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Freaky and Bizarre Animal Mashups by Human Descent

Grant Friedman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:04 PST

One of the best things about Photoshop is that it allows us to combine more than one photo to create an entirely new image. This can be done with landscapes, people, and even animals. In this article, we will showcase the work of Human Descent, a photo manipulator who has managed to create hundreds of new species using the power of Photoshop. Let’s take a look!

Frederick the Fruck

This image combines a duck and a frog.

Roaring Liog

This frog was combined with a lion.

Nosferafrog

This breed of frog has huge teeth.

Rabbick

A rabbit combined with a baby chicken.

Hummingwolf Bird

This is what a humming bird and a wolf would look like.

Pengog

This is what a dog and a penquin would look like.

Geckat

This cat has been combined with a gecko.

Friendly but Smelly

In this composite, a dog and a llama have been combined.

Leogator

This marriage of a leopard and alligator looks terrifying.

Pengchick

If penguins and roosters could be combined, this is what it would look like.

Pog

This dog must have an incredible sense of hearing.

Doguin

This is what a penguin would look like if combined with another breed of dog.

Prairie Chick

If you combined a prarie dog and a chicken, this is what it might look like.

Squirrion

If squirrels had teeth like this, we might take them a bit more seriously.

Snappy

It is unclear if this breed of monkey and rat would throw feces at you.

Hatched Chog

What came first? The chickendog or the egg?

Squirrat

Not to be confused with a squirrel-rat, this squirrel was combined with a cat.

Test Your Photoshop Knowledge #6

Martin Perhiniak — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:15 PST

We know how much you guys like to test your knowledge of Photoshop so today we are giving you an opportunity to do so with another quiz from Martin Perhiniak. Please take a moment to complete this 10-question quiz and see if you’re prepared to pass our test! Good luck!

Editor’s note: this quiz is for Photoshop CS5.

Easy Dashed and Dotted Lines in Photoshop

Grant Friedman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:57:00 PST

For the last few weeks, the Photoshop team has been giving us some sneak peeks of the latest version of Photoshop. The latest version of Photoshop is due to be released in the first half of 2012. We have already seen videos showing off Photoshop’s new look, and some performance enhancements but this video shows us something new, something that we have been asking them to include for a long, long time – dotted and dashed lines.

In this video, Photoshop Product Manager, Zorana Gee shows how you can click on a stroke and quickly convert it to a dotted line. Then, she shows how to quickly add a gradient effect. What do you think of this new feature? Is there anything else you would want included in the next version of Photoshop?

Create a Caricature Painting in Photoshop

Martin Perhiniak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:44 PST

Photoshop is an excellent tool for manipulating photographs but it can also be used as a means to create stunning digital art. This tutorial is part of a 25-part video tutorial series demonstrating everything you will need to know to start producing digital art in Photoshop. Digital Art for Beginners, by Adobe Certified Expert and Instructor, Martin Perhiniak will begin by teaching you how to draw in Photoshop. At the conclusion of this series you will know all you need to produce your own concept art and matte paintings in Photoshop.

Today’s tutorial Part 22: Create a Caricature Painting in Photoshop will demonstrate how to create a caricature based on the game Assassin’s Creed for a holiday greeting card. Let’s get started!

Retouch a Bland Model Portrait in Photoshop

Kevin Stohlmeyer — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:00:14 PST

Sometimes retouching a portrait can be really tricky, specifically when dealing with model portraits. In this tutorial, we will be retouching a particularly difficult shot in which the subject has no makeup or dramatic lighting to emphasize the shot. Using Photoshop, you will be able to add makeup, repair flaws, and add some drama to this shot. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.

Model (iStockPhoto)
Background (iStockPhoto)

Step 1 – Selections

The first thing I want to do is remove the model from her background. Using Photoshop CS5 newly enhanced Refine Edge controls, this should be a snap. First make a selection using the Quick Select Tool. Be sure to have the "Auto-Enhance" feature checked in the Options Bar before you begin. This tool is brush based, so you can adjust the size as needed, but be sure to stay INSIDE your subject. Do not overlap the brush into the background or the next step will not be as effective.

Step 2 – Refine Edge

After you have completed the initial selection, click the Refine Edge button in your Options Bar (or right-click on your selection to pull up the menu). First, scroll through the View pull down menu at the top and choose a view that works for your shot (I chose the Black background). Then go to the Edge Detection portion of the dialog box and check "Smart Radius". Slide the Radius control about 1/2 way up the slide value and review your image (below is a before/after shot).

If necessary, you can also use the Refine Radius brush tool to overlay the edges of the hair to bring out even more detail. If you notice that the Refine Edge commands are eating away at parts of the model (shoulders, clothes, etc) click and hold down on the Refine Radius Brush to reveal an eraser tool (Erase Refinements Tool) that can erase the results. You can also lower the Radius slider value to pull back the details if needed.

