Challenge #153

[Grant]

Tom Murray is presenting this weeks challenge and it strike a wonderful chord with many of you. So keep on trucking, let the good vibes flow and string along with Tom.

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Since my hard disk failure I have had some wonder Challenges
suggestions submitted by a few people . I need more suggestions from more
people to be able to mix up the choices. Please send me *your*
suggestions for the Challenges. Part of what makes the Challenge great
is your input. Also please don't forget he Photo Challenge as
presently I have only one suggestion although it is a great one but I do
need more.


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http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Challenges.html

Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the then
the Present will be Past and new images will be posted.

* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a
close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don't think you
are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that
working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and
old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post.
--
Grant

Home Pages: http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/index.html

Challenge Pages: http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Challenges.html

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Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while
discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put out more and
better ideas if our efforts are appreciated.

Alexander Osborn (1888 - 1966)

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[Grant]

The first images are now being posted and again they are all great.

Notes for viewing.

1). Clicking on the thumbnail will open a larger image.
2). Clicking on the larger image will advance you to the next larger image.
3). If you are using Internet Explorer F11 will toggle a full screen view

... gives the images a view they deserve.

Grant

[bayhli]

Just enjoying the early entries for this challenge, so much creativity and wonderful talent.

Terry N. - your magazine cover is phenomenal!

[ktnoon60]

Thanks Pat, I just scanned my son's magazine and inserted the guitar.
Kt

[Grant]

The Challenge has been acting a bit strange today. Barbara Wayne (check out her second image) has sent me an idea of adding sound to images and I have been trying to get it to work. The big problem is the Challenge web site is regenerated everytime I put up a new image. Because it is all automatic it only takes fractions of second. Big problems can occur when you have to do individual tweaking and still try to keep it automated.

Well ... success at last. I have managed to come up with a way to add individual music to individual pages that is fast and almost idiot proof .... of course I will and can put this to the test :o

Now the next question is there a desire for this .... let the populous speak.

[Pauline]

Grant, I wondered what was going on. I couldn't see the images a few times I tried, but finally saw them and was surprised by music! :) Others may want to add sound, but for me just doing the challenge is enough right now!

So Barbara Wayne is Barbara Brundage the book author? Cool.

[Grant]

So Barbara Wayne is Barbara Brundage the book author? Cool.




No I screwed that up they are two different people one live in Texas and the other lives in Florida and both do post in the Challenge and both are very creative ladies.

[Pauline]

You're forgiven. :D

[GaryK]

Grant

Sound would be cool.

I have enough trouble getting a challenge done every week, so I doubt sound would be something I would add. Unless of course everybody wants to here my rendition of "MacArthur Park". I think I sound pretty good with the volume off:D

[jazzfisher]

Gary,
Keep your singing in your shower only!:D

[Ward Grant]

Grant,

I think music would be a nice addition for those that want to use it. Of course, the week everybody links rap music to their image, I may ask for a recount.

[GaryK]

Sherri

So when I come visit.. is it no singing or no shower?:D :D

[jazzfisher]

Gary,
That's a hard desicion, but I'll have to go with no shower.......:rolleyes: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Grant]

There have been a number of responses both pros and cons as to the addition of music. Because the opinions seems to be very personal here is what I will do, as long as things don't get out of hand. I will allow the entry of music. I will label the thumbnail with a caption warning about music as I try to do with animations. If the artist wants the image to be seen with the music and also without the music for a broader audience I will do that as post the image twice, once with a warning .... but it will be the artist choice. I do hope that satisfies everyone.

[Wendy]

Alex ... Good work on the animation. I like the fade out very much and nice work on removing the guitar and replacing it with the pink santa !who looks like he is just about to start playing it in the third image :)

Anna ... What an unusual take on the image ... its really well done and very imaginative :)

Barbara ... Wonderful overlay effect in No 1 and No 3 they are excellent. No 2 very different and is a great image. Beautiful concept in No 3 .. excellent image and placement of the guitars. Have to admit that I wasn't too keen on the music ... but its certainly different.

Ben ... Good conversion of the image in No 1 ... its very effective. Clever idea in No 2 using the guitars in that way !! and nice blending in No 3

Bob ... Great recreation of the tiles in No 1 .. it really does look good. No 2 is an amusing idea and the had reaching dowwn to remove the spider is a master stroke.

