tells us. for. We want to make sure we do a great job, and in space where we feel comfortable and relaxed. Always have
some inspiration at hand.
“Most of our work comes to us through email, which order to do that we must have a strong creative
stems from our website. Many new clients cite past interest in a project.” This isn’t too hard to find, ■ take a break
If the ideas simply aren’t flowing, find an activity to occupy
work that they’ve come across – either from a though, when you’re working with clients such as your mind for a few minutes. When you return, solutions will
design blog or an image-sharing site.” Disney, HBO, MTV and Mondo, like Kuhlken and flow more easily.
DKNG proves it’s a contemporary studio by Goldman are doing.
utilising powerful social media platforms as a highly Subsequently, we pose the question: “How does
successful promotion tool. Indeed, the two directors DKNG approach existing IP projects when working
believe that it’s always good to let commercial clients with clients such as Mondo?” Kuhlken answers
know what they are up to, as creatives, on a regular promptly: “We always do our research. We dig deep
022
040
TACO BELL’S FEED THE BEAT PROJECT
DKNG PRESENTS THIS EXCITING POSTER FOR A ROCKUMENTARY ON TWO BANDS: PASSION PIT AND WILDCAT! WILDCAT!
01 3D PLANET
Here you can see how we created a three-
dimensional planet to use as the centrepiece in this
project. We fused together an image of a spherical ball
with a textured terrain, which we first created using the
3D modelling tools in Photoshop.
02 IMAGE TEXTURE
© 2013 Taco Bell Corp. All Rights Reserved
023
Dave Matthews Band: This is a diptych poster series created for dave Matthews Band’s
2012 two-night performance in West Palm Beach, Florida © 2013 dKng studios
Creating something
we can be proud of
is a big part of what
we do
While many artists choose to illustrate using a Wacom tablet or similar device, the vast
majority of dKng illustrations are created using this Apple trackpad
Eric Clapton’s Old Sock: A promotional poster created for eric Clapton’s latest album old sock. Portraits are always tricky An aerial view of goldman’s desk; since Kuhlken and goldman spend so much time at
in terms of subject representation and, in this case, dKng went through a few variations © 2013 dKng studios their respective desks, layout and ergonomics become very important
and become aware of what has already been done, that area into one large image. This is then used in
and this is how we can create something even more our design as a textured element, which fills our
special. Creating a concept that has never been entire art space.”
envisioned is ideal. If that’s not possible then we take Colour adjustments, especially Selective Color, are
a known concept and envision it through our own also readily applied to DKNG designs. “It’s not
unique perspective.” uncommon for our design to change colour, moving
Kuhlken and Goldman bring their collective skills away from its original digital format into a
together for this, abiding by the motto ‘two heads are screen-printed image,” explains Kuhlken. “We often
better than one.’ “Nathan and I take concept use this tool to colour-correct photos of our work, so
development very seriously and brainstorm for they match seamlessly in our portfolio.”
several days, sometimes, before presenting our Referring back to print production at DKNG –
ideas to a client,” reveals Kuhlken. “We’re hard on specifically, screen-printing – Photoshop’s bitmap-
each other and hold each other to a very high to-halftones functionality makes all this possible. “In
standard. Once we’re both genuinely excited about a the world of screen-printing, every ink colour (layer)
series of ideas, we know it’s okay to move forward.” must be reduced down to a purely black and white
It’s at this point the duo roll up their sleeves, and file,” Kuhlken tells us. “Photoshop techniques allow
begin using Mac computers with Adobe Illustrator us to take a highly complex design, utilising a large
and Photoshop software. Photoshop comes in spectrum of tones, and reduce these down to
especially handy when working with textures, halftone dots without compromising detail.” In a
applying these to vector artwork and stepping out of nutshell, DKNG depend on Photoshop to bring all of
the realms of clip art. “We often use the Stamp tool their creative projects to life. “Photoshop is the
Oakley’s Viva La Bubba Campaign: This campaign poster took
to create custom textures,” he tells us. “If we like a electricity we use to awaken Frankenstein’s the form of a propaganda-style illustration of Bubba Watson,
and it made its debut at the Phoenix open
certain photograph of cement, for example, we clone monster,” Kuhlken concludes. © 2013 oakley, inc. All Rights Reserved
024
040
studio interview EyE oN DEsiGN
14:33
conversations. That way, I get to hear the client
describe their vision in their own words.
025
TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS
a Morillo
G ar c i
en t e
in c
©V
028
© Vincente Garcia Morillo
1. INVEST IN
A CONCEPT
VINCENTE GARCIA
MORILLO
www.vicentegarciamorillo.com
To promote DJ sessions by
electronic music label Black Book Sessions, Vicente
Garcia Morillo created the Alive Objects series, which
encapsulates the artists and presents them as just
one entity: “In this case, I was playing with the
combination of elements that represent two of the
most popular musicians in Chicago and the L.A.
scene, respectively.
“The first step is always to conceptualise the piece.
I consider this one of the most important phases of
the development process as this is the base of the
piece. I like to invest all the time that’s necessary to
come up with a good idea. Once I have the concept, I
start doing sketches of the composition and also the
© Diego L. Rodriguez
analogue elements, such as drawing and painting, in
case I want them later. I create the vector elements
in Illustrator then import and edit them in Photoshop,
fitting them together like a jigsaw, then apply effects
like gradients, layer styles, shadows and noise. I like
to experiment, mixing methods and software in my 2. MANAGE SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
projects, adding elements like pencil drawings to my DIEGO L. RODRIGUEZ
www.paranoidme.com
artworks when I get the opportunity. I usually play
Diego L. Rodriguez set about creating options for HBO’s How To Make It In America and
with Photoshop to edit the compositional elements
drew on inspiration from the Big Apple: “Once I presented this idea, the agency loved it
and finish my pieces, but I avoid photographic
and they gave me the green light to create the poster. The brief came with some
finishes as I like to preserve an illustrated element.”
promotional images for the second season of the show. They were good, but not exactly what I had in mind.
However, having the figure of Kid Cudi as a graphic inspired me to gather extra material. I had the structure
clear: start with the character’s portrait, then the body had to be connected to the buildings in some way, and
New York’s iconic symbols, and finally the slogan below the illustration. For the New York buildings, I had a
ton of pictures that I took back in 2009. I use a specific technique to manage shadows and highlights – I began
using it years ago for high-end retouching in skin or objects, then applied it to manipulations and illustration
work. Create a new layer above your illustration. Go to Edit>Fill>50% Grey and click OK. Put this grey layer in
Soft Light mode and reduce the Opacity to 30-50%. Take a soft brush, with Opacity 30-70%, and paint in those
zones where you would like to increase the shadows or highlights using only grayscale tones. This technique
is similar to Dodge and Burn, but allows more control over certain zones without affecting the main layer.”
029
TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS
© Mark Verhaagen
© Andrea Femerstrand
030
■ Simple silhouettes ■ Limit the palette ■ Direct the imagination
I started with a blank canvas in With the basic silhouettes in It’s important for me to add only as
Photoshop and created simple place, I picked a limited colour much detail as is needed to point
silhouettes for the robots, working palette; one colour for shadows, the viewer’s imagination in the
with big shapes first and details last. one colour for the highlights. right direction. Too much detail
It was important at this stage to work Limiting my colour palette up keeps the viewer’s imagination
with speed and boldness because of front helps me focus on stronger from engaging with the piece,
the short time I had to create. designs and compositions. which is the opposite of my goal.
5. WORK QUICKLY
WITH A TABLET ■ Wear and tear
Once my silhouettes and colours
BRIAN MILLER were established, I moved on to
www.orlincultureshop.com detailing the piece. This was
Artist, illustrator and actually a fairly quick process that
owner of The Orlin just involved me placing enough
specific details on the robot to
Culture Shop Brian Miller created Totes
suggest overall wear and tear.
Adorbots, a two-hour style exploration in
response to a call for ‘cute vintage robots’, for
a potential picture book. “I worked from start
to finish in Photoshop CS6 using my Wacom
Cintiq,” he tells us. “I use the Lasso tool to
quickly create sharp edges where I need
them. However, it’s the years of study,
practice and exploration that
are most vital, no matter
what tool or medium
you’re using.”
■ Mixed-media
■ Keep it simple Though I often sketch with traditional
© Brian Miller
031
TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS
6. LOCK
TRANSPARENT
PIXELS
MARK
VERHAAGEN
www.markverhaagen.com
When faced with a brief to create an image out
of a sound, Mark Verhaagen turned the project
into a vintage science illustration. Audio
designer David Kamp (davidkamp.de) came up
with the Sound Creatures project in which he
first created imaginary creature sounds. He
then sent these audio files to selected
illustrators, including Mark, who used them as
inspiration to create images of fictional animals.
The illustrations and corresponding sounds can
be seen on www.sound-creatures.com. “The
audio file that I got featured some sort of sad
trumpet sound, so a trumpet-like nose was my
starting point for the look of the animal”, he
says.
Once he’d created the main shapes of the
animals and plants in Illustrator, Mark exported
his various objects to Photoshop. “I added
shading using the Airbrush tool and then locked
transparent pixels in the Layers palette so I
could easily paint within the shape of an object.
Drawing the birds’ feathers was a bit more
tricky, but as soon as you have one feather in a
particular shape, you can re-use it. Use the Free
Transform, Skew and Warp tools to make each
feather look different to the last, and draw some
extra detail here and there to diversify them
further. When the illustration was ready I added
some textures so it would have a nice, old look.”