After you have an adequate selection, go to the Output module and choose to have your image output to a New Layer with Layer Mask. This will preserve the original image and give you a new, masked layer to work with.

Step 3 – Retouching Skin Flaws

Now with the image on it’s own masked layer we can begin to retouch the skin and flaws in our model.

First off is any skin blemishes. Using the Spot Healing tool, we can quickly repair any acne, scars, dark spots, etc. from the skin. Use this tool ONLY for the blemishes as we will use other tools later on for other areas. This is an important first step as it will give us clean resources to utilize later on with the eyes, hot spots, etc.

Step 4 – Removing bags under eyes

Next, we will tackle the eyes. The eyes are one of the more difficult parts of the image, because the flaws are normally in very tight proximity to the lashes and other features that can affect our healing tools.

To get into these tight spaces, we will be using the Patch Tool (found under the Spot Tool button). Make a selection around the bottom of the eye and then drag the center of the completed selection into the cheek below the eye. Clean up any stray eyelashes using the Clone Stamp tool. We do want to remove the lashes on this model because they are so thin. If you feel your particular model has good eyelashes, feel free to leave them in. Above you can see the results on the right side.

Add a layer mask to the retouched layer. Erase under the eyes with a 30% opacity eraser to bring some contours back to the eyes. Be careful, erasing too much will remove all the retouching results.

Step 5

Now we need to tackle the eyebrows. The eyebrows on this model are thicker than we want, so I am going to reduce the thickness using a very simple (cheat) technique.

First, start by making a selection of the upper half of the eyebrow. Be sure to grab as much of the forehead as possible. This image is difficult with her bangs moving into our field of play.

Then copy the selection using New Layer Via Copy (Cmd + J Mac/Ctrl + J Win).

Next, move the eyebrow layer down covering up her original eyebrow until you get a rough thickness that works.

Clean up using the Eraser and Clone Stamp Tools, blending in the original eyebrow with the new overlap. Repeat these steps for the other eyebrow.

Step 6

If there are any hot spots on your model, use the Patch tool to surround these areas and drag into a clean area of similar skin texture. The result will not completely remove the highlight, but it will blend the area gradually into the rest of the skin.

Step 7

(If you did not have to remove eyelashes in your image, you can skip this step.) Adding eyelashes can be difficult unless you have an Ace in the hole. Mine is to utilize a set of Eyelash Brushes. These can easily be found by searching "Photoshop Eyelash Brushes" on the Internet. There are several to choose from (many free, some pay). Load your brushes using your Brush Preset Panel and going to the pull down to "Load Brushes".

Use the Brush Panel to control the angle and size of your brush. Be sure to paint on a NEW LAYER so you can control the opacity and color independently.

Step 8

Finally we are going to add some digital makeup. This is as simple as it can get. Create different layers for each area of makeup you apply (cheeks, eyes, lips, etc.) and add in color by painting at 100% opacity with a soft brush. This is going to look silly, but it will help us map out where the makeup is going. Be patient and don’t panic.

Now after a slight freak out, select each layer and change it’s blending mode from Normal to Multiply and reduce the opacity as needed. As you can see, the results are much improved from before:

Step 9

Finally we are going to adjust the hair and add some pop. Start by making a selection of the existing hair. Create a new blank layer and fill with a brown color. Again this is going to look odd before it gets better, but trust me it does get better.

Next change your layer blending mode from Normal to Overlay.

This is a little too intense, but we can drop it down if needed using opacity.

Step 10

Finally, Adjust the eyes using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. First, make a selection of one eye using the elliptical marquee tool. Then add the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Adjust the one eye to your liking. Then using your paintbrush tool (set to Black 100% opacity) paint in the other eye on the Adjustment Layer’s mask.

To finish the image, drop a backdrop behind your model and viola! A retouched model.

Final Image

Here is the final image. With just a few enhancements, you can take an ordinary shot to something that pops using these simple techniques. Enjoy!

See the Next Version of Photoshop Live

Grant Friedman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:03:32 PST

Recently, the Photoshop team has been publishing some sneak peeks of what they have been working on for the next version of Photoshop. Later this week, Photoshop Senior Product Manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes will be in New York City for a series of live sneak peek events. This will be a great opportunity to see for yourself what the Photoshop team is working on. I’ll be attending and would love to see you there if you’re in the area. The details for the event are below.

Thursday, February 9 Event Meetup

Hosted at the School of Visual Arts with special guest SVA alum and pro photographer – Sarah Silver. Bryan O’Neil Hughes, Ps Sr. Product Manager, will demo.

