Comments on Homework (week #2)

[kimi_boo]

Post all of your questions and comments on this thread. :)
Thanks...

[kimi_boo]

Bill :D :D :D

That is my kind of art!! I went looking for something kinda plain. Yours is fantastic!!
Sunset... just love it!! ;)

[billz]

Thanks Kimi.

Suzi - Sorry you're not feeling well. I like your image though ... it reminds me of a sunset.;) Hope you feel better soon.

Bill

[kimi_boo]

Suzi... hope you feel better.

That is great. did you use more than one layer? Love the effect. :D

I should have some time tomorrow to try and do something creative.
You and Bill are going to be hard to follow. ;)

[kimi_boo]

Face it Bill.... everything reminds you of a Sunset. :eek: ;) :D

[karen donnybrook]

Okay Kimi,

What program are you using? I am trying to do this with PSE4 and having problems :o

Your instructions say find an abstract art image on the net - done
define it as a brush; don't make it B&W - when I define a brush they always come out B&W :(
delete your art and open a new document - done
use your Selection Brush Tool - where on earth is that?
(all you should see are marching ants) - don't see anything but a white blank page! H E L P

Karen :)

[kimi_boo]

OK Karen...

I said don't make B & W because that is the instructions for our signature brushes. I meant just leave your art like it looks and save as brush. Then you get all of the highs and lows. I take it you have gotten this far?
Open your new document. Your Selection Brush Tool is in with the Magic Selection Tool Brush. Right under the the Magic Wand Tool. Once you find the right brush, I think you will find it all works out.

I know you can do it. I look forward to seeing your image. :D

[kimi_boo]

Robyn.. you go girl. :D :D

Wonderful images! Did you add some kind of texture to you second one?

[mottcru]

These are all so great!! I love seeing all the creative ideas! I especially like the idea of using kids' "abstract" art for this!

Kimi - did you know your example is on the Pixentral page??

[kimi_boo]

Kimi - did you know your example is on the Pixentral page??

Betsy... It does that every once in a while. :eek: I always pick, make public. Do others do that?

Nice Image Betsy... I like the use of the flower
Norma.. how cool. what kind of texture did you apply?
Christine... how sweet your is. yours son does wonderful work!
Julie.. yours looks like it could be a poster in a teenager's room.
Tony... I like your too but it kind of looks like a really strange plate. :)

We went over this in one of my classes but one of the girls in our Marketing Department at work had already showed this to me. She was making very subtle images to use as background for her scrap booking. I have to say... everyone is taking it to a whole new level. I am going to have to show her the thread. :D

[ChristineV]

If I may brag on my son just a little bit ... I would like to share his original. It was actually twice the size but the teacher cut it in half and used it as a front and back cover for his artwork that year. I was bummed but ended up framing them both and they are hanging on either side of our fireplace.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1yn7raXfBBKFn6I2yFdiF2LL7j44o1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1yn7raXfBBKFn6I2yFdiF2LL7j44o1)

[mottcru]

Christine - that is so great!!! He has a wonderful eye for color and composition. Totally frameable!

[JulieM]

Christine: I think you're entitled to brag away! Your son's artwork is great and I bet the two halves look fabulous framed side-by-side!

[nkeevers]

Kimi, first I did a twirl, then I used the sandstone texture.

[Robyn]

Robyn.. you go girl. :D :D

Wonderful images! Did you add some kind of texture to you second one?


No Kimi..........that texture was in the original image.

[Rusty]

My images, compared to the others, looked like I was following entirely different instructions :confused:

I guess it has a lot to do with the starting image, right? I also need to figure out how to get more options on the "gradient picker step".

The best thing was... I have never attempted to make a brush. I had no idea it was so easy.

Kimi, this "homework" is a great idea. I have been unable to get in on the others because I have yet to figure out how to see the tip videos that you apparently are starting with.

Rusty

[peaches]

Kimi, the first one I posted was using several layers of the same image with various blend modes. Could not get colors I liked . The second one is done following you instructions to the letter. Well, sort of, I did use several blend modes.
suzi

[kimi_boo]

Rusty... or you having trouble with the video or finding the video?

