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20
CGI TIPS

RT
AGE

A
E THIS IM

E
CREAT

SPAC depth , ligh

Enhanceure to build a
ting

and textD scene

unique 3
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

STEAMBOT
STUDIOS
Meet the creative team
behind Prometheus and
TRON: Legacy concepts
MIXED MEDIA

DESIGN
COMMERCIAL
PACKAGING
Combine digital-illustration
techniques to create
an album cover

HOW TO: DIGITAL PAINTING

• Paint a Skyrim scene VIDEOGAME CONCEPT ART
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• Retouch with brushes latest tools they use to master game art ISSUE 106
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 ISSUE 106 CONTENTS

ISSUE 106
WELCOME
Welcome to the latest
issue of Advanced
Photoshop. This month
we unravel the world of
commercial design, as the
creative teams behind the
biggest videogame and
film titles reveal their tips.
ANNALISA SAYWELL We talk to Steambot Studios on how it bolstered its
Deputy Editor commercial standing when working on concepts for
blockbusters Prometheus and TRON: Legacy. This is
followed by 20 CGI tips and a game concept art

32 MASTER GAME
IN THIS ISSUE:
PHOTOMANIPULATION feature, where we explore the part Photoshop FEATURE:
PHOTO EDITING currently plays in creating industry-standard imagery.
GRAPHICS
NEW MEDIA If this inspires you, why not follow our step-by-step
DIGITAL PAINTING
TYPOGRAPHY tutorial for creating videogame concept art? You can CONCEPT ART
also re-create our stunning space scene cover image, We discuss the latest tools and technology being
used to create stunning effects
using only stock assets and Photoshop features.
If all this wasn’t enough, we also show you how to
design commercial packaging using mixed-media
techniques; easily replicate isometric type exclusively
COVER ARTIST
in Photoshop and work with dynamic lighting to build
SEBASTIEN HUE a photoreal surreal image.
www.shue-digital.com On the free disc this issue you’ll also find a great
Sebastien is a self-taught
collection of creative resources to try, so head to page
artist who is an expert at
creating sci-fi images and 96 to find out more. See you next month!
matte paintings. This issue
he guides you through
re-creating this epic space
scene from scratch.

FIND US ONLINE:
@advancedpshop /AdvancedPhotoshop
62 PHOTO RETOUCH 8
HOW I MADE:

.co.uk Photo retouching can truly be a thing of

beauty. Learn to create digital miracles

003
 Contents issue 106

Issue 106
contents
Eye on Design
What’s hot, who’s in and the
latest art & design happenings

06 pro panel:
Our contributors share Photoshop secrets

08 portfolio interview:
Urban explorer

16 project focus:
Automotive advertising

18 studio interview:
Steambot Studios 38 Build videogame concept art

24 20 CGI TIPS 18 STUDIO INTERVIEW

74 Master isometric type

004
 ISSUE 106 CONTENTS

TECHNIQUES REVIEWS
Professional artists reveal their high-end skills in our easy-to- We put the latest creative kit,
follow workshops books and apps to the test

24 FEATURE
20 CGI tips 62 HOW I MADE
Photo retouch 8 80 FEATURE:
Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition

32 FEATURE
Master game concept art 66 WORKSHOP
Dynamic lighting 84 REVIEWS:
Samsung Galaxy camera, Massive Black:

72
Volume Two
38 WORKSHOP
Build videogame concept art
HOW I MADE
Agent Escape

44 WORKSHOP
Create space art 74 WORKSHOP
Build isometric type

50 WORKSHOP
Astro landscapes 88 READER INTERVIEW
Engaging commercial art

54 HOW I MADE
Rise 92 RESOURCE PROJECT
Work with wooden textures

56 WORKSHOP
Design commercial packaging

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96 ON YOUR DISC
Free with issue 106 of
Advanced Photoshop
EXCLUSIVE CREATIVE
VIDEO TUTORIALS
Learn how to convincingly transform
flat NASA images into a 3D globe and
create multiple lighting effects in CS6.

66 DYNAMIC LIGHTING 44 SPACE ART

92 WORK WITH WOODEN
TEXTURES SPECIAL RESOURCE PACK
Raylight brushes from FanExtra, Stockvault
textures and an alphii font worth $30.

PLUS:
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 eye on design pro panel

eye on design

pro panel
Our contributors explain how they created
these stunning effects using specific tools
mikko lagerstedt kode abdo
www.mikkolagerstedt.com www.dabosslogic.com
Work with Camera Raw and Photoshop to effectively combine two or more photos in a Think simple when compositing
composite piece. All you need to do is open an image in RAW format, edit it, then export your image, but still pay attention to
this into Photoshop as a Smart Object by holding Shift and selecting Open Object. You can detail. This is a skill you will learn
easily go back and re-edit the image’s temperature, contrast and exposure in the Camera Raw interface. over time and will mean your images are less likely
■ Mikko’s Astro Landscape tutorial can be found on page 50 to be cluttered with useless objects. You can then
replace these with particular niceties that take your
© Mikko Lagerstedt
images to the next level. You’ll also have more time
to add and blend subtle lights and colour tones.
■ Kode’s Dynamic Lighting tutorial is on page 66

© Bosslogic

Motion Blur and Field Blur create motion and depth, bringing your
Double-click your Smart Object to revisit Camera Raw at any time image to life

reid southen
http://rahll.carbonmade.com
Chromatic aberration effects are a
great way of adding subtle
realism. These are tiny colour
fringes you often see in photos. Replicate this effect
by copying and merging your finished image, then
pasting it into a new layer. Select the Lens Correction
filter and move the Red/Cyan and Green/Magenta
sliders to the same numbers, but in opposite
directions (negative/plus), until you’re happy.
■ Turn to page 54 for Reid’s How I Made image Remember, less is more. This effect should be barely noticeable

006

SKURKTUR
www.skurktur.com
This poster illustration
was produced for the
band Flashback Caruso.
After drawing the line work in pen and ink, we
painted the background and other textured elements
using watercolour paint and various liquid media. We
then brought the image into Photoshop, setting the
depth and tonality by combining adjustment layers,
such as Hue/Saturation. We also combined different
layer blending modes.
■ Skurktur’s Commercial Packaging tutorial
starts on page 56
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The magazine for Adobe® Photoshop® professionals
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using a pen tablet. I used a standard Chalk brush with Other Dynamics (Transfer in CS5/ Circulation
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007
 eye on design portfolio Interview

portfolio interview

urban
explorer
Gustavo Brigante reveals the
www.eenia.com secrets of his vast portfolio

G
raphic design for Gustavo Brigante is a
constant process of evolution. He boasts a
portfolio with an array of personal and
commercial offerings that fuse different
styles to keep his work ever on the edge. He has
forged a solid career as a freelance designer and
illustrator to answer both the demands of his clients
and his own tough learning goals.
“My non-commercial work is done purely because
I love what I do and because I’ve had some idea or
seen something that [had a strong] impact on me,”
Brigante comments. “As for commercial work, I use
inspiration from different sources – but it’s not a
completely cold thing. I put in a lot of effort, try to
develop [and] when the client is open enough to let
me create freely, I try to surprise them… [I want to]
give them not only a great solution for their needs,
but also show that I care [and want] to give them the
best I can using everything I think necessary.”
Keeping work fresh and experimental is
important to Brigante. It’s about taking his work into
another realm, fusing the variety of his experiences
and inspirations to create something new. His
evolved lighting techniques are particularly key to his
portfolio’s success, as he explains: “The people who
follow my work feel very enthusiastic about it… This
mix was derived from several explorations and
learning around its usage for different effects.” Here
we talk to Brigante to find out how he’s built such a
remarkable portfolio and what experiences have
inspired him along the way.
What has been the driving force behind
your ever-evolving work?
My portfolio has always been sort of a pusher for me
– as in looking at it and realising I was either doing
something plain wrong; repeating myself on
something (even repeating something that could be
useful); or mixing two styles/techniques of different
works to go somewhere else with them. I guess all
of these factors lead to you improving in a dynamic
way, without trying to lose the essence of what
originally inspires you…
How do you balance commercial and
personal work in your portfolio?
I sometimes have both types of work going on
simultaneously. Mostly when I end up working on
big projects for clients, I’ll sit back and take time to
work on a personal project, with commercial being

001
001 20 tips from KDU
artists: Created
especially for the
KDU tips special,
regarding lighting
tips for combining
3D work into an
image. Brigante
also modelled
some little robot
cats for this piece
© Gustavo
Brigante, APM

002
Fotolia TEN
Second Season:
Brigante was
selected by Fotolia
to represent his
country for Fotolia
TEN, an educative
project that
enables students
to get the PSD of
the piece for free
for two days,
paying a minimum
cost to download it
after that © Fotolia

008
002

009
 eye on design portfolio Interview

003

010
040
 portfolio interview eye on design

the last thing on my mind. This fuels my desire to
keep working in this profession. Personal projects
are important. In Argentina, some studios don’t give
employees enough time to work on anything
personal – that’s why I have freelanced most of the
last 11 years.
What have been the greatest
found people like YouWorkForThem, which was also
a great influence – their work was so amazing it
made me want to know more about design. As
illustration goes, I think Alex Fuentes from Los
Fokos has such inspiring and varied work that it
made me want to improve my illustration skills a lot.
He creates amazing work, so you should check it
out: http://losfokos.com.
portfolio tips
Gustavo Brigante offers his advice to those
looking to build up their body of work
work hard and work a lot
If you don’t have client work, learn. Read a lot, read about
design and also read about general culture and history –
anything that can enrich your work through stories,
photography and experiences.

influences on your progression? don’t rush it

I simply wouldn’t be a designer at all if it wasn’t for
The Designers Republic™. Having been part of their
Neo.DR forum helped me to gain the courage to quit
my job and dedicate myself to this profession
full-time. I wasn’t even thinking I could be a designer
back then, so I’m eternally thankful and they’re a
huge influence for me. Over time I crossed over to
other forums like YayHooray and Robotface, where I
How would you describe the style of
your work?
As a child, my friends and I were sort of urban
explorers. We liked to roll around the city and jump
on abandoned places, like old subway baths,
cemeteries and all kinds of stuff – mostly because
we were bored. Some of my friends were skaters or
did some sort of urban sport and I was a BMX-type
Don’t make things fast to build a portfolio in a rush. You’re
better off making less, putting all your work and effort into it
and making it great, rather than demonstrating you can churn
out work quickly. It might work in the short term but I don’t
think it’s the best way to build a portfolio.
explore your style
[I’m more interested] in seeing someone doing their own
explorations and developing around them than seeing copies
of works. Exploring yourself creates immunity to fast trends
since you can evolve from your own work to a different level,
regardless of the situation.

003
Alien Movie
Poster: What
004
happens when you
get a freelancer
from another
planet designing a
poster? Well, this is
a pretty good idea
© Gustavo
Brigante, ET

004
TV Party:
Composition and
retouching work for
Chilean model
Camila (Musa de
Lirio) that she used
for her portfolio. It
was featured in
several Chilean
publications,
newspapers as well
as websites
© Musa de Lirio

006

011
 eye on design portfolio Interview
guy. Also, because I spent all of my teens absorbing
influences from music, literature and movies, I guess
it all adds up and shows, whether consciously or not.
I never really find myself thinking what I’m doing is
necessarily urban, although I do like the term being
associated with my work.
I don’t know if I can describe my style. I guess I’m
too afraid of claiming something I won’t maintain in
time, so I could describe it as an evolutionary style. I
adopt influences from daily life and external sources,
while trying to maintain an underlying sense of
cohesion around the main influences that made me
start in the first place…
012
Your Projects combine many formats,
Can you explain your methods?
A few years back, while working at a studio, I met
some good friends who convinced me that I needed
to add 3D to my skillset. Most of them pointed me to
CINEMA 4D, so for the first time in my life I left my
fears towards 3D at the side and spent two or three
days figuring out how to work with it. I had daily
support from Matias Furno, Santiago Crescimone,
Rodier Kidmann, Agustín Ramos, Cesar Pelizer,
Eugenio Costa and Matias Masciotra, who had to put
up with me and answer 20 questions a day. They
deserve to be named! At that time I started to mix 3D
with Photoshop and After Effects work, because we
were mainly making commercials for TV.
How do you achieve the vibrant
lighting in your designs?
Light is a recurrent obsession I have. I don’t think
that’s necessarily bad for this profession, since there
are a lot of ways to show it. It radically affects the
result of any given work, particularly when there
needs to be contrast between things, in order to add
atmosphere. While it’s different creating lighting for a
two-tone logo than for a Photoshop composition
mixed with 3D, the basics are the same. Of course,
E9V9: This is a personal piece
Brigante created based on a
dream he had: flying over the
sea and reaching an island
with a giant mechanical
structure in the distance
© Gustavo Brigante
 portfolio interview eye on design

Adidas: Be Original: This is

a piece Brigante made with
Richard Drab for the ‘Adidas:
Be Original’ advertising
campaign in Argentina
© Adidas, RDYA

013
 eye on design portfolio Interview

with a composition you have to keep in mind so

The terror that the Pen tool inspired in many other aspects in order for it not too look

me at first was enormous; I thought it weird… If you add light and/or shadows to one tree
but not the one next to it, the effect won’t work [in the
was some sort of wild horse I would never same way] for the global composition.

be able to tame How have Photoshop tools helped

evolve your lighting effects?
Techniques that utilise layer modes, combined with
specific colours that can influence the overall lighting,
have been the most useful to me. For instance, when
applying a warm light we would use a bright yellow/
orange and then set it to Soft Light blending mode.
We could then adjust the intensity of it with the
pressure of the pen while painting the light and
adjusting the overall opacity of the layer…
To achieve a more empowering light, we could
instead use a blending mode like Screen. This strong
light would cause the objects beneath to become
much brighter as a result. However, we always keep
in mind that light has variations across its course, so
making it absolutely flat on all parts of the image
would make it look suspicious. Bear in mind which
objects in the scene will cut the pass of that light, so
you can set those obscure regions accordingly for a
more indirect light – perhaps on a separate layer and
with a different blending mode.

What has been your greatest learning

curve over your career?
I’ve been learning Photoshop for around 13 years
now and I must say I keep learning techniques and
tips all the time. It’s nearly impossible to learn
everything you can do with it, so it really keeps you
discovering new things all the time. Reading tutorials
is a good way to ensure you don’t become outdated.
A big learning curve for me was with the Pen tool,
first in Illustrator. For Photoshop it’s basically the
same, but the terror that the Pen tool inspired in me
at first was enormous; I thought it was some sort of
wild horse I would never be able to tame. However,
with patience and time I ended up being a huge fan
of it and I use it for a load of things. I have no idea
how I’d work without it now and it’s really a must for
anyone who wants to do this professionally.

