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USE SIMPLE PHOTOSHOP TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO MAKE STUNNING GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN YOUR ARTWORK

THE PEN TOOL

Sometimes the most striking designs are the ones that are actually very simple and straightforward to achieve. Minimalism is incredibly popular in the design world right now, with geometric shapes taking precedence in web design, and with fashion artwork hot on its heels. This tutorial will show you how to use basic Photoshop techniques to achieve a simple but beautiful photomanipulation that could easily grace the cover of any glossy magazine. CINEMA 4D will be used to render shapes, which will then be imported into Photoshop. Flower photos were used as a reference for the beige and rose colour palette. Tools

are not used extensively; this tutorial instead encourages you to have fun making an eye-catching but minimalist image. You will need to use basic colouring techniques, the Pen tool and blending modes, then play around with clipping masks, layer styles and filters to finish. Lets start!

WORKING WITH PHOTOGRAPHYUSE THE PEN TOOL FOR FULL CONTROL

03 REMOVE SKIN DEFECTSTo remove skin imperfections, select them with a round Selection tool and press Shift+Delete, with the Content Aware option switched on. You can also use the Lasso tool for a quick way to remove small defects. With fashion artwork, even the smallest imperfections must be corrected, as this is the thing thats going to sell your product to consumers.

01 SEPARATE THE MODELPurchase the model photo (ID 30914224) from Dreamstime.com. First, you need to cut out the model from the background. Select the Pen tool in Shape mode and start cutting around her. Leave the head and hair for the next step. After selecting the whole body, copy the layer from the selection.

02 CUT OUT THE HAIRCut out the head and hair and duplicate the Blue channel. Select a soft round brush and switch its mode to Overlay. Start colouring the hair black. To colour white spaces, switch the brush mode back to Normal. Go to Select>Load Selection and load the Blue Copy channel. Copy the selection.

THE PEN TOOL TECHNIQUES

PHOTOMANIPULATION

FROM STUDIO IMAGE TO FASHION ARTWORK

WORK IN PROGRESS

Progress 1: Original image

Progress 2: Adding shapes

Progress 3: Final touches

4/-!3:+!24!3)3+)WAGNERwww.behance.net/krv

OUR EXPERT

Kartasiski is a 24-year-old art director and graphic designer based in Warsaw, Poland. He is a huge fan of minimalism and music, in which he finds a lot of inspiration, and specialises in fashion artwork.

With fashion artwork, even the smallest imperfections

must be corrected, as this is what will sell your product

TECHNIQUES THE PEN TOOL

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08 PLAY WITH BLENDING MODESYou can experiment with different blending modes, as sometimes other modes will give you better effects. You can always choose another colour for the background or for the overlaying layer if need be. The key is to stick to the palette and make the whole artwork as smooth as possible in terms of colour. Thats why your palette layer is so important: it helps you to keep the right mood within your artwork. If you are happy with the colouring, you should stick with it until the final colour correction.

06 ADJUST THE SHAPETo achieve a good shape for the dress, you need to re-position the anchor points and delete some of them. To do so, choose the Direct Selection tool from your toolbar or hit the A key on your keyboard. You need to make the dress as simple as possible, so delete the points that are close to each other. Leave just one point and go to another group. Long, sharp lines will look much better than short ones. In a while, you will reposition all of the points to fit your renders.

05 SHAPE OF THE DRESSUsing the Pen tool (P) with the Shape option selected, start drawing the main shape of the dress. It should be sharp edged. You can adjust the anchor points with the Direct Selection tool by holding down the Opt/Alt key while drawing with the Pen tool. When complete, once again leave this layer. You will be placing pre-rendered shapes into it later. You can always go back and adjust the main shape, depending on the final shape of the dress you want to make.

07 APPLY COLOURNow go back to your colour palette. You need to pick the main colour for the dress and one that will overlay the whole artwork and background. Set a new layer above your dress shape and simply fill it with your chosen colour, setting the blending mode to Overlay. Pick another less saturated colour and place it on a new layer in the background. For great results, copy this layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J) and place it above all the other layers, setting the blending mode to Color Burn.

04 CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLOURSIts always a good idea to have a reference colour palette. In this case, photos of flowers were used. With the Eyedropper tool, select a couple of colours from the reference images to build the palette. Understated rose and beige colours were chosen to give the model a sense of pure, natural beauty. Now, create a new layer using Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N and make a couple of spots with the picked colours using the Brush tool, then leave this layer. You will need it later on.

QUICK TIP Your reference colour palette is your best friend. It helps you to keep the mood of your artwork perfect and is one of the essentials to a successful image. It can be simple, based on just three or four colours, or larger, with many other shades for the background, skin or environment. It all depends on what you want to achieve.

GIVE YOUR IMAGE AN EDGY LOOK

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09 FINDING THE BEST SHAPEA flat shape isnt enough, so you need to use pre-rendered images made in CINEMA 4D. The most important thing is to set together parts of the renders to fake the dress material. It must look as realistic as possible. Take your time and think about how you can connect separate elements. This is the part where you can improvise and experiment. It is a good idea is to search for some reference photos of clothes and see how they lie on the models. Any research you can do will benefit you.

12 REPOSITIONINGWhen you have made your dress composition, you need to reposition your base shape. Select the dress shape layer, hit A for the Direct Selection tool and move the points to fit your render shapes. There is no need to follow them directly, but you need to stick with the lines. After the moving part is done, you can start adding some colour. First of all, make a clipping mask from all the render layers to your dress shape layer so that you can start adding some colour.

13 COLOURINGLets head back to colour you chose at the beginning for the dress. Move it above all the clipped layers to the dress layer. Set the blending mode to Overlay to give the colour effect a good look. You can also play with others shades of your base colour, but in this situation shapes are already a little bit shaded, so a single colour should do the job.

10 CUTTING SHAPESYou need separate elements that will fit perfectly into your artwork. You can open pre-rendered images and start cutting those shapes. With the Pen tool (P) and Path option selected, start cutting interesting pieces. After selecting the shape, simply Ctrl/right-click>Make Selection, set Feather Radius to 0 and hit OK. With this selection, hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to create a layer via the selection. After that, press Cmd/Ctrl+D to deselect. Go back to the main image layer and separate another piece.

11 MAKING THE COMPOSITIONWhen you have all of the shapes that you need, you can start making the composition. Start placing shapes over the dress shape and scale or rotate the elements. You can also Distort or Warp them to fit the fabric form. Remember to keep all of the lines straight and try not to bend individual elements too hard. It is okay for pieces to overlap. The shading will be done in the next steps. Feel free to transform elements as you like, but maintain a realistic look.

Feel free to transform the elements as you like, but

maintain a realistic look

15 SHADE THE HANDCreate a new layer beneath your hand layer and select a round brush set at 50% Hardness. Draw shadow onto the bottom-right side of the hand. Shadows on the original image will help you to decide the direction of your own shading. After that, set layer Opacity to 40% and set the blending mode to Overlay. Make another new layer, draw smaller shadows and set Opacity to 60% on the first layer. Then make shadows on the darkest places and set their Opacity to 100%.

16 MORE SHADOWSYou will now need to add more shadows on the models body to help create extra depth and more of a sense of realism. To be precise, make a new layer with the clipping mask to the body layer. With a soft round brush set at 100% Opacity and 1300 pixels, start shading in areas of the legs, hands and neck that are beneath the dress. Set the layer Opacity to 60%. Now you can use the Eraser tool (E) to adjust the shadows and fit them correctly to the body shape.

18 ADD FLARESThis simple technique adds a more exciting look to the dress edges. Simply create a new layer, and with a white soft brush draw one spot. Then, using a brush half that size, draw another spot in the middle of first one. After that, hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to transform this layer, and just scale in vertically to make it look like an optical flare. Set the blending mode to Overlay and rotate it to fit the edges. Copy this layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J) and add it to the other edge, changing the size of your flare.

17 EVEN MORE SHADOWS!Now its time to focus on the dress. You need to add some more depth to a couple of the fragments and cast shadows. Use the Polygonal Lasso tool to draw a shape and fill it with a black colour. On a new layer over the rendered shapes, fill the selection with black and go to Filter>Blur> Gaussian Blur and set it to 5. You have to make it look realistic as possible, so shadow will be smaller nearer the connection of the shapes and will disappear at the ends.

14 ADD DEPTHNow you will need to pull out the models right hand from underneath the dress to add some depth to your image. All you need to do is cut the hand out from the original image using the Pen tool. You will then need to make a selection with a 0.5 pixel Feather Radius and then hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to copy the selection to a new layer. The next few steps of the tutorial will show you how to add shadows to the dress and the model to make the whole image look more realistic.

TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILSPULL OUT SOME FANCY SHADING AND LIGHTS

CREATING 3D SHAPESIn this tutorial, you need to use pre-rendered shapes made in CINEMA 4D. These are simple cubes sliced with the Knife tool and then modified point-by-point to achieve interesting shapes. There are many more techniques you can use to make these. You can find web-based shape generators or just start playing with Photoshop. With the Pen tool, you can draw shapes and fill them with gradients to obtain similar effects.

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TECHNIQUES THE PEN TOOL

24 FINAL TOUCHAt the end, create a bit of extra interest by adding some lines in the background. For this, use the Line tool (U) with a white colour. Set three lines with the weight at 10 pixels and another three with the weight at 4 pixels. Draw the lines at a 45-degree angle from the top-left side to the bottom-right. Your image will now be smooth thanks to the colour palette and dynamic due to the shapes you used to create the dress.

21 MORE DYNAMICTo make the image more dynamic, draw triangular shapes, placing a white line around them from the dress. To do so, select the Pen tool with the Shape option enabled. Draw a single shape and set Fill to 0%. Double-click on the layer to open the Layer Styles window. Go to Stroke and set Size to 4 pixels, Position to Inside and pick a white colour. Hit New Style and save it to your palette. Draw more shapes, select them all and pick your preset style.

23 ADD DETAILSAs you are nearing the finish, you need to add a couple of details like hair over the dress. Simply cut a small piece of hair and put this layer over the dress layer. You can also add a couple more white-edged shapes to make the image more dynamic. At this stage, you can experiment to make your artwork more eye-catching. Adding lights and shapes is good at this stage, but you must remember that less is more in this case.

20 LIGHT LEAKSYou can add even more lights to the model and dress. Create a new layer above your artwork and start playing with a small soft brush, painting with a white colour. Try to match the edges where the light could leak from the background. Places between the arms and the dress, at the edges of the hair and areas where there is less hair and light can be harder. You can play with the opacity to achieve better effects, but in this case leave it at 100%.

22 Now create a new layer beneath those shapes. Select the Polygon Lasso tool (L) and start drawing more shapes. Each time, make a selection with the Polygon Lasso tool, select the Gradient tool (G), set it black to transparent in the Gradient palette and draw a gradient from the bottom-left corner to the centre of the shape. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+D to deselect and repeat these steps with every shape. After that, set this gradient layer to a Soft Light blending mode.

19 PLAYING WITH LIGHTSStart adding some light effects by drawing on the background behind the model. Using a large soft brush, draw a couple of spots with a white colour. Try to maintain the shape of the model to just cover the space behind it. Next, with the Transform tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T), start warping this layer to fit the space behind the model. With your background, this white layer will make a smooth tonal difference, for an eye-catching effect.

QUICK TIP When shading, you can use the Eraser tool (E) to modify shadows, but you cannot edit them later. To be safe, you can use a layer mask to mask out unwanted fragments of your shadow. This method makes it a little easier to edit later.

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The heritage of green grass, red clay and blue hard court are all represented

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IBM, Ogilvy & Mathe

r New York

HOW I MADE

IBM SLAMTRACKERSEBASTIAN ONUFSZAK

IBMs SlamTracker provides a visual representation of Grand Slam matches using scores and statistics. Sebastian Onufszak (www.sebastianonufszak.com) was tasked with creating the key visual for its advertising campaign.Onufszak combined graphical elements from Adobe Illustrator and typographical textures from CINEMA 4D inside Photoshop. These were then laid on top of a photo image. The illustration is composed of many clipping masks

and adjustment layers, as well as layer styles, Onufszak explains. In the end I had a huge 2.8GB Photoshop file with more than 150 layers.

There are three different colour variations within this image: The heritage of green grass, red clay and blue hard court are all represented, he notes. I used a variety of colour shades and contrasts to make the illustration more interesting. The lines, circles and dots were applied to emphasise infographic data.

WE EXPLORE HOW COLOUR AND SHAPE WERE USED TO CREATE THIS ENERGETIC PIECE OF DIGITAL ART

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02 EDIT THE BACKGROUNDThe background was extended on both sides in order to create a classical tennis-playing environment. I also added the IBM logo as a tennis banner, with an audience behind.

03 INTEGRATE TYPE AND NUMBERSI changed the face of the tennis player, making it more abstract and graphical. I also integrated typography and numbers to visualise the infographic data creatively.

01 STOCK IMAGEThe advertising agency delivered a stock image, which I used as source material. The first thing I did was edit the image using Levels, altering the light and colour of the start photo.

HOW I MADE TECHNIQUES

04 INFOGRAPHICSLine and dot shapes were created as vectors and then imported into Photoshop. Different colours were applied to form a more dynamic image.

http://www.sebastianonufszak.comhttp://www.sebastianonufszak.com

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TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE

05 BODY GRAPHICSI applied typographical textures to the body of the tennis player. These were warped around his legs and arms. I included several other layers to extend the amount of data.

06 GLOW EFFECTSI created a sense of movement and energy by adding motion-blurred strokes and glow layer styles. This improved the complexity of the design.

08 COLOUR CORRECTIONI decided to alter image colours further, making them brighter and more saturated. Three colour variations exist in this illustration series, including green, blue and red. The application of these depends on which Grand Slam surface is being featured.

07 TENNIS BALLI designed the tennis ball and placed it into the image. More graphical elements, typographical layers and a motion trail were added to connect the front and back layers of the illustration.

Onufszak worked closely with advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather New York, who developed this project as part of a remit for IBMs AOR. He reveals: I also collaborated with Ginevra Capece, who is the creative director at Ogilvy & Mather Paris. We were tasked with choosing a direction for this IBM campaign.

The agency selected a preferred style and revisions ensued. I really liked the collaboration between the art director, agency and myself, Onufszak admits. We shared a common cause, which was creating a tennis player illustrated from graphical elements and typography. But he does advise us to listen to clients and their arguments. We get a broader point of view and become more critical, he explains.

SEBASTIAN ONUFSZAK REVEALS WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WORKING WITH COMMERCIAL CLIENTS ON SPORTS PROJECTS

IBMS SLAMTRACKER KEY VISUAL

IB

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Learn to inspirewww.dphotographer.com

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DESIGN A MODERN, TWOCOLUMN WEBPAGE WITH NONSTANDARD GEOMETRIC SHAPES

FLAT WEB DESIGN

The use of geometric shapes in user interface design is fast becoming prevalent, evident with the release of Windows 8 and the new Google Nexus layout. Web designers in particular are embracing this trend, as grids and columns form the basis of most websites. Shapes can be used as straightforward design or framing elements, but can also be used for navigation, as well as to simply draw attention to certain parts of the site. They are simple, clean and modernistic, and can provide a solid base for your website without the need for additional effects like drop shadows, artificial dimensions or a sense of realism. Add a

vibrant colour scheme and bold typography and your design will certainly stand out.

While rectangles and circles are the most frequently used shapes in web design, less common polygons like rhombuses, parallelograms and triangles also work well. This tutorial will show you how to go about using these shapes in your own web design. Its important that elements have a clear hierarchy and consistency in order to make your website easy for visitors to understand and interact with. Before getting started, you should download the images and fonts needed to follow this tutorial. Links to these can be found on the disc.

BASIC STRUCTUREORGANISE THE WORKSPACE USING GRIDS AND GUIDES

03 SIDEBAR MENUIn the Option bar, input a Width value of 240px and a Height of 68px, with the Fill Color set to #313b51. Click on the canvas to create another rectangle, and this time position it to the left-hand side. Select the Move tool (V) and Opt/Alt-drag to make a copy. Position it below the first rectangle with a gap of 1px. You will need to repeat the process four times.

01 SET UP THE DOCUMENTFirst, open the 1280px Grid file found on the disc, then fill the Background layer with a dark colour (#232a39). Creating your website with a grid system is great for a clean and organised layout. Grids are the basis of all good websites and provide a feeling of structure and consistency, although theyre invisible on the surface.

02 The two-column layout with a left sidebar menu is a popular format to go with. Activate the Rectangle tool (U) and draw a rectangular shape of 12 columns width. Align it to the top of the document and to the right-hand side column margin. In the Option bar, set the Fill Color to #06b0d1 and the Stroke to None.