Suzi girl... you are out doing yourself!!:D :D I tried a few and thought they were horrible and threw them in the trash. Maybe tomorrow...

[peaches]

Kimi, I think now that I am looking at the last one, it should of been trashed also. Need to find a way of getting rid of the lines where I stamp or try a different way of stamping. Something. Any advice.
Suzi

[kimi_boo]

after you apply your gradient and delete the marching ants. you can do Ctrl T and drag it as big as you want. does that help? Don't you dare delete anything!! :D

[lindajay]

Red Sky - that's spooky!

[billz]

Steven - :D

Bill

[kimi_boo]

Steven... you blow me away with everything you do!! Love It!! :D :D :D

[Rusty]

Kimi,

I found it OK, I just didn't seem to be able to see it.

Tried again -- worked fine. My problem was, in the "Video Section", when I clicked on a video, BAM, it opened up right away.

In the "Killer Tip Section, I guess it takes much longer to open up. I was thinking something was wrong and exited out.

The last time I tried I waited it out :D

Rusty

[kimi_boo]

Rusty.. someone did post that if you did it that way... it took quite a while to start. I am glad you got it worked out. I tend to right click and pick save target as. Then I save to my desktop. If it is something I like, I have a folder named videos and I keep it. :)

[Rusty]

Another Aha Moment, Kimi,

Isn't it wonderful how you learn from the most innocuous comments. :)

I had no idea a video could be saved! I go thru them with my mouse poised over the start/stop buttons: watch a little, stop, write down frantically, watch a bit more, stop ...you get the picture :)

I end up with a written tutorial, after a fashion, without the images.

Now, thanks to you, I know how to save the good ones.

Rusty

[Robyn]

Hey Kimi.............I love that heart image, it's a work of art!

[kimi_boo]

Hey Kimi.............I love that heart image, it's a work of art!

It is a work of art.... I get it! :D :D

[spotodog]

hi,
i am trying to do this homework, and i guess i'm more of a beginner than others..
so i could use some help !

I got an image and opened it in the editor.
to define the brush, i selected the image and said 'Define Brush from selection'

Then i opened a new document.
With Selection brush tool, what do you mean stamp a blank layer with the new brush?
When i click on the layer i see an image in the shape of my new brush???
help!

thanks,
eleanor

[kimi_boo]

Eleanor... these are the directions I posted for Karen. See if this helps. You are not using the regular brush.


OK Karen...

I said don't make B & W because that is the instructions for our signature brushes. I meant just leave your art like it looks and save as brush. Then you get all of the highs and lows. I take it you have gotten this far?
Open your new document. Your Selection Brush Tool is in with the Magic Selection Tool Brush. Right under the the Magic Wand Tool. Once you find the right brush, I think you will find it all works out.

I know you can do it. I look forward to seeing your image.
__________________

[spotodog]

uhh...guess i am really slow,
but what do you mean save as brush?
do you mean File -. Save As? That doesn't seem to be an option for me.
Do you mean, select the Brush tool and then Define Brush?
thanks

[peaches]

i don't know if i can help but here goes. after you have you image up go to edit and down to define brush. give it a name. then open a new blank document, get selection brush, the new brush you just make should be at the bottom of the drop down list of current brushes. then stamp it on your blank document. you should see a bunch of marching ants. hope this helps.
suzi

[peaches]

forgive the spelling lol
suzi

[spotodog]

hi,
thanks. this forum is GREAT..
anyway, i did succeed in 'stamping' the image on a new document.(which has a white background. is this right?)
yay!
on to the next step. i created a new layer below it, which was white.
go to the blend mode. First of all, when i use my arrow keys, it doesn't change anything. I have to actually select the blend mode...(i'm using version 4).
Sorry, i feel like a total ignoramus, if that's a word.
so anyway, most of the blend modes just make the image disappear altogether!
guess i need to read about blend modes!