A trumpet-like nose
was my starting point
© Mark Verhaagen
032
8. REFINE YOUR ■ Rough sketches
COLOUR PALETTE All my work starts with
STEVE SIMPSON pencil sketches – lots and
www.stevesimpson.com lots of them. Over a couple
Steve Simpson was given a brief of days my extremely
rough ideas are moulded
to create packaging for a frozen
into something more solid
yoghurt start-up that required a loud message to and presentable. Usually,
kids declaring its contents yummy while also telling I’ll present my rough
parents it was healthy: “To do this, I decided to create sketches, but with this
project I wanted to take
kid-friendly, energetic, cartoon-ish characters but them a little further.
make the fruit more realistic.
“I was brought into the project by Dublin design
agency IDEA,” Steve tells us. “I was trusted to create
the look and feel for the project while the agency
■ Defined colour palette ■ Label Top
looked after the client liaison and production. After I coloured the sketches to Each of the Chilly
scanning my pencil sketch and setting up the size, show how the characters Moo characters
colour mode and resolution of the artwork – usually could represent different was adapted so
flavours through the use that it would fit the
at least twice the size that’s needed – I copied the of colour, and how that different areas of
sketch to a new layer, reduced the Opacity and colour would come the packaging, such
Multiply’d the layer. This allowed me to trace the together as a palette. as the lid label.
9. UTILISE COLOR
OVERLAY
MAX GREGOR
www.maxgregor.com
Max Gregor’s fashion
© Wanchana Intrasombat
© Syd Brak
drawing of her shawl and a few brush patterns
drawn in blue gauche. I then scanned all the images
and cleaned them with Levels, then used the Eraser 10. SKETCH
to remove messy lines and dust left from the scan. A WITH WACOM 11. DELVE
Color Overlay was key to this image as it allowed me
WANCHANA INTO FILTERS
to add a flat graphic feel and still maintain the loose
INTRASOMBAT SYD BRAK
organic detail of the brush stroke.” www.kun-victorior.com www.sydbrak.co.uk
Wanchana Intrasombat, aka Vic, For this delicious array of
created a series of character designs for a project fruit, Syd Brak reached for the
entitled Life. One is a mischievous boy scout on a trip Filter menu: “The idea was to illustrate a product’s
with his classmates: “My paintings and illustrations ingredients in a clean, healthy and appetising way.
are all done with Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos. It’s I created rough images then enriched the colours
the main tool I use and I just used the normal Brush to an attractive and appetising level while retaining
here. I also use the standard brush to sketch, and a believable realism. It was important to ensure
sometimes create my own brushes for projects. For the light source was constant on every object,
© Max Gregor
me, the Brush is Photoshop’s most important tool; I with an enhanced gloss to emphasise the liquidity
use it for all my work as though it was a traditional and create a sunny feel. I rely fairly heavily on the
tool. It’s similar to using real pencils and brushes.” subtleties of the Filter dialog to achieve a realistic
but painter-like quality, and avoid a plastic feel.”
033
TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS
034
15. COLOUR WITH
COLOR OVERLAY
YANA BEYLINSON
www.liquidpixelstudio.net
Yana Beylinson, principal of Liquid Pixel Studios,
took the vision of a family-owned business and
turned it into packaging for their range: “Casacao is a family-owned
■ Logo application
The next step was
the typography and
logo design. Several
versions were
suggested and a
seal option was
selected. Several
variations and
colourings were
then presented.
For a quote or more information.
Call Imaging Insurance now on...
01277 243016
■ Package label
An intricate pattern based on the cacao Or visit our website...
branch illustration was decided upon. Again,
several versions and colour options were www.imaginginsurance.co.uk
shown in order to select the strongest version.
Imaging Insurance is a trading name licensed to Vantage Insurance Services Limited (VISL) by Niche Insurance Services Limited.
VISL is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. VISL is registered in England, No 3441136.
VISL’s registered address is: 5th Floor, 41 Eastcheap, London, EC3M 1DT
Imaging Insurance can be contracted at: 2nd Floor, Juniper House, Warley Hill Business Park, Brentwood, CM13 3BE
Tel: 01277 243016, Fax: 0207 6558060, Email: info@imaginginsurance.co.uk
TECHNIQUES DIGITAL COVER ART
© Provider
036
DIGITAL
COVER ART
WE DISCOVER HOW MODES OF DESIGN ARE CHANGING IN REACTION TO
THE DIGITAL AGE AND EXPLORE EXACTLY WHICH ASPECTS MAKE THE
MOST POPULAR ALBUM COVERS
A
lbum artwork has been under the influence of iconic However, the print space is not wholly forgotten and lavish styles are
designers for decades, perpetually inspiring still being produced. Panel foldouts are being utilised as a continued
generation after generation of artists. Producers use canvas space. Here artists produce complementary visuals and
imagery as a means to maximise the appeal of material from the album artwork to create a completely new design.
commercial brands, but the work created is more than
just a marketing tool. Many people very much revere album artwork as THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TYPE
an expression of artistic intent – certainly this is an opinion shared by all Typography is another complementary visual that helps to supplement
the artists in our latest feature. Here we take an in-depth look at the artwork and promote a music brand. In many instances the typeface is
production of artwork for that album cover space, hearing directly from influenced by the imagery. This was the case for communication
the artists that make it. Let’s start from the very top. designer Kittaya Treseangrat (http://cargocollective.com/
kittayatreseangrat) and she uses her work for experimental band
IS THE FORMAT STILL IMPORTANT? Black Moth Super Rainbow (http://blackmothsuperrainbow.com) as a
CD booklets and covers tend to be around 4.75 x 4.75 inches precisely, prime example. The condition of the typeface was clearly dictated by
having recently moved away from the 12-inch models. Many believe this project’s album artwork. “The packaging was colourful and loud, so
that compact sizes have deterred from more expressive styles, but I wanted the type to appear conservative by contrast,” Treseangrat
digital artists are doing things their own way. This creative redux explains. “In order to make it conspicuous, I enclosed the text within an
includes expressive CD packaging that extends branding into themed area of negative space, increasing its legibility.”
websites. Design has broken from the confines of a rectilinear space. With the increase in digital formats, sharing work on iPods and other
These forages into web have had a distinct effect on presented styles. portable media players, it’s become extremely important to make sure
A specific example is the work produced by graphic designer Jorge El type is legible at thumbnail sizes. However, some artists believe this
Soto (www.jorgeelsoto.com) for international DJ Jorge Prida (www. isn’t always such a big hang up for print projects. Freelance illustrator
jorgeprida.com). “I thought it would be best to have a simple and Hani Abusamra (www.behance.net/haniabusamra) tells us: “Anything
attractive image, which wouldn’t include any other element than the goes, so long as it’s hitting the brief and the client is happy. Album
background and typography. This made it adaptable to different media covers are a rare kind of project where the designer gets to truly flex
specs, without losing its visual power.” their artistic muscle, without worrying too much about the kinds of
HANI ABUSAMRA GREG DAVIES JORGE EL SOTO LUKE CHOICE MATEUSZ SYPIEN KITTAYA TRESEANGRAT
WWW.BEHANCE.NET/ WWW.GREGDAVIES.CO.ZA WWW.JORGEELSOTO.COM WWW.VELVETSPECTRUM.COM WWW.BEHANCE.NET/ HTTP://CARGOCOLLECTIVE.COM/
HANIABUSAMRA DIGIMENTAL KITTAYATRESEANGRAT
037
TECHNIQUES DIGITAL COVER ART
restraints you would usually encounter on other one label can be a challenge,” explains Choice. “It’s However, once core design values are relayed,
briefs, such as legibility and conforming to a brand’s important to make sure that the logo complements there will be times when artists are allowed to
typographic guidelines.“ the differing directions. The Annual compilation simply operate within the boundaries of their own
El Soto feels this could be more a condition of series is typically based around a predominant logo styles. “Usually the art director or manager will
working with indie projects, than commercial work. in the centre, with the type treatment integrated in a share their initial thoughts and ideas, then stay
He explains: “Mainstream projects usually involve unique way with each release.” away,” reveals art director and digital designer
more people and it gets complicated at times. There
are managers, labels and external image
Credit: Jonathan Zawada, Mark Weaver, and Cory Sever © Kittaya Treseangrat
consultants all wanting to give their own view.” He
explains. He then refers back to his work for
international DJ Jorge Prida. “Being an indie
production, there were many creative liberties when
producing this design. Maintaining a close
relationship with the music artist made it easier to
preserve the particular Eighties theme.”
CONFORM TO CORPORATE ID
Going commercial certainly means that we not only
have to work within the constraints of the art
director’s wishes, but are also bound to an existing
corporate identity at frequent times. This was
certainly the case for graphic artist Luke Choice
(www.velvetspectrum.com), with his work for The
Ministry of Sound – The Annual 2012 project.