How has Photoshop been integral in

Bladerunner Pris: Image for Travis
Liley and model Kaia Bellanca,
where she modelled as a modern
version of Bladerunner’s Pris.
Brigante did all the post work after
the initial shoot
© Travis Liley, Kaia Bellanca
enhancing your work?
Photoshop is integral because of the cohesion it
provides between all the other software I use when
finishing my work… Sometimes I do work that is
exclusively made in Photoshop and nothing else…
With Photoshop, you can retouch a photo of a model
very superficially or create a whole composition for
them. Over the same photo you can illustrate, paint
and create abstract work, a photomontage, or
basically whatever you want. So if someone is
learning to use the program and thinks it’s hard,
they’re right, but the results over time are so
satisfactory that I recommend taking the time for it.

014
040
 EYE ON DESIGN AUTOMOTIVE ADVERTISING
PROJECT FOCUS
AUTOMOTIVE
ADVERTISING
WE TALK TO NIKLAS LUNDBERG ABOUT CREATING ART THAT
SELLS BOTH A CAR AND THE EXCITEMENT OF THE RACE TRACK
© Niklas Lundberg
ABOUT THE ARTIST
NIKLAS LUNDBERG
www.diftype.com
Diype was established in 2006 as
the creative playground of Niklas
Lundberg. Born and raised in
Umeå, Sweden, he specialises in
design and illustration and has
worked with a wide range of
international clients such as
Nissan, Infiniti, Red Bull Racing and
the Grammys, to name but a few.
His work has been featured
around the world in various books
and publications including IdN.
NAME OF PROJECT
INFINITI & RED BULL
RACING – F1
@diftype
There is a lot more to the
composition in this image
than pure photomanipulation
work, but I did some retouching
of the car that the client sent
016
C
ars are everywhere in advertising, from
television commercials to billboards and
magazine spreads. As such, coming up with
a unique way to sell an automotive concept
can be no mean feat. Nevertheless, that was the
challenge Swedish artist Niklas Lundberg faced
when he was approached to create commercial art
selling both the Japanese Grand Prix and the Infiniti
M30d S Premium model.
This project presented a unique challenge in that it
had to sell the Infiniti car while incorporating
elements of the Grand Prix. To represent both the
sleek desirability of car design alongside the
technical precision required on the race track,
Lundberg depicted the vehicle sitting underneath its
engine parts. The gears are large and vibrant, with
the elements surrounding their chunky design that
evoke movement and power. The overall sense of
composition sells the idea of the car as both a fierce
and attractive machine, all the while bringing to mind
the sensation of slamming around hairpins and
speeding down long straights. This embodies the
thrill of the Japanese Grand Prix and Suzuka track.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE BRIEF
YOU WERE GIVEN? WHAT VISUAL CUES DID
YOUR CLIENT WANT YOU TO ACHIEVE?
This project was pretty interesting because the client
chose six artists to work on 20 illustrations. They
spread them out between us… I created a total of five
illustrations for the Australian Grand Prix, European
Grand Prix, Belgian Grand Prix, Japanese Grand Prix
and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The client had already
made sketches, so it was just a matter of taking it
one step further. The whole concept was about the
features and performance of the Infiniti M3Od S
Premium, so it was a matter of
visualising it in a more-interesting
and colourful way. A car was
selected based on how well its
standard features matched the
demands of each track. As an
extra touch, and to emphasise the
global reach of the campaign, the
colour scheme for each poster
was based on that of each host
country’s national flag.
WHICH CONCEPTS OR IDEAS WOULD YOU SAY
ARE IMPORTANT TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN
CREATING WORK FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE
ADVERTISEMENT SUCH AS THIS?
It depends on the project, but in this case when
working with shapes that interact with the car, you
have to be careful because you don’t want to add too
much clutter… The connection between the diagram
and the artwork was very important to the client, so
it was essential that it had a nice flow and that you
could feel the interaction between them.
CAN YOU DISCUSS THE STEPS YOU WENT
THROUGH TO GET FROM A BLANK PAGE TO
THE FINISHED IMAGE?
Using the client’s sketches as reference, I started
with the car on a blank canvas. I roughly created the
composition above it and played around with
different elements corresponding to the client’s brief,
to emphasise the specific features of the car.
Everything had to weld together seamlessly,
including stock photos, numbers and data. Some
diagrams had to be made up but some were actual
diagrams provided by the client, tweaked and
reworked to blend with all the other elements. I
remember the tricky part was to make the transition
and flow from the diagram through to the elements
above the car. Details such as shards and data were
then added at the very end to tie it all together.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT USING PHOTOSHOP
TO MAKE THE GEARS LOOK SO DYNAMIC?
WAS YOUR CHOICE OF TONE IMPORTANT?
I used different painting techniques on top of stock
images. As the [main tones being used] were red and
white (those of the Japanese flag) it was a tricky to
give [the piece] nice shading, as red is such a strong
colour and the client wanted it [to be] extremely
saturated. [The] way around this [was] creating a
Hue/Saturation layer as coloured on top of the
Brightness/Contrast and Curves (depending on
which one you prefer to work with). [This made] the
saturation stay the same and not burn out. I
managed to weld together about five different stocks
of transmission gears and then cut out small parts of
them, creating an effect as if they were almost
finished, being built from top to bottom.

Lundberg used stock images of gears, but applied visual
001 tricks like cutting away some of their parts to create a
dynamic sense of composition. The gears appear to be built
from the top down by the shards emanating from the car.
All images © Niklas Lundberg
Which Photoshop tools did you find
particularly useful when applying
your edits?
Brightness/Contrast, Curves, Hue/Saturation and
the Brush tool. After laying out the composition it’s
just a matter of painting the lighting. I use a Wacom
when painting highlights, midtones and shadows (I
use it for everything else too. I can’t remember the
last time I used a mouse for anything). Personally I
am a fan of using Brightness/Contrast paint in the
mask layer to produce these settings, but they can
also be achieved using a coloured brush and playing
around with different blending modes, such as
Screen and Overlay.
Automotive advertising eye on design
Lundberg says one of the project’s biggest challenges was
002 working in the tight space above the car. His work had to fit
with the client’s layout and placement, as well as take into
account the positioning of the typography.
Which photomanipulation methods did
you find key for the project?
There is a lot more to the composition in this image
than pure photomanipulation work, but I did some
retouching of the car that the client sent me, as well
as some of the stock images that I used. I cut them
out using the Pen tool, cleaned them up with the
Clone tool and made sure they looked clean enough
as a base. From there I started to paint the lighting
on them individually before putting them together.
After I was satisfied with their placement, I added
shadows between them using clipping masks. I
prefer to use clipping masks on all my layers,
especially when painting on top of them.
For Lundberg, composition is key when creating a good
003 image. It’s certainly what makes this illustration work, with
the different shapes of the gears and tiny details, such as
the data within their spokes, making the image jump out.
Initial composition
Refining ideas
Retouching and adding details
What tips or tricks would you offer to
other artists looking to create a
similar effect?
[When approaching a project like this] you need to be
comfortable with creating interesting and balanced
compositions. Lighting, as I mentioned previously, is
very essential when it comes to the final [outcome],
but without an interesting composition it doesn’t add
much. I work a lot with [Photoshop’s] grid and find it’s
absolutely necessary in order to achieve good
balance. However, you need to make sure your result
still looks natural, so a good tip would be to
sometimes turn the grid off and just go with your
[artistic] senses.
017
 STUDIO INTERVIEW EYE ON DESIGN

STUDIO INTERVIEW

STEAMBOT STUDIOS
S
WE EXPLORE HOW THIS STUDIO HAS STRENGTHENED ITS COMMERCIAL
STANDING, THROUGH TEAM DYNAMICS AND SOFTWARE APPLICATION
teambot Studios started with just two ABOUT THE STUDIO
members no more than six years ago. “[At STEAMBOT STUDIOS
first there was] just Thierry ‘Barontieri’ www.steambotstudios.com
Doizon and myself,” explains co-founder Steambot is a visual-development
David ‘Vyle’ Levy. The pair went through industrial studio creating world-class content
for international clients in the film,
design school together in France ten years before videogame, advertising and
their collaborative venture. From the very beginning publishing industries
Left to right: David Levy, CEO global; Joël Dos Reis Viegas, visual director; Sébastien Larroudé,
the pair formed a clear ethos for the studio that they @steambotstudios Montréal studio manager
have strived to maintain. “The idea was to gather
artists under a common cause and protect us from
The Man,” he reveals. “We effectively took our future
into our own hands.”
The pair had grown a reputation online within the
digital-design community, but only as individuals, so
both struggled to make any significant impact
professionally. However, they soon realised the value
of strength in numbers, as Levy reveals: “Having a
collective identity was the way to promote ourselves
and have more clout than a single artist, who is at
Storm Approaching: This concept image shows a rendering of
the mercy of questionable management.” an imminent storm. This is one of the many highly dramatic
scenes in the film Prometheus © 20th Century Fox
From very humble beginnings, with absolutely no
capital, Steambot Studios began planning its first
intellectual property, Exodyssey. “With only a rough
sketchbook at hand, the idea was discussed at a
local cafe,” Levy tells us. Here they invented a core
commercial idea that would gravitate more and
more artistic talent to their cause. The team has
expanded beyond recognition since then, to include
talented individuals such as visual director Joël
‘Feerik’ Dos Reis Viegas and Montréal studio
manager Sébastien ‘rainart’ Larroudé.
Rectifier top view: A typical image of TRON: Legacy. It’s
Larroudé joined the team with his keen eye for very minimal and elegant. The Rectifier was the digital
part of the project, but we oversaw the construction of
photography, meaning compositing became a big the nightclub with its Daft Punk area too © Disney Studios
part of Steambot’s style. “For us, Exodyssey became
an obsession, a place where we could all gather meant departures, but Levy himself adopted the role Despite the studio’s offices being dispersed over
round and discuss our daily frustrations, our angers, of CEO, due to his experience as an art director in several locations, the team still manages to pull
but more importantly our visions,” he says. “It also videogames. “I now take care of managing the links together to work effectively as a unit. Each individual
became an experimental place for us to develop our between accounting and contracts and do a lot of the brings something different to the table to maintain
own characters and personalities through very customer connections from Los Angeles, where I the quality that clients expect. Larroudé puts this into
passionate, often fiery discussions.” live and work,” he explains. clearer perspective: “David (Levy) comes from an
The team continued to overcome obstacles and Dos Reis Viegas, with his raw talent and punchy industrial-design education, Joël (Dos Reis Viegas)
creative individuals joined who could help conquer vision, became the energy behind Steambot Studios’ has a background in 2D animation and mine is in
production dilemmas. “Coming from the animation image and is now its visual director. Larroudé photography, with a range in architecture.” Each
business, Joël (Dos Reis Viegas) was adopted pretty oversees all projects and clients in Canada and is member has adapted to new design areas, such as
much the same day we met him,” Levy says. “He producing the studio’s future line of products. “Our animation, compositing and concept art. “We
became a real driving force behind our projects too.” producer in Austin, Texas, Kristy Tipton, manages understood very quickly that all our experiences
After these initial experimental years, the dynamic our shop and seminars along with her husband John pooled together would multiply our creative force,”
within the team changed, responsibilities were Tipton,” explains Levy. “We’ve also just hired a he adds. “It must be noted that I really enjoy the work
adopted and a major turning point was drawing near website manager and a graphic designer. We mostly of my partners and friends and this enjoyment is
for the studio. This is when Levy feels Steambot connect with one another online, as we are for the reciprocated. We have a lot of respect for one
Studios transformed into a true company. Sadly, that most part separate by locality.” another’s work.”

019
 eye on design studio interview

top five production tips

A positive attitude is important, Steambot Studios’ ways to interact in a team
especially in a team, because you and improve as an individual

will evolve faster… It’s unbelievable how ■ Tip 1

Don’t hesitate to ask someone how to approach a specific

many things we’ve learnt by being problem when you hit the wall. It’s all about a fresh pair of
eyes, so whether the advice is good or bad, at least you have
something to start working with.
eager and hungry to succeed
Sébastien Larroudé, Montréal studio manager,
■ tip 2
Listen carefully. Very often we see young artists jump at a
Steambot Studios design without even trying to understand the problem given
by the art director. Understanding a problem is half the battle.

■ tip 3
Change your tools regularly. When you constantly use the
same tools, your designs have a tendency to always look the
same. Modifying your tools will help you evolve.

■ tip 4
Stay healthy, because you’ll likely be sitting for most of your
professional life. That’s why David does Yoga, Sébastien
climbs and Joël dances hip hop. It’s what keeps us going.

■ tip 5
It never becomes easy. As an artist, by definition, you should
constantly progress, which means you will never be fully
happy about your work. Challenges and difficulties enable
you to stay sharp, so embrace them.