[peaches]

I found that happening to me too, what i did was duplicate the image layer and then tried the differnt blend modes. seems to work better. on one of mine i actually made several layers of image with different blend modes on each to get the colors i wanted.
suzi

[spotodog]

thanks ,
i did succeed in getting something. but the real test will be to see if i can do it again! will try later...have to go out now.
thanks,
eleanor

[Diana]

These are all great! What a bunch of varied images. Aren't people's imaginations wonderful....and all different. Thanks, Kimi, for starting this series of homework to get our creative juices flowing.:)

Diana

[JulieM]

Eleanor: Someone posted this link a while back with information on the different blend modes:
http://http://www.gatheringofartists.com/epitome/content/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=89&Itemid=52

I found it complex but I did learn that the blend modes affects how the colors in the layer above blend with the color of the layer below. That's why some blend modes won't do anything to how the colors blend with your white background. But changing the background color gives different results. I put a couple of different color background on and turned the visibility on and off to see what the different blend modes did to the image on the various colors.

[kimi_boo]

Eleanor... I love yours. Just the kind of thing I would hang in my house.
Diana.. thanks for the link. I like the tree.
Betsy.. Very Nice. Do you have multiple layers?
Gary... did you use the Selection Brush? I love the look of the peeling paint and all of the different effects you have going.
Nancy... Pretty Cool! It looks like it has all of these different things going on at once.

[GaryK]

Kimi

I did.. but I got all confused by the extensive rules.:D

I stamped it a couple of times on a new layer did a gradient. I can't remember which one, and it didn't seem to do much. At least not like all the other cool ones.
So I put a blank layer under did a gradient on that and played with the top layer blending mode.

[kimi_boo]

Kimi

I did.. but I got all confused by the extensive rules.:D

It's true... I would be one of those teachers that carry a ruler. :eek:

It must be your layer that is on luminosity that threw me. :D
Pretty Darn Cool!! :cool:

[spotodog]

thank you julie.
i read through the blend mode article and it helps a bit. quite confusing actually, but i think i'm slowly getting it.
I just signed up for corey's class so i think i'll go do the first one now and maybe i'll learn more!

[spotodog]

for anyone like me who needs to understand blend modes better,
there is a good article at
http://www.photoshopgurus.com/tutorials/t010.html

i found it helpful...

[uniqcrafts]

Ok, so I tried your instructions and get lost almost right away. For the next weeks assignment can we all do the same thing with a bit more detailed instructions. That way I know if my "homework" is right or wrong? Just an idea. I really do want to learn something... really I do. I feel like this assignment was way over my head.

Thanks.

[kimi_boo]

Wonderful Images Andie! :D You did great.


uniqcrafts... if you are brand new to Elements this may have been hard for you to understand. Sorry about that. The reason for starting this thread was.. we had taken the layers course and were looking for a creative push, or the next step. Elements does tend to have a steep learning curve. Take the layers course and stick around. Things will start to make sense soon.
As for next week.. I am thinking of a video in the subscriber area. :)
(or a combination of videos :eek: )

[uniqcrafts]

Thank you so much for letting me know that it is way over my head. Your right, I am very new at this. I really thought this would be a great way for me to learn. I will subscribe soon... have to wait till we move. You might want to post something like, this "homework" is really not meant for beginners, then we won't get so frustrated.

Good luck!

If you ever want to start a beginners "homework" challenge, I'll be their.

Thanks!

[spotodog]

well, i posted this site , but then i noticed that almost exactly the same thing is in PSE help!!!! I almost forget to look in help, and it really has a lot of good advice :)

for anyone like me who needs to understand blend modes better,
there is a good article at
http://www.photoshopgurus.com/tutorials/t010.html

i found it helpful...

[tmcready]

Hello, I was just looking around in the forum and I looked in a few of the galleries and the work all of you are doing is great!! I just bought elements 4 and am trying out elements 5. But you all are talking about homework what exactly are you taking if you don't mind telling me?

[kimi_boo]

Hi and Welcome... :)

It is not really homework.
I called it homework because I wanted to push people in the forum to do the exercises even if they had other things to do. :p Anyone can participate. If you find one of the Examples that you want to try, please do and post your your image for us to see. If you have any other problems or questions... just ask. :D