PSE3 neophyte: Curving "smoke" lines

[derring do]

I really hate to trouble people here with a question like this, but I'm at a loss. I'm sure there are tutorials I should go through to learn more about PSE, but to date I've used it primarily for Organizer, and never gotten over losing my copy of PhotoImpact, which I actually halfway understood. :(

Anyway... I'm attempting to update a family joke logo, which involves having wavy lines coming up from a cup of coffee, as "steam." I have the cup, I have the text similar to the WordArt variety I'm used to, but am having no luck in figuring out how to draw curves in PSE. All I need is a line with several curves, of a fixed thickness, so this isn't complicated at all - to someone besides me.

Anyone who could take pity on me here would earn a big gold star for today. Thanks very much in advance.

[ljameso1]

Use the brush tool to draw the lines.You can lower the opacity on the brush to make them look wispier. A more realistic way would be to use the lasso to draw steam curl, then feather(will need to experiment with how much-start at 10 and go up). Then set the foreground color to gray and leave background color white. Then go to filter>render>clouds. Can also add a glaussian blur to smooth. I also believe there is a smoke brush available on line-can't remember where I got it, but know someone here pointed me to site-try searching threads. Also may be a smoke tutorial in the subscribers' area.

[Cmcburnett]

Erika, you could try using Filters>Distort>Shear.

[derring do]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll try to do something with the brush tool, if I can figure out how. I had been hoping to find how to drop a polygonal line in, and handle the curve that way, but perhaps this will be just as good, if I can keep a smooth hand, and figure out the nuances. I appreciate your help!

Edit: Whoops, sorry, we cross-posted on that 2nd one. Thanks for the pointers, but most of the application is way beyond me right now. I only try to do something in PSE about monthly, and have never gotten good enough to remember where I am. I've muddled through with a very poor jittery, wavy brush stroke, and figure I'll just call it quits.

Again, thanks for all the help. This has been one of the most valuable forums I've ever belonged to, thanks to all the kind members.

[derring do]

Strange things are happening with the updating of this thread - I'm getting emails about replies, but they're not showing online. So my answers will be very strange, I'm afraid.

Thanks, Kevq, for the link to the pics and the second on the idea of the shear filters. That would be very handsome, but probably beyond me.

I was really just trying to recreate a simple clipart of a mug with wavy steam lines, and had found this post: http://www.v7n.com/forums/graphic-design-forum/69969-ps-simple-curve-tutorial.html
which looked likely. I guess this is some different product, because I can't make heads nor tails of it.

I'm too embarassed to post either the original or my attempt at the recreation here, but thanks again for all the ideas. This has reinforced my feelings about PSE I'm afraid: it's great for people who work with it a great deal and stretch its limits, and very confusing for those of use who only occasionally need to drop in a few extra items, or place part of a picture into a larger one. Ah, well.

[JulieM]

Erika: I hope you haven't given up! I think this tutoria (http://www.brainbell.com/tutorials/Photoshop/Creating_Smoke_Or_Steam.htm)l might be what you want. I haven't tried it, but I think all the tools are found in Elements. Doesn't look too complicated. I may have a go at it later and if I do I'll post results...

[JulieM]

Erika: Here's an example of steam added to a stock image of a cup of coffee using the tutorial I linked above:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1PxPttFnwcdajWrFLyoOhZ8nbiVJu0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1PxPttFnwcdajWrFLyoOhZ8nbiVJu0)

This method was really quick and easy. Probably could have looked better but I did it fast. Just took a couple layers, a regular soft brush, and the smudge tool...

Good luck! :)

[derring do]

That's really great! I know the tool is so powerful, I just don't know my way around at all. You should have seen the time I spent trying to get the brush tool to show up in the right color! I didn't give up, but I've gotten the logo off where it needed to go, even in its rather pitiful state. I'll look at the tutorial you linked in, the results were beautiful. Thanks again to everyone for al the help.

[mseymour]

Erika: I, too, used to use PhotoImpact version 6. (Now I use PSE3.)

Have you tried contacting Ulead to upgrade what you had? (I've used PhotoImpact on at least three computers over time and downloaded it each time.The first time cost me $99 but the next two times were free, just a repeat of the original order.)

I found their tech services to be very accomodating the one time I used them. (I think they're in Hong Kong or someplace in the Far East.)

--Merritt

[derring do]

Thanks, Merritt, yes I remember contacting them once, and figuring out it was Singapore, or somewhere interesting. Actually, the version is quite old, and at least one dead computer back, so I'm committed to PSE3. Plus, the organizer holds our 42k photos, so I truly need to just bite the brush tool, and dive in to learn this program.

Frankly, it just gets harder each time to stop with something you know (like Quattro) and have to start all over again in the same tool with a different name (like Excel.) :) My own lack of invested time costs me over and over again in lost ability.

Perhaps, when this HP computer stops its interminable hiccups, I'll have time to learn something new, and PSE3 will be it.

All the best.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Thats the way I add smoke or steam to images and you can do more than one layer of it ... then reduce the opacity of the second layer more so that you get a better effect :)

Wendy

[cats4jan]

Frankly, it just gets harder each time to stop with something you know (like Quattro) and have to start all over again in the same tool with a different name (like Excel

Word Perfect - I remember it well. How I hated to make the switch to Word, but I decided to join the cult and go "all things Microsoft" - life is just so much easier for me when I stay within the "family."

And a MOUSE? Yikes. How I hated learning "to mouse."

I came from Microsoft's Digital Image Suite and Greeting Card Factory - and for the longest time, I would make something in Elements and finish my card in Greeting Card Factory - with a side trip to DI if tweaking was needed.

Finally got over it. ;)

[derring do]

Finally got over it. ;)

I think that's just the perfect answer. And I really need to. Thanks. :D

[websi]

Erika: another option I just found while checking out the "homework" site for this week, and it looks really interesting. Thought I'd just throw this into the suggestions for you.
http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/196/en/
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[JulieM]

Erika: another option I just found while checking out the "homework" site for this week, and it looks really interesting. Thought I'd just throw this into the suggestions for you.
http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/196/en/
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That one looks really cool! Thanks for posting it...