Steambot Studios still believes that the success of

Being spread over several locations in North
America, the studio can appreciate the benefits
of good communication more than most
Adam’s apartment: This image depicts Adam’s apartment from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This is one of the team’s favourite images because
it shows a great understanding of mood and lighting, plus it includes elements of architecture, pattern and design © Eidos – SquareEnix
Exodyssey resonates with its audience and that its
vision of science fiction is a massive selling point.
This has seen it work on some serious sci-fi
blockbuster projects in recent years. “We are
passionate about technology and design,” admits
Dos Reis Viegas. “We’ve tried to cultivate certain
influences throughout everything we do, sci-fi
oriented or not, year after year. That’s why all our
products and projects have the same creative values,
which eventually led us to work on the TRON: Legacy
and Prometheus movies.”
Larroudé believes that where others rely on heavy
marketing campaigns, Steambot Studios is noted for
the quality of its product. “We are a little team by
choice, selective and unique,” he says. “We don’t
charm people through marketing. Our work speaks
for [itself] and for us… However, marketing can be
good in very small doses. Clients who want to work
with us [will] contact us. We stay focused on what we
do best, we follow our own rules.”
Steambot Studios has also learnt to choose its
clients wisely. “I know this sounds backwards for a
service company, but in the beginning we would
often take on any project, whatever it was, however
fishy it sounded,” explains Levy. “We were so hungry
that anything made us happy. Sadly we had… clients
who were anything but honest. It taught us to defend

020
040
 studio interview eye on design

ourselves legally against delayed or non-payment,

by hiring a great entertainment lawyer.”
prometheus: the science lab scene by
The team also began refusing to work with any david levy
company asking for test images, which they feel is A perfect example of a basic concept-art workflow created in Photoshop
often a poorly veiled attempt at obtaining free
concept art. “These negative experiences helped us
learn the value of our own talent,” reveals Levy.
“[They enabled] us to develop a healthy sense of
self-esteem. As I moved to the US I also began to
work with a financial advisor, who gave us regular
advice on how we should run our company.
Thankfully, as our reputation and portfolio grew, we
began to attract more professional companies and
fewer crooks.”
For all its commercial success, Steambot Studios
also appreciates where it has come from and still
has a strong affinity with art communities. Dos Reis
Viegas explains: “Sharing is really important for us,
that’s why we’ve created Steampainting (www.
steambotstudios.com/brands/steampainting), a
complete collection of creative tools for artists, such
as brushes, tutorials, gradients and more. We do our
start image
upmost to supply the best resources and improve
the work of others. It keeps us connected to many 3d base
art communities.” Nowadays most of the data we receive as artists is in architectural blueprints or 3D formats. Here I created
The root of the industry Steambot operates in is the layout in 3ds Max. As I had already built the analysis table it became a question of choosing the correct
painting. “[It’s] for that very reason that we became angle with a good perspective.
Photoshop experts,” reveals Levy. “We all have the
inspiring atmosphere
Photoshop Creative Suite installed, including After
I start laying fog using to a 50%
Effects and Premiere for 2D work. Also, we each
Opacity layer and applying a cloud
have our own preferred tools for 3D application. I
brush. Other necessary elements
personally love to work with 3ds Max, coming from
develop naturally. At the same
the games industry, but because of its steep price
time I remind myself to work with
most of us have switched to modo, which over the
clean, separate layers, making
last few years is becoming a standard in concept art.”
sure I’m not painting myself into a
In reality the team has quite a strange way of
corner later.
navigating between software. “It’s extremely
experimental and rarely straightforward,” admits masterful perspective
Levy. “Our techniques change all the time and our Whatever level of artist you are,
process is always evolving and adapting to an ignoring perspective is usually a
industry [dependent on] Photoshop.” Dos Reis Viegas recipe for disaster. I always keep
reveals: “We usually start images with a custom sky my perspective grid handy as the
gradient that we develop ourselves. This directs the top layer, regularly verifying the
mood in an image from the very start. Then we mix exactitude of the whole image. It
custom brushes and 3D objects to create original also helps me design by finding a
shapes, adding depth at the same time. Working rhythm in the composition.
with selections allows us to precisely fill or paint.”
Larroudé also endorses brushes, selections and © 20th Century Fox
adjustment options. “The use of these tools is logical
to me because before becoming a concept artist I
practised compositing art. I can paint in a classical
way, but I take a lot of pleasure generating [work]
through digital experimentation.”
Steambot’s final advice is to be curious, open and
unafraid to share ideas. “A positive attitude is
important, especially in a team, because you will
evolve faster,” says Larroudé. “It’s unbelievable how
many things we’ve learnt by being eager and hungry
to succeed. Personality is the most-important thing
final image
for our own and any other creative studio.” ■

021
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 TECHNIQUES 20 CGI TIPS

20
USE 3D AND 2D TO PRODUCE
LIFELIKE RESULTS
TREVOR CRANDALL
WWW.TREVORCRANDALL.COM
When designing creature concepts and illustrations,
I’ve found that combining the strengths of 3D and 2D
together is a very efficient and flexible means to
achieving great renders.

CGI TIPS
THE BASE RENDER
I used ZBrush to create a simple render of the
model, with some basic materials and textures
applied. I also made a variety of render passes in
ZBrush to experiment with, including textures,

WE SPOKE TO TOP 3D ARTISTS TO FIND OUT lighting and materials that are taken into Photoshop.

HOW THEY USE PHOTOSHOP TO GET THE

MOST FROM THEIR IMAGES

USE COLOUR TO ADD CONTRAST TO OBJECTS

ARSENIY KORABLEV
HTTP://ARSDRAW.CGSOCIETY.ORG
If you have a complex scene it can
be hard to see all the detail. One BUILD IN PHOTOSHOP
way to help isolate subjects is to In Photoshop, I start getting the lighting and
change the colours of objects to materials in place. Next, I bring in photos and
help create contrast. Select an textures to overlay the model. I also use photos
area and carefully draw with a more directly, actually adding visual elements like
soft round brush in Soft Light or the sand and rock to the image.
Overlay mode. Next, invert the
selection and draw a slightly
different tone. The main thing is
not to overdo it, the number of
colours in the work must not
decrease and the saturation
shouldn’t go too high. After this
phase, the work should look
more artistic with lots of colours.
You can also draw attention
using light. If you need to set an © Trevor Crandall
object as a light source, draw over
ADD ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
it in Linear Dodge (Add). If it’s to
Once the fundamental details are all applied, it’s time
illuminate other objects, use
to edit the contrast and colours to ensure that all the
Color Dodge. I use the latter to
© Arseniy Korablev elements sit well with one another. For this I use
highlight important objects.
Curves and Levels adjustment layers.

024
 20 CGI TIPS TECHNIQUES

SIMPLIFY YOUR WORKFLOW

WILLEMPAUL VAN OVERBRUGGEN
HTTP://SLID3.TUMBLR.COM
3D software has improved dramatically over the years, with more
features enabling artists to take complete control of their images.
However, time continues to be a bit of a bugbear for 3D software.
Achieving quality requires a lot of extra information to be applied to the
image, which in turn makes for a large file and a high rendering time.
Using Photoshop for final details is a good habit to get into. It will
save you loads of time, enable more freedom for quickly testing effects
and will still give you a phenomenal result. Take this example:
Photoshop enabled me to apply three different effects in very little time.
For starters, the base model received extra shading and definition
simply by blending it with a Multiply mode. The Lens Blur filter was
used with a ZBrush pass to add depth of field around the edge of the
tentacles. The smoke of the gun was where the most time was saved. A
smoke element was applied and then the Smudge tool was used with a
mask to make it look realistic. If this had been created in 3D, it would
have meant complex particle work.

© Willem-Paul van Overbruggen

APPLY A MATTE-PAINTING STYLE
MATTHEW ATTARD
HTTP://PRITEEBOY.DEVIANTART.COM
I used Vue to quickly fill out a city and form my
BEFORE
primary base image. Photographs of real buildings
were added to the rendered scene afterwards in
Photoshop, for a better sense of realism. Digital
painting was used in a lot of areas to fix up signs of
flawed or rushed 3D work that would have been too
tedious to remedy in the Vue file itself. The cloud
added to the horizon is entirely digital painting. Most
3D artists will agree that creating certain light, cloud,
smoke or fire effects can be very difficult without
certain software being programmed just for that
purpose, so they can render very slowly. Luckily I can
use Photoshop to save myself a lot of that stress by
deciding to just paint such effects in. © Matthew Attard

025
 TECHNIQUES 20 CGI TIPS

COMP ELEMENTS TOGETHER SIMPLY

IGOR RASHKUEV
HTTP://OXEREN.DEVIANTART.COM
It’s often best to render some
parts of your image separately,
like I did with the background,
tank and foreground pipes in this
work. In some cases you can
move objects around and it’s
quicker to re-render just one
object without rendering the
whole scene if you want to
change something in 3D.
Photoshop is a great tool for
combining objects, because of its
flexible layer system and
adjustment tools. Here I created a
group for each part of the image
and altered it with layers, using
clipping masks so only the
© Igor Rashkuev
selected object was affected.

BUILD BESPOKE MATERIALS

YEGOR KALYNYCHENKO
HTTP://K-YEGOR.CGHUB.COM
The road was created using a Photoshop was used to add the city
combination of Specular, Bump and passers by. All of these were
and Reflection maps. These photographs opened in Photoshop
were combined using Blend and tonally adjusted with Levels and
Modes and applied to the road. Curves to make them match.
I used the same two combined metal
photos as for the bike texture to create the
reflections. After desaturating instead of
applying the Emboss filter, I used a Curves
adjustment layer to get the desired effect.
Rather than create the metallic
for the bike from scratch, I used
Overlay again to combine two
metal textures. I desaturated
this and applied Emboss.
For the texture on the foreground, I
used Overlay to combine four
different texture files. Curves and
Levels were then applied to enhance
the shadows and highlights.

© Yegor Kalynychenko

BEFORE

026
 20 CGI TIPS teCHNIQUES

paint in backgrounds a smooth post-

jonathan duval processing workflow
www.joh-cgart.com andrei samardac
http://samardac.cghub.com
I used V-Ray to render my base model and then imported it into
Photoshop to finish up. The main job was to create an effective
background. I wanted to achieve a painterly aspect for the image, which
made Photoshop the perfect choice as I could make use of the default
brushes. In this case I selected a hard brush then painted in some
shadow and light. After that I used a pattern with a slight opacity to give
detail to the background and then painted in a symbol to give the
impression that the character was in space. The Color Balance option
enabled me to add blue to the shadow as well as a touch of red and
© Jonathan Duval
yellow to the highlights. prepare your render
I find there are four key areas where Photoshop
enhance character designs helps: colour correction, smoothing, adding extra

jean-michel bihorel detail and light correction. I import the background

and the object with shadows and an Alpha.
http://jmbihorel.wordpress.com
SKETCH CONCEPTS © Jean-Michel Bihorel
I first used Photoshop to sketch some
rough concepts of my character, before
starting the modelling phase. Photoshop
gives you the same comfort as a sheet of
paper, with the advantage of the Undo
command to make many test drawings.

IMAGINE THE RESULTS

I then used Photoshop to make a paint
over on some snapshots of my character
during the modelling stage, in order to
preview how he would look after textures
and shaders were applied. Photoshop is
useful for previewing the results.  colour correction
Here the spaceship shadows were black, while
PAINT TEXTURES
I decided to paint the textures onto the those in the background were blue. I chose to
character directly. The possibility to have
many layers at very high resolutions desaturate the image and add a blue tint, then
makes Photoshop the perfect tool. It
combines the different elements and masks insert a bit of blue and yellow using Color Balance.
that might have been otherwise sourced in
many different pieces of software.

ADJUST BACKGROUND ELEMENTS

To integrate the character with the
background a bit more, I inserted some dry
tomato elements. I next made these larger
and blurry in the foreground in order to
generate more depth in the composition
and a truly photoreal result.

HAIL 32-BIT
Photoshop’s ability to handle 32-bit images
provides a wide range of information in the BASE IMAGE
image, enabling the artist to make really
clean edits.
smoothing
At this stage the spaceship was too sharp, so I
Bring aeriel perspective to scenes used the Blur tool with a big smooth round brush,
igor rashkuev gradually applying over the edges until a good
http://oxeren.deviantart.com result was reached. I then cropped the image.

Aerial perspective is always

important, as it shows distance
between objects. You can use it to
emphasise main objects by
making secondary objects less
apparent. Photoshop provides you
with a variety of tools for adding
aerial perspective to your image. © Andrei Samardac

Here I added the effect using a add details and correct light
blue layer with Screen blending To add the snow I used the Stamp tool with
mode and using a Z-Depth map different Stipple brushes from the Natural brushes
as a layer mask. You can also preset. Photoshop brushes can also be used for
simply draw a mask for your the smoke and dirt. I often use a gradient in
© Igor Rashkuev
aerial perspective layer by hand. Overlay mode to lighten a scene.

027
 teCHNIQUES 20 CGI TIPS

Produce more-effective improve your creature textures

test renders mahsa rakhshani
damian buzugbe http://mahsa.cghub.com
www.buzugbe.com
Photoshop is a multi-purpose, must-use application
that is used every day by millions of artists. I can't
imagine working without Photoshop. I use the
program for many different parts of my job, from
creating concepts and designing characters to
painting textures and, last but not least, post-
processing the image. Here I used Photoshop for
improving the textures painted in ZBrush.
You should never underestimate the power of
adjustment layers, especially when used with layer
finish in 3d
masks. I used this feature for creating the highlights
Realising your design using a 3D package is a
and shadows on the character and the plants. I also
great process. A 3D mock-up can guide you with
used adjustment layers for removing unwanted
perspective, lighting and shadow. Here I have a
black areas coming from my texture and colour
strong three-dimensional silhouette and a high
correcting the final image.
Specular pass to take into Photoshop.
before
There are many simple but very carefully
designed features that are almost hidden to many
users. Foreground and Background colours, for
instance, automatically switch to black and white
when you’re painting layer masks and switches back
to coloured mode when you click on a normal layer.
Layer blending modes, which have become a
standard for other compositing software, help to
combine layers in many different ways.
I use shortcuts a lot. For example, the X key
switches Foreground and Background colours; Cmd/
Ctrl+Backspace and Opt/Alt+backspace fills the
canvas with the Foreground and Background
colours. You can Opt/Alt-click on layer masks or
different channels to select parts of the image.
© Mahsa Rakhshani

embellish the model

To build out the form of this ship, I use a Levels
layer to balance the tones, then paint an Ambient
Occlusion pass for the details using a Multiply
layer. Base and bounced colours are added
liberally using layer styles.

The background was The Liquify filter was an easy I found adding some simple Finding the right colour is
time-consuming to create in and intuitive tool to help highlights and shadows using always hard but it gets easy by
3D, so I decided to add a 2D improve different parts of the Dodge & Burn brought a lot to using Photoshop’s layers and
background in Photoshop. character’s silhouette. the final image. painting some simple masks.

use lens correction for vintage effects

final edits
Details such as the cockpit are painted on a
Normal layer. To add the extra photoreal look,
flatten the image then use a Lens Correction filter
and play with the Chromatic Aberration values.
final image
© Damian Buzugbe
Cézar Brandão
http://branduarte.blogspot.co.uk
I wanted to achieve an retro
aesthetic in this work, so I went
into Hue/Saturation and
converted the coloured image to
Sepia. The next task was to add a
graphical background, so went to
Filters>Lens Correction. I added
some Chromatic Aberration and
also activated the Vignette option,
which helped create the circles.
These started as grey, but using
the Magic Wand tool I was able to
select each one and add the
© Cézar Brandão
colour to complete the effect.