As a brand, The Ministry of Sound places a lot of PULLOUT EXAMPLE
importance on logo integration within its album This psychedelic design by Kittaya Treseangrat is instantly arresting. It lends a perfect visual complement
covers. “Having an eclectic range of genres under to the exciting musical experience that is the Black Moth Super Rainbow’s kaleidoscopic sound
038
Build a music Brand
Graphic desiGner JorGe el soto explores how to successfully pitch album artwork
Jorge El Soto (www.jorgeelsoto.com) tracked this project down personally. “In the winter of 2012, DJ
Jorge Prida released his first EP debut with Planet Acetate and obtained international popularity,” he
explains. El Soto liked what he saw and heard, so decided to contact Prida and enquire about working
on his visual identity. “I pitched him a series of proposals that I thought matched his style of producing,”
El Soto reveals. “At the end he loved the concept and decided to use it.”
adjusting colours
The original colour of the background in both
booklets was changed with Hue/Saturation layers
drawing shapes
The Pen and Polygon tools were used to draw all the
basic shape and line adjustments
develop the Brand alBum cover effects
Mainstream projects usually It was decided that a nebula would be A nebula image was applied to with the same
image consultants colours in the logo, a cyan-to-magenta Gradient combined a contemporary yet psychedelic styling,
039
TECHNIQUES DIGITAL COVER ART
Mateusz Sypien (www.behance.net/digimental). With so many styles at play, it’s almost hopeless to conceptualising easier than traditional media,
“The reason why we’ve been hired is because we stick with one when starting out. Some disagree, especially with collage-based design seen in Kittaya
present a unique style that’s in-keeping with what a however, finding experimentation useful to the Treseangrat’s Black Moth Super Rainbow work. “I
client wants to achieve.” quality of their portfolio, Luke Choice concurs: was able to manipulate the elements without the
“Coming from a commercial graphic design worry of glue drying or cutting something out the
STAY IN TUNE background and then pushing the illustration side of wrong way,” she reveals. “Layer masks served me
In almost all cases, the music itself becomes as my work enabled me to be more versatile and better than any pair of scissors.”
essential as any brief or direction, with the music and execute a wider variety of styles – instead of Manipulating images and creating elaborate
the art fulfilling one another. Music inspires artists as focusing on a unique aesthetic.” special effects also becomes far more advantageous
creators, letting them feel and look for ideas for when you’re working inside Photoshop. “You can
visual elements that appear in projects. This was PHOTOSHOP PRODUCTION certainly work with other programs and accomplish
certainly the case for graphic designer Greg Davies Photoshop has enabled all our artists to evolve their similar types of effects, but only through a more
(www.gregdavies.co.za) when working on the styles, as it works on so many levels to improve elaborate process, without getting as stunning
Lacrimosa EP cover artwork for Durban band workflow. The program makes the process of results,” warns El Soto.
Provider (www.facebook.com/providermusic).
Davies admits to being lucky that the lyrics had such
a rich narrative and meaning. “They were written
about the vocalist’s grandparents – in particular the
PHOTOMANIPULATION COVER STYLES
GREG DAVIES (WWW.GREGDAVIES.CO.ZA) REVEALS HOW HE USES PHOTOSHOP CS6 FILTERS TO CREATE THE
period after one of the couple had passed and the
MIXED-MEDIA EFFECTS, APPLIED TO THE ‘LACRIMOSA’ ALBUM COVER, FROM DURBAN BAND PROVIDER
loneliness that followed,” he explains. “I wanted the
artwork to link directly to the feeling of age and loss,
by using an image of a withered apple. This kept
nagging at me, so I explored this direction.”
But which aspect inspires the album cover the
most – the commercial singles or the entire track
list? Visually summarising the first seems far easier
to accomplish. However, Abusamra deters us from
this way of thinking, saying: “If I’ve done my job
correctly then the work should be a perfect visual
representation of an entire album. I don’t think it’s QUICK MOCKUP BASIC ADJUSTMENTS
ever a good idea to focus on certain tracks to After scouring Shutterstock, searching for photos of It became necessary to match lighting across all
interpret visuals. The goal should always be to have old men and withered apples, the Background the different stock images. This was done using
a final piece that seems as though it was recorded Eraser tool was quickly applied to test the selected Curves, Hue/Saturation and Shadows/Highlights
and designed simultaneously. Each aspect is images – seeing if they worked when combined. adjustments. Contrast was boosted by applying
mutually important, so focusing on one thing more Once we decided what looked best, images were Gradient Overlay to all layers. A grunge texture was
than another is simply a bad idea.” deep etched and Content-Aware Fill was applied, applied and simple airbrushing accentuated the
Essentially, a piece of album artwork should at expanding the image to the size of the cover. shadows and contour.
least reflect an artist’s profile, if it doesn’t personify
the entire album. That’s why it’s recommended by all
our artists to listen to the music and connect with it
during the creative process. Only then will you create
something inspiring that fulfils the music artist’s and
their audience’s requirements.
040
© Provider
TECHNIQUES DIGITAL COVER ART
Time spent on colour work has also been slashed THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION processes, replacing them with more immediate
in half thanks mostly to Photoshop. This is an The recent digital revolution has been all- digital development. In practical terms, this means
advantage that Luke Choice is extremely thankful encompassing, so it’s been proven that album there is almost zero disruption to an artist’s digital
for. Referring to his work on the Ministry of Sound – artwork, from a commercial stance, has become workflow, enabling greater flexibility.
The Annual 2012 once again, he elaborates: “With much more than a print medium. Web branding is This shows a clear evolution still continues to
this particular album cover, I was able to render off now at the fore, as most sales are now driven online inspire generation after generation of artists. Coming
multiple colour variations for the client to choose at e-shops such as iTunes and Beatport. full circle, it also answers our initial question: is
from without any hassle. Along with the album This is something that is being wholly embraced by format still important? The answer is a resounding
artwork, there is typically a number of supporting digital designers, and for good reason. Many music ‘no’. Creativity and inspiration are no less stifled
materials – such as tour packages, video releases artists are now distributing work independently when transferring from compact to digital formats,
and adverts – that can easily be reappropriated into online to save money on production costs. This is as was the case in the jump from vinyl LP to
visual assets using Photoshop.” achieved by avoiding long and expensive creative compact. Opportunities are still rife within the album
art industry, where artwork remains more than just
a marketing tool. No, it’s much more. It has become
Along with the album artwork, there is typically a number of a direct reaction to an ever-changing digital culture
supporting materials… that can easily be reappropriated into and still continues to be an expression of artistic
intent that’s inspiring all album cover artists to create
visual assets using Photoshop Luke Choice, www.velvetspectrum.com stunning design.
FROM 3D TO 2D
TYPOGRAPHER LUKE CHOICE SHOWS HOW HE EDITED 3D ASSETS IN PHOTOSHOP TO
PRODUCE ‘THE ANNUAL 2012’ ALBUM ARTWORK, FOR MINISTRY OF SOUND AUSTRALIA
PITCHED CONCEPT
Erol Salcinovic (www.erolsalcinovic.com) supplied the original vectors in an
Illustrator file, which were gradually taken apart and then imported into CINEMA
4D. Objects were manoeuvred into place to reproduce the original composition.
Variations of coloured materials, reflections and shadows were then
experimented with inside this 3D software, until the client was happy with the
final render.
042
KILL THE NOISE “KILL, KILL, KILL”
MATEUSZ SYPIEN, WWW.BEHANCE.NET/DIGIMENTAL
RENDER LIGHTING
This is the straightforward
render in C4D. The
brightness of the lighting and
materials was pulled back
intentionally, so colour
corrections were much
easier to manipulate once
the image was exported to
Photoshop. It’s key to make
sure the render doesn’t
come out looking bleached,
as you’ll lose the wider
range of depth within the
different elements.
FINAL LAYOUT
Rendering out the background
from C4D as a matte makes it
easier to target the designated
areas for Pantone assignment.
Background elements were
pieced together in Photoshop
© Ministry of Sound Australia
043
ABSTRACT GRAPHICS TECHNIQUES
ABSTRACT GRAPHICS
T
LEARN THE SKILLS TO REPLICATE A PHOTOGRAPHIC
COLLAGE WITH MULTIPLE LAYERS AND FILTERS
he purpose of this process is to produce format to be resurrected. This has occurred not only
artwork for a vinyl album cover sleeve and for the sound quality the product was known for but
then to present the work in a photographic also the plethora of designs, illustrations, collages
style that can be used for presentation and graphics that the classic album cover gave us
purposes when pitching for this area of work. from as far back as the Fifties. In some respects, the
By using Photoshop for this form of collage work main source of inspiration for this tutorial comes
and illustration, it’s all about being in control of your from the work of Peter Saville and his album sleeve
layers, making tiny adjustments to colour and designs for Factory Records, most notably for Joy OUR EXPERT
shadow and then using the scaling, perspective and Division and New Order. The aim here is to help you NEIL STEVENS
www.crayonfire.co.uk
distorting tools for the final presentation image. create your own album artwork in a style that is a Stevens is a one-man studio
This work is inspired by the recent vinyl revival that nod to this style, where simple graphic elements are working from St Albans, UK. With a
background in design he made the
has seen the emergence of campaigns for this mixed together with photographic collage. transition to illustration by creating
prints, which he sells online,
editorial illustrations and work for
WORK IN
PROGRESS
LAYERING THE SLEEVE
01 02
Progress 1: Adjust the colours
CREATE YOUR FILE TO SPEC ADJUST COLOURS
First you want to create a decent-sized At the moment, our new pattern layer is
Photoshop document that will act as the square rather bright. We want to mute these colours
format for your album cover. Set up a new file at 270 somewhat, so apply a Hue & Saturation adjustment
x 270 mm and then bring in the ‘PATTERN_BG’ file and go through each of the colours within the
onto a new layer, position it neatly and then name dialog’s drop-down menu, changing them until they
the layer Pattern BG. are more muted reds, greys and blues.
045
Techniques abstract graphics
quick tip
When adding a shadow to an object, it’s always
good to use a dark colour with your brush. By
using the Multiply blend mode it adds a more
harmonious feel to your shading. You can always
decrease or increase the layer’s opacity for even
more subtle changes.
046
Add the finAl touches to your cover Artwork
SuBTlE AlTErATIoNS CAN BE MAdE To Your AlBuM CovEr’S lAYErS For A MorE HArMoNIouS ovErAll look
047
TECHNIQUES ABSTRACT GRAPHICS
14 BRIGHTEN THINGS UP
The image is almost complete. To add that
final touch ready for presentation purposes, you can
sharpen up the image a little. Make sure you flatten
the image and experiment with the Hue, Saturation,
Brightness and Contrast to alter the colour and tone
for the final time. Make sure you don’t overdo this
final part of the process, as by now it’s usually just a
subtle change that can make all the difference.
