Challenge #106

[Grant]

The 106th Challenge has been posted by Raymond Robillard. The theme is a timely Valentine Challenge. So for all you art lovers get out there and place your heart on your sleeve and get posting.

Grant

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

[MikeH]

I'll get my coat...

Mike

[Wendy]

Well this one has kept me busy for the last couple of days ...

It started off as an easy one but then I didn't have any of the bits I needed to do it ... so I had to start making things. I had to make a cat, a heart, a rose and even paw prints defeated me ... I couldn't find any anywhere. So in the end I had to make a paw print brush ...

At last I have finished and they are now on their way to Grant.

Now thats why I have been so quiet for the last few days ... so what is everyone elses excuse? :)


Wendy

[Grant]

It seems, judging form the Challenge, I was spending my time at the beach having my photo taken.

Grant

[Jodi Frye]

:lol:

[MikeH]

Now thats why I have been so quiet for the last few days ... so what is everyone elses excuse?

Catching up on domestics having been away all week with work...

... oh and giving the challenge some thought :? . I do have something in the mincing machine. :wink:

Mike

[Jodi Frye]

Wendy, I just went over to take a looksy. It was a long walk but worth the trip ! So sweet ! Kitty is really great ! Your hubby must be so special

You see how terrible i am about that...hint...photo challenge... :wink:

[kerriann85]

Wow Grant, that was fast. Spending the day sitting at the puter?

(Hey look! Somewhere along the line I passed 100 posts!)

[Wendy]

Jodi,

I took one look at the photo challange and haven't stopped laughing. I really must take some photographs ... all I seem to do is take background images for use with Photoshop. We are going away next Sunday so hopefully I will take quite a few whilst we are away.

For this weeks Challenge I decided to move away from phototrealistic montages and do some graphics ... thats why it took forever to do. First time I had ever done a cat or a rose ... but I was so pleased with the result.

Oh I do love your Challenge entry ... has Ray seen it yet? :) :) ... its a great idea and you used the curtains :)

Doesn't Grant look good ... now who did that one!!

Wendy

[MikeH]

Doesn't Grant look good ...

Another body double job for me :lol:

Mike

[MikeH]

First one in... a starter for 10

Proper entry under way... :wink:

Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

I just sent number three :) :)

Wendy

[MikeH]

Mike,

I just sent number three :) :)

Wendy

Number three? :shock: Love must be in the air...

I really struggle with things like this - as you'll see from my first entry. I'm much better working with a photo montage :mrgreen:

Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

My Number three is a noticeboard montage .. now that was easy to do as I just used one I did before as a template (bit of a cheat really)


Wendy

[MikeH]

Wendy,

I got my idea for quickie No.1 from Scott Kelby's PE3 Down & Dirty Tricks, which arrived while I was away...

I also ordered Richard Lynch's book - rather disappointed - it's full of black & white pictures... It's going back on Monday.

Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

I have his PSE2 book and whilst it contains a lot of indepth information I just can't get on with it ... I much prefer the writing style of Scott Kelby.

Another book to look at is How to cheat in Photoshop by Steve Caplin ... its written for the full version but it contains some great ideas (try the library I know that there are a few copies around). His site is amusing to view ... try running your cursor over all the objects:

http://www.stevecaplin.com/

Wendy

[MikeH]

Wendy,

His site is amusing... there is also a link to the website for "How to cheat in Photoshop", which has six sample pages that you can download. It looks really good - from the sample pages I may just exchange Richard Lynch's book for it (actually Steve Caplin's book is cheaper :)).

Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

If you do decide to get the book there will be quite a few things that you cannot do in Elements ... so it may be worth looking at the book before you decide.

I have just seen your Challenge entry ... nice theme and I like the little touch of putting two of them in the photograph. By the way that is a nice bend in the photograph what method did you use to do it?

Wendy

[MikeH]

Wendy,

I used the Shear command under Filter > Distort...

I've looked at your three, the cards are great. Whos birthday is on Feb 14th?

Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

Thanks for the information ... I have never used Shear (I will try it out now).

Its my cousins birthday on the 14th and last year they came to stay with us for her birthday ... so I used the photos I took that evening. I decorated the diningroom with lights and all sorts ... she was so suprised!

Thanks for the kind words about my cards ... I had fun with them. Especially making the paw print brush (at 2am in the morning!!)

Wendy

[MikeH]

If you do decide to get the book there will be quite a few things that you cannot do in Elements ... so it may be worth looking at the book before you decide.

Wendy,

Thanks for the advice :) . I'll check the library on Monday... Next on my shopping list is Jodi's CD... :wink:

Mike

[MikeH]

Its my cousins birthday on the 14th

Ahh someone else has a postman who will be overworked for a couple of days next week - it's my birthday on the 15th.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Mike

[Jodi Frye]

Wendy, we'll have to start a new thread for that one. Get your gears greased and be ready ;)

[MikeH]

Mike,

If you do decide to get the book there will be quite a few things that you cannot do in Elements ... so it may be worth looking at the book before you decide.

Wendy,

I emailed Steve Caplin today and asked him how relevant the book is to a PE3 user. He replied this afternoon saying that it is written for CS, but PE3 could be used for about 70% of the book. Also that terminology may differ from Photoshop to PE3...

Putting Photoshop aside, Steve said that the book in general is about photomontage techniques, which is of interest to me.

I'll check the library for a copy but all in all it sounds worth getting, even if it just improves my challenge entries!!

Mike

[Jodi Frye]

Wendy, I don't think you need to worry about buying a book to improve your challenge entries. You are the one that should be writing a book ;)

....coming from someone who has '0' books on the subject.


....but keep those newsletters coming ;)

[MikeH]

Wendy, I don't think you need to worry about buying a book to improve your challenge entries.

Jodi,

It's me that is buying (and needs) the book!! :)

Mike

[Wendy]

I bought the book about 6 months ago ... did wonders for my Challenge entries :) :)


Wendy

[MikeH]

No copies in the library so I've taken the plunge and ordered it... :)

...but not without some difficulty. Waterstones tried to convince me it wasn't available and that the ISBN didn't exist :shock: :? . So I came home and ordered it from Amazon :wink: - for £8 less 8) .

Sorry Richard Lynch, I also sent your book back today...

Mike

[kerriann85]

Richard's book came to me as a suprise christmas gift. It's a little more than I can handle yet, but I'm hoping to grow into it.

I wish our library had more Photoshop books. I did start learning a lot with a Scott Kelby for CS though, that's why I knew I wanted to own his version for E3. Worth every Penny.

(Wish I'd have sent back the Magic Lantern Nikon D70 book though. Didn't think it was allowed after the plastic was removed.)