028
 20 CGI TIPS TECHNIQUES

ADD MOOD AND ENHANCE ARTIFICIAL EFFECTS

ATMOSPHERE ANTONI TUDISCO
RIYAHD CASSIEM HTTP://ANTONITUDISCO.COM
HTTP://RIYAHDART.BLOGSPOT.COM
Here I’ll explain how to create a plastic effect with so I had to try out things with Photoshop. I
The Hooded Girl artwork was created using ZBrush Photoshop using a rendered model from CINEMA emphasised the reflection by adjusting the
and Photoshop. The aim was to capture the mood of 4D. Rendering the model is the most important brightness and contrast to make the effect more
the character and bring an atmosphere to the image. process in the workflow. I experimented with visible. I accomplished the plastic effect by
I exported renders from ZBrush into Photoshop Ambient Occlusion and Global Illumination in my sharpening the model with Unsharp Mask Amount
layers, then applied various layer blending modes previous project, Kill Art // Trust Design, until I got the (50), Radius (4,7) and then used Curves, Levels and a
and opacity settings. It's good to understand what correct output. However, it still wasn't plastic enough gradient map set to Multiply for the colour correction.
each mode does to help with overlaying shades.
I created a few new layers for painting details on
the facial features, such as the eyes and lips. The
airbrush helps to add atmosphere by painting with
low opacity settings and different blending modes to
create transition between light and dark.
Don’t be afraid of painting over 3D renders or
making drastic changes to the image. To help finish, I
added a few custom textures and noise layers on
different blending modes and opacity settings for
added detail. Photoshop is great for enhancing and
finalising 3D renders. The program enables quick
tweaks to lighting and colour using various layers.

© Riyahd Cassiem © Antoni Tudisco

CREATE CARTOON EFFECTS

FERNANDO CALVI
HTTP:// FERNANDOCALVI.COM
I first modelled, textured and lit everything in Maya
and then rendered out passes. I imported
everything into Photoshop and started the
ORIGINAL
compositing process based on regular 3D
animation and compositing techniques. These
include adding depth of field with a Depth map and
foreground/background grading, also with a Depth
map and a bit of relighting (like Rim Lights) with a
Normal map. I also used simple matte-painting
methods to fill the background with houses and
clouds. Finally, I added classic Photoshop
techniques such as Sharpen Edges, Levels, Glows,
Chromatic Aberration and so on. © Fernando Calvi

029
 teCHNIQUES 20 CGI TIPS

Get crisp detail in Optimise using filters

commercial images pascal blanché
lifang www.3dluvr.com/pascalb
www.lifang-cg.com
Photoshop's filters are often frowned upon when it Poster Edges, Accented Edges, Paint Daubs and
To finish an architectural image there are different comes to photo editing or applying effects, but when Halftone Pattern. Their effects can vary greatly
aspects that can be treated separately, such as the handling 3D models they can act as a fantastic depending on the parameters. Because the filters
illumination, reflection and refraction. However, we depository of creative possibilities. are applied to separate layers, I can erase areas to
work with all these characteristics as layers. This is the fun part of the process, but also the tune down the effects and control the subtleties.
To enable this method, we’ll use V-Ray to most difficult, simply because there are so many I also like to use the Blur filter to create a blurry
render out all of the layers we need. Once we’ve possibilities. At this stage I try to forget that the double of my image and then erase the centre part to
checked and organised all the layers, we need to image is a 3D rendering to begin with. I duplicate the leave the edges less defined. I’ll apply an old paper
start making the image look more natural. imported model on different layers and then apply texture on top to give an impression of depth. When
A lot of arch-vis images use real photos as a different filters to each layer. You can try any of doing anything like this, always work on very large
background for the rendered model. This should Photoshop's filters but my favourites include Cutout, resolutions for better control and improved results.
be high-quality and we should check the viewing
angle, perspective and the lighting in previous
renders. We also need to work on making the light
and colours match between the rendered image
and the original photo. For this we’ll work with our
Alpha information so we can add in a background
image. We’ll also need a mask for the buildings in
the foreground, so we’ll use the layer VRayMtlID.
Throughout the process we’ll play with the
settings of the different layers, match them all and
start working with the final image, adding people,
trees, props, cars and so on. We’ll also work with
filters such as Motion Blur for the cars, Opacity,
Lens Correction and Cross Processing.
As a final step we can add a Lens Correction
filter (Distort) or an oval-shaped black mask. It’s
important to keep working with different layers so
we can tweak and enhance our final image in
terms of its key elements.

© Lifang International CGI

© Pascal Blanché

use actions to build images

andre villanueva
www.000-000-0000.com
This fractal-inspired abstract dragon was built with © Andre Villanueva
several pieces of pre-rendered 3D, transformed
repeatedly with the aid of Actions.
First, I went to http://mediamilitia.com to grab a
few 3D pieces and used one as a guinea pig for
creating the Actions. After placing it on the canvas, I
started recording with the Actions palette, building a
small batch of Actions (mainly duplicating, rotating
and offsetting the piece). To boost efficiency, I
assigned a keyboard command to each Action.
One by one, I would drop the 3D in and apply the
Actions with the keyboard commands. To complete
the image I added a host of adjustment layers to get
just the right feel. I also tossed in some old paper
scans set to various Blend Modes. This really
cemented the piece’s mythic vibe.

030
 20 CGI TIPS teCHNIQUeS

achieve cinematic lighting © Adam Sacco

adam sacco
www.soulty.com
In photography the goal is to take away camera and lighting flaws, but
when compositing 3d renders we are always trying to add these
imperfections to help ground an image in reality. If a render is too
perfect it will look too computer-generated.
To start this process I used a Z-depth pass rendered from V-Ray to
add some depth of field. I copied the Z-depth pass into channels as a
new alpha and using the Lens Blur filter.
Next I selected the hands and separated them to individual layers to
add motion blur separately. around this point I added some chromatic
aberration by using the Lens correction filter. The idea was to add some
subtle yellow or blue channel shifts to mimic a camera lens shift.
For the lighting I used Frischluft's Volumetrics plug-in (available from
www.frischluft.com). This adds light rays from brighter parts of the
image. I used the window as a source for lighting and Levels were
tightened to increase the contrast. Both dark and light tones were
sampled from the image and painted on a new layer covering the
image. This layer was set to color blending mode at 10% to aid in
bringing all the elements together.
To finish I added a top layer at 50% grey and around 3-8%
monochrome Noise was added, set to 30% opacity. I also added some
white and black dust textures to the whole image and set it to screen original
blending mode at around 20% opacity.

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 TECHNIQUES MASTER GAME CONCEPT ART

MASTER
GAME
CONCEPT
ART
WE DISCUSS THE VIDEOGAMES INDUSTRY AND HOW
PHOTOSHOP IS USED TO CREATE STUNNING EFFECTS

M
any concept artists are understandably enticed by the videogames industry, where ideation is the
name of the game as professionals get to design the appearance of weapons, characters and
even entire worlds.
However, this industry works at a faster pace than any other, so be ready to keep up. Not only
does a videogame concept artist have to adapt to demands from art directors, they also have to continuously
acclimatise to new digital technologies and creative tools. The development of your work demands an almost
undying devotion, knocking out weaknesses on a daily basis.
Here we discuss the enthusiasm for this type of work with a group of industry professionals, explore
avenues into the industry and find out what is expected of creatives operating inside it. We’ll also look at ways
you can adapt to working in a team and the latest techniques that enable artists to create the awesome work
we have on show. So read on, be inspired and discover what it takes to become a videogame concept artist.

032
 MEET THE EXPERTS

CÉLINE ZORGNIOTTI
www.thetwodots.com
After working inside various
production teams in France and
Canada, Zorgniotti founded Two
Dots with Xavier Thomas.

JOSH KAO
www.jkconceptart.com
Kao’s first job in the industry was at
High Moon Studios. Currently he’s
working on God of War: Ascension at
Sony Santa Monica Studio.

KEVIN DUC
www.kevinduc.com
Duc studied Animation at Savannah
College of Art and Design. Eight
years on, he’s working at Gearbox
Software in Plano, Texas.

LEVI HOPKINS
www.levihopkins.blogspot.com
Hopkins spent most of his career at
ArenaNet working on the Guild Wars
franchise, before moving on to
become a full-time freelancer.

RAY LEDERER
www.raylederer.com
Lederer began as an illustrator,
working on various comics and RPG
books. He then turned to 3D game
art and eventually concept art.

NICOLAS BOUVIER
www.sparth.com
Bouvier started in the industry in
1997, working for Darkworks in
Paris. After six years he left for
Montreal to work for Ubisoft.

XAVIER THOMAS
www.thetwodots.com
Thomas began studying Civil
Engineering, but felt restricted so
decided to start over and ended up
working in videogames.
Halo 4 - Infinity interior. first rendering by Jihoon Kim © Microsoft/343 Industries

033
 TECHNIQUES MASTER GAME CONCEPT ART

Working as a designer in videogames can be
particularly tough, after all it’s one of the largest and
fastest-growing industries around. There are ups
and downs, constraints and demands, just like any
other industry, but these can be easily navigated by
investing time in your own personal skills. Levi
Hopkins (http://levihopkinsart.blogspot.co.uk)
certainly agrees, as he explains: “For me personally,
the best education is practising all day. To get better
at this craft you have to practise, practise and
practise some more. It really comes down to putting
in the creative mileage.”
However, some procedures deserve more of your
attention than others. Composition, colour theory,
anatomy and perspective are strong requirements
for any concept artist. Josh Kao (www.jkconceptart.
com) adds: “I would say the important things I’ve
learnt are perspective, traditional figure drawing and
painting. But learning to work
that puts a huge emphasis on group effort. The
finances associated with videogame production have
meant notably larger creative teams. “But this can
also be credited to evolving technologies,” explains
Nicolas Bouvier, AKA Sparth (www.sparth.com).
“Production requires a lot of specific engineers,
programmers and 3D artists.” He uses his own
experience as an example: “The Halo 4 concept art
team was composed of 12 concept artists at its
peak, which is quite unprecedented. Each had an

The Halo 4 concept art team was with a group of people is most
important. Without this skill I
composed of 12 concept artists at its don’t think I would be a very
individual speciality and specific talents.”
This clearly shows that the opportunities are there
for you to specialise in this industry, which in turn

peak, which is quite unprecedented. Each had successful concept artist.”

Anyone looking to succeed
an individual speciality and specific talents in this field will have to adapt to
Nicolas Bouvier, www.sparth.com working in an environment
means there are far more avenues into it than many
others. As an individual you can focus on a specific
task, rather than spread you workload over a large
swath of game development. Kevin Duc (www.

Concept for the ‘Complex’ multiplayer map: Further Halo 4

concept art. You can see much more in the Awakening: The Art of
Inverted World: This image was produced to visualise Halo 4 concept art © Microsoft/343 Industries Halo 4 book released in November © Microsoft/343 Industries

INSPIRE INGAME DESIGN

TWO DOTS CO-FOUNDER CÉLINE ZORGNIOTTI REVEALS
WHAT IT TAKES TO GET YOUR CONCEPTS ACCEPTED
FOR THE RENDER PHASE
As a concept artist it’s your job to create images that inspire
in-game designs, but what must your work include before it
gets accepted? Zorgniotti advises you to concentrate on
graphical impact. “General composition and pose have to
catch the attention while being understandable and consistent
with the game,” she explains.
At this point you don’t necessarily need to pay too much
attention to details or even colour, only essential elements or
tonal intentions. “If the team we are working with feels that
the concept is giving the right feeling, then the concept is
ready to be converted into a high-resolution image,” she adds.
The Two Dots team will sometimes work directly with the
converted 3D models or elements. “We have to boost or adapt
these to our needs,” Zorgniotti tells us. “Once this modelling
phase is over, we prepare the 3D scene to render the
composition we agreed on – achieving the exact posing, an
accurate camera angle and correct lighting.”
After that, even with a perfect 3D scene, the team can’t just
click on Render and have a finished image. “We import our
render back into Photoshop and start working on special
effects to re-create the mood of the concept,” Zorgniotti
explains. “To sum up, we are preparing all the ingredients with
3D tools, but mixing in spices with Photoshop.” The program
quickly becomes the essential tool in all these stages, helping
achieve the expected quality. RIFT Infinity Steps: A piece created for Trion Worlds’ RIFT: Storm Legion © Trion Worlds Inc.

034
 MASTER GAME CONCEPT ART TECHNIQUES

SKYRIM ARMOUR CONCEPT

ARTIST RAY LEDERER EXPLAINS THE CONCEPT
BEHIND THIS SUIT OF ARMOUR
This is an example of Daedric armour. “Apparently the Daedra
suffer tremendously in the birth of this armour and we felt it was
important to communicate this idea in the player’s experience,”
Lederer explains. “The concept in the back of my mind while
drawing this was that the cost [of creating and wearing this
armour] would be much like the addiction to the Ring of Power [in
The Lord of the Rings],” he explains. “I tried using asymmetry, with
twisting thorns and blade-like shapes…”
The inside edges of the armour are rough and scorched in
places, giving the impression that the heat from its original
creation never fully dissipated. “Fragments of Daedric souls still
inhabit and whisper unintelligible dead languages that would
haunt the wearer’s psyche too,” Lederer adds.

■ To begin, I use the turnaround of a generic Heavy Body-type

character as a template. Using nothing more than a hard round
RAY
LEDERER
brush I draw the armour directly on top of the turnaround,
ensuring all proportions are correct to give the 3D modeller a
direct reference to build from.
TUTORIAL
PAGE 38

■ After completing the line work I begin to fill in colour details,

again using little more than Photoshop’s default brushes. I use a
round brush with slight opacity, size and hardness variations. In
CS6 the controls for varying brush size and hardness have
become an indispensable asset. I also make good use of
Photoshop Guides to ensure that proportional consistency is
maintained from every angle.

■ To finish the image I paint highlights, shadows and glows on

separate layers. I use a lot of mirroring back and forth with
orthographic drawings to save time. I’ll then paint over places
where I want asymmetry, such as on the horns or pauldrons.
Little details, like geometric patterns and divots, are faintly painted
on separate layers. These draw out even more textures and
contour in the final concept. All images © Bethesda Softworks LLC, All Rights Reserved 2011

035
 TECHNIQUES MASTER GAME CONCEPT ART

kevinduc.com explains: “In the case of a concept

kevinduc.com)
team, this enables us to focus on aspects of the
game that we either excel at designing, or that we
most enjoy. For example, I focused on designing the
weapons for Borderlands 2, while [others] focused
on characters, props and environments.”
An increase in team sizes inevitably equates to
more talent operating in the industry. As more artists
join the field, their respective techniques and tricks
are pooled together and the industry grows a
wonderful communal aspect as a result. However,
everyone needs to be on the same page, especially
when decision-making involves so many individuals.
Things can’t afford to be lost in translation, so as an
individual you need to be able to solve problems fast
and solidly visualise ideas.
Almost all projects start with a variety of sketches
as a starting point to address any potential problems.
An art director can instantly see if a certain weapon
is too long for the character to hold, or if an
environment is the wrong perspective. As sketches
don’t take long, artists don’t lose a lot of time if
revisions need to be made. “You’ll often end up
having hundreds of unused images because of
schedule constraints,” reveals Bouvier. “But this
remains a logical and healthy progression towards a
more balanced and coherently designed game.”
When artists begin to flesh-out a concept, it
interestingly means different things to different
individuals. For example, Hopkins will ground an
image in real-world references to keep looks
believable. “I always look at real-world reference
I always look at real-world
reference prior to starting any
sort of concept, even totally
out-there fantasy or sci-fi pieces
Levi Hopkins, www.levihopkins.blogspot.com
prior to starting any sort of concept, even totally
out-there fantasy or sci-fi pieces. I have a massive
library of images, saved over the years, which I just
sift through to find things that inspire me,” he tells us.
Alternatively, Kao will study existing concept art
pieces then try to break down the design language
into basic shapes, colours and lines. “If I’m looking to
create an environment painting. I’ll usually look for

VISUALISE GAME ASSETS USING SIMPLE SHAPES

JOSH KAO EXPLAINS HOW TO UTILISE THE LOCK TRANSPARENCY PIXEL OPTION TO CREATE VIDEOGAME WEAPON CONCEPTS

© Microsoft 343 Industries

■ The design brief for the UNSC SAW in Halo 4 was to make a light machine gun, so I based it on real-life Squad Automatic Weapons
(SAWs). At the thumbnail stage I started out by exploring shapes and the art director Kenneth Scott pointed out which parts he liked
from the variations, so I basically combined all the elements into the final design.

