Comments on Be Creative Week 34

[lisabee]

Comments and questions go here.

We'd love to hear from you :)

Images are here (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?p=390525#post390525).

[TonyW]

Lisa: Good one thanks. I'll have to play. One tip with the filter gallery is that before you close it you can go back into the individual filters and tweak the settings and see the end result. A lot of the filters are image size dependent so the suggested settings in the tutorial are really only starting points.

Tony

[SharLamb]

I'm not getting this at all. What I ended up with looked essentially the same as what I started out with, only brighter. First off, I don't see where we have a "new effect layer." So I just clicked OKAY after making each filter adjustment, then went on to the next. Am I being dense AGAIN? Shar

[SharLamb]

Sorry...I did find the "new effect layer," but my picture is very disappointing. I will try it again with a different photo. Mine isn't at all like the one in the tut. Shar

[Joe M]

I'm not getting this at all. What I ended up with looked essentially the same as what I started out with, only brighter. First off, I don't see where we have a "new effect layer." So I just clicked OKAY after making each filter adjustment, then went on to the next. Am I being dense AGAIN? Shar

Shar I had the same problem the first time I did it. If you look at the tutorial close the person is at 100% and showing the entire image almost. So he is using a very small image with low resolution.

You may have the same problem I did. I was using a large image straight from my camera without first resizing it. This caused the settings given in the tutorial to not be strong enough. I could be totally wrong but when I started using stronger settings I got similar results to the tutorial.

If you go to Filter>Distort>Glass and look at the bottom right you will see a small icon that is the "new effect layer." I'm just using that as an example, it's on all the filters. Don't feel bad I never knew it was there either.

[memorris]

Sometimes you get lucky and can salvage a blurry but well composed shot, and the results make a fair painting. This one was only 3 filter steps away in PSE5. Check my gallery for an example.

[SharLamb]

Okay. I take it all back. I guess my first attempt was with a picture that was too large. I will post the successful attempt of a shot taken in Yosemite National Park. Not too bad. I'm going to re-write the instructions with just the main information (leaving out the "chat"), and try it with a few other shots. Shar

[TonyW]

I'm not getting this at all. What I ended up with looked essentially the same as what I started out with, only brighter. First off, I don't see where we have a "new effect layer." So I just clicked OKAY after making each filter adjustment, then went on to the next. Am I being dense AGAIN? Shar

SharLamb: The golden rule of using the Filter Gallery is "Don't press OK". Here's an old challenge that describes a bit how to use the filter gallery.

http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27081

Tony

[SharLamb]

Thanks Tony. I printed out your instructions and look forward to playing around later today (taking grandkids to a movie soon). As you may have read in my previous post, I found the Filter Gallery. Now I love it! :D Shar

[SharLamb]

Okay, Tony. Here's what I came up with after your encouragement. I think this is the best of the lot that I made today, and now I have had a lot of practice using the filter gallery, and gotten a lot of courage PLAYING with it. How fun! Thanks again, Shar

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1RE4oKPeOPvEuRNze0fZZMaq4k0KpT1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1RE4oKPeOPvEuRNze0fZZMaq4k0KpT1)

[TonyW]

Shar: Looks like you got it - that looks like you painted it :) The filter gallery is a very clever feature - and one of a few things that appeared in Photoshop Elements before it got into full Photoshop. I guess they were using Elements as a test before big brother got to play :D

Tony

[SharLamb]

Thanks, Tony. Yes, I feel like I'm getting it...and excited that there is so much more to get. I made yet another one, but feel like I'm being piggy with all my postings so will just leave it that I put it in my gallery. ;) Now, I'm going to stop for awhile.

What a day. As to WALL-E, I fell asleep during it, but the GKs enjoyed it.

Shar

[SharLamb]

Tony, both your flowers are wonderful, but that poppy is SPECTACULAR. I'm tempted to steal it. But I won't.

Shar

[SharLamb]

Mary Lou, I think they both look wonderful in the full size. I especially like the GG Bridge one, as SF is my favorite city.
Shar

[TonyW]

Shar: Thanks and help yourself :). It was actually a very nice poppy to start with ;). Here's the before and after with a couple of creative weeks in between:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/17e6sauNwKlV3l6fndtWhHWEl1rb1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=17e6sauNwKlV3l6fndtWhHWEl1rb1)

Tony

[Martha]

Thanks for another really fun tutorial, Lisa. After looking at the ones posted and reading the comments, I think that I should have used stronger settings or reduced my photo size more than I did.
Fish, I like the way your 2 turned out after using the English Tea can effect first. I'll have to try it.
Nan, I love the one with the boats.
I really like all of them-the flowers and landscapes seem to work really well.
Martha

[billz]

Tony -

That's a fun idea to use the same image over again. You've got me looking forward to next week already.