FLAT WEB DESIGN TECHNIQUES

www.graphicburger.com

OUR EXPERT

Taciu is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Hes addicted to Photoshop and has recently started to share free design resources at GraphicBurger.com.

@GraphicBurger

SOURCE FILESOn the disc you will find the webpage template, the 1280px custom grid, swatches and an icon set. Download links for images and fonts are also provided.

NEW MEDIA

FROM BASIC LAYOUT TO FINISHED DESIGN

WORK IN PROGRESS

Progress 1: Basic layout

Progress 2: Build polygons

Progress 3: Add content

http://www.graphicburger.comhttp://GraphicBurger.com

TECHNIQUES FLAT WEB DESIGN

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08 CONTINUE TO MERGEWith the Path Selection tool still active, click and drag the path to the right until it snaps to edges. Notice that both sub-paths are on the same shape layer. Its time to merge them together. With the paths active, which you can also activate by clicking the layer thumbnail, go to the Option bar and select Path operations. In the menu, make sure the Combine Shapes option is active, then select Merge Shape Components. Use the same technique to combine two parallelograms into a taller version.

06 Make another copy of the original parallelogram this will serve for creating the triangle. Select the Direct Selection tool (A) and click on the shape to activate the working path. Switch to the Pen tool (P) and click on the bottom anchor point to delete. Position the triangle beneath the grey parallelogram and set the Fill Color to white (#ffffff). To make perfect alignments, sometimes you need to zoom in and use keyboard arrows for fine nudging. Guides and grids are always there for you if needed.

04 You can always hide the grid by toggling layer visibility in the Layers panel. To create a parallelogram, start by drawing a square. With the Rectangle tool still active, click anywhere on the canvas. In the open dialog, input a value of 235px in both the Width and Height fields, then click OK. Set your Fill Color to #69cef2 then apply a Skew transformation. Press Cmd/Ctrl+T to activate the Transform command, and in the Option menu, set Vertical Skew to 26,55, then press Enter.

07 MERGE SHAPESA simple method for creating a rhombus is to merge together two triangles. To do this, you need to make a copy of the triangle with the same Opt/Alt-drag technique or by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+J, then move them into position. Next, activate the Path Selection tool (A) and click the triangle shape to select it. Copy and paste (Cmd/Ctrl+C, Cmd/Ctrl+V) the triangle to create a sub-path, then hold down Cmd/Ctrl+T to activate the Transform controls and apply Flip Horizontal.

05 Opt/Alt-drag to the right while holding Shift to duplicate the parallelogram and constrain its X axis. Change Fill Color to #787878, then press Cmd/ Ctrl+T to Transform. Ctrl/right-click and select Flip Horizontal from the flyout menu to create a mirrored version. Repeat the Opt/Alt-drag command, this time with both parallelograms selected. Now you should have a series of four shapes aligned horizontally. Select the third one and change its Fill Color to #e0edf8.

QUICK TIP Try creating non-standard shapes by modifying the ones already drawn. This is a lot quicker than building from scratch. The advantage of this is that you can stick with original dimensions and you dont need to figure out additional measurements. This tip works as well for text and layer styles effects.

VISUAL HIERARCHYITS ALL ABOUT ORDER, ORGANISATION AND LOGIC

09 SHAPES HIERARCHYNow that youve created all your geometric elements, you can focus on visual interest. Your shapes will be frames for text and images. Organise everything to create a sense of order. Make use of repetition, relationship and alignment. Create interest with colour and contrast. Remember to keep enough white space on the page. Continue duplicating and aligning shapes, following the previous steps. Use the swatches provided on the disc to apply specific colours or feel free to create your own schemes.

10 ADD IMAGESDrag the photos taken from morguefiles.com into the Photoshop document. They will be placed as Smart Objects. In the Layers panel, position each image on top of a neutral grey Shape layer. Create a clipping mask to hide unwanted areas of the image. To do this, select the desired image inside the Layers panel, Ctrl/right-click on it and from the menu select Create Clipping Mask. Repeat the action with the other three photos, then feel free to scale and reposition them as you prefer.

11 INSERT TEXTIn web design, type must be noticeable and easy to read. The welcome message is first, so make it big at about 40pt. Lato was used here because its a simple, sans-serif font that looks great and its free. Notice that white text always looks good when laid on top of flat, vivid colours. Theres no need for additional effects; keep it minimal. Alternate your type weights from thin to bold to create hierarchy. Titles within shapes should be also legible, so dont go small; set a value of 28pt.

12 ADD ICONSIcons are a clear and effective way to draw attention to your sites content. Using them with text increases readability and will help users to better absorb information. Open the Icons Set file found on the disc and drag them into the working document. Align them to the text while maintaining a proper spacing distance. Try to avoid resizing stock icons, however, as they will lose quality. Instead, search for icon sets that come in different, predefined sizes.

13 Final touches are all about personal taste. You may add some light pattern textures to the background, or a blurred image set to a Soft Light blending mode to add subtle colour variations. You can also create some active button states to better illustrate the desired functionality using Layer Comps. Place your logo in the top-left corner. Now is the time to fine-tune colours or play with different schemes. Also, spend time improving typography.

PATH OPERATIONSPath operation allows you to create complex geometry when working with vectors. Vector shape tools like Rectangle or Ellipse will create by default a new Shape layer every time you draw on your canvas. To create a sub-path to a currently selected layer, choose one of the Path operations in the Option bar then draw on your canvas. Now the sub-path is added to the same Shape layer. These options can also be accessed with keyboard shortcuts. Holding down Shift will add to the shape, Opt/Alt will subtract and Shift+Opt/Alt will intersect a shape area.

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White text always looks good when laid on top of

flat, vivid colours. Theres no need for additional effects; keep it looking minimal

http://morguefiles.comhttp://morguefiles.com

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HOW I MADE TECHNIQUES

DISCOVER HOW WORKING WITH STOCK IMAGES, CURVES AND COLOUR ADJUSTMENT LAYERS CREATED THIS FUN PIECE

HOW I MADE

CRAZY DRIVINGMANUEL LAO

Digital artist Manuel Lao (www.mlaophoto.com) took to Photoshop as a way to keep his brain in reasonably good shape, but found that he liked to mix real photographs with different Photoshop techniques. For this image Lao took inspiration from the film Planet Of The Apes, stating that although a world ruled by animals is not a very creative idea, I wanted to have a look at what it would be like in some kind of conflict situation, so the monkeys are like police. Lao chose to comp different stock images and apply shadows and light using brushes and layers. Playing with colour using Curves, Levels and the Selective Color tool were the next very important steps to creating the finished effect.

BRING IN YOUR STOCKTo start creating your scene, first gather up stock images that you wish to use. In this case, the base image is a combination of two different photographs of the same city.

MAKE ADJUSTMENTSNext, start playing with Curves, Levels and layers, as well as the Color Selection tool and add shadows to get the proper lighting for the piece. Also make sure you comp in another more atmospheric sky.

PLACE FINAL ELEMENTSNow place the main car with two monkeys inside. This requires selecting and masking, then adding more cars to the scene. To add more drama I made adjustments to the lighting and added two planes.

Although a world ruled by animals is not a very

creative idea, I wanted to have a look at what it would be like in some kind of conflict situation

http://www.mlaophoto.com

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01 PICK A COLOUR PALETTELaunch Photoshop and create a new document, then select the colour palette that you will use. Be creative with a limited number. The colour palette helps you to visualise your project as a whole, so choosing it beforehand saves you time later on. The colours used in this example are #0b58a8, #001451, #de9e22 and #f0d2a0.

02 CHOOSE THE FONT AND TEXTAdd a new text layer (T) and choose a font in a large size. Impact was chosen in this case, but you are free choose your own. Type Be Creative and align your text in the centre of the image. This is the main element and the focal point of your illustration.

FROM CONCEPT TO FINAL DESIGN

WORK IN PROGRESS

Progress 1: Choose font

Progress 2: Build composition

Progress 3: Add details

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A TYPOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION WITH IMPACT USING THE POWER OF PHOTOSHOP

DIGITAL PAINTING

BLEND GRAPHICS AND TYPE

T hey say a picture says a thousand words, so imagine the possibilities in conveying a message if you were to combine the two? In this tutorial, you will learn how to blend elements and shapes to create an energetic and dynamic typographic illustration. During the implementation process, you will use many different techniques in Photoshop to balance elements and vary their proportions and shadows, and learn how to give volume to the shapes you draw with the Pen tool.