048
PLAY IT YOUR WAY
ORIGINAL TUTORIAL
FILES USED
For those interested in applying
the exact stock images Pete
has use, make sure you head
over to dreamstime.com.
Below are the image IDs for you
to search for:
//27702508
//14257226
//14257319
//15233790
//17285721
050
PHOTOMANIPULATION
@pete_aeiko
PREPARING THE LAYOUT
HERE WE’LL USE SELECTION TECHNIQUES TO LAYER THE IMAGE
051
TECHNIQUES LIQUID PAINT EFFECTS
04 BACKGROUND WORK
Having masked out the woman we can
now work on the background. We’ll want to make
this lighter, so create a new layer behind our masked
model and fill it with a 50% grey. Apply Layer>Layer
Mask>Reveal All and apply a soft brush at 11% Flow
to paint in some of the original background detail.
Press X to switch between black and white brushes
and alternate masked areas and effects. We’ll come
back to the background a bit later once we’ve
worked on the model some more.
QUICK TIP
When adding the Smudge tool to hair, use a
combination of different sized brush strokes with
different Flow amounts. Use different colours and
05 FIX THE MODEL
Click on the model layer and zoom in; we will start fixing up areas of the mask that don’t look right,
especially around the hair. Select a black flat brush then start painting around the black areas of the hair and
parts of the hair for variation. Apply strokes the parts that we want to hide from our model layer. Lower the brush’s Flow to 12%. If you make a mistake,
outwards for spiky hair strands, and then curve hit X then paint areas back in with a white brush. Also fix areas around the outline that may have been missed
these to modify the hair and tidy edges. during the initial Pen tool selection.
06 RETOUCH PHASE
Duplicate our masked model layer and hide
the original. Create a new layer and merge that with
07 CHANGE COLOUR
Make a new black layer beneath our model.
Choose Select>Color Range and click on a white part
08 MORE DRESS WORK
With the duplicate active, select Layer>
Layer Styles>Color Overlay. Make it blue. Move the
the model layer (Cmd/Ctrl+E). Continue to fix our of the dress, setting Fuzziness to 200, then use the original dress layer above this duplicate and set it to
model’s hair using the Smudge tool and a small flat plus and minus pickers to select tones in the dress. Overlay. This brings out the dress highlights. We can
brush. Apply a Brightness/Contrast adjustment, With our selection active, hold Opt/Alt and use the change the Color Overlay of the duplicate layer and
setting Brightness at 10 and Contrast at 40. Duplicate Lasso to remove areas of the dress. Copy Merged the Hue/Saturation of the original dress to get the
this layer and hide it, so we have a backup if needed. then paste into a new layer. Add a Hue/Saturation perfect natural look. Bring some of the white and
Also use the Burn tool at 18% Exposure and the adjustment, activate Colorize then change Hue to a light back in by setting a Reveal All layer mask on
Dodge tool at 14% Exposure, both set to Midtones, to blue colour and increase Saturation. Rename this our dress copy layer, using a black soft brush set at
increase the contrast in certain areas. layer Dress, duplicate it and delete the black layer. 20% Flow to mask into areas we want highlighted.
052
09 APPLY PAINT SPLASHES
BUILD EFFECTS USING STOCK AND BASIC ADJUSTMENTS
053
TECHNIQUES LIQUID PAINT EFFECTS
10 ARRANGE LAYERS
Once you’ve brought in and processed all
11 MORE PLAY WITH PAINT
Feel free to select and cut parts off the paint
layers to make them fit. Also cut some off and add
12 CREATE DEPTH
Once we have established the final look of
our paint layers we can begin to edit the existing
the paint splash layers, you will need to start them to the top half of the model’s dress. Try and lighting. Bring the highlights of the original paint
arranging all of these in a way that makes each one make the dress feel as though it ruffles by using back in and add darker blue tones to certain areas,
seem to be a part of our model’s dress. For the ones different paint splats and hues. Apply a soft round producing greater contrast. Get one of the top paint
placed higher up, near the torso, use light blue- black brush to attached layer masks and blend areas layers and duplicate it, then set the copy to Overlay.
coloured layers on top and dark blue layers beneath. of the paint more realistically, and use Edit> Continue by adjusting the hue of the original layer to
Use the original model dress layer as a reference. Transform>Warp to enhance the flow of the dress. make it a deeper blue. This colouring method is a
Also erase parts of the dress that get in the way and It’s all a matter of playing and seeing what we can great way of producing depth. Repeat the process
sit behind our paint splat layers. create. Don’t be afraid to experiment. with the other paint layers.
13 ALTER BRIGHTNESS
Some of the bottom layers of the dress
need to be made darker, as they would naturally fall
into shadow. To achieve the look we see here we
repeat pretty much the same technique used in the
14 MANUAL EFFECTS
Now add and style paint stock to the floor
using the same techniques. Then add more light to
previous step, but lower the brightness of the areas of paint using a soft white brush, so they blend
duplicate layer by decreasing the Lightness value in better. Darken other areas by using the same brush,
a Hue/Saturation adjustment. One trick is to but with a deep blue colour and set to Overlay. Dodge
duplicate a layer, apply the above settings and then and Burn to create more depth, and fix the lighting
add an inverted layer mask (Opt/Alt-click on ‘New on the right side of the model. Add more paint to the
layer mask’). Edit using this mask and a white soft top half of her dress and blend it with the bodice
brush to paint in areas of light. using previous techniques. After that, we’re finished.
054
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DIGITAL PAINTING
CHARACTER
CONCEPTS
T
WORK WITH PERSPECTIVE, LIGHTING AND
CONTRAST USING PAINTING TECHNIQUES
he process of creating a digital painting in
Photoshop can be very complex, so in this
tutorial you will learn how to control your
workflow. We’ll guide you from your initial
thought process to any techniques you will have to
bear in mind before diving deeper into the different
aspects of creating a strong, readable digital painting.
This includes, perspective, lighting and contrast.
The majority of your time here will be spent
understanding the different steps, from the initial
thumbnails to the final rendered painting. The tutorial
is meant to be performed in Photoshop, for the sake
of getting an efficient workflow by using some of its
essential tools such as adjustments layers, blend
modes and masks.
The inspiration and idea for this specific painting
comes from a long-lasting fascination for dinosaurs,
and is a comical new take on the discussed evolution
theory about T-rex’s way of hunting!
056
057
TECHNIQUES CHARACTER CONCEPTS
OUR EXPERT
TOMMY KINNERUP
www.tommykinnerup.com
Tommy Kinnerup is a concept artist
working with films, games and
illustrations. He is known for his
stylised character artwork skills,
which have served him well over the
past nine years of his career.
01 02
@pete_aeiko
THUMBNAILS SHAPE LANGUAGE
The first step is to do some character When we have finished sketching in some
WORK IN exploration sketches, to get a better sense of the interesting thumbnail silhouettes that feel suitable
PROGRESS style and theme. In this case we want something for the style and theme, we can start exploring the
FROM SKETCH TO stylised and cartoon-based with a comedy twist. As shapes a bit further. Make the resolution higher on
FINISHED ARTWORK
you do this, look up some references or write down your chosen thumbnail design by going to Image>
some keywords to help you explore the direction to Image Size>Resolution and then begin exploring the
take. It is important to keep this step as simple as personality, features and background of your
possible, so do yourself a favour and work at a small character. Your thought process is the key at this
scale; create a new document and set the size to A4, point, so keep it loose and try to go with the flow of
then zoom out to 12.5%. Use a hard-edged brush. your character concepts.
058
06 SHADOWS AND VOLUME
In order to define the individual shapes, it is crucial to understand the basic functions of light and
shadow and the volume within. In this example we use shadows to create an interesting layer effect on the
three dinosaurs in the foreground. The main function of this is to help us separate the characters from each
other and also to clarify the volumes.
001 SHADOW 002 SEPARATION 003 TRANSITION 004 LOCAL COLOUR 005 HIGHLIGHT
05 LIGHT
An important decision to make that will
affect the rest of your painting is the light. In this case
we work with three light sources: a direct light
coming from the sun located to the right; an indirect
light coming from the illuminating blue sky; and
finally, the bounce light that is caused by both the
direct and indirect light. The choice of light directions
will affect your composition and the overall
readability of your painting, so try to think about
which elements are the most important to highlight.
07 VALUE
Now it’s time to work into the contrast
values a bit further. To make the painting more
readable, we turn it into black and white only for the
sake of checking the values. Open the Adjustments
palette. Click the Hue/Saturation icon and, in the
dialog that appears, pull the Saturation bar back to
-100. Now you can always check your values by
switching the adjustment layer on and off. We want
08 COLOURS IN LEVELS
To keep this painting colourful and playful,
we want to have some more refined local colours.
09 SHAPES IN SPACE
Making the shapes clearly readable in a
detailed painting like this is a challenge in itself. In
to have the highest contrast value in the foreground, (‘Local colour’ means the colour of an element, such this case we don’t really have a clear dominant
and the further we travel into the image then the as a green leaf, that is not being affected by colour.) shape – it’s more a matter of achieving a symmetry
lower this contrast gets. This is also a good way of clarifying the levels in the in the painting that makes the intruder, the T-rex, mix
loose and try to go with the flow the coldest colours furthest back. So in this painting
we want to apply the warmest colours to the
We also want the surrounding space and the
environment to support the characters’ shape
of your character concepts characters in the foreground. language in the best way possible.