BrianS ... Good work on substituting the guitar, you have blended it in nicely!

BrianW ... That is really good ... I especially like the way you have continued the colours into the border. Nice border effect too ... how did you do that?

Carol ... Good work on extending the canvas and recreating the rest of the scene. It looks good !

Chris ... Oh how did you do that great pattern and whilst I am asking how did you do the background too ???. It makes such a good effect. Then No 2 ... well it is just so funny iTar :) not too sure that it will catch on but I love the way you have done it !! No 3 is very different, I like the blackness of the figure against the colours of the guitar and the whole thing has such depth. No 4 reminds me of the psychedelic 60's and it has some great touches in there ... I especially like the magnifying glass on the top left ..

Dave ... Good switch in your image. Its neat moving the background image onto the guitar and guitar image onto the background ... nice one !!

Diana ... Nice use of the image ... it makes a great entry. That text suits it perfectly, which font did you use?

Donald ... Wow that is a complex effect. Its really good and I would love to know how you did it?

Flar ... Oh that has such a wonderful simplicity about it. Its a great effect ... well done !

Gary ... Now that is so totally psychedelic. I really like the way you have pulled the colour together ... and the butterflies are a good touch!

Karen ... Umm now No 1 does make a really good effect, its impressive :) ... I think that I can see the emboss filter in there but do tell us how you did the rest of it?? No 2 is a very well done line drawing and I like the suggestion of colour in there. It really is effective and very well done !

Kathy ... Those really are the most stunning patterns and I would so much like to know how you did them? Clever the way you have made them into the wonderful butterfly in No 2

Malcolm ... Your entry this week really has worked so well ... I like the effect of reducing the colours to give that strong image ... and making the border out of tiles it really good. How did you do it ??

Marilyn ... Nice work on making the background in No 1 and I love the little extras you have added in. That is a great touch !! but No 2 just has to be my favourite ... it a great combination of the sunset, the statue and the guitar. Very imaginatively done ... I love it !!

MaryLou ... Not sure what effect you have used on the whole image but I do like it ... and great blending of the guitar into the image.

Mike ... Oh clever play on words ... nice hairy guitar and knockout text with wonderful ink spots. The whole thing pull together so well ... Nice work on it.

PatB ... Well done removing the scene from the guitar and making it into a picture in its own right ... it can't have been easy to do but you really have made a great job of it !!

PatC ... You entry is so different and it really is an imaginative use of the original ... its an excellent touch adding in a broken corner ... I would really like to know how you did the whole thing ?

Pauline ... Both of your entries would make great posters. I especially like the way you have done the torn edge in No 1 and the faded out effect in No 2.

Rita ... Nice work on the images. I like the edge look of No 1 it reminds me of a pen and ink drawing with a water colour effect over it. Neat idea in No 2 makes a great background for the new look guitars !

Robin ... Oh beautifully blending in No 1 ... I can't even see the join!! ... and I like the breakout effect you have used too. Love the patterns and colours you have introduced into No 2 ... really effective !

Tab ... Nice work. I do so enjoy seeing you images each week and this one did not disappoint me .. love the hair !!

Terry ... Three great images ... my favourite just has to be No 1 with that wonderful electric look but I also like thee vibrant primary colours that add so much to the effect in No 2. The magazine cover is really well done ... must have taken some time to place the guitar under everything else.

Tom ... Great substitution in No 1, it is so well done. You have added some really good effects into No 2 and I love the way the guitar looks ... how did you do that ??

Tony ... What an imaginative slant on this challenge and really good work on bending the guitar into shape then blending it into a swans beak. It is impressive .. well done! I really do like the feel of No 2 the colours remind me of the last moments of sunset and the background you have created just pulls the whole thing together. Very nice work.

Ward ... Like the milk bottle in No 1 it works well and its a nice idea. No 2 really blew me away I like the shift in patterns of the gradients and the starkness of the main image ... I like it very much indeed.

Wendy

[Ward Grant]

Wendy: Thanks for the feedback, especially your praise of my Number 2. I was trying to capture some of the shape and material of the tuning keys and just played around with different gradients and filters.