Using a digital tablet to follow this tutorial can be very useful, as the opportunity to play with the pressure of the pen works wonders when building quality into your final image. You will also see that the composition and balance of illustration is not only about knowing which elements to include, it is also knowing when to remove them. Finally, you will learn that colours play a vital role in to obtaining a composition with a consistent atmosphere. This tutorial requires a sense of subtlety, but you are free to create anything you wish.

BLEND GRAPHICS AND TYPE TECHNIQUES

DAVID DELINwww.28162.com

OUR EXPERT

David Delin aka 28162 is an image maker based in Nantes, France. His clients include BNP Paribas and New Scientist Magazine.

@28162

SOURCE FILESYou will find a selection of resources provided by the artist on the disc, which you can use to recreate this tutorial and in your own projects. SETTING THE TONE

CHOOSE A FONT AND COLOUR PALETTE THAT WILL HELP CONVEY YOUR MESSAGE

03 ADD A GRADIENTDuplicate your text and go to Layer>Pixelate>Text. Double-click it and choose Overlay gradient. Add a Radial gradient from colour #c16205 to colour #d89543. You are free to choose other colours the purpose of the exercise is to be creative, so if you prefer the look of others, go ahead and indulge yourself!

http://www.28162.com

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TECHNIQUES BLEND GRAPHICS AND TYPE

06 ADD A FLOWEROpen the Flower file provided on the source disc and copy and paste the image into your scene. Apply an Invert adjustment (Cmd/Ctrl+I) to create a negative version of it. Put it to the side, as you will use it later in the process. For a more personal look, this flower was created from a photograph, with shadows and light painted on with a digital tablet. Feel free to do the same.

05 MAKE A FLORAL SHAPEUsing the petal you made in the previous step, you can now create a floral shape. Duplicate the layer five times and position them so that it forms a rosette. Create a circle with the Elliptical Marquee tool, fill it with a grey Radial gradient and place it at the centre of your petals. The use of horizontal and vertical symmetry will help to balance your image. Go to Edit>Transform>Vertical Symmetry Axis.

04 CREATE A PETALImport the Petal file into the document. Using the eyedropper tool (I), select colour #0157ac, hit Cmd/Ctrl+U, click Reset and push the Saturation to 45. Add a new layer, change it to Multiply mode, and with a soft edged brush and Opacity set to 35%, paint the shadows of your form. Repeat the process on another layer set to Overlay mode and paint the highlights to give volume to the petal.

07 DRAW A CIRCLE AND DETAILSWith the Pen tool (P), create a circle. Double-click on your layer and add an Inner Shadow to give volume to it. Now draw a pattern. Be creative and take inspiration from tribal art or other designs. Ctrl/right-click on the background of the plot and add a focused shadow (Layer>Layer Style>Drop Shadow). Set the Opacity to 40%, Distance to 0px, Weight to 10px and Height to 80px.

08 CREATE AN ABSTRACT FORMYou will now create the last main form of your illustration. Add a new layer (Layer>New>Layer) and name it Abstract form. Take the Pen tool and draw a shape similar to the one you see in the example above. Repeat the process that was outlined Step 4 to give volume to the shape. A Wacom tablet is often useful for doing this.

Keep in mind your main objective, which is to make the text the focal point of your composition

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13 PASTE IN THE BIRDSBring some life into your composition by adding an extra element. Download a bird image from morguefile.com/archive/display/843318 and import it into your document. Duplicate the image once or twice, and place your birds in dynamic ways by varying their size (Edition>Free transform or Cmd/Ctrl+T). Playing with the variation in size allows you to provide a depth of field, to create the illusion of a foreground, midground and background.

12 PAINT IN SHADOWSNow that you have your shape elements, its time to add a little more realism. When you overlay forms, the credibility of these is achieved through shadows. Use them to create a 3D effect of depth. Paint them using a soft brush set to 40% Opacity with your layers in Product mode. Obviously there are other means to add shadows, like using drop shadows, but I prefer not to use this method. Painting your own offers a more personal touch.

11 INSERT PATTERNSAdd a new layer and with the Pen tool create a rectangle. Double-click the layer or click fx in the Layers panel and select Pattern Overlay. Select an existing pattern or one from your library. While adding organic geometric elements to an illustration can be good in terms of balance, keep in mind your main objective, which is to make the text the focal point of your composition. Place large elements in the background and smaller ones in the foreground.

09 BUILD THE COMPOSITIONThe next step is to import the file named Sphere grid into your document. Now that the main elements are at your disposal, you can begin the most exciting part of the tutorial: the composition. Take the time to find the right balance.

10 ADD CURVED SHAPESGive a little bit of dynamic movement to the artwork. To do this, add some elements that I particularly like: curves. Draw them with the Pen tool. If you want to be really accurate then this is the time to use a digital tablet, as it will allow you to play with the pen pressure. Fill them with a grey colour. Build flowing shapes that appear to be suspended in air and give them volume for realism see Step 4 for an example. Arrange the shapes so that they intertwine with the text.

001 DUPLICATIONFeel free to duplicate each form as much as you want and play with their size and rotation to make your artwork dynamic

002 BALANCING THE SCENEBalance your scene up. Simplicity is your best friend most of the time. Take a step back to assess the usefulness of a form

003 COLOURSYour colour palette is one of the most important factors when creating an illustration, so plan this in advance

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FINAL ADJUSTMENTSUSE LAYER MASKS, ADJUSTMENT LAYERS AND FILTERS TO COMPLETE YOUR ILLUSTRATION

14 CREATE DECORATIVE CHIPSIn order to bring even more energy and vitality to your illustration, you can add a few chips with features brushes. To do this, draw some random shapes and turn them into brushes (Edit>Define Custom Shape). Hit F5 to open the Form panel and play with the settings of the dynamic forms, and those of Diffuse. Do not go too far, even if this kind of effect is fun to use! It can quickly give a rough look to your composition if you add too much. Instead, be subtle.

15 ADD A LAYER MASKThere are always points that can be improved during the creation process such as masking imperfections or removing elements that you do not want to see, because you think they are useless. Layer masks are ideal for this as they allow any changes to be non-permanent. Add one to your document and remove some unwanted areas of your artwork. Layer masks have an important role in the integration and credibility of an illustration, so do not hesitate to spend a little time applying them.

16 MORE DEPTHAdd a little more depth to your scene. Duplicate the flower that you used in Step 6 and choose a neutral colour like grey. This increases the depth between your foreground, the second plane and the background. Using a bright colour will draw attention to the element, which you dont want. Go to Layer>Smart Objects>Convert to Smart Object. Increase its size (Cmd/Ctrl+T) and set the layer to Overlay mode. Duplicate this layer, arrange it differently and play with the opacity.

18 STRENGTHEN THE COMPOSITIONTo finish, select all your layers, duplicate them and then merge them . Apply a High Pass filter (Filter>Other>High Pass) with a radius of 1.2px. Set the layer mode to Overlay. Attenuate the effect of the background using a layer mask. Perform these final touches, zooming to 100%. Your picture is now complete, but of course you are free to go even further and add more forms and elements if you feel it is necessary.

17 APPLY ADJUSTMENT LAYERSNow you need to give the composition a balanced chromatic scale. Add a layer of brightness and contrast adjustment to bring out some elements (Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Brightness/Contrast) and a Curves adjustment layer (Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves ). This is almost essential for me, as it offers so much more flexibility in colour correction and also contrast. Experiment with the settings until you are happy with them.

QUICK TIP To save time, try to get into the habit of using layer sets. Not only do they allow you to assemble the elements together, you can move more easily and it gives rhythm to your work.

ADJUST FOR AUTHENTICITYAdjusting the colour balance, lighting and shadows is fundamental to giving credibility to a composition. In my case, the adjustment layers and black and white curves are valuable elements in my creative process. The first helps me to balance my scene as best as possible, and apply my colours so that they work well together. Curves give me more flexibility in colour correction and contrast. Bear in mind that there are no real tricks or magic recipes. Settings and how they are used are a matter of feeling and personal choice.

TECHNIQUES BLEND GRAPHICS AND TYPE

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TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE

DISCOVER HOW GROHS USED PHOTOSHOP TO PAINT THIS ZODIACINSPIRED ARTWORK

HOW I MADE

ALIVEMARTIN GROHS

Not only are Martin Grohs (www.martin-grohs.com) illustrations beautiful, they also encourage the viewer to think about the theme. I always try to create

something surreal and unique that represents my own opinions, he explains.

COMPOSITION AND COLOURI used gold and yellow colours to contrast with the blue, lifeless background. Because the portrait is the focus, I used a composition that draws viewers to the centre of the image.