059
TECHNIQUES CHARACTER CONCEPTS
13 BLEND MODES
A good way of trying out different colour
variations in your painting is to start using the blend
15 EVALUATION
An important thing to do after you have
finished your painting is to thoroughly evaluate what
modes. Bear in mind that you need to be careful
when using blend modes, as the result can become
quite random if you don’t know what you are looking
14 LIQUIFY
Sometimes, you just don’t like a specific
shape or area, or there’s curvature that feels wrong.
you have created. Give your eyes some rest and go
back to your painting with fresh, critical eyes, and try
to ask yourself the questions: ‘How does it feel?
for. In this case we want to use the blend mode A helpful tool to warp these into place is Liquify. Go Does it read as intended? Do the adjustment layers
called Overlay, in order to increase the saturation in to Filter>Liquify and select the Forward Warp tool. As make the painting better?’ and so forth. Making
different places. Create a new layer in your Layer for all of the mentioned tools, use them carefully. artwork is a matter of trying things out and exploring
stack, then click Overlay in the menu at the top. Now What you don’t want to end up having is stretched all the time. There is no recipe to a perfect painting
you can start colour picking from your painting and areas in your painting, so at this stage you should – it’s mostly hard work and a lot of small victories
paint saturated colours into the different areas. keep this to a minimum. until you eventually master the piece. Good luck!
060
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TECHNIQUES ATMOSPHERIC LANDSCAPES
PHOTO EDITING
ATMOSPHERIC
LANDSCAPES
I
CRAFT A DREAMY LANDSCAPE USING A SELECTION
OF HIGHRES IMAGES AND CUSTOM BRUSHES
n this tutorial we are going to learn to seamlessly layers – Color Lookup – to edit the overall contrast,
combine night-time photography with day-time lightness and different colours with a simple step.
photography in order to create a dream-like Finally, we will use the rule of thirds to help us.
fantasy photo. We will be using Photoshop’s These are guidelines proposing that an image
powerful techniques and tool presets, such as layer should be imagined as being divided into nine equal OUR EXPERT
masks and styles, custom brushes and adjustments. parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two MIKKO LAGERSTEDT
Using layers and masks will enable us to work in equally-spaced vertical lines – like in noughts and http://mikkolagerstedt.com
Mikko Lagerstedt is a fine art
a non-destructive manner, in turn giving us flexibility crosses – and that important compositional photographer hailing from Finland.
and more ways to edit the image without losing the elements should be placed along these lines or their He makes it his artistic mission to
create atmospheric photography,
original data. We also will create a brush preset from intersections. This technique creates more tension, and he continues to refine his
artwork in Photoshop.
the base image to help match the elements together, energy and interest in a composition than simply
and use one of Photoshop CS6’s new adjustment centring the subject in the image. @MikkoLagerstedt
SOURCE FILES
CREATE A SIMPLE BACKGROUND
If you load up the free CD then you
will find all of the images necessary
to follow this tutorial as well as
ADD ADJUSTMENT LAYERS TO BEGIN CLEANING THE BACKGROUND IMAGE some custom brushes created by
Mikko Lagerstedt.
WORK IN
PROGRESS
BUILDING THE DREAM
image, then add a Hue/Saturation layer and set Opt/Alt+Shift+E. Use Cmd/Ctrl+T to Free Transform
Saturation to 0. Use the Patch tool on the duplicate to the layer and flip it horizontally. Add an inverted
remove grass. Add another layer and use the Clone mask by Opt/Alt-clicking the ‘Add layer mask’ icon.
Stamp, set to Current & Below with 20% Opacity and Brush with soft white to reveal the background until
a big soft brush, to smooth the Patch’s transitions. we have a smooth transition and the pier is hidden.
03 EXTRACT ELEMENTS
Select the background and
then use the Rectangular Marquee to
Progress 2: Brush clouds
063
TECHNIQUES ATMOSPHERIC LANDSCAPES
05 NEW DOCUMENT
Put the background layers together into a
new group by using the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+G. Set the
group’s name to Background. Now group the person
and their reflection together too and name that one
Person. Save the file as ‘water.psd’. Create a new
document by hitting Cmd/Ctrl+N and name it Dream.
Apply Width: 235 mm and Height: 302 mm, with
Resolution: 72. Set the Color Profile to Adobe RGB
and Background Contents to Transparent, and then
click OK to open the new canvas.
QUICK TIP
04
By using one of the provided cloud/fog brush
MASK
presets, or one of your own, with Opacity: 100%
Select the path then Ctrl/right-click on it. Choose Make Selection, setting Feather Radius to 0,2
and Flow: 25% you can mask out certain areas to
pixels. Add a mask to the person layer and invert it with Cmd/Ctrl+I. Select the reflection layer and add a layer
create more variations in the transition layer, and
mask to it. Start masking the reflection using a medium-sized standard black brush, with a Hardness of 60%,
when you’re smoothing the edges use a big soft
to hide the reflection. Once it’s completely hidden, hit Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert the mask and your reflection should
brush with 10% Opacity and 100% Flow.
now be visible. Use Free Transform to straighten the reflection and set the blend mode to Multiply.
064
TRANSITION EFFECTS
USE LAYER STYLES TO HELP CREATE LIGHT EFFECTS
065
TECHNIQUES ATMOSPHERIC LANDSCAPES
FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
CREATE COLOUR CORRECTIONS WITH CURVES ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
14 COLOUR CORRECTIONS
Create a new group above all the others and
name it Reflection & Colour. Add a new Curves
15 REFLECTION
Create a Stamp Visible layer with Cmd/
Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+E, then hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to Free
16 ADD BIRDS
Open the birds image and import it to a new
group called Birds, setting the blend mode to
adjustment layer and name it Colour. Select the Blue Transform. Flip it vertically and move it down so that Multiply. Use Cmd/Ctrl+T to control the angle and
channel from the drop-down menu. Adjust the curve the edge of the cloud is hitting the bottom of the size of the flock. Duplicate the layer with Cmd/Ctrl+J
upwards slightly and then move to the Green image. Add an inverted mask by Opt/Alt-clicking on and, again, hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to Free Transform. Flip
channel and pull the middle down slightly, then do the ‘Add layer’ icon. Set the blend mode to Multiply the flock vertically then Ctrl/right-click the transform
the same with the Red channel. Go back to RGB and the Opacity to 86%. Reveal the mask from the box and select Warp. Warp the bottom bird up
mode and pull the midtones down. Now use the bottom. Double-click the layer and, in the Blend If slightly and hit Return. Now add a layer mask and
Gradient tool with a grey colour on the mask so as to options, hold down Opt/Alt and drag the Underlying use the Water brush to hide some of the reflected
not affect the night sky too much. Layers’ black pointer right to 0/85. birds, setting the layer’s Opacity to 59%.
17
60% Opacity and check the Fill with Overlay box.
ADD FOG
Apply Filter>Noise>Add Noise with Amount: 1,8%
Create a group called Final Adjustments
and set to Gaussian, monochromatic to finish.
and then make a new layer. Start by using your
cloud/fog brush to select light areas of the clouds
QUICK TIP
and then brush on top of the clouds, birds and
When using the Blend adjustments in the Layer
person. Set the layer’s Opacity to 30% and bring up
Style dialog, you can easily choose to either show
the Layer Style dialog. Under Blend If, drag the
or not show whether the underlying layer is
Underlying Layer’s white pointer to 111/255 using
darker or lighter. This is a quick and easy way to
Opt/Alt. Now create a Hue/Saturation layer. Set the
hide any unnecessary elements, shadows or
Saturation to 15 and then brush with a mask in the
lights in your image.
cloud part of the image.
066
CREATE THE ART OF THE FUTURE
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Create stylish vintage type tecHniques
Typography
Create stylish
vintage type
T
USING BOTH PHOTOSHOP AND ILLUSTRATOR, WE SHOW
YOU HOW TO REPLIcATE EffEcTIvE RETRO TYPOGRAPHY
ypography is a fundamental part of A lot of time will be spent creating the type in
day-to-day life. It’s everywhere we look, but Illustrator. This is where we’ll add detail to the type
so much of today’s typography lacks any using options, such as the Offset Path, blends and
creative flair. the Pen tool. In Photoshop we’ll apply texture using
Typography in the past, particularly in signs, various blending modes and use brush techniques
tended to be more visually pleasing. Inspired by to mimic cracks and creases. We’ll also explore
hand-painted enamel signs and old typographic tweaking hue and saturation, as well as Curves
posters, here we’ll show you how to replicate classic layers, to enhance tones. Some textures and details Our expert
vintage typography. in Photoshop will complete the piece. LOGS MATThEwS
www.logsmatthews.co.uk
Logs Matthews is a 23-year-old,
Begin applying texture self-taught, freelance graphic
designer from the north-west of
Build up material eFFects in pHotosHop BeFore addinG teXt England. here he shows you how to
create stylish vintage typography
01 02
PICK A DOCUMENT SIZE BORDER AND GRADIENT using both photoshop and Illustrator.
First you will need to decide on the size of We want to give this piece a border, so @logsmatthews
your document. Take into account whether the create a new layer, fill it with a solid colour and then
finished image will be printed or solely used on the drag each edge in by 10mm. Next apply a Gradient
web. In this case it will be printed, so we’ll open a Overlay within the Layer Style dialog, selecting the
new 235 x 303mm portrait document in Photoshop, Foreground to Background gradient. Set the Style as WOrk in
making sure it has a white background. Radial, the Angle at 60 degrees and the Scale at prOgress
150%, making sure the Reverse box is ticked. Put the
From simple type to
dynamic results
Opacity of this layer to 25%.
03 ADDING TEXTURE
Now apply some texture. Open up a dark grunge texture in Photoshop and invert it by going to
Image>Adjustments>Invert. Once this is done, drag the JPEG into your document and set the blending mode
to Overlay. To make the grunge texture more intense, go to Image>Adjustments>Levels and increase the
black to darken the texture. Progress 3: add final details
069
Techniques Create stylish vintage type
070
ADD ThE FINAL TOuchES SMALL DETAILS
Use HUe/sATURATION AND CURVes LAYeRs Adding small details can take a lot of time, but
11
they really add quality to a piece of work. Starting
AdjUST yOUr TONeS
with the banner, make a thin triangle shape and
To enhance the colours we’ll need to add a new Hue/Saturation layer above the type layer, increasing
place it horizontally at one end of the main
the Saturation to make the colours more vibrant. If there’s a specific colour that you want to target, you can
rectangle. Copy and paste this underneath and
select it from the Hue/Saturation dropdown. Also, add a new Curves layer above the type layer, setting the
use the same blending technique as used in Step
Output at 125 and the Input at 137, to make the colours even richer.