■ I start by laying down solid black thumbnails with clearly ■ Lock the layer with the Lock Transparency Pixels options. ■ This image is an example of how no matter where you paint
defined shapes. This is quick and you can create a lot of different This enables you to paint inside the silhouette without losing on these layers it will only apply within the boundaries of your
variations in a short amount of time. This is one of the most any shape. You can paint directly, but I also create a new layer shapes. This means you can continue to build contours quickly
important parts of the design process. and clip this to the silhouette layer. and intuitively.

036
 MASTER GAME CONCEPT ART TECHNIQUES

10, maybe 15 images that I like,” he says. “Whether

it’s the colour of a sunset or the texture of a fire
hydrant, anything that I think looks good will be used
as a reference.” From then on it’s about executing
ideas and using these references to make
visualisations even better. “Most designs can also be
broken down into basic shapes,” Kao adds. “For
example, Mickey Mouse is made up of a big circle
with two smaller circles for ears. The Tie Fighter in
Star Wars is basically an H shape.”
Photoshop certainly excels in providing the tools
to build these compound shapes and their complex
designs. When organising full-blown colour
environments, artists such as Bouvier will start with
a set of large square or round brushes, which help
define the larger elements in a scene. “I’ll establish a
strong balance of shapes within the first hour of Torgue Geometry Paintover: This is an example of painting over geometry provided by the 3D artists. A simple round brush is used on a
separate layer to paint in details on top of the base blockout © Gearbox Software
sketching,” he admits. “Photoshop is the definite
backbone structure on which we create, iterate and
finish our images.” CREATING THE PERFECT GAME COVER
Duc uses Photoshop from sketch to final render, TWO DOTS CREATIVE DIRECTOR XAVIER THOMAS TELLS US HOW THE
wielding a simple round brush with Size Pressure TEAM CREATED THE COVER ART FOR ASSASSIN’S CREED III
Sensitivity active. He uses this to loosely describe Cover art starts with the exploration of the videogame, looking for that one iconic image. “We strive to find out what the game
promises and what the pillars of this promise are,” explains Thomas. “We have necessary discussions with team members to
greyscale shapes and themes for weaponry. “Once a identify the elements that must be included. Assassin’s Creed III’s promise is to immerse the player in a conflict that had a major
fairly tight greyscale image has been produced, a impact on history, through the eyes of a new hero.”
The team knew they needed to focus on this hero and emphasise his disposition. “The character Conner is more intense than his
gradient map layer is added to create quick colour predecessors in previous games,” reveals Thomas. “We had to find the right balance to create this persona, without exceeding the
information,” he explains. “I’ll continue to build up the acceptable level of violence. We had to capture the moment when this intensity reaches its highest point.”
image using the Color Picker and the same basic Once the iconography was established, certain special effects were added to produce a dynamic image that would appeal to
viewers and potential consumers, with lighting becoming very important. “Work on this starts during the concept phase. We
round brush while adding photo reference pieces for visualise our intentions using Photoshop,” Thomas reveals. “We position and work lighting based on these intentions into the 3D
more-complicated parts. I’ll also overlay grunge and scene”. The team will then adjust the 3D scene back in Photoshop. Curves are key, as Thomas explains: “This option allows us to
adjust the light, but also to add a touch of colour, feeding the blacks if needed and playing with contrast. Depth effects are also added
camo pattern layers.” using Photoshop, for example depth fog in this Assassin’s Creed III cover image.”
Photoshop’s latest functions have also served
those working in the industry well. Canvas rotation
has augmented the sketching stage, while Selection
and Free Transform tools have improved the ability
to manipulate proportions quickly and tweak shapes
as artists progress with their concept. With
adjustment layers, artists can literally change the
entire mood of a scene within seconds.
Even in light of these factors, surprisingly some
believe that technological advances haven’t had a
huge impact on how concept artists complete their
work. However, Duc convinces us otherwise: “At
Gearbox, we have a lot of trust between 2D and 3D
artists and communication is always open. With
regards to designing weapons, I work with David
May, one of our 3D artists. After my initial greyscale
sketches, he would provide me with a blocked-out
3D model. I’d take this into Photoshop and use a
simple round brush to paint on top of it, creating a
very accurate representation of what the final game
asset will look like.”
From what we can see, the game has changed a
lot for 2D artists producing content for videogames.
The things that took a week to complete before, now
take mere days. Any changes to a piece of artwork
can be done with just a few clicks of a button and
many of our artists agree that Photoshop has
opened up the world of concept art to a lot of new
© 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved
talent looking to tackle this exciting industry.

037
 TECHNIQUES BUILD VIDEOGAME CONCEPT ART

DIGITAL PAINTING

BUILD VIDEOGAME
CONCEPT ART
P
HERE YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO PAINT A SKYRIM
SCENE USING PHOTOSHOP TOOLS
hotoshop has forever changed the
landscape of possibilities for artists. The
software provides an ever-increasing
toolset that has a wide range of use. As
digital painters and illustrators, we use a focused
bandwidth of tools on a daily basis to create new
worlds and ideas.
Sometimes we’re asked to create a unique piece
that has a specialised goal and in this tutorial you
will see just that, as we take you on an unorthodox
yet simple path to the final product. Here we’ve
frozen a moment in time in a pre-alpha Skyrim
scene and then painted over it to visualise what
we really wanted it to look like. This painting was
originally designed to be video-captured, used as
inspiration for, as well as part of, an internal sizzle
reel for our company, then later released to the
public for marketing.

OUR EXPERT
RAY LEDERER
www.raylederer.com
Ray is a concept artist at Bethesda
Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland
USA. He began using Photoshop
professionally in 1998 for his first
videogame job as a character
modeller/texture artist/animator.
Since then he’s learned to use
Photoshop as an indispensable
illustration tool for the
entertainment industry, as well
as books and other projects.
@raylederer

038
BUILD VIDEOGAME CONCEPT ART TECHNIQUES

LAY THE FOUNDATIONS

BLOCK IN FORMS AND ESTABLISH A BASE

01 GET STARTED
Sometimes in concept art you are asked to
do a paint over, which if you haven’t guessed already
is a painting over a pre-existing image to further
visualise an idea for the rest of the team. Photoshop
is the perfect tool for this kind of work as it enables
you to iterate on top of source images to create
anything you like, without some of the headaches of
having to start from scratch.

02 BLOCK IN FORMS
Begin with your source image pasted on its
own layer separate from the backdrop, leaving the
Background layer neutral. Start roughing and
blocking in your subject with your choice of brushes.
Here we’re using a round brush set to 60-80% Edge
Hardness with Opacity set to 80%. You can use the
lighting in the scene to guide your tonal choices or
come up with a new scheme.

03 ADJUST THE FIGURE

Painting on layers can be an essential
method for composing an image. Don’t be afraid to
use your Free Transform tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T) for quick
adjustments to your figures. You can use the Lasso
tool to select portions of pixels to move or rotate. You
may also need to scale a hand that’s too big or a leg
that’s at the wrong angle.

039
 TECHNIQUES BUILD VIDEOGAME CONCEPT ART

04 ADJUST THE FOREGROUND CHARACTER

Don’t neglect certain tools for the sake of
artistic purity, as you can bet da Vinci would’ve been
QUICK TIP
A general rule of thumb is that objects in shadow
or intense brightness tend to lose definition and
all over these tools if he lived in our time. Experiment edges, so play with soft edges and low detail in
by roughing in quick studies of figures in separate the shadowed areas.
layers to see what works. Use sloppy brushes to fill
in large spaces and capture the energy of the pose.

05 MAKE LOOSE SKETCHES

Try drawing your figure naked and then drape it with clothes.
This will give you the topology to know where clothes fold and fall away
from the body. Understanding anatomy is essential to achieving
realism, especially if you’re working from your imagination. Try using
Photoshop to display all of your reference images on a second monitor,
so as to leave your primary monitor free to paint with. You can arrange
your images separately or within a single layered file to maximise your
workspace, without sacrificing space for tools.

06 COMMIT TO A SHAPE
Once you have gone through several
iterations of figures, it’s time to decide which is going
to work best. Now you can start lighting and detailing
your figure. Create a new layer to paint on top of so
you can make mistakes freely. It’s advisable to keep
your layers minimal, as it’s easy to get lost and
forget which layers have what information in them.
Failing to organise layers will result in more
maintenance and a prolonged painting process.
07 APPLY SELECTIONS
Select your canvas, hold Ctrl then press the
left arrow key once. This will snap your selection
around every pixel on that layer. It will also move
everything over one pixel to the left. While still
holding Ctrl, press the right arrow key once to return
everything to its original position. Now you have just
the pixels of that layer selected to do whatever you
like with. This may sound complicated but after
repeating the method you’ll quickly adapt.
08 WORK OUT THE DETAILS
Now it’s time to become a leatherworker,
armourer and seamster. We want to sell the world of
Skyrim as a tangible experience for the player, so it’s
time to start painting details. Once the basic forms
are laid out you can start focusing on the details like
studs, fur and engraved designs. Use a combination
of hard round and chalk brushes with varying
opacities and Edge Hardness settings. There’s no
right way to do this, so just experiment.

040
 build videogame concept art techniques

build up the details

Add more features to your character concept

09 begin unifying your values

Don’t worry about the extremes of your value and colour gamut yet. Let’s get your elements feeling
like they’re occupying the same atmosphere and light, even if it’s not correct yet. You can use a variety of tools
10 take stock of your progress
Spend some time looking at your image
objectively. Write notes to yourself in a separate
in Photoshop to achieve this. Cmd/Ctrl+L will bring up your Level graph, which is quite useful for crushing layer if there are areas in your picture that need
ranges of value into just a few manageable key values. You can also rein in hotspots and black shadows by addressing later. It’s easy for things to fall by the
using the Dodge & Burn tool (Cmd/Ctrl +O). wayside if you’re not careful. Now it’s time to start
painting your background on a single layer with
001 002 003
simple hard round and soft round brushes.

11 bring in colour
Create a new layer, fill (Shift+F5) a single
tone to be your base atmosphere and set this to
Multiply. This is why you want to keep your value
range in the midtones, as if you stray too far out to
the extremes, the Multiply setting will blow them out
even further. The further you are away from a neutral
value (50% grey) the more exponentially blown-out
your values will be.

001 002 003

Burn white with the Highlight setting Use the same Burn tool for shadows where You can solve a few problems ahead of time
checked to bring bright whites into a grey necessary, but use your Shadow setting on if you detail some these elements now.
spectrum, without blowing your gamut. the Contextual menu for the best effect. Think of them as notes for your final render.

12 add tones to the figures

Now it’s time to start colouring the figures. If you have crushed down the B/W paintings into single
layers, you can use clipping masks to paint on top of your individual B/W layers. Clipping masks are
13 paint details
Get in tight and start fleshing out details on
the troll. Try to hint at blood vessels around the soft
extremely powerful and you can layer many of them on top of a single raster layer. If you’ve never tried it, thin skin, particularly in the eyes and mouth. Using
simply create an empty layer above the layer you wish to paint on, Ctrl/right-click that layer and select Create clipping masks, you can paint roughly around the
Clipping Mask. Set your clipping mask layer to Multiply (or whatever suits your needs) and start painting on edges and not worry, because you’re under painting
top of your B/W layer. will act as a mask.