This image is a self-portrait that he produced for the Cosmosys art collective (www.cosmosys.net). Because Im a Leo, I tried to show the shared characteristics of this zodiac sign, which are wild, alive and proud. I feel these are all evident through the lion in this portrait, Grohs tells us. The fur was a

real challenge for me, as I tried to paint it as realistically as possible, he adds. It was this that took up most of my time. But ultimately I think I achieved a great result by using a lot of texture brushes, including stone, fur and cloud types. Everything was painted in the end.

ADD DETAILSIm a detail lover. In each of my works you will find many different elements that fascinate the viewer. They make the image what it is and with these you can add a lot of meanings.

LIGHT AND SHADOWCorrect lights and shadows make an image more authentic. When done accurately, they give it a high-quality and professional look. This makes the difference between a good digital painting and an awesome one.

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http://www.martin-grohs.comhttp://www.martin-grohs.comhttp://www.cosmosys.net

Copyright

I always try to create something surreal and

unique that represents my own opinions

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LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

02 IMPORT THE BACKGROUNDOnce the paint image has been scanned or imported into the computer, create a new document (Cmd/Ctrl+N) and a new layer. Drag the painted base into the new layer and use a soft brush to create a soft circular surface over the paint-effect background. This is important, as the portrait will be painted over this area.

01 THE BACKGROUNDUse traditional media to create a paint-effect background. One way to do this is to take three different coloured paints and mix them in a bit of water, swirl them around and take a picture with a high definition camera. Another method is to create an abstract mix of colours on a canvas or piece of paper and scan it into the computer, as in this example.

03 SKETCH THE OUTLINEInvert the layer to change the blue tones to red. The next step is to sketch the portrait. With a small fine brush tip, draw the silhouette and features of the face, making sure the composition is central and just above the soft brush area you created in Step 2. Select the default pencil brush in Photoshop and activate Smoothing and Shape Dynamics.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Progress 1:

Progress 2:

Progress 3:

EXPERIMENT WITH DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIUMS TO CREATE VIVID PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATIONS

DIGITAL PAINTING

DIGITAL ART USING PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

Being able to create art digitally has sped up our workflows and allowed us to apply effects that would previously have been impossible. However, digital art can be quite generic and artists often miss the unique yet random styles that can only be achieved with traditional media. But with Photoshop, digital artists can integrate traditional art into modern methods, allowing them to push boundaries and create new art forms. This tutorial will show you how to do just that with this eye-catching mixed media portrait.

When creating a portrait, there are many ways of approaching the concept and executing it. The processes shown here are carried out using basic Photoshop brushes and tools that are applied in more unusual ways. Following the tutorial step by step will lead to an understanding of the process, but by experimenting and using your own techniques you can create fascinating new forms that will be unique and special. Experiment with colours or even monochrome, as this can really change the mood and density of the artwork.

DIGITAL ART USING PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

ARCHAN NAIRwww.archann.net

OUR EXPERT

Archan Nair is a self-developed digital artist and illustrator who specialises in mixed media and digital illustration. Clients include Sony, Nike, Canon and Red Bull.

@archannair

NOTESAll brushes are the default Photoshop CS6 brushes.

http://www.archann.net

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08 PAINT COLOURFUL STROKESOpen a new document (1000 x 1000px) and create a new layer. Remove the background layer. Select any hard-edged brush and draw strokes while holding down Shift. Try and make each stroke a different colour so you get a beautiful range of colour tones. The colour palette used here consists of reds, oranges, lime green and yellows. The idea is to create strokes in one straight direction so that they blend in nicely. Try and do this several times so that there is a nice range of colours and depth.

06 PAINT SKIN WITH COLOURNext, create a new layer below the Tones layer and name it Coloured paints. Select two colour tones of blue and lime green. While painting, keep switching between different shades of each, for example, different shades of blue, green and yellow. Take a distorted brush and use it to create strokes in random directions with each colour for an unusual colour palette. After the blue and yellow-green colour range, do the same with orange, red and magenta tones.

04 PAINT THE EYESYou can now start painting your portrait, beginning with the eyes. The aim is to paint using colours that contrast with the red tones but that also give a mysterious and dramatic effect to the image. Using shades of aqua blue and light lime green, take a soft round brush and paint the eyeballs and eyebrows very softly in a circular motion. The eyelashes are created using fine strokes drawn from the eyelid outwards. You can refer to the screenshot above to see exactly how the eyes were painted in this example.

07 CREATE ABSTRACT SHAPESYou can use Photoshops Lasso tool (L) to create some really unusual effects and shapes that will add interest to your portrait. To apply them, you will first need to create a new layer called Lasso shapes. Select the Lasso tool and create a branch-like, slightly abstract geometric shape like the one in the screenshot. Use any Brush tool with slight texture and a darker mix of colour tones to randomly paint inside the lasso selection to create interesting effects.

05 ADD HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWSShadows and highlights are what give depth to an otherwise flat-looking portrait. Its a good idea to create these in the initial stages of the design to make it easier when applying the colours. First, create a new layer and call it Tones, then using a soft round brush at 70% Opacity and a white colour, create highlight strokes as shown in the image. After that, select a dark shade such as black or dark grey and apply darker strokes in areas like the back and sides of the face and below the lips and neck. Creating shadows and lights can often be tricky. Look at different photographs of faces to study the light and shadow in them.

QUICK TIP Apart from using just the brush engine in Photoshop, a nice idea is to play around with Lasso tools. It is such a flexible yet simple tool to create interesting new effects and shapes.

DIGITAL ART USING PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

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12 FILL THE SHAPESTake two tones of grey and use the Gradient tool (G) to fill the selection you have created with a gradient. Take a soft round brush and brush the edges of the shape while the selection is still on. This will add depth to the shape. It will also help when you repeat the shapes to create a shadow. After that, use the Lasso tool (L) or the Pen tool (P) to create an almond-like outline in the centre of the shape. Make a selection and fill it with a dark grey colour. You are now ready to form the pattern.

10 MORE BRUSH STROKESYou can add extra depth by creating even more interesting, colourful strokes. Use a hard brush and zoom into the portrait. Reduce the brush Opacity to about 55% and play with the opacity of different strokes. Apply brush strokes on areas that you could highlight, as shown in the image. You could even use a hard Eraser with a very small size setting to create uneven edges.

11 CREATE PATTERNSOne way to add an additional element to the portrait is to create fan-like patterns from multiple duplicated shapes. To do this, use the Pen tool (P). Create a new layer and label it Shape repeat 1, then draw out an organic point shape as shown in the screenshot. Make sure that the starting point of the Pen tool meets the end point so that it forms a closed shape. Ctrl/right-click and choose Make Selection.

ADDING IN DETAILS

09 FUSE THE STROKES INTO THE PORTRAITCopy the layer of shapes you created in Step 8 into your main artwork file. Place the shapes below the lips, jawbone and over the eyebrows, as seen in the screenshot. You need to tweak the shapes so that they fit in nicely with the composition, and you can play around with the colours as well.

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DIGITAL ART USING PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

13 FORM THE PATTERNNow you can create a fan from the shapes. Press Opt/Alt on your keyboard and drag the Shape repeat 1 layer to duplicate it, or Ctrl/right-click on the layer to do so. Rotate the new duplicate shape by 30 degrees and place it over the pattern layer. Repeat the steps again until a chain of shapes is created. Each shape needs to be rotated and aligned over the previous one to create a beautiful, seamless pattern.

15 FINAL IMAGE ADJUSTMENTSFor the final step, create a new Color Balance adjustment layer. Select Midtones from the Tone tab and drag the Cyan-Red slider to +7, the Magenta-Green to + 3 and the Yellow-Blue to -7. Set the layers blending mode to Color. This is a nice way to give a lovely tone to the artwork, especially when working with many colours at once.

14 LINE ART DETAILINGYou can create extra interest by adding a line art drawing into the visual. Select the white colour and use a thin pencil tool to draw some flowing organic shapes near the eyelids and the back of the portrait. Experiment and play with other areas too. This effect needs to be very minimal and should be added as a touch of detailing.

QUICK TIP Keeping Preserve Luminosity checked prevents the image from changing brightness as you adjust the colour balance.

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PAINTING AND PREPARING THE BACKGROUND

One of the most fascinating aspects of digital art is the ability to fuse different mediums. It really pushes experimentation to another level. Initially, when conceptualising the artwork, it was going to be completely digital, but the idea to create the background paint texture manually using acrylic paints sounded fun. The aim when creating the background is to just go wild with the paint and have fun, and then later on fuse it with the digital painting in Photoshop. The results can be quite interesting, as every brush stroke is random and very spontaneous, and can lead to something new and vivid.