Saturday, February 11 Event Meetup

Hosted at pro photographer Sarah Silver’s NYC studio. Bryan O’Neil Hughes, Ps Sr. Product Manager, will demo.

Create a Chewing Gum Packaging Design in Photoshop – Tuts+ Premium Tutorial

Tim Kyde — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:00:31 PST

In this Tuts+ Premium tutorial, author Tim Kyde will explain how to create chewing gum packaging in Photoshop and Illustrator. We will begin by showing you how to create print-ready artwork and then how to render that artwork as a mockup that can be presented to clients. If you are looking to take your packaging and print design skills to the next level then Log in or Join Now to get started!

View the Tutorial

Tuts+ Premium Members can login now for instant access to this tutorial. Membership to Tuts+ Premium gets you access to hundreds of exclusive premium tutorials, top selling ebooks, in-depth courses, member forums, and much more. To learn more about Tuts+ Premium, Take the Tour or Join Today.

The Work of Tony Aubé

Grant Friedman — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:55 PST

When compositing photos in Photoshop, sometimes the story you tell can be just as important as how well you combine the images. Frequent Psdtuts author Tony Aubé is not only good at combining the images he uses, but he is also great at combining them in an emotional way. Let’s take a look!

Ever Belonging Seaheart

In this piece, it is clear that this ship is in trouble. Will the ship’s crew make it to land safely or will they be smashed against the rocks?

Maiden’s Prospect

This maiden is waiting for her prince. Will the suitor on this ship be the one?

David and Goliath

This climber has a tough, if not impossible journey ahead of him. Will he be successful at climbing the face of this mountain?

Awaiting Summer

In this apocalyptic piece, Tony explains how to combine several photos to create a panoramic image in Photoshop. Then he explains how to turn that image into a snowy apocalyptic wasteland.

Red Silk

In this piece, Tony explains how to create an Asian-inspired scene using several photos.

Toscane’s Skies

This composite shows a person enjoying what looks to be a beautiful day, atop a large hill or mountain. In this piece, you get the impression that this person is reflecting upon a major life event. You can see the steps Tony took here.

Returning Home

This rider is almost finished making the long journey home to his castle.

Hitoban Musumegokoro

In this piece, Tony depicts a sleepy Asian-inspired town using several stock images. This image is also available as a tutorial.

Quick Tip: Create a “Transfarmers” Text Effect Using Layer Styles in Photoshop

Erasmo D'Onorio De Meo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:00:58 PST

In today’s quick tip tutorial we will demonstrate how to create a cinematic “Transfarmers” Text Effect using the layer styles. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.

Step 1

Make a new .PSD document, 1000 x 500 pixels, RGB color, 100 dpi and grey background (color #33333). Create a new layer and fill it with brushed metal pattern from tutorial assets section (any metal texture will do though). Now using the Blending Options, fill this layer with a Light Blue color and set the blending options to “Overlay”. Finally if you want you can add a gradient that include several white and grey tones, with a bright area in order to create a better effect for the background.

Step 2

Now create the text using this font: Transformers Solid. Use these settings: 70 pt – Anti-Alias: Sharp. Now rename this text: “3D”. Then go in the menu Layer > Layer Styles > Blending Options and use these settings:

Step 3

Duplicate the text and rename it “Base”. Right click on his layer and click to “Clear Layer Style” or in the Styles Palette click on the first style “Default style (None)” (It’s the same thing). Now move this text slightly to the right in order to create a “pseudo 3D effect” with the text below (Look the Step image). Then go in the menu Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options and use these settings:

Step 4

Duplicate the text “Base”. Right click on his layer and click to “Clear Layer Style”. In the Blending Options menu on the right set the fill to 0%. Now and use these settings in the menu Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options:

Step 5

Your text effect is almost completed. Now we have to create a text reflection. Insert all 3 levels of the text effect in a group. Duplicate this group. Right click on it and click to “Convert To Smart Object”. Right click on it again and click to “Rasterize Layer”. Then go in menu Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical. Now move it as the image shown and then with the Eraser Tool delete as long as you want in order to create a realistic reflection. Finally to make the text effect nicer I added some sparks with simple brushes and color lights with soft brushes.

Conclusion

Now your text effect is completed!

Create a Sci-fi Scene Using Advanced Shading Techniques in Photoshop – Tuts+ Premium Tutorial

Wojciech Pijecki — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:00:38 PST

Applying the right atmosphere and lighting to your artwork can be a tricky task. In this Tuts+ Premium tutorial, author Wojciech Pijecki will explain how to create a mechanically enhanced subject, in a sci-fi environment, using advanced shading techniques in Photoshop.

This tutorial is available exclusively to Tuts+ Premium Members. If you are looking to take your photo manipulation and retouching skills to the next level then take the tour to find out more!