041
 techniques build videogame concept art
complete your concept
Add the final details and finish your piece
14 insert adjustment layers
You can use adjustment layers to affect any
part of your Layer Hierarchy you like. Now can be a
good time to place one on top of your layers and
adjust with the sliders to balance your Hue,
Saturation and Lightness. You’ll also need to bump
your Saturation up to +20 or so.
17 final touches
Now it’s time to commit. Flatten your image, copy and paste it onto a separate layer and paint any
tweaks or experiments with Dodge & Burn for even higher-contrast highlights and shadows. This is also a
great way to get even more subtle lighting cheaply onto your picture. You can paste a flattened version of your
image on top, then change its Hue/Saturation or any other values to create hotspots or focal points by erasing
away pieces of the altered top layer.
Clipping masks
Crush the B/W paintings into single layers so you
can use clipping masks to paint on top of your
individual B/W layers. You can layer multiple clipping
masks on top of a single raster layer. Create an
empty layer above the layer you wish to paint on,
Ctrl/right-click on that layer, select Create Clipping
Mask and start painting on top of your B/W layer.
You can treat your clipping mask like the layer
beneath and it’ll mask any other layer you create.
042
15 chip away to refine
There’s really no secret sauce here, it’s all
about picking colours and chipping away at the
image. Use a chalk-style brush for applying, pushing
out flinty shapes and contours like rivet highlights
and seams. The way light catches those details in
your image will help to sell the 3D effects.
16 polish and tweak
Most of the hard work is done in the B/W
value study, so now it’s time to enjoy tweaking and
wrapping up. Use your adjustment layer to settle on
what you feel is a well-balanced picture, then paint in
your highlights and dark shadows on a separate
layer on top of everything else.
quick tip
Flip your canvas often to check if your
composition is working. If it feels balanced when
reversed, it’s likely a good composition. You can
set this up as a hotkey using Actions. Go to
Window>Actions and create a new Action, press
the Record icon at the bottom of the Action
window, then open Image>Image Rotation>Flip
Canvas Horizontal. Toggle the recording off by
pressing the Stop button at the bottom of the
Action window. Assign a hotkey to that action and
you’re good to go.
18 print ready
Sometimes it’s good to use a Gamma and
Exposure adjustment to correct for printing or
different temperature qualities on cheaper screens.
Go to Image>Adjustments>Exposure and use the
slider bars to correct as needed for whatever output
you are targeting. You will find that every printer is
different but a general rule of thumb is to print the
correct gamma right around 1.10-1.20. Bumping up
the Exposure setting by around 20% can help
increase the saturation without crushing your
high-value fidelity, but make sure to save multiple
versions just in case.
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 TECHNIQUES CREATE SPACE ART
PHOTOMANIPULATION
CREATE SPACE ART
T
ENHANCE DEPTH, LIGHTING AND TEXTURE
TO BUILD A UNIQUE 3D SCENE
his tutorial is going to show you how to
create a space scene using elements
traditionally associated with sci-fi. You’ll be
combining asteroids, planets and
spacecraft to create a dynamic composition.
We’ll be exploring how to use Photoshop to create
all of these assets and essentially an eye-catching
spacescape full of depth and awesome lighting. The
tools we’ll use to do this are pretty standard and we’ll
personalise the exposure by painting effects
manually. We’ll utilise textures and blending modes
THE CONCEPT STAGE
CONSIDER YOUR BACKDROP AND ENVIRONMENT IN YOUR PRELIMINARY SKETCHES
01 SKETCH YOUR COMPOSITION
It’s always good to figure out a decent
composition by sketching your ideas in several
layers. Try to remain flexible throughout the process
and play around with your elements, especially any
included planets. Use a hard round brush with Brush
Presets>Shape Dynamics activated to vary the
opacity control of your Pen Pressure. Outline your
composition roughly in greyscale, including the main
elements, then define the scale, depth and light.
03 APPLY A 3D EFFECT
Add a vector mask to create a textured
circle, then insert a new layer and apply a horizontal
gradient from right to left, with a black-to-
transparent style. Next, highlight the left borders with
your selection still active and use a soft white brush
to simulate a horizon lighting effect. With your
selection still active, create a new solid black layer
above your planet layer, set to Screen blending
mode. Add a cyan (#bbe6f2) Inner Shadow Layer
Style at 40% Opacity, with Distance set to 40px, Size
at around 250px and Angle at 170 degrees. Next,
apply a bluish Outer Glow at 65% Opacity, with a Size
of 50px and a Range of 55%. Add a bluish Inner Glow
at 75% Opacity, with Size between 100 and 120px.
044
to enhance contours and composite 3D elements to
augment our image’s realism. Layer Style options
are essential when producing believability, while
Inner Shadow, Inner Glow and Outer Glow will all
also feature.
Here you’ll also discover how to build an entire
nebula from scratch by working with textures in
Photoshop, then letting your own creativity and OUR EXPERT
intuition do the rest. This workflow will enable you to SEBASTIEN HUE
experiment and produce interesting shapes and AKA SHUE13
www.shue-digital.com
ultimately an epic sci-fi scene.
Sebastien is a self-taught artist who
started using Photoshop when
making logos. He rapidly turned his
attention to sci-fi environments and
matte-painting techniques that let
his imagination loose.
@SebastienHue
SOURCE FILES
On the disc we have supplied
supplied personal stock and 3D
renders and you can download
free-to-use stock from http://
visibleearth.nasa.gov.
WORK IN
PROGRESS
FROM EMPTY SPACE TO A
SPRAWLING SCENE
02 ADD IN A PLANET
Create a new layer at 4,000 x 4,000px
300dpi with a black solid background, then define the
centre of your document by applying two guides.
We’ve imported and used the high-definition texture
file fontenellefire_ali_2012186_lrg.jpg from http://
visibleearth.nasa.gov. Hold Shift+Opt/Alt and apply
Progress 1: Gather elements
the Elliptical Marquee tool from the centre to the
border to get a perfect circle. Next, apply Filter>
Distort>Spherize twice, at 100%.
Progress 2: Add and refine
Progress 3: Boost effects
CREATE SPACE ART teCHNIQUES

045
 teCHNIQUES CREATE SPACE ART

04 Pick your colour scheme

Create a new document at 2,950 x 3,800px
300dpi or higher with a solid black background, then
activate the Lasso tool to make a selection. Select
colours from bright to dark, creating a spectrum in
the Gradient Editor. In our example we’ve applied
Color Stops using #ffffff, #d599d8, #5a8eaa and
#37667c. Apply this gradient to your selection from
the centre at an angle, then deselect and apply a
Gaussian Blur. You can use this same method for
other similar selections.
05 create shapes using stock
Import the supplied ‘Jordan_Marble_
texture.jpg’ and invert it (Cmd/Ctrl+I) to create a nice
contrast and a green tone. You can do this with any
texture to reveal interesting shapes when inverted.
Continue to play with your Levels adjustment layer to
define the texture’s contrast, then apply a Soft Light
or Overlay blending mode between 50% and 60% to
this layer. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+T, to transform the texture
with the Warp tool to match the contours you made
earlier, then play around to optimise the positioning.
06 emphasise relevant details
When you’ve achieved satisfying results,
duplicate your texture, hit Cmd/Ctrl+T and descale
towards the focal point of your choice – this should
produce more depth and detail. Create smooth
transitions by softly erasing the textures and
elements created in Step 4, using applied vector
masks. Apply a black-to-transparent gradient or a
soft brush on these masks to emphasise relevant
details. Feel free to paint highlights and shadows on
a new layer to define your nebula textures further.

07 no stars, no space
What’s a spacescape without a spread of bright stars? These are elements that will improve the
authenticity of your image. To add them, begin by creating a new solid black layer and apply some white dots
08 focus the lighting
Creating a definitive light source in your
scene is another crucial step when producing
at varying opacity and sizes. Duplicate your new star layer, size it up or down, rotate it and reset the Opacity to believability. We’ll begin by importing the planet we
80%. Merge the layers, duplicate this new layer, rotate it again and add bigger painted dots with associated created in Steps 2 and 3, duplicating this and placing
star colours. Repeat these techniques until you’ve created a believable spread of stars. the new layers in other areas of the image. If you
want to vary the look of your planets, we suggest
creating a file full of alternative textured globes and
importing from this selection. The sunlight that’s
represented here by a large white dot will define the
position of your planet’s lighting.

quick tip
Take your time to clearly define the light source in
your scene, as it’s a crucial element when
creating believable worlds and will save you a lot
of time in the later stages. This essentially directs
the orientation of a planet in accordance with its
light and shadow.

046
 CREATE SPACE ART teCHNIQUES

add more elements

Enhance realism and 3D elements inside Photoshop

09 use 3d files
Import the supplied ‘Spaceship_model_render.jpg’ and ‘Asteroids_render.jpg’ into your scene. We
need to correct hard edges or pikes generated by the 3D program, so take the Lasso tool with Feather Radius
10 apply motion blur
The elements here look a little too static, so
we need to imagine how all the scene would look if
set at 1px and redefine the edges of the asteroids by erasing from the edge selection. This method is manual animated. Picture this in your mind’s eye and try to
and offers a better degree of control when refining edges, however, you can save time by using the automated think of the global movement of asteroids in space,
Refine Edge tool. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+R to activate the tool’s option set instantly. for example. Select several asteroids, apply
Filter>Blur>Motion Blur and simulate this movement
with an applied Angle of -53 degrees and a Distance
of between 4 and 6px. Try to be coherent when
relating the motion of one element to the next.

11 refine the ship

Any spacecraft to be included deserves
special care, so we’ll want to draw the viewer’s eyes
to it by moving towards our sunlit focal point. Add
surface details with metal texture stocks, sci-fi
textures, or any other royalty-free stock applicable,
then warp them like in Step 5. Ctrl-click your layer
and select Create Clipping Mask, then paint in typical
sci-fi lights using a soft white brush. Just as in Step
3, add an Outer Glow with 100% Opacity, 0% Range
and 12px Size set to Overlay mode.
12 Add adjustment layers
Use a Hue/Saturation layer with Saturation
at +45, then a Brightness/Contrast layer on top with
Contrast set at 45 and layer Opacity at 60%. Paint
hints of purple (#d293d2) using a soft round brush to
a new layer beneath these adjustments. Apply with a
soft round brush set to Color blending mode, at a low
Opacity of around 10%. Add a Curves layer, setting
the RGB Curves Output to 65 and Input to 95. Set the
Green Curves Output to 55 and Input to 80. Last, set
the Blue Curves Output to 90 and Input to 60.
13 final sharpening
Import the supplied ‘SUN FLARE.psd’ and
set this new layer’s blending mode to Screen. After
including a couple of red comets in the background
and adjusting all the layers, we can start sharpening.
Flatten your image by hitting Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Opt/
Alt+E then select Filter>Sharpen>Smart Sharpen.
Set Amount to 70%, Radius to 0.6px and activate
More Accurate. Duplicate the layer and select
Other>High Pass, setting the Radius at 3px. Set this
new layer’s blending mode to Overlay at 50% Opacity.

other essential software

To make your composition even more realistic, interesting and original, you can use cross-platform software.
Study and understand the capabilities of such software to augment your own process and the results of your
work. 3D packages, such as 3ds Max or CINEMA 4D, are a great starting place to get to grips with creating CG
assets and understanding the working of the third dimension. You’ll become less restricted to a single plate
photograph, where drastic perspective changes become quite difficult. After Effects is also an interesting
application, as it comes with many plug-ins that could serve your 2D images, like the Optical Flares plug-in
used here to enhance the Sun.

047
 TECHNIQUES CREATE SPACE ART

T
TEXTURE IN 2D
CREATE THE ILLUSION OF 3D SPACE USING TWO-DIMENSIONAL PHOTO STOCK
he difficulty when working in three dimensions is
understanding how your three axes are actually defined in
your scene. However, your favourite 3D program will
normally work this out for you, which is very convenient. The
program will calculate everything according to your XYZ axis and once
you apply the texture to your object, the perspective will readjust
wherever you move your object or camera.
However, what if you’re applying outside of a 3D program? Problems
can occur when you try to translate a 3D object into 2D space. Never
fear though, because luck is on your side if you’re at least starting with a
3D-rendered object, such as our spacecraft. This render will give you
clues as to the actual perspective required, but it’s still up to you to
define it correctly, corresponding to the proper perspective when
painting or texturing stock in post-production. Here we show you the
best ways to tackle this creative conundrum and get plausible effects.

START IMAGE END IMAGE

01 USE A PERSPECTIVE GRID

Activate the Line tool set to a red and apply
vertical lines, holding the Shift key to approximate
symmetrical spacing. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+E to merge all
your line layers, duplicate your layer and rotate it 90
degrees to fashion a square grid. Merge these two
layers and select Edit>Transform>Distort to define
perspective, matching the lines of your spaceship.
02 APPLY TEXTURE ACCORDINGLY
Take a cool sci-fi texture that has defined
shapes with clear angles, then apply a low Opacity
value. Distort this using the Transform tools,
matching your grid lines while transforming and
making sure you’re compliant with the correct
perspective. This may take some time, but is well
worth doing right to get the best effect.
03 ADD BLENDING MODES
Once you’re satisfied with your
transformation, reset the Opacity of your texture
layer to 100% and experiment with different blending
modes according to the effects you want. We advise
sticking to the Overlay or the Soft Light types, which
are very effective for soft texturing. Finally apply a
layer mask to erase the areas you don’t want.

048
CREATE THE ART OF THE FUTURE
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 TECHNIQUES ASTRO LANDSCAPES
PHOTO EDITING
ASTRO LANDSCAPES
I
LEARN TO CREATE A DREAMY LANDSCAPE BY COMBINING
TWO NIGHTTIME IMAGES INSIDE PHOTOSHOP
n this tutorial you’ll learn advanced photo-
editing techniques, as well as methods to
colour correct and seamlessly integrate images
into one night-time image.
By combining two different night views, we’ll be
able to create a unique-looking image full of details
and a dreamlike atmosphere. We’ll be working with
large files, particularly those catalogued in the steps.
The techniques used throughout are possible via
01 MATCH THE IMAGES
Look for two photos with similar colour, lighting and also a similar lens used. When choosing a sky
image, make sure there are no distracting elements, so it’s fairly easy to blend with your landscape image. A
higher perspective in a landscape taken at night or with a blue horizon is a good choice for this kind of work.
BEFORE IMAGE
02 BEGIN SKETCHING
Now create a new Photoshop file at 2,775 x
3,566px with a white background and start sketching
with a 30% Opacity brush using black. The
importance of sketching is that it lets you see how
the composition will appear in the final piece. You
can use this as a reference at any time.
050
older versions of Photoshop, though CS6 is
preferred. You will learn to dodge and burn in a
unique way and add highlights using selections. We’ll
also be using Photoshop’s powerful Clone Stamp
tool, adjustment layers, masks and brushes, which
all enable you to work in a non-destructive way.
These Photoshop features help us preserve
original light values and colour information while we OUR EXPERT
edit the final image in a wholly flexible manner. MIKKO LAGERSTEDT
www.mikkolagerstedt.com
Mikko is a graphic designer and
self-taught photographer from
Finland. He specialises in
atmospheric photography.
@MikkoLagerstedt
SOURCE FILES
On the disc you’ll find the images
used to create the looks in this
tutorial, as supplied by artist Mikko
Lagerstedt. These files include the
‘ML_landscape.jpg’ and ‘ML_
milkyway.jpg’.
WORK IN
PROGRESS
FROM CONCEPT TO
FINISHED ART
03 IMPORT THE LANDSCAPE
Import the supplied ‘ML_landscape.jpg’,
rename it ‘background’, move it to the lower part of
Progress 1: Establish forms
the canvas, duplicate it and hit Cmd/Ctrl+J. Now look
over your image to find distracting elements and use
the Clone Stamp tool to remove these. Group your
existing layers and name this group ‘Background’.
Progress 2: Import a new sky
Progress 3: Add a shooting star
perfect landscapes techniques

051
 techniques astro landscapes

04 dodge and burn

Press Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+N to create
a new layer and set the blending mode to Overlay.
Start dodging and burning by applying to the mist
area of the image, using a big white soft brush at 5%
Opacity. Apply to the sky using a black brush at 20%
Opacity numerous times to darken the sky and also
to the right side of the foreground. You can then
rename the layer ‘Dodge_Burn’.
05 apply light and colour corrections
Add a Hue/Saturation layer and increase
the Saturation to +34. This will give your landscape a
little more punch and make it fit better with the Milky
Way image later. Place a Curves layer, shift the
midtones and highlights down, then invert the mask
and paint with white so the sky gets darker. Group
the Dodge_Burn layer with these adjustment layers
and name this group ‘bg_corrections’.
06 import your sky
Import and place ‘ML_milkyway.jpg’ on top
of your layer stack in a new layer. Move it up the
canvas, holding down the Shift key and placing to
match the landscape image. Add a layer mask to this
Milky Way layer, then start brushing and integrating
using a black soft brush at 100% Opacity. Use a
lower opacity to smoothly blend the images together
and rename this layer ‘milky way’.