01 MONOCHROME BASEFirst, take a white A3-sized sheet of paper or card. Prepare a medium-grey shade by mixing black and white together. Then take a large sized brush and create paint strokes in an elliptical direction around the edges of the paper. Try and leave the middle portion white for now. Apply some water to ensure a nice consistency and add layers to the stroke.

02 ADD COLOURNext, you will need to add some colour to your base design. Mix different shades of green, yellow, blue and white until you get a slight aqua tone to the mix, then paint this all over the grey background. Have fun and experiment with creating interesting strokes on the sheet. What you are wanting to achieve is something relatively solid but completely abstract.

03 PERFECT THE BACKGROUNDPlay with water to blur out certain areas, or even mix some dark tones again. You want to create a beautiful fusion of both grey and blue tones, which you can import into Photoshop to start creating the artwork from.

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WHICH DSLR IS FOR YOU?

WE EVALUATE THESE THREE NEWLY RELEASED DIGITAL SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERAS TO HELP YOU WORK OUT WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR YOU

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SPECS:

870$1350

www.pentax.co.ukSPECS:

750$850

www.canon.co.ukSPECS:

500$600

www.sony.co.uk

Using a cameraphone or compact allows you to take spur-of-the-moment shots, but images often need to be edited later. With any one of these listed entry-level DSLRs, you can shoot images with precision and get instant results.

T here are many cameras on the market, from compacts to Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras (DSLR) to bridge models. Here we have narrowed our sights on three ideal entry-level DSLRs to explain how these will suit three different types of digital imager: portrait retoucher, matte painter, and photo manipulator.

Why, you may ask? Well, Adobe Photoshop CC and Camera Raw can only do so much. Your base digital image is always the key to success. A lot of you might get by with a quick shot with an iPhone or

a point-and-shoot, and while it may be enough to capture the scene, what about taking that image further and expanding on it? That is where the true limit of the medium you shoot with is tested.

Sure enough, a lot of retouchers painstakingly remove noise, lens correct and use Content Aware tools to get better results. But executing a perfect image first time and then working with the high-end result will push your creativity exponentially.

The main stumbling block with DSLRs has often been their lofty expense. When you take into

account the body, the lenses as well as the peripheries, costs can mount up, and once you invest in a system, you stick with it.

But now, a majority of manufacturers are releasing high-spec, low-cost bodies, meaning the doors to creativity are swinging that much wider. While we believe each camera has its own merits, what we aim to do is advise you on which camera is best for your shooting needs. So be it landscape or portrait capturing, rest assured that one of these will be right for you.

http://www.pentax.co.ukhttp://www.canon.co.ukhttp://www.sony.co.uk

The PENTAX K-5 II is a very tidy camera with all of the buttons where you would want them. It stands apart from the Canon and Sony through its blocky build. Make no mistake, this isnt a downfall; as a rugged camera, this body will aid the landscape photographer well, as the weight of the body alone will be enough to reduce movement when used

with a tripod. Also, the high ISO sensitivity and the sealed body mean that this camera will cope very well in colder night settings, as well as in dusty surroundings. With a self-cleaning 16MP sensor thrown into the mix, its clear that this is the camera to use when shooting in outdoor locations and varying weather conditions.

01 WEIGHT AND SIZEThe notable weight of the K-5 II means that, aside from keeping the tripod weighted and your grip firm, the body is more reinforced. This gives the PENTAX a clear advantage in scenarios like outdoor shoots, where the likelihood of rough impact and hard surfaces are rife. So if youre looking to shoot the highlands in winter, this is a great camera to keep you company. Not only that, but it is a tidy product that wont encroach too much on bag space.

02 DNG FILE FORMATThe K-5 II shoots in DNG (Digital Negative) format. This is a form of enhanced RAW system that retains the RAW file edit information when processed. As a workflow and archival tool, it is a wise move to investigate. Changes to images can be written directly into DNG files without the need to create sidecar files. DNG files can also store the full original RAW files which can be extracted later on if necessary, meaning edits are non-destructive.

03 ISO SETTINGSISO is essential for taking good shots in any lighting condition. This function will help to equalise your Exposure Value (EV), allowing you to get sharper still images in darker conditions. With a sensor that can work up to ISO 12800, the K-5 II is a safe choice for low light. While there will always be noise at ISOs that high, recent advances in software capabilities mean that it is no longer hard to correct. This will push low-light capturing and expand your horizons.

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REVIEWS WHICH DSLR IS FOR YOU?

SEALED BUILDA flexible seal under the body reduces dust and moisture entering the body through the gaps and affecting the sensor

DNG SHOOTING MODEShooting in DNG allows for easier storage of files with no sidecars, reducing the risk of edit information being lost or deleted

SENSOR SIZEThe K-5 IIs 16MP sensor isnt the biggest of the bunch, but with its high ISO ranking and noise reduction, it manages to hold its own

THE PENTAX THROWS ITS WEIGHT BEHIND ITS FUNCTIONALITY

: 5/5This is a compact, heavy hitter with the capacity for high-end results in dynamic conditions. Its only limitations are its MP rating and dependent on the user, the weight, as it could be a cumbersome object for some. Otherwise, its definitely usable across the board and one for the outdoors photographer.

Above: Shooting at the higher end of the ISO range still delivers detailed, high-quality results

Above: The sealed body ensures that all of the buttons are protected, reducing artefacts inside the body

With HD video, a tilting screen and a vastly improved sensor system, the Canon EOS 700D body enables full photography exploration. This is due to its tilt screen system, as well as the expansion of its under-the-hood basics, such as sensor size capability. The 700D works across the board and is a better camera to use for a multitude of tasks. So if

you regularly shoot both portraits and landscapes, this camera will have the most appeal. Its 18MP sensor and moveable screen will aid in capturing both subjects in equal measure, and youll definitely get the right angle and the ease of use within menu functions. Throw in a touch screen and you are set to shoot in any situation.

THE CANON EOS 700D HAS PLENTY TO OFFER

01 WEIGHT AND SIZEThe 700D is very lightweight, allowing the user quick access and continuous holding, enforced by the textured grip. It also makes it useful for studio setups where the camera needs to be supported or suspended. However, the lightweight nature of the body means that the camera will become top-heavy once a lens is attached, but the compact size of the camera means less room is taken up your kit bag, freeing up space for accessories.

02 SHOOT ANY ANGLE, ANYWHEREThe 700Ds manoeuvrable view screen pulls out, flips, rotates and angles, allowing you to view your shot no matter how complex the angle is, with the added benefit of the screen being touch sensitive. This doesnt mean you have to have it out all the time, and taking into account the sensitivity of touch screens, the option to flip the screen around into the camera body for protection means that those who prefer to view through the eyepiece still can.

03 18MP WITH NOISE CONTROLThe 700D boasts an 18MP sensor, which will allow for large format prints. In addition, the expandable ISO controls allow the user to push the ISO value from the intended end range of 12800 to a far more sensitive 25600. As with the PENTAX and Sony, a little help will be needed to iron out all of the noise created in-image., but still means that shooting in low light and bright sun are both achievable, giving you options for studio and location.

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A COMPACT FRAME WITH FEATURES THAT CAN BAIT THE BIG BOYS

: 4/5What it gains from under the hood, it lacks in body build. The 700D is a gem to have in any imagers kit bag, but sadly you will need some slender hands to grip its small build. This shouldnt hinder you getting your shot, though, and the sensor size and simple menus make this a well-rounded beginners camera.

Above: As with the PENTAX, the Canon delivers impressively clear images, even at its extended ISO value

Above: The flip-out screen is fully moveable, durable and touch sensitive, allowing for freedom of angle

360 DEGREES OF OPTIONSThe unique mode dial is now unlocked to turn 360 degrees, allowing the user to turn it until they are using the right mode

PETITE BUT POWERFULThe lightweight body and compact size make it easy for any photographer to grasp and carry

The hinged touch screen lets

you compose from any angle and adjust settings with ease

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REVIEWS WHICH DSLR IS FOR YOU?

The Sony SLT-A58 is weighted and rugged in feel, yet compact in approach. The screen is limited in its angles; unlike the Canon, it only opens up or down. If you are working at low or high levels, however, this can be a benefit. Another is its 20MP sensor the highest capacity of the group and it also has an ISO that goes to a respectable 16000.