6. The number of steps will vary on the size of
your banner. Repeat this on the other side of the
rectangle and the inside of the banner. Once
positioned, set the blending mode to Multiply and
set the Opacity at 25%.
quIck TIp
Adding noise is great for making a piece of work
look less digitally made. When adding noise to a
piece of work, make sure you decide whether the
piece warrants it. Sometimes adding noise can
make what was a bright glossy image look dull
and washed out.
14 FINISHING TOUCH
Now that the image is complete, we want to
add one final effect to bring it all together. Save a
copy of your PSD, flatten it, then go to Filter>Noise>
Add Noise. Use an Amount of 10% to give your
image a subtle grain texture, making your piece look
less digital and more vintage.
071
TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE
072
HOW I MADE TECHNIQUES
HOW I MADE
SHINE
KRIS SHIELDS A.K.A COLOUR DRIP
S
LEARN HOW BLEND MODES AND DODGE AND BURN WERE
USED TO CREATE VIBRANT LIGHT EFFECTS
hiny, colourful pieces of art are what artist Shields create vibrant effects. However, he does
Kris Shields (www.facebook.com/Colour admit that: “The trick is to pick stock images that
Drip) aims for. “I’m heavily influenced by already have good lighting.” I’m heavily influenced by
anything sci-fi, so I try to create ‘alien’
appearances in my work. These still have a human
Surprisingly, Shields only decides his image tones
at the end of a piece. “I change the hue of my layers
anything sci-fi, so I try to
element so the viewer can relate,” he reveals. beforehand, which lets me get a feel for how the create ‘alien’ appearances. These
He certainly shows how his fondness for lighting
helps him create sci-fi looks in this image. The
colour should look. Then I add the finishing touches
using adjustment layers, editing tones with Color
still have a human element so
Screen blend mode is his biggest asset, helping Balance and Levels.” the viewer can relate
02 ADD TEXTURE
Adding texture is my
way of turning ordinary
images into something
special. I found photos of
metal and placed them on
the shoulders of my model
to depict futuristic armour.
03 SPACE STOCK
To make the model
more ‘alien’ I highlighted the
face using a soft brush,
changed the eye colour
using Hue/Saturation then
added colour to the hair
using nebula stock. These
layers’ blend modes were
all set to Screen.
01 FOCAL POINT
I made the chest area the focal point in this image – first
by adding a charcoal texture and setting this layer’s blend mode to
Multiply. I also added white marks using a brush at 100% Hardness.
073
TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE
07 ADD DEPTH
I produced perspective to make the piece
stand out. I did this by creating a few circles using the
08 FINAL TOUCHES
Once I was happy with the overall
composition, it was just a case of tweaking colours
Ellipse tool, then proceeding to erase parts and using Color Balance and Levels adjustment layers.
applying the Gaussian Blur filter. These enhanced the lighting and depth of field.
074
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TECHNIQUES ACTIONPACKED COMPOSITES
PHOTOMANIPULATION
ACTIONPACKED
COMPOSITES
C
DISCOVER THE ART OF PIECING TOGETHER STATIC PHOTOS
TO CREATE BELIEVABLE, ACTIONPACKED SCENES
reating believable scenes isn’t easy, Special effects are also addressed in this tutorial,
especially when you’re working from a body and we will see how water splashes and waves can
of different stock resources. However, over be created from scratch. This becomes simple when
the following pages we’re going to learn how utilising the awesome power of Photoshop’s
to correctly place and match a whole bunch of brushes, along with a few more expert techniques
separate images, thus creating the stunning that are applied manually with the same Brush tool.
composite that we can see here. All the techniques covered here are fairly simple,
We’re going to explore ways to colour correct so you will easily be able to apply them to your own
elements and methods for adding surreal effects, so work. The inspiration for this tutorial came from a
that an image becomes eye-catching and, more rather interesting action sport involving a unit called
importantly, convincing. We will also learn how to ‘The Blob’. It’s a very entertaining and dangerous
manually create sunlight and highlights, as well as sport, so we wanted to capture not only how fun it is
match foreground and background elements. but also the risk involved.
076
OUR EXPERT
JOSH ROSSI
www.joshrossi.com
Rossi is a commercial photographer
obsessed with action movies, and
dreams of directing the next Bond
movie. In his spare time he creates
stunning images such as this one
using the photos that he takes.
@joshrossiphoto
SOURCE FILES
Inside the resource pack included on
your cover disc you will find some
original files that will need to be cut
out and then placed in order to
re-create this composite.
077
TECHNIQUES ACTIONPACKED COMPOSITES
WORK IN
PROGRESS
FROM EMPTY SPACE TO A
01 CREATE THE BACKGROUND
First, we’ll manually merge
the two ‘BGright.psd’ and ‘BGleft.psd’
SPRAWLING SCENE background files together. Place
BGright over the top and to the right of
BGleft to create a panorama. Line up
the mountains along the back and use
the Eraser, at 50% Opacity, to lightly
erase the hard edges of BGright. Don’t
worry about matching up the waves
perfectly as we will be placing a boat
over the top to hide the waves later. We
Progress 1: Gather elements
will also need to enlarge the
background so that it matches with the
other elements at a later stage.
03 EXCHANGE FACES
Bring in the new face from ‘Boat.psd’ and
place it directly over the old face of the cameraman,
04 PLACE THE BLOB
To cut out the blob we recommend using
the Pen Path tool. As you start selecting the bottom
05 CHANGE BLOB COLOUR
Sometimes colours don’t match in an
image, and we will need to target these manually. To
so they match up well. Add a Curves adjustment to part of ‘TheBlob.psd’, draw around the reflection – change the colour of the blob’s stripes we first select
the new face and brighten it, matching it to the rest you don’t need to be too precise here. Bring the blob the section we want to change with the Pen Path
of the body; adjust only the midtones. Make a precise into the composite and resize it until it looks right. tool, making sure that we have the Blob layer
selection of the cameraman’s hat using the Pen Path Use the Eraser to remove the hard line we have selected for this next step. Create a Hue/Saturation
tool. Once you have a good selection, go to the new created beside the reflection, so it blends with the adjustment layer, then change the Hue until we get
face layer and delete what is inside the selection. water. If the blob is too long then it will need to be cut the colour that we want. The selection we made in
This will create a seamless transition between the down to size; to do this, simply select a coloured conjunction with the applied adjustment layer will
old head and the new face. stripe, delete it and then reconnect the blob. add a layer mask automatically.
078
06 BROKEN BIRD
The free stock images of the birds and feathers that we used
can be found by entering the following search codes into www.sxc.hu:
1387379, 551773, 110238 and 625562. Once the birds are all placed,
take one of them and then flip it vertically. Now set the Eraser tool to a
Grass brush style and erase small parts of the wing. This creates the
suggestion that feathers have fallen off. Now cut out the feathers and
place them sporadically next to the bird. Add a small amount of Motion
Blur to each feather to complete the effect.
07 BOAT REFLECTION
Painting in the boat’s reflection is a fairly simple process. First create a blank layer
underneath the boat layer and then set it to the Overlay blend mode. Now pick a red colour
to simulate the boat’s colour and, with your brush set to 50% Opacity, lightly paint in some
red marks next to the boat to simulate a reflection. If the red colour is a little strong then
just add a Hue/Saturation adjustment and set Saturation to -50.
QUICK TIP
When cutting out an object,
feather the edges once you’ve
08 COLOUR EACH IMAGE
Now what we need to do is match the
colour and brightness of all the images in the
placed it into a new composition. The first thing to decide is what
composition – that way, each mood we want the final image to have. For this
image will look natural and image, we want a warm look. Start by adding a
won’t have that cut-out look. Hue/Saturation adjustment and then
To do this, simply create your desaturate the background by setting Saturation
selection and click Refine to -26. After that, add a Color Balance layer.
Edge in the top toolbar. Set Work with the Midtones settings, setting the
Feather between 1 and 3. Reds at 14 and Yellows at -11.
079
TECHNIQUES ACTIONPACKED COMPOSITES
QUICK TIP
10
Remember to use a soft-edged brush when
CREATE BOAT WAVES
you’re painting on most effects. Painting with a
Bring ‘Waves.psd’ into the composition and place it underneath the Boat layer. Use the Lasso tool to
hard brush will create an unrealistic look with
make a rough cutout of the small waves coming from the boat. Once selected, use the Transform tool to
harsh edges. This is especially true when you’re
resize and place waves underneath the boat for a realistic look. Erase around the hard edges as needed,
dodging and burning, and adding highlights, so
blending waves in with the background water. Set the Eraser tool at 100% Opacity with a Spatter style and
it’s good to make a habit of setting a soft edge.
then remove the bottom edges of the boat, simulating water splashes.