Tony W: "...really good work on bending the guitar into shape then blending it into a swans beak. It is impressive .. well done!..." Wendy is right on target with this. How did you get the nice curves and beak effect?

[TonyW]

That was a great bunch of Challenge entries. Lots of innovative effects.

I started out with no ideas at all and was fiddling around with a page curl plug-in I have, got the guitar all bent out of shape and then the shape reminded me I had a swan picture around somewhere. Found it and put the two together.

#2 was a result of playing around with the hue/saturation layer B&W conversion method that MikeH posted and also seeing what I could create just using elements from the image - a piece of wood and some tiles.

As usual I learned a lot from doing this weeks challenge - now if only I could remember everything I learned ;)

Tony

[mayva]

Thanks Wendy
You know me "always in Scrapbooking Mode".....:D

Anna

[karen donnybrook]

Wendy, thanks for the comments. I have no idea how we achieved the effect in No.1 :o . Lewis (7year-old grandson) "helped" with both images and all we did was fiddle around using filter and image effects for both images :rolleyes:

[GaryK]

Tony

Wa are supposed to remember what we did??:eek: :eek: :eek:

[GaryK]

Tony

We are supposed to remember what we did??:eek: :eek: :eek:

I can't remember if I have underware on without checking:D

[Wendy]

Gary ...

Well I often ask how people did something ... so you had better take notes :D :D

No just kidding ... on a serious note I know that, in the past, I have learned a lot of new techniques by asking how people did things in the challenge. So if anyone wants more info ... then just ask. Some of the people are not from this forum but I will gladly pass messages on :)


Wendy

[TonyW]

Tony

I can't remember if I have underware on without checking:D

Underware :confused: Is that the layer that you put below your software? :eek: :eek:

Tony

[Diana]

Wendy,

It's so kind of you to take the time to comment on everyone's submissions. Thanks! The font I used is "Fajita ICG Mild." I've had that font for some time and have always wanted to use it on something--this is the first time. I thought the name was appropriate.

Diana

[Tom M]

Wendy, I pasted a sunset into the guitar shape.
Then applied the MacMerc aqua sphere layer style.
Did a couple of strokes with the eraser which leaves the pieces with the complete layer style effect on them.

Nice work everyone.

Those guitars were on Main St. in Scottsdale Az. Where many art galleries are located.
I think this was a charity thing where artists painted the guitars then they were auctioned off. ( the guitars that is )

I have seen this before using life size fiberglass horses.


I thought I posted this already,in this forum, so if it shows up somewhere, that's why.

[Diana]

Tony, I think the underware goes on *over* the software...or is that the hardware????:confused: :twisted:

Diana

[GaryK]

Diana

:eek: :eek: :eek: :D

[jazzfisher]

Diana,
Gary doen't have any "hardware".:D

[Wendy]

Sherry ....

:eek: :eek: :eek:


Wendy

[bayhli]

Wendy,

You are amazing to take the time to ensure encouraging comments for all the participants of the challenges. Thank you.

[jazzfisher]

Wendy,
Somebody had to say it...
Gary, I love you just the way you are....:)

[Diana]

Sherry, I didn't know you knew Gary *that* well!:rolleyes:;)

Diana

[jazzfisher]

Diana,
I'm very accepting of all types of peoples--even with their "shortcomings":eek: :eek: :eek: :D

[GaryK]

Sherry

Who spilled the beans???:D

I didn't think Brice had posted my nakey pics yet.:D

[jazzfisher]

Gary,
Oh those were beans???????

[Kathy]

Wendy,

Thank you so much for your kind comments. Forgive the late reply, as I have been working ...... YUCK ... and have not checked the forum since Sunday ....:eek: withdrawal !!!!

Anyway, I applied the Twirl filter to the whole image several times until I got a "center" portion that I liked. Erased away the parts I did not want to get an oval shape ..... by the way ... a pen makes this much easier. Then layered that shape to create the designs. My first idea had been to create a flower using the shape as the petals .... and then the butterfly evolved. Funny how things work out.

Kathy

[Wendy]

Kathy ...

Thanks for the information ... I will certainly try out that technique. It just looked amazing ... :)

Wendy