This camera is a must for studio enthusiasts, as the screen stays on a flat plain. The Translucent Mirror Technology incorporated in the A58 allows for an exceptionally fast response from shutter release to sensor, reducing the risk of missing your shot. However, it is clear that this camera is only a shade above the bridge camera range.

01 DIRECT CAPTURE TO THE SENSORLove it or hate it, the choice to use Translucent Mirror Technology reduces lag from when the shutter release is fired to when the sensor receives data, which is a massive benefit to the digital imager who needs a shot with no delay. It also reduces the amount of moving parts within the body, minimising weight and body movement through capture. So when using the timer mode for a long exposure, there will be no internal interference to cause shake.

02 SEEING THINGS AS THEY AREWith the Sonys OLED Tru-Finder, the signal that would be pumped through to the viewing screen on the back is instead channelled to the eyepiece, which in many bridge cameras is nothing new. But seeing how the A58 uses the TMT system, using another E-TTL display makes sense. Most of the screen is calibrated to give you the exact results for colour and contrast as you would see when you upload the image, allowing you to make faster decisions on shoots.

03 FAST SHOOTERWith a reach of up to 16 high-res fine JPEG images being captured at 8fps, you can be sure to capture all of the action with the A58. But be warned, such a frame rate cant be delivered with all file types. If you are looking to shoot burst modes in RAW, you will have to stop down to a slower 5fps to capture five RAW images, as well as fine large-format JPEGs. However, when you take into account the massive 20MP images being transferred onto the card, its quite a feat.

The flat to 90-degree screen allows for perfect shooting from the hip, and you can view a digital display through the eyepiece

DIGITAL EYEPIECEThe eyepiece utilises Electronic Through The Lens (ETTL) viewing, allowing for a well-lit view of your subject whatever the light

INSTANT SHOOTINGThe high-speed reactions of the Translucent Mirror Technology allow the image you see to be instantly captured due to the non-moving mirror construction

DOES COMBINING THE ELEMENTS HOLD TRUE FOR SONY?

: 3/5Certainly the safest camera of the bunch for the non-committed, but it does feel lacklustre in comparison to the previous two. This is a shame as it has some incredible features, such as the sensor size and its eyepiece and the live view will give exact skin tones instantly perfect for studio use and portraiture.

Above: Unlike the Canon and PENTAX, the Sony does start to falter in the higher ISO ranges, but still delivers on tonality

Above: The flip-out screen isnt as diverse as the Canons, but it will give you a different viewpoint; far better than a static screen

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TOPAZ RESTYLE REVIEWS

A little extra care with automation and tool control is needed to enable this plug-in to deliver its impressive set of effects faster, really complementing a professionals workflow.

Topaz ReStyle is the latest in a long line of software that provides you with the means to add creative effects to your photos. It can be used as a standalone program or as a

plug-in, and Photoshop users have everything to gain from using it as the latter.

Topaz has produced an interface that shares the same aesthetics as its Adobe counterparts. Slick, charcoal panels and colour-coordinated presets provide a look that Photoshop users will love. Sadly, you wont be as enamoured with the softwares lag, which appears when applying presets. These effects dont update live on screen, as were used to in other plug-ins. Pop-up examples do this instead, which you must choose from before applying your initial look. However, this interval may be because Topaz ReStyle handles 1000 pre-made photographic effects, which isnt a bad compromise at all. In fact,

TOPAZ RESTYLEwww.topazlabs.com

STYLISE YOUR PHOTOS BY CHOOSING FROM 1000 PREMADE PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS

VERDICT:

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO IN TOPAZ RESTYLE?

its a huge selling point when you consider these can be intuitively adjusted to look just about any way you want them to.

The Collection slider makes matching effects to your images easy, through a set of categories including Fashion, Seascape, Street, Nature, and many more. Basic sliders let you affect colour, tone and detail, but if you want to customise with more advanced options you can, using those in the ReStyle panel. Here you can target the five separate colour regions set by your preset to perfect a new style. You can affect the hue, saturation and luminosity of any colour by tweaking sliders. Its so simple and actually a whole lot quicker than working with Curves, Levels and various other adjustment layers. However, if Photoshop users still want to apply these tools you can, as your Topaz ReStyle effect is saved to your Layers panel as a new layer.

Basic sliders let you affect colour, tone and

detail, but if you want to customise with advanced options you can

FIND SIMILAR PRESETSThis is an automated option that may well go unnoticed, but knowing where to find it and using it will save you a lot of time. Instead of manually searching for other presets similar to the ones you like, simply have this active then select the Find Other Presets option at the top of the Presets menu.

STYLISH INTERFACEThe slick, charcoal panels and colour co-ordinated presets supply an interface that Photoshop users can really associate with.

MASK TOOLSYou can mask effects in and out of your image using the Brush tool, similar to Photoshop. A full screen selection preview would improve the precision of your application, but the Mask viewer and Smart Feather sliders compensate for this.

http://www.topazlabs.com

DIGITAL ARTIST SEBASTIAN CLARK EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF DETAILING IMAGES USING PHOTOSHOP TOOLS

READER INTERVIEW

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTING AND DETAIL

READER INTERVIEW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTING AND DETAIL

SEBASTIAN CLARKcargocollective.com/sebastian_clarkadvancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/shirtupboy

OUR READER

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mag

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Seb

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Hospital: This is a photo montage. After cutting out each shape, I was able to use the Warp, Transform and Skew tools to make the objects appear to run with the perspective of the hall. The cracks in the wall have been made by overlaying photo textures

Digital painting for Sebastian Clark began when he was 16, scanning drawings and using the Paint Bucket tool in Photoshop. This simple start quickly grew into a thirst to do more, and after moving onto sketching directly with a tablet, Clark quickly picked up the skill. I know this is always a frightening thing for a lot of artists who are starting out in digital art because your pen-computer coordination is very different to working directly on a sheet of paper. But I started doing this about two years ago and it is so much quicker and forgiving than working in a traditional medium. You can go back and change proportions, use photographs and textures, and also quickly manipulate the hue of the image, Clark explains. Read on to discover how he creates detail and realism in his diverse illustrations.

WHICH OF YOUR CREATIONS IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF DIGITAL ART?At the moment my favourite is my S.W.A.T. team painting. It was the first painting I did using photographs for the guns and this pushed me harder to get the faces looking more realistic so that they would work with the photos. After doing this, I painted over the guns to make them blend into the image. This was also the first time I used a textured brush to make the rain look as if its pushing the hair down and running off the faces. I now use this same brush technique in images for sweat and also to create a shine on surfaces.

HOW DO YOU ADD THE ELEMENT OF REALISM IN YOUR IMAGES? Lighting is very important. Its a simple concept; light

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Clockwise from top;

Cyberdog City: I did this quite quickly, cutting out photos and using the Overlay blending mode to layer the colours on top of each other. Clothing retailer Cyberdog are using this design for a dress and tights

Delicious: This was done using Photoshop painting and Illustrator vector art. Its nice to have the opposites of the paint textures and the clean lines

Glorious: This was my main piece at the Futur Fusion exhibition at the I.N.C. Space in Covent Garden, London. It was drawn in pencil on an A4 sheet and then scanned into Photoshop. I then put the layer on Multiply and paint-bucketed in each colour, then finally layered in the shadows and the highlights

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Chrome: Inspired by a mix between the Dyson vacuum cleaner and a Mercedes-Benz! Chrome was an experiment to compare and contrast reflections on metal and plastic

Its always amazing to be able to walk past people at

festivals, raves and even on the high street and see that they are wearing my designs

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHTING AND DETAIL READER INTERVIEW

travels in straight lines yet its very hard to apply to a piece of work. A great way of simplifying this idea is to start off painting in black and white so that you have a really clear image. You can then work out the values between black and white to find the places where the light will hit. I also use this as a quick way of seeing if an image will work or not. I use many photograph references in my work, but I dont normally paint straight from them. Instead, I get an idea of the pattern projected by the object, such as folds in clothing or light reflecting off metal. This means that you can gradually paint it without using the reference.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CREATING THE DETAIL IN YOUR IMAGES? I love working on the detail every time I produce a new image and each time I seem to want more of it! However, its important to put the detail in the right places; the eye is drawn to the detail and too much over the whole image can make the eye tired. The beauty of Photoshop is being able to zoom into images to be able to finely touch up areas which are the most important.

As a concept artist, you have to know how things work. If Im coming up with an idea for a robot, then hinges, buttons and levers have to be in the right places to work. This is a great way to create detail that is also practically essential for the idea.