12 ADD HIGHLIGHTS
Each image needs to match up with the
lighting and colour cast in the background. To
13 HIGHLIGHTS AND CLIPPING MASKS
One last thing that will make this step a lot
easier is to create a clipping mask – this will make
14 BLEND IF
The Blend if sliders under the Blending
Options are useful when painting highlights. Double-
accomplish this we need to manually create painting on the highlights very precise because, as click a painted highlight layer and, at the bottom of
highlights on each individual layer. Create a blank we explained earlier, a clipping mask will only affect the pop-up dialog, you’ll see the Blend if options.
layer above an image layer then set this to Overlay. the layer below it. Hold down Opt/Alt and then click We’ll be working with Underlying Layer. Hold down
Choose a soft-edged brush to paint on the highlights, between the blank layer and the layer beneath it. You Opt/Alt and then drag the left slider. This separates it
with Opacity set at 30%. When choosing our colour are now ready to manually paint in the highlights. into two, and we can now adjust either one to create
it’s important to pick one that closely matches the Grab your brush and start painting on the edges of the correct highlights. By bringing the sliders over to
light source, or perhaps a lighter shade. If we paint your objects, simulating how the orange sunlight the right, the colour we paint is being revealed only
with a darker colour the highlights wont look right. would hit each one in real life. on the highlighted areas and not in the shadows.
080
15 DODGE AND BURN
Dodging and burning is a technique used to
lighten or darken certain areas of an image. In this
16 CREATE SHINE
Dodging and burning can create unique
looks; one we focus on in this step is creating ‘shine’.
17 ADD SUNLIGHT
Adding sunlight is a very important step that
will make the image look much more vibrant and
case, we are going to dodge and burn in order to Apply a white soft brush over an area by using just colourful. Earlier on, we added highlights to each
create a surreal effect and make image elements one brush stroke. Next, reduce the diameter of the object. In this step we are going to add sunlight to the
stand out. Create a new layer above the layer we brush just a little and then give the same area rest of the background. To add the sunlight, create a
want to affect and then set it to Soft Light. Choose a another pass. Repeat this maybe once or twice more blank layer above the background image and set it to
soft-edged brush and set its Opacity to 20%. We are and we will soon start to see a shine forming. It’s the Overlay blend mode. Choose an orange or yellow
now ready to create our effect. As we’re doing this best to apply this technique to areas that are brighter colour to simulate that of the sunlight and then paint
we need to be detailed in our application, paying rather than darker. Remember to keep your brush some light into the surrounding areas, including
attention to small cracks and crevices. Opacity low, at around 20%. some of the water and clouds.
18 MAKE MOOD
We’re now going to add some mood and
bring the focus into the centre of the image. To do
this, we’ll add a custom vignette around the image.
Create a blank layer over all the others and set it to
Soft Light. Choose a soft-edged brush with a large
diameter and change the Opacity to 30%. Lightly
paint around the outer edges of the image to create
the vignette. If you’re not satisfied with the result
then try duplicating the layer to intensify the effect.
081
RAW WAR
HERE WE NAIL DOWN TWO LEADING RAW PROCESSORS, PITTING THEM
AGAINST EACH OTHER TO SEE WHICH PROVIDES THE MOST CONVINCING EFFECTS
082
A
dobe Camera RAW (ACR) software has Many of us trust ACR’s lineage. This is choice to use it may well depend on the depth of
been seen as the benchmark for understandable when considering how recent your pockets. Although, when you consider just how
converting RAW files for some time now. versions have extended its already impressive many of us are willing to spend big bucks on expert
However, that all could change with the processing engine. Application in ACR couldn’t be lenses to compensate for image quality, DxO’s claim
introduction of DxO Labs’ own challenger – Optics simpler either, through easy-to-use sliders. to provide extensive combinations goes some way
Pro 8 Elite. However, DxO also comes out swinging, providing to halving this cost.
Over the next few pages we pit these premium users with an exclusive calibration process for So far we’re still tied. So in the following pages we
software head-to-head, as we try to decipher which 10,000 combinations of cameras and lenses. take a more in-depth look at both software, testing
we should use to edit our photos. The answer to this ACR is free with Photoshop, which may be a all the new functionality on offer and making a
question hinges on several factors, spanning the deal-breaker for some, as DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite will definitive decision of which is king: Adobe Camera
range of essential creative and practical edits. set you back an additional £239. This means your RAW 7.4 or DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite!
083
rEviEws RAW WAR
Editing light in
CamEra raw
EffEctivEly transform imagEs using
improvEd slidEr controls
taCkling raw and lens from file metadata, matching this with a
profile and correcting the file. This mechanical
the Preview panel. First we will alter the
exposure by setting the associate slider to +1.60.
ConvErsion recognition is incredibly useful and takes a lot of the
In the comparison stakes, DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite guesswork out of the editing process. We can still go
has a very intuitive interface, which presents a through and adjust each of the settings manually,
coherent order that runs us through the correct using the Compare screen to see exactly what we
stages of creation. Panels are also fully are affecting.
customisable, which means we can base our editing Bundled with Photoshop CS6, Adobe Camera Raw
workflow around the most commonly used options, 7.4 (ACR) controls standard elements, such as
before proceeding to the final stage of processing. contrast and exposure, as well as the Kelvin scale.
Identifying the images we wish to edit in DxO This supplies a very concise workflow, but isn’t
Optics Pro 8 Elite is incredibly simple with the geared towards individual use and is more generic.
Organize panel. This enables us to root through The processing options in DxO Optics Pro 8,
02
folders from our hard drive and selected images are however, are very specific. Users perhaps
lighTing wiTh sliders
viewable from the thumbnails at the bottom of the inexperienced with file types will be quickly educated,
Attack the added noise by knocking the
editing space. Alternatively, we can select Project as the software provides detailed JPEG and TIFF
Contrast slider down to -3. Also reduce Clarity by
View to name and categorise our own projects. option settings. There’s also the option to create DNG
-15 to blur the image enough to soften noise. To
Once images are selected, DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite files, which is surprising as this software makes little
bring back more detail, reduce the Highlights
automatically recognises the camera’s model, body attempt to read them.
slider to -90, increase Shadows to +48, Whites to
ACR, on the other hand, has a simplified thumbnail,
+21 and also reduce Blacks to -33.
DxO Optics Pro 8 Elite preview and editing panel, with the processing
capacity to create JPEGs, TIFFs, PSDs, DNGs and
recognises the camera even open files as Smart Objects. Sadly, with all
model, body and lens from file these bells and whistles there is no browsing option
incorporated into the latest version of the software,
metadata, matching this with a with Bridge taking care of the cataloguing and
profile and correcting the file workspace layout. This means we can’t just jump
into ACR, browse for a file, edit and save it. Instead
we have to laboriously move through programs,
which when taking workflow into account is
incredibly counterproductive.
03
The art of RAW conversion is now laid in the hands
Tonal ParameTric curve
of working professionals, with software now capable
Next try using the Parametric Curve for
of providing much more control than the technology
toning, which is preferable to the Point Curve
inside our cameras. Instead of letting the tech decide,
due to ease-of-use. Adjust the Highlights by +28,
we can now make judgements ourselves, using
reduce the Lights by -52, lower the dark tones
powerful yet easy-to-use options. How these are
by -18 and raise the Shadows by +25 to give the
presented makes an intuitive workflow all the more
above: camera raw’s simplified approach to handling files is image a more neutral light.
intuitive. save options are all clearly stated and easily navigated productive.
084
editing Light in Fix nOise & chrOmatic approach. DxO’s Lens Softening tool, on the other
hand, is a game-changing image sharpener, which
dxO Optics prO 8 aberratiOn uses image data to set the softness into three key
Combine innovative tools to Create There are two schools of thought concerning areas – Global, Detail and Bokeh. Images can be
stunning looks photographic noise. One suggests that noise restored to a useable standard, as if they were sharp
contains an element of detail, the other that detail all along. Camera Raw 7.4 competes by coupling
shouldn’t be allowed to exist. In truth, there’s no several options, including Contrast and Sharpness
escaping it. With the intensity and intelligence that tools and the Clarity slider, all applied to bring back
DxO offers, you can just about dodge it instead of edge detail efficiently.
escaping it all together.
Camera Raw 7.4 and DxO Pro 8 Elite have many
similar noise-reduction options, although, DxO does
go into greater detail with its Chrominance and Grey
Equalizer features, which help smooth out and hide
away the noise generated across an image. Camera
Raw has a similar set of features in its Detail panel,
01 combat ExposurE
You can make use of the Light and
Color panel to remedy an underexposed image.
where we find the Sharpening options and the Noise
Reduction panel. These enable us to reduce the noise
in colours as well as colour detail.
above: When using the chromatic adjustments within Dxo, it’s wise
Reduce the Exposure Compensation option by One thing that Camera Raw 7.4 doesn’t have, is a to zoom in past 75% to see a true reflection of what is happening
setting this to -1.11 and increase Smart Lighting dedicated option for dead pixels. This is where DxO
to 125. The image becomes neutral in tone, rises above its rival. If we have an old camera, or
enabling Contrast to be raised to 76 and the images that are speckled from broken or dead pixels
Microcontrast to 100. on our sensor, the Pro 8 Elite Dead Pixel slider will
simply eradicate such artefacts instantly. However,
DxO Pro 8 Elite’s automated options do such a great
job at fixing these, we don’t necessarily have to go
back and alter much, if anything at all.
Sadly Camera Raw 7.4’s own noise-reduction
functionality is found wanting in comparison. We can
above: make use of Dxo’s dark interface, as it brings out the colours
export to Photoshop and run all sorts of image and will help you cast a critical eye over the image
tweaks, but its aberration tools really are second
place to DxO’s. Pro 8 Elite’s database and recognition
of lenses and bodies – as well as its automatic
image updates dependant on the spec listed and
If we have an old camera…
the Pro 8 Elite Dead Pixel
02
selected – far out-weighs what can be done with
imagE rEcovEry
DxO’s Selective Tone options can
Lens Correction options in Adobe’s solutions.
Camera Raw 7.4 does have a Lens Profiling option,
slider will simply eradicate such
enhance lost detail even further. Here we’ve
reduced Highlights to -62 and Midtones to -16.
but this is sadly a little less user-friendly in its artefacts instantly
We’ve also raised Shadows to 26 and lowered
Blacks to -7. This adds shade and tone to
darkened areas by boosting contrast. It also
neutralises previously blown lighting in our sky.