Bill

[mljrbg]

I think it would be fun if we could see the originals as well. Then we could really see the differences in the pics. Agree? Disagree?

Mary Lou

[SharLamb]

Kim, I don't think you're in jeans! Love the look you created. Pete (& others), why didn't I think of fraying the edges of the artwork? I LOVE that effect. Nice job. Shar

[lisabee]

http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27081

Tony

Tony,

thanks for posting this link and the tips, I was thinking about tracking down that thread as an extra advice but you beat me to it :)

Lisa

[lisabee]

Toni - both lovely images and sounds like it was timely tut! I'm pleased it was a good one for your pics.

Joe - good to see you posting :), lovely image and it looks a treat oil painted and with the textured look. Yes numbers often need tweaking and do play around with blends too.

Jerrilyn - a beautiful lily, looks very rich and textured.

Shar - I'm glad you got the filter gallery sorted out, lovely images, it looks like you have been out with an easel and paints rather than a camera.

Tony - after last week's poppy I didn't think it could get any better, but it has! Both of those look stunning with this technique.

Fish - stunning work, a good idea to try the effects on top of the tea can painting. It is more delicate I think than just doing the oil painting filters. If I have to pick a fave, it would be the second image, but it's a hard choice to make.

Mary Lou - both turned out lovely. The bloom is very intense.

Clara - those are great, the bird (a heron?, I'm not sure as you have different birds in the US to here) is breathtaking. Love the edge effects too. And the yellow lily is lovely.

Bill - oohhh, modern not vintage this week, it looks a very nice paint job.

Martha - what a pretty scene, I think I got the same as you in that if you zoom in, you can see the painted effect much more clearly. So I think it means we could tweak the setting on the filters or change size/resolution on the image. And just seeing the second image, you nailed it here!

Kim - lovely colours, very delicate. Casual is cool and always welcome here :)

Pete - a beautiful sunflower, it really has an uplifting and cheering sense about it.

Sepiana - a beautiful view and such lovely strong colours.

Es - what a pretty garden scene, the church image is lovely too, you might like to try a shadows/highlight adjustment on that one to help lighten those shadows a touch.


thanks for sharing,

Lisa

[Chesney]

Wow, everyone's images look like wonderful art masterpieces! I think I especially like the house / landscape / flower shots. I attempted mine, and thought it turned out ok, I think I need to up some of the levels. I am off to play with it some more. As always, thanks Lisa for another fun learning experience! ;)

[mljrbg]

Bayla, I really like your first pic. It looks like a painting. I couldn't get that effect with mine. Great pic of your grandaughter. She is adorable.

Mary Lou

[billz]

Thanks Lisa, as always for taking the time to comment on everyone's images. It's a good field this week!!

Bill

[Bayla]

I discovered from reading another thread, that the effect the filters have is more pronounced on images of 72 ppi. I noticed that if I tried the filters on a straight out of the camera, large (approx. 17"x11"), 300 ppi image the effect was neglible even if I moved the sliders way up. So I've started resizing before I do anything else.

Bayla

[lisabee]

I discovered from reading another thread, that the effect the filters have is more pronounced on images of 72 ppi. I noticed that if I tried the filters on a straight out of the camera, large (approx. 17"x11"), 300 ppi image the effect was neglible even if I moved the sliders way up. So I've started resizing before I do anything else.

Bayla


thanks for the tip Bayla, definitely handy to know :)

[lisabee]

wow, great oil paintings ....

Kim - that's fun :)

Sepiana - a very pretty scene.

Es - the church looks much better lightened, very pretty.

mks - both have turned out lovely, what an unusual design for a church (at least for where I am)

Larry - absolutely stunning and goes perfectly with the really rich colours that your images have.

Martha - how pretty and Sophie is quite the budding photographer.

Tammy - lovely greenery framing the building.

Sharon - yes, I think I prefer the rose too :)

Bayla - all of those are stunning and what a gorgeous result on the portrait.

Fish - a very pretty scene and the canvas texture shows through a treat.

Deborah - lovely to have you join us, a great image and very interesting technique on the edges.

thanks everyone, I think we could host an oil painting exhibition :D
please pass by tomorrow for a new challenge.

[Joe M]

Thank you for the nice comments Lisa. It never fails that I learn something when doing one of your projects.

[Sepiana]

Lisa,

Thanks for the comments and for the learning experience the projects provide.

[memorris]

http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/2/0/2/4/7/bubba_ray_1.jpgI didn't get in on the tutorial, but I think this qualifies as painting

[rvrbndr]

Mark - "A Boy and his Ray" is beautiful!