WHAT ARTISTS HAVE INFLUENCED YOU?There are so many amazing concept artists producing such a wide range of work. In the past Ive been influenced greatly by Brad Rigney, Dan Luvisi and Dave Rapoza; I think these three guys work together to make some of the best art on the net.

Its so good to see other artists at different stages of their work as it really inspires you to become better in your field.

I love books and John Steinbeck is a fantastic influence on my work. I like to be able to put references from writers into my images.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING THING ABOUT BEING A DESIGNER?Its always amazing to be able to walk past people at festivals, raves and even on the high street and see that they are wearing my designs on their items of clothing. I even have a bikini out at the moment, although I havent seen it personally on a member of the public yet!

One of my patterns, Sub Dub, which illustrates speakers and DJ equipment locking together, has been used for the Cyberdog shop faces in Brighton

The differences in these two pictures are obvious but they were done only about a year apart. The first, titled Anikey, uses the technique of scanning in a pencil drawing, multiplying this layer and then blocking out each colour. After this is done, shadow and light can be placed over the top. It works well but takes a lot of time.

In my more recent image I have painted directly onto the computer using a Wacom tablet. There is no pencil outline around the edge of each object and textures have been used to create a more realistic and three-dimensional feeling.

CLARK REFLECTS ON HIS DEVELOPMENTNOW AND THEN

and Ibiza. Overall, achievements like that are always pretty cool to see!

WHAT PHOTOSHOP TOOLS DO YOU USE?My favourite tools at the moment are the Selection tools. The Magnetic Lasso tool and the Magic Wand are so efficient for cutting out bits of photographs; it means you can make a collage up in a few hours when normally it would take days.

The Overlay blending mode is magical in bringing together colours and adding depth to an image. I

THEN

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have also always been so impressed with the Brush tool; its so varied and very easy to manipulate on the Photoshop canvas.

WHATS NEXT FOR YOU?Ideally I want to work as a concept artist in film and game. I am very interested in fashion design and robots so my type of work fits in well with those two elements together! Eventually I hope to be able to pitch ideas for a film script so that I can work on my own imagery and develop characters and story lines.

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CUSTOMISE YOUR OLD TSHIRTS USING SIMPLE BLEACH DYE AND DIP DYE TECHNIQUES

TSHIRT DESIGN

I n this issues Resource Project, youll discover how to personalise t-shirts by hand. No digital techniques are necessary well, apart from having to print artwork for your stencils, but thats all down to your own superb skills.

Creating 100 per cent handmade products is always satisfying. Here, we provide you with two techniques you can use to revamp your plain t-shirts. Our experts, graphic studio Oupas! Design (www.behance.net/oupasdesign) and creative blogger

Rachel Alberts (www.twitter.com/rachalberts), share their techniques for producing bleach and dip dye designs. The first is a great way to create grungy looks and logos, while the second lets you add vivid gradients to your garments.

Each process is explained in detail, step-by-step, and by the time youve had a go youll be able to continue personalising your tees on your own. Youve also been supplied with a selection of fun t-shirt and dye-based digital resources to play with on the disc.

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ON THE DISCRESOURCE FILESRESOURCE PROJECT

BLEACH DYEING YOUR TSHIRTSCREATE DESIGNS WITH BLEACH TO MAKE YOUR CLOTHES STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

TSHIRT DESIGN ON THE DISC

OUPAS! DESIGNwww.behance.net/oupasdesign

OUR EXPERT

Oupas! Design is a sustainable graphic design studio that uses a lot of alternative materials to make their ideas a reality. Here, they show you how to bleach dye your t-shirts.

01 WHAT YOULL NEEDFor this project, youll have to get your hands on all of the following: a dark, 100 per cent cotton t-shirt, pure bleach in a sprayer, a craft knife and a permanent marker pen. Youll also need some tracing paper, toilet paper, cardboard, a hair dryer and most importantly, an idea. Start by printing or drawing your idea onto the tracing paper.

02 CUT OUT YOUR STENCILThink about how many colour layers youll want with your stencil. In this example, youll need three, which includes one for an all white surface, another for a lighter colour and lastly one for a faded effect at the back of the drawing.

03 PREPARATIONPrepare for bleach application by placing a piece of hard cardboard inside the t-shirt, so that the bleach doesnt reach through to the back. Then stick the first tracing paper stencil on the t-shirt, protecting everything you dont want to bleach.

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ON THE DISC TSHIRT DESIGN

04 Start spraying on the bleach from a distance and dont let the t-shirt become overly wet. This is where you use toilet paper to dry it from time to time. Bleach is very strong over cotton, so youll probably see results from your first application.

05 DRY OUT EACH LAYERDry the tee every time you finish one applied layer. This way youll be able to control and produce the tone you want. Be expressive when applying the final, fading background layer. Let the bleach drain or apply a toothbrush to create some neat effects.

06 After you finish dyeing, make sure that your garment is thoroughly dry. If you want to get rid of the bleach smell, wash it at a low temperature. Now you can wear your new handmade t-shirt and wait for the compliments to roll in!

SAFETY FIRST MINIMISE THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS WHEN WORKING WITH BLEACHING AGENTSAlthough bleach is an everyday product, its highly corrosive, so be very careful when handling. Youll be exposing your skin, eyes and airways as well as the garments you are wearing when using this in a sprayer. Stay safe and work in a well-ventilated area if you cant go outside. Also make sure you wear rubber gloves and an apron.

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DIP DYEING YOUR TSHIRTSLEARN HOW TO PRODUCE GRADIENTS IN YOUR TEES

01 Start by gathering a white t-shirt, four to five tablespoons of salt and some t-shirt dye. Preferably wear an old shirt when dyeing this one in case of staining. Also run your shirt under water until damp, then wring and hang it on a hanger so that the edges are straight.

04 Rinsing the shirt after the dyeing process is arguably the hardest part. Its really important that you dont touch the dyed part of the shirt. Hold the shirt up while a colleague pours water over it, from the top. This ensures that the dye runs down and out. Rinse it as many times as is necessary.

02 FIRST PHASE OF DYEINGFill the sink about a third full with hot water, then add your salt and stir until its dissolved. Add about one quarter of the dye in the packet to the salted water and stir again. Dip your tee into the dye solution, as far as you want the lightest colour to appear. Hold the shirt there for five to ten minutes.

03 SECOND PHASE OF DYEINGTake the shirt out of the water and add the rest of the dye to the solution so it gets a lot darker, then stir again. Once the dye is properly stirred in, dip the shirt into the sink till the water level is as high as you want the darker shade to appear. Hold the shirt in place for another five to ten minutes.

R

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l Alb

erts

RACHEL ALBERTStwitter.com/rachalberts

OUR EXPERT

Rachel Alberts loves fashion, the colour pink, bleaching and blogging. Here, she shares her tips on how to dip dye tees fast!

http://www.twitter.com/rachalberts

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ON THE DISC TSHIRT DESIGN

BLOTS DIGITAL PACKhttps://creativemarket.com/LaurelingStudios

RESOURCE

Blots digital paper pack contains ten colourful 12 x 12-inch images with a batik/tie dye look and the subtle texture of tissue paper. Use as an overlay for digital editing, illustrations, in photos, artwork or on the web. High-quality 300dpi RGB images produce excellent home printing results. Convert to CMYK for professional printing or convert to 72dpi for optimum web use.

MOCKUPScreativemarket.com/DanFreebairn

RESOURCE

These neatly organised PSD files are the perfect mockup templates for anyone seeking that professional look when creating their t-shirt designs. With a photorealistic finish, you can quickly see what your creation would look if it were printed and on a fresh tee. With easy-to-use Photoshop Smart Objects, it takes seconds to copy and paste your designs into each section of the file. You can decide if you want to see your design hung up on a studio wall or laid out flat on the floor. Theres also the option to add a logo to the hanger or clothing tag.

GO MEDIA TEMPLATE PACKwww.MockupEverything.com

RESOURCE

This mockup template pack from Go Medias Arsenal contains six regular womens crew neck t-shirts that are ghosted, or appear to have a body shape. These shirts are clean and without distressing. This pack allows total flexibility with the tag you can turn the tags on or off.

Three shirt colours, easy to change to any colour Tags are on a separate layer Shirt brand: American Apparel Easy-to-use clipping masks in place

TIE DYE BRUSHESwww.renderosity.com

RESOURCE

This fantastic pack of 75 tie dye brushes are great for use in texturing 3D garments, scrap-booking, paper crafts, web design and much more. Kelly has also included six high-quality textures made with the brushes.

ON THE DISC

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