03 EdgE dEtail
You can recover edge detail by coupling
the Unsharp Mask and DxO Lens Softness
options. We’ve tightened the focus in our image
by applying the following Lens Softness settings:
Global at 0.72, Details at 72 and Bokeh at 29. The
difference before and after is striking. above: Dxo’s Comparison view is incredible at highlighting just how much more information is being retrieved from the raW file. Here the lens
softness tool is proving its power
085
REVIEWS RAW WAR
Above & Left: This close-up image of a tree shows how the image was impeded by
noise. However, by using the Sharpen and Noise Reduction controls in the Detail
tab, distortion has been removed
VERDICT
For us, DxO Optical Pro 8
Elite is the clear winner, due
to its incredible sharpening
options, extensive lens
database and chromatic
DXO OPTICS ADOBE CAMERA aberration tools. Where
PRO 8 ELITE RAW 7.4 Camera Raw 7.4 should
An astonishing program that’s An outstanding RAW-processing have won with its
ideal for photographers looking software, Camera Raw still rides Adjustment brush and
to pull back detail from source high as an industry-standard Split Toning, it pales in
imagery to perfect shots. The photo editor, with tools such as comparison when combating
Lens Softness tool is a real boon the Adjustment brush and Split noise and pixels and hasn’t advanced
and the lens database makes it a Toning options. It also has the enough with its automation. Seeing as
worthwhile investment. Add in ability to read, edit and save DNG DxO is a standalone editor, as well as a
the Dead Pixel and Smart files and export images as Smart processor, it’s a clear Adobe competitor.
Lighting features and it’s even Objects for creative application
more worthy of the extra cost. inside Photoshop.
As DxO is a standalone editor, as well as a
4/5 3/5 processor, it’s a clear Adobe competitor
086
Wacom cintiq 13HD reviews
killer features
Discover aDDitional new functions with the cintiq 13hD
■ Colour spaCe
The Wacom Cintiq 13HD supports 75% Adobe
RGB, which is a lot less than the 24HD
models. However, this is an improvement on
the (lowest) 72% supplied with the 22HD.
■ expressKeys redesIgn
Touch-screen functionality would
have undoubtedly enhanced
application in the lap, but the
programmable ExpressKeys and
Rocker Ring are sufficient for
swapping between the various
Photoshop functions.
■ new pen
■ Improved brIghtness The new Pro Pen works with all of
Screen real estate may be smaller but this Wacom’s tablets. It’s now portable with a
doesn’t affect image clarity. This Cintiq is a plush case, including extra nibs, pen
full-HD device with the highest brightness colour rings and a nib removal tool for
values of any in the series (250 cd/m2). full user customisation.
C
ompact devices appeal to fashion-minded necessity. With a larger screen, boosted specs and at We still need a separate computer and AC power,
consumers. They’re sleek. They’re stylish half the weight, the device is a solid replacement. and many might think this would limit portability.
and they’re more portable. But is this what The Cintiq 13HD sufficiently supports full HD, with Sadly, there’s a chance of this happening, with cables
digital artists really want from an integrated a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and spares all over the place – even with the 3-in-1 cables.
display? Wacom seems to think so. no expense when it comes to precision. It includes However, this is a situation wholly dependent on our
Its most recent launch, the Cintiq 13HD, is no 2048 levels of pen pressure – an industry standard studio layout, and Wacom redeems itself by
bigger but distinctly slimmer than a Wacom Intuos. we’ve come to expect from all Cintiq models. We get designing a detachable stand. The Cintiq 13HD can
Its 13.3-inch screen offers nearly the same sized the full benefit of a 16.7 million-colour output, easily be used in the lap, which makes working far
drawing area as a medium-sized Intuos5. But if all ensuring clear images and ExpressKey functionality more immersive and comfortable.
Verdict: 7/10
we wanted was a lightweight device then we’d opt for an improved software workflow.
for a tablet, every time. The Cintiq 13HD, however, is Larger screens offer a more natural application
about much more. with a stylus, especially when applying broader and The price and amount of programming
This device includes notable upgrades, surpassing more natural brush strokes to painted images. Yet required may put off enthusiasts, but the
those available in the discontinued Cintiq 12WX. the Cintiq 13HD seems well in-tune with sketching, Wacom Cintiq 13HD is good for those
Through its absence, a smaller-sized Cintiq seems a linework, inking, colouring and retouching. looking to venture away from the Intuos.
087
reader interview Engaging photo illustration
reader interview
Engaging photo
illustration
A
Freelance digital artist JeFF Whitlock tells us hoW
his traditional background inFluenced his digital art
fascination with visual art started very These photos are combined together and
early on for Jeff Whitlock. Drawing, transformed in Photoshop in such a way that the
print-making and illustration were his finished piece is greater than the sum of its parts.
main focus for years, and it was only when
he found himself in a commercial environment that wHat is your creative process?
he began working with computers. “For some My creative process involves first coming up with a
reason, it was not easy for me to make the transition quality concept – it’s an important foundation to
from traditional to digital art. Metaphorically, it was everything that follows. Next the process involves a
like learning a new and very difficult language. I combination of taking photographs and/or finding
struggled –– it just wasn’t intuitive for me.” appropriate stock photography to create a our reader
Amazed by the possibilities available in the digital compelling composition. Once the photography has Jeff Whitlock
www.jeffwhitlockdigitalartist.com
world, Whitlock never looked back. Given his been worked out, I normally import the images into www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/
background in traditional art, we wanted to talk to Adobe Lightroom to organise and make global user/Jeffwhitlockdigitalartist
him about his creative process and find out who adjustments to them.
influences his work.
wHicH artists Have influenced your
How would you describe your style? work and wHy?
I would describe my personal style as ‘photo- The Great Masters (especially of the Renaissance)
illustrative’. Most of the elements in my have influenced me a great deal. I’m in awe of their
compositions begin in the form of a photograph. use of colour, light, shadow, and the extraordinary
all article images © Jeff whitlock
eMS Rescue: add elements to your composition that enhance the energy and mood. For this composite, Premonition: Using a very limited color scheme with high contrast can be
i added lights to the cars, several layers of snow and a dramatic sky to amplify the drama of the scene very effective at creating a sense of mood and mystery in your images
088
I love the freedom that comes with being a freelance
digital artist. Even with cash flow uncertainty and the
additional non-creative tasks necessary to run a successful
digital art business, I would not trade it for anything
Clockwise from
top left;
Sunset Copter:
Composite image
created for Mercy
St. Vincent Medical
Center Life Flight of
Toledo, Ohio. Be
sure to add your
colour adjustments
to the top of your
Layers stack. These
adjustments will
help you to unify
and harmonise the
colours of each of
the underlying
photographic
page elements
Eternal love:
Composition is the
foundation to a
successful image.
Be sure to arrange
elements in a
manner that leads
the viewer through
the image in an
effective and
pleasing way
Baseball: Be sure
to add components
that complement
the main elements
of the composition
and help further
communicate the
mood and story
Fire, sparks and smoke were created by
layering photographs set to various
blend modes (like Screen) and modified
using the Warp and Liquify tools
090
ENGAGING PHOTO ILLUSTRATION READER INTERVIEW
Shoot
• Portrait • Fashion
Learn Photography in 25%
Central London • Lighting • Wedding discount
Day - Evening - Weekend • Black + White • Still Life if you book
early
for a new career Beginners welcome • Re-touch advanced London Academy of
Media Film and TV
RESOURCE PROJECT
TUTORIAL FILES
SPLASH STOCK
W
LEARN HOW TO SHOOT PAINT SPLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
AND INTEGRATE IT INTO YOUR ARTWORK
orking with paint can be very messy, To help us answer that question, this Resource
which is why many of us will invest in Project teaches you how to grab that snapshot, avoid
existing photo stock, adding this to our blurring and minimise mess. Our end results will be
paint splat images instead. However, suitable for commercial or personal projects by the
what if we knew how to shoot in a controlled time we’re finished. We also discuss ways we can
environment to get that perfect snap – would there use paint splash stock to create our own abstract
be any need to spend money on stock? looks – adding movement to energise artworks.
02 INSTILLATION SET UP
Tape the pipette to a reflector
arm overhead and then place either a
Perspex or a white laminated,
medium-density fibreboard beneath.
Paint drops will bounce off this and it’s
also easier to wipe clean later. Shoot
against a white backdrop, so that
removing paint splashes from digital
files becomes straightforward.
03 CAMERA SET UP
Shoot at 1/3400 sec to effectively
freeze-frame the droplets and splatters ejected from
the pipette. Use a flashgun fast enough to sync and
achieve the correct lighting. Get correct depth of field
by setting the camera to an aperture of F11. A prime
macro lens ensures crisp detail and brighter images.
092
PRODUCE PAINT SPLASH STOCK ON THE DISC
THE SHOOT
THE BEST SETUP FOR CAPTURING PAINT SPLASHES
093
ON THE DISC PRODUCE PAINT SPLASH STOCK
■ SMALLEST DETAIL
Add some droplets and finer paint particles
breaking away from areas of movement.
These are applied to create visual interest,
■ MOVEMENT AND ENERGY
but also more importantly to mimic real-life
Apply paint splash layers to the base model in
effects. Develop other smaller elements that
certain places that accentuate shape and form.
complement the flow now existing in the
You can further enhance a sense of direction and
image. Seamlessly merge these elements
energy by applying the Warp tool or Puppet tool.
with the help of layer masks.
Use these to manipulate splash layers and create
flowing lines, which will complement the
movement from the base model.
094
Learn in style
The TM
Series
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