07 correct your tones

Add a new Curves adjustment and clip this
between the existing Curves layer and the Milky Way
08 insert a shooting star
Add a new layer, select your brush at 7px and 0% Size to adjust the shooting star. Use the Pen tool to
make a small line by clicking from two points across the sky. Go to the Paths panel and Ctrl/right-click on the
layer. Shift down the midtones then select the Red path, selecting Stroke Path. Set the Select tool to Brush and activate Simulate Pressure. Next, deselect the
channel and again reduce midtones. Open Layer path to the Layers panel and double-click on the layer to open the Layer Style dialog box. Select Outer Glow
Style>Blending Options, then Opt/Alt-click on the with the Blend Mode set to Screen, Opacity at 54%, Color set to R: 211, G: 226 and B: 255 then Size at 29px.
Underlying Layer panel, dragging and splitting the
Black slider to the right. This will reduce the
darkness where the underlying layers are in shadow.
Group these layers and rename this ‘milky way’.

quick tip
Hold the Shift key when dragging a layer from
another Photoshop file to line the image perfectly
on the canvas. When moving the layer, use the
Shift key again to align the image either
horizontally or vertically, which will prevent the
image from moving out of the canvas.

052
 astro landscapes techniques

composite image elements

Copy, paste and merge existing elements to create realistic reflections

09 achieve a reflection
The water reflection is crucial in this image, as without it the result will immediately look like a
composite. We can create this effect by using a stamped image and the Transform tool.
10 adjust your tones
Once the reflection is cut out, it’s time to
start colour correcting the layer. Do this carefully by
applying adjustments layer by layer, applying clipping
001 002 003
Make this stamped layer by hitting Cmd/ Hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to activate the Transform Add a layer mask while holding the Opt/Alt masks to each one. Add a Hue/Saturation
Ctrl+Opt/Alt+Shift+E and rename this new controls, then Ctrl-click your layer and key, so it’ll be filled with black and the layer
layer ‘reflection’. select Flip Vertical. will be invisible. adjustment layer and apply a clipping mask. Set
Saturation at -13, Lightness at -7, then shift the
midtones down by using a Curves adjustment layer.
Mask out the Curves layer with a large soft black
brush to make it lighter, especially in the misty parts
of the river.

002 003 001

11 add highlights
To add highlights, create a stamp layer as in
Step 9 then go to Select>Color Range, set this to
12
Sampled Colors and check Localized Color Clusters.
Ramp Fuzziness up to 196, set Range at 100%, then
select a highlight spot on a star. The highlights are
now selected and you can hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to
duplicate this layer. Set the blending mode to Screen,
with Opacity at 65% and rename it’ highlights’.
create a glow
To make your landscape glow, make
another stamp layer by hitting Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/Alt+
Shift+E. Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and select a
2px Blur. Set a Soft Light blending mode at 65%
Opacity, then open your Layer Style options and click
on the Underlying Layer panel. Drag and split both
black and white points to reveal the shadows and
highlights then rename this layer ‘glow’.
13 make final adjustments
Use a new Levels adjustment layer to add
some contrast to the final image. Adjust the
Midtones to 0.96 and apply to this adjustment layer’s
mask so it doesn’t affect the whole image. Add
another Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and
reduce Saturation to -15. This is because the glow
we made in the previous step will have increased the
overall image saturation.

053
 techniques how i made

how i made

rise
reid southen

T
illustrator and concept artist Reid Southen reveals
how he achieves dramatic depth of field and lighting
his image was part of a pitch for a movie by
Theory Films (http://theoryfilms.co.uk).
“This is still under wraps, but it’s about
forces not of this world,” artist Reid Southen
(http://rahll.carbonmade.com) says. “There’s an air
of mystery surrounding this structure bursting from
the desert floor.”
As with all cinematic landscapes, perspective
became an important factor in this image’s impact.
“Atmospheric perspective dictates a drop in contrast
and saturation in the distance,” Southen explains.
“Elements take on a bluish cast, so it’s crucial to
paint and alter stock images in a way that achieves
this [look] accurately.”
Southen describes this image as a mix between a
concept and a matte painting, but admits his
dependence on photo stock. “I must have used at
least two-dozen different images in order to match
the landscape to my initial sketch,” he says. “It
involves a good amount of stitching, colour
correction using Hue/Saturation, Color Balance,
Levels, cloning and good old-fashioned digital
painting to combine everything convincingly.”

To unify the colours as well as add

contrast and atmospheric glow, hit
Copy Merged, paste, then apply
Gaussian Blur between 20 and 40px.
Set this layer’s blending mode to
Soft Light, drop the Opacity to
around 40%, then play with Levels
and saturation.

054
 how i made techniques

Add light detail to structures

quickly by pasting in stock of
distant buildings. Set these layers’
blending modes to Pin Light and
adjust their Levels. You can then
duplicate and erase areas until
you’re happy with the effect.

Make a selection of an image

section then Edit>Copy Merged
and paste on top. Next, apply a
feathered selection within this
new layer, applying a Glass or
Ocean Ripple filter effect.

Use stock of different canyons and

layer these in sections. To get the
canyons to cut into the ground,
apply to a layer mask and erase
areas you don’t want.

055
 TECHNIQUeS DESIGN commercial PACKAGING

GRAPHICS

DESIGN commercial
PACKAGING
W
Combine analogue and digital-illustration
techniques to create a dynamic CD cover design
hen working on album artwork for
artists in the music industry, our goal
is always to create dynamic imagery
that will keep the viewer’s attention
and interest over time. Using a combination of tactile
and digital techniques throughout the design process
helps us preserve the organic, real-world feel of
traditional media, while taking advantage of the
flexibility and time-saving tools of digital editing.
In this tutorial we will show you an example of
how we work to bring an album cover design from
the initial mock-up and sketching phase, through
digital editing in Photoshop to the finished graphics
ready for printing. The tutorial is expressed through a
case study of the album artwork for Days of
Transcendence by the Norwegian band PELbO.
Using Photoshop, we’ll combine quick sketches
with manipulated images to create a rough
mock-up, before using traditional drawing and
painting techniques to create a dynamic inked
artwork and textures for colouring effects. These will
be scanned and distributed into separate layers.
Adjustment layers and different blending modes will
produce the desired colour tones and effects. Finally,
we’ll apply texture layers to give the entire image a
coherent tone and evoke a vintage result.
Our experts
SKURKTUR
www.skurktur.com
Skurktur is an experimental design
collective based in Trondheim,
Norway. Mixing different types of
mediums, the collective primarily
produces illustration-based work for
clients in the indie music scene.

01 set up a first mock-up

First, compose a rough mock-up for the
design. This can be a collage of drawings and
reference images put together in Photoshop. Use
Threshold and Stroke Layer Styles on image cutouts
to get a better idea of what an inked drawing would
look like. Indicate the placement of text, barcode and
other elements that need to be included. Doing this
at an early stage helps to balance the composition,
leaving room for graphical elements and avoiding
vital areas of the artwork being hidden at the end.
02 make a detailed pencil sketch
In Photoshop, scale the mock-up to about
one-and-a-half times the size of the cover-print
Work in
Progress
from drawing to
template. The final ink work will usually look better if finished design
it’s slightly scaled down. Print the mock-up image
and use a light table to trace outlines and details of
the main objects. Indicate lines where the image will
be cropped according to the print template, but don’t
let the borders stop you from drawing out the full
image. This will save some work if you want to
slightly resize or reposition the image later.

Progress 1: Draw with ink

03 create an ink drawing of your

base concept
It’s time to start inking out some details. Instead of
Progress 2: Apply texture

applying directly onto the pencil sketch, use a light

table to trace the design onto a separate sheet of
paper. This way the pencil design is not lost and the
ink drawing is kept clean, giving crisp scan results.
Most of the line work is created using a 0.05
Steadtler or Micron Pigment Liner. Along the
outlines, a 0.5 Pigment Liner is used to bring depth
to the drawing and to make elements pop out. Progress 3: Add final detail

056
DESIGN MUSIC PACKAGING teCHNIQUES

057
 TECHNIQUeS DESIGN commercial PACKAGING

04 add colour textures

Now that we have our inked drawing, it’s
time to create the textures that will serve as the
05
coloured layers in our final design. Using a large
brush or a sponge, roughly paint a heavyweight
sheet of paper with a watered-down mix of cold
coffee. While the paper is still wet, blend in small
amounts of watercolour paint and ink. Additional
liquid media such as acrylics or spray paint can then
be added as pieces of splatter. Repeat the process
and create a handful of different coloured textures.
import into photoshop
Next, scan both the coloured textures and
the inked drawing in Color mode with the image
quality set to at least 600dpi. In this way, the pieces
can also be used in other, larger formats such as an
LP or a poster. This provides much more flexibility
later on. As we want the inked drawing to appear
crisp, we need to clean it up a bit. First change the
mode to Grayscale, then adjust the Input Levels by
setting the blackest point to the inked line and the
whitest point to the background.
06 set up the print template
Open a new document according to the
sizes specified on the print template of the particular
CD cover format. Use Guides to mark the printable
area, including folds and outer bleeds. This will help
you keep a good view of the overall design. Drag the
inked drawing into the document and arrange it
according to the composition of the mock-up. Make
sure that important details of the image are not
placed across folds, or in areas that will be cut away
after printing.

07 make masks for colour

Enter Quick Mask mode and create masks
for each of the different areas of colour. Both the
quick tip
Using the keyboard shortcut to
quickly show and hide
Magic Wand and the Eraser tools are preferred for Guides can be very useful
this task. Make sure you create the masks so that when arranging the main
they overlap the inked drawing by two or three composition and positioning
pixels. This is commonly referred to as trapping and elements in the document.
will eliminate any unwanted white space between Use the shortcut Shift+Cmd/
the ink drawing and the colour areas. After masking Ctrl+; for Toggle Guides.
an area, exit Quick Mask mode, create a new layer
and fill the selection with white using the Paint
Bucket tool.

08 place colours
With all the colour areas on their own layers, we can play with
colour textures. Set the blending mode for the inked layer to Multiply
09
and bring one of the scanned textures into the Photoshop document. To
place the colour texture within the borders of a masked colour area,
arrange the layers so that the colour texture is on top of the designated
mask, Ctrl/right-click on the layer and select Create Clipping Mask.
edit colour texture
Start by bringing the initial mock-up image into the document. We’ll use this as a
rough reference for editing the colour textures. Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
and assign it as a clipping mask over the colour texture layer. Next, by moving the sliders
on the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, tune the colour of the texture to loosely match the
colour scheme of the initial mock-up. A Levels layer can also be applied in the same
manner to tune the contrast of the colour texture layer.

058
 DESIGN commercial PACKAGING teCHNIQUES

10 prepare additional materials

To enhance the depth of each colour
texture, we’ll add more layers of texture. A splattered
texture can, for instance, help to bring the orange
colour of the flowers to life. Open one of the scanned
textures in a new Photoshop document, preferably
one with dark splatters on a white background. From
the Menu bar, go to Select>Color Range, click on the
splatters, adjust the Fuzziness so that only the
darkest splatters are selected and drag this selection
over into the working Photoshop document.
11 use further tones
Assign the newly imported splatter texture
as a clipping mask over a colour texture layer. Set
the layer blending mode to Multiply (or Color Burn
for a slightly more striking effect), then go to
Edit>Free Transform to rotate and move the splatter
texture to the best position. To change the colour of
the splatter texture, tweak the Hue/Saturation of the
layer. Repeat the process following Steps 8 through
to 11 to fill all of the remaining areas of colour with
different textures.
12 Bring vibrancy to the line work
To achieve an overall coherent tone to the
now fully coloured design, we can add some vibrancy
to the inked drawing. Apply Color Overlay to the
inked layer, select a colour and, still within the Color
Overlay menu, set the Blend Mode to Screen. For this
design we chose a reddish brown to give it a muted
yet warm appearance. If you find this effect to have a
negative impact on the other colour layers, you can
always go back to edit their respective adjustment
layers. Experimenting with settings is advised.

13 add the final layers

To give the whole image a weathered look, we’ll add some final
layers of translucent textures. Wear and tear usually appears along the
14 insert extra elements
Having completed the imagery, it’s now time to add text, barcodes and labels.
Place elements according to the first mock-up, repositioning pieces so as to not cover
spine and edges of covers, so to mimic this effect prepare a colour important details. Ensure you account for text bleeds and the fold lines of the print
texture via the same procedure as in Step 10. Desaturate the layer with template. Avoid rasterising text layers and imported vector elements, as this might reduce
Hue/Saturation and set the Opacity of the layer to 10%. With the Lasso the quality of the final print results. To finish, save the image, then export with the correct
tool, cut and place the texture along the edges and folds of the cover. settings and colour profile provided by the printing company that will produce the CD cover.

059
 TECHNIQUeS DESIGN commercial PACKAGING

project brief
The process of designing a CD package
The design brief was pretty open in this project.
Covering the area of a six-panel digipack, the design
was also to be made in vinyl and poster formats. The
client requested a dark feeling to the cover, but
nothing heavy metal. It was also requested that the
design be made epic and artsy, without being
pompous, but essentially it had to somehow be
related to the album title.
To build a better basis for generating meaningful
ideas, we often ask the client to list keywords
relating to themselves and their music. We also ask
them to find images they find inspirational and
interesting. These usually work as good references
for ideas. In this project the music itself inspired a lot
of concrete ideas. The explosive rhythms and
dreamy tones, led by a prominent tuba, evoked the
idea of a dreamlike scenery, where objects seem to
float in space, or they might be whirling down into
the ocean’s depths.

All images © Skurktur

060
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 techniques how i made

before © Luz Tapia, Photographer: Bill Jones,

www.billjonesphotographystudios.com,
www.cwtalent.com

062
 how i made techniques

how i made

photo retouch 8
Luz Tapia
There is no denying that when a photo retouch is

L
done well, it is truly a thing of beauty. We spoke with
Luz Tapia about how she creates her digital miracles
uz Tapia has only been retouching since the
end of 2012, but has created some great
work. Like a lot of retouchers, she finds the
line between an edited and a realistic image
hard to define. “I think the biggest challenge is
retouching the skin and making the final result look
natural,” she says. “I make most errors on the skin.
That is always an area that I need to improve.”
Tapia's choice of tools will be familiar to most
retouchers – the usual suspects of the Healing
Brush, Clone Stamp tool and Curves all feature. But
her start point isn't the most obvious: “I begin every
retouch job using the Liquify filter to correct the
symmetry of the face or body. No exception.” Despite
having her set routine for starting an edit, Tapia
realises the importance of expanding her skillset to
get the best results. “I used to retouch skin only using
the Healing Brush,” she admits. “Now I use Curves
and the results are 100 per cent better. Curves enable
you to preserve the texture of the skin, which is
essential for keeping results realistic. However, I
experiment the most by altering the colour of the
image. It’s the part that I enjoy the most too!”
Tapia plans to produce a series of
photomanipulations, mixed-media work and photo
rectouches, all based around her original characters.
On a professional level, she aims to carry on with
retouching but to also branch out to illustrating book
covers. To see more of Tapia’s work, visit her online
portfolio via www.luztapia.com.ar.

01 correct the expression and face

The first challenge I came across when
starting this project was correcting the expression of
the model and editing the shape of the face. For this I
went to Filter>Liquify and started making corrections
with the Forward Warp tool.
02 add hair
The empty areas on the hair needed filling
out, so I picked the Lasso tool to select areas of hair
and then copied and pasted it into position.
Edit>Transform>Deform ensured that the shape
fitted with the rest of the image.
03 remove surplus material
If a studio shot isn’t cropped enough, you
often see things you shouldn’t. As with the hair, I
copied and pasted areas of skin to cover the bra up
and then removed any hard edges with a soft Eraser.
Try to match the skin tones using Dodge & Burn.

make friends with curves

When I first started retouching, I used to over-edit
the skin using only the Healing Brush. While this
tool is useful in certain scenarios, using it
exclusively limits the scope of what can be
achieved. Though Curves adjustments take longer
to apply, they produce a better result and offer
more control. As well as skin edits, Curves also
works well when it comes to adding shadows and
highlights to the rest of the image. This image
was actually the first time I used Curves to adjust
the lighting and I’m delighted with how it turned
out. There is a dramatic difference between the
start and edited image, which is the whole point!

063
 techniques how i made

04 prepare the curves

To remove the skin imperfections I created
two new Curves layers; the first with Input: 97,
Output: 158 named ‘Light’; the second with the
opposite values: Input: 158, Output: 97 and named
‘Black’. I selected the white mask box and inverted it.
05 Use dodge & burn
On the Light Curves layer, I used a white
brush with Flow set to 2-6% to paint on the areas
that needed to be lightened. On the layer named
‘Dark’ I painted with white on the areas that needed
to be darkened.
06 highlights and shadows
I created a further two Curves layers and
added highlights and shadows in areas like the
cheeks, shoulders and hair using the same values
as before. Remember to use a soft round brush to
achieve softer results.

07 the background
The background was fixed by creating a
new layer and adding a gradient with two values of
08 the colours
At this stage I could play the most and it’s now that I recommend simply trying what fits your image. I
used another Curves layer to lighten the image a little bit. I also lowered the saturation, applied a Magenta
grey. This looked better and made it easier for me to Photo Filter and used Color Balance to achieve the look I wanted.
remove some loose hairs near the neck and on top
of the head. I removed them with a layer mask. I think the biggest
challenge is
retouching the skin and
making the final result look
natural… I make most
errors on the skin. That is
always an area that I need
to improve

going further
It’s always important to look back at an image you’ve created and try
to be objective. When you’re making the actual edit, there are too
many other things to consider to have the necessary distance, so
give it a few days and then cast your eye over your work. In this
particular image I feel parts of the hair are a little messy, so I could
have done a better job there. I also think I went too far with the
armpit. It needed quite heavy retouching and although it is better
than what it was, the aim of retouching is to make it realistic and for
the viewer to not be aware that any editing has taken place. I think
the armpit shows that the image has been retouched, but every
image is a learning experience and by looking over past work I can
avoid those mistakes in the future.

064
 Learn to inspire
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 techniques master surrealism

066
 DYNAMIC LIGHTING TECHNIQUES

PHOTOMANIPULATION

DYNAMIC LIGHTING
S
COMBINE PHOTO STOCK, TEXTURES AND BLENDING MODES TO
PRODUCE A SURREAL IMAGE
urrealism is the name of the game in this
tutorial, as we take you through a
Photoshop process that will help you
achieve high-end photoreal surreal
effects, using an array of comped resources. Lighting
effects feature heavily, as we show you how to apply
contrast, highlights and shadows to tie all your
elements together in a believable fashion.
You’ll need to be familiar with basic Photoshop
functions as we tackle ways to cut out images using
the Pen Path tool. We’ll also look at how to enhance
manually applied lighting, using both brushes and
Blend Modes. These lighting effects are far from
frivolous however, as many will be binding our
image elements together, creating realism in an
otherwise unbelievable image.
Thanks to Troy Huynh and V2lab we’ll start with a
model image that’s the foundation of the artwork.
Once you have completed this tutorial not only will OUR EXPERT
you be able to light and construct a photoreal surreal KODE ABDO
image, but you’ll be ready to reapply many of the www.dabosslogic.com
Kode is an artist from Melbourne,
techniques across other light-inspired images. Australia, setting his sights on the
big city of New York. As a self-made

BRING THE COMPOSITION TOGETHER graphic artist he continues to learn

and apply new skills.
ARRANGE ALL ELEMENTS BEFORE YOUR LIGHTING PROCESS BEGINS @Bosslogic

01
RESIZE YOUR DOCUMENT
Open a new document at 3,800 x 4,900px,
then open the ‘Girl.jpg’ and place it in the centre of
your workspace. Once you’re happy with your
placement, begin removing the subject from the
background. We’ll use the Pen Path tool to make a
selection and then cut the model out.
02
REFINE THE HAIR DETAIL
Soften the edges of your model so they’re
not overly sharp. Do the same with the hair using the
‘Painted Hair Brushes’ supplied, painting to a
separate layer so we can use the Transform tools to
manipulate our elements later. Now merge the hair
layer with the model layer.
SOURCE FILES
All the images and brushes used to
create this image, including the
model, photo stock, textures and
rendered images, are supplied.
Ready-made PSD files also feature.
WORK IN
PROGRESS
DARKNESS TO LIGHT

Progress 1: Pick a subject

Progress 2: Arrange elements

03 MAKE A BASIC RETOUCH

For this particular image we need to remove the model’s freckles, so we’ll edit using basic
retouching techniques by applying the Spot Healing brush. This is the best tool to clear up blemishes fast, but
we’ll also use the Patch tool for some of the obstinate areas. Progress 3: Refine lighting

067
 techniques DYNAMIC LIGHTING

04 create your background

We don’t want to make an overly complex
backdrop, so instead we’ll add a new layer titled
05
‘background’. Next, activate a brush with a soft edge,
increase the size to around 4,000px and apply once
behind the subject using a shade of blue on its own
layer. Now we’ll drop the layer’s Opacity to 80%,
which is especially useful in the cases when the
paint leaves areas far too strong and overpowering
for this project. Remember, we’re attempting to
complement the piece, not overwhelm it.
insert texture to the background
Import the supplied ‘waterdrops 3.jpg’ file,
place it on top of the blue-brushed layer and set the
blending mode to Soft Light. Desaturate the image to
make it completely black and white. To improve the
contrast in the monochrome layer, apply Brightness/
Contrast and amend the settings until the right effect
is achieved. If it still feels weak, duplicate this layer
and set its blending mode to Overlay. Merge the
background, blue-brushed and waterdrop 3 layers
together and apply a light Gaussian Blur.
06 apply water elements
Open and import the supplied ‘waterdrop 2.
jpg’ file and transform it using the Free Transform
tool. Grab the top-middle anchor point and compress
it to give the illusion that the ripple is flat on the
ground. This method is all about getting the right
perspective. The Transform tool is powerful enough
to achieve this, so once you’re happy with your
outcome, desaturate your waterdrop 2 layer (Cmd/
Ctrl+U) so it’s a little less vibrant and matches the
image’s overall atmosphere.

07 blend in the liquid

Using either your Eraser tool set with a soft edge, or a layer mask, erase from the bottom of the
subject, specifically the feet. The look we’re trying to achieve is one where the model’s feet are submerged in
08 place a sousaphone
Open the supplied ‘Sousaphone.psd’ then
select, cut, copy and paste it into sections. You can
the water. This doesn’t have to be too deep, just up to the ankle so her hand can still be seen over the water duplicate and place these in your scene as you see
level later in the tutorial. Also, make the water look seamless with the rest of the background by erasing the fit. Place your sousaphone layers closely around the
hard edges of the water layer, using a soft Eraser tool or a layer mask. subject and consider these elements as part of a
giant metallic snake moving in and out of the water
and around the composition. Feel free to experiment
with your own placement to create the movement
you want in the piece.

quick tip
To make lighting pop out of the image, blending
mode layers are your best friends. Experiment
with modes like Soft Light and Overlay to
intensify exposures. You can tweak the strength
of effects using the Opacity slider, or duplicate the
layers to boost brightness.

068
 DYNAMIC LIGHTING techniques

unify your scene

Use Hue/Saturation and other adjustments to set the tone of the composition

09 adjust your tones

First, tone the sousaphone to fit the image using Hue/Saturation>Colorize settings (Cmd/Ctrl+U)
and apply a slightly desaturated dark-blue tone. Here we’ve also added a gradient map to our model using a
10 Place the body texture
Now we’ll add texture over certain parts of
the model’s body. Open the supplied ‘Crack Texture’
blue-to-light-blue style. Set this gradient map layer’s blending mode to Soft Light and adjust the opacity until folder to access seven texture images that will help
you’re happy with the outcome. us achieve the look we want. We’ve placed a ‘cracks
04.jpg’ file over the model’s left shoulder and just
001 002 003
over her elbow. Both are blended using a Multiply
blending mode. Apply the same effect to the model’s
thighs, but using the ‘crack 03.jpg’ file. Last, you can
change the tonality to match the water.

001 002 003

Cut out the model, add her hair back in, then Add the background behind the model, paint Cut up and place the sousaphone where you
merge the layers. with the soft brush, texture and merge. want it to create a snake-like instrument.

11 duplicate the ripples

Using the waterdrop 2 layer we applied in
Step 6, select the ripple area of the image and
12
duplicate this. Slightly manipulate it to look different
from the main ripple using Transform tools and
place it on the surface of the water under the
instruments to create entry points for the
sousaphone. Erase the excess areas of the
sousaphone to make them seem like they are
submerged underwater. Darken the tips of the
sousaphones closest to the water so they blend in.
Tweak the backlighting
Select a soft brush and then create a new
layer behind the model and the sousaphone. On this
layer we’ll create an outer glow to make the centre
of the image stand out. With a light shade of blue,
brush some lighting strokes behind the model and
the instruments. Make sure you apply just beneath
the edges, because we’re using a soft brush that will
automatically spread beyond the edges. To finish this
step, duplicate the layer and set the new layer’s
blending mode to Soft Light.
13 texture the sousaphone
Apply the supplied ‘crack 05.jpg’ and ‘crack
06.jpg’ files to texture the sousaphone layers and
give them a rusty look. Take your time when placing
these textures to produce the greatest impact and
realism. Apply an Overlay blending mode to these
texture layers to obtain a stronger effect. If this
becomes too strong for you, try dropping the Opacity
slider to around 80% or a little lower. You can
experiment and set this layer to Soft Light if that’s an
effect you’re aiming for.

069
 techniques DYNAMIC LIGHTING

bring focus to your image

Blend lighting layers and bring focus back to the centre

14 prepare the hard-lit edges

Duplicate the model layer and brighten this
by applying Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast.
Create a look that seems a little overexposed, but not
too harsh, because we still want to see details in the
lit areas. Use a soft-edged Eraser and remove from
the centre as in our example. This is done to create
more dynamic lighting, which means we have
something to work with later in the lit edges.
15 light the hair
Make a selection of your model layer by
Ctrl-clicking the layer thumbnail. With your selection
active, create a new layer and use a soft bright-blue
brush, set to Soft Light, to highlight the edges of the
hairline. Create another new layer on top of this and
repeat the technique using a lighter shade of blue
and setting your blending mode to Overlay. Repeat
this method to the sousaphone layers.
16 replicate motion
To enhance the sense of motion, open the
supplied Music Notes folder where you’ll find a host
of PSD files that we can combine to create the effects
we’re looking for. Place these new layers under the
sousaphone layer, making it seem as though these
elements are being blown out. Change the size of
each of these layers to create a sense of perspective
and to enhance the detail in the image.

17 add linked elements

We’ll simulate motion in the piece further by applying images from the supplied Black Ink folder.
We’ll apply them around the sousaphone and exiting the water, to create a splash effect. You can also mix
quick tip
Use the liquid images supplied to create your
own splashes and abstract elements in the
your ink layers with the music notes, adding in the previous set, to evoke a chaotic look. Remember to apply image. Don’t be scared to play around with the
Hue/Saturation>Colorize, which will let you add a shade of purple, matching the tones in the water. Motion B option to produce a sense of movement.
Strive to make effects your own and let your
imagination take over.

18 achieve liquid lighting

Repeat the techniques from Step 15 to
insert lighting in your liquid areas, but this time we
want these to be a little brighter as they are reflecting
from the glow emitting from the model image. To
get this effect we’ll add an extra layer, set to Soft
Light blending mode. Next, apply a Gaussian Blur
filter to this layer, which will result in brighter
surroundings, then add motion blur to some of the
liquid to inject more movement.

believe the unbelievable

The key to achieving a believable image, even
when creating surreal elements, is correct
placement. Use the Transform tools to achieve
the best angles and perspective. Make sure the
image doesn’t get too cluttered, give elements
room to breath and display a strong sense of
depth. Understanding focal lengths and blur is a
core skill to have. Using the right amount of blur
will help create an accurate sense of background
and foreground. This is more diffused in the
backdrop, harder and brighter in the foreground,
especially in this image. These dynamic effects
are what augment the realism in an unreal scene.

070

19 increase the surrealism
Open and import layers from the files in the
supplied Hands folder. Using the techniques of the
previous steps, tone the arms to match the colour of
the water using Hue/Saturation>Colorize settings
(Cmd/Ctrl+U). Add texture to the arms just like in
Step 10, duplicate the ripple layers as in Step 11 and
continue to mask your arm layers so they look like
they are reaching up from the water.
22 insert shadows
We’ll now add some directional shadows behind the two arms on the right of the image. This is to
enhance the direction and realism of the light, by casting shadows away from our main light source. Create a
new layer and with a soft brush paint two black lines away from the direction of the light, making sure these
are on top of the arm layers in the corner. After you’re happy with the angle of the brushed lines, drop the
layer Opacity to 80% to produce a transparent look.
24 Use a smoke texture
Import the ‘smoke.psd’ supplied and place
it around the image at a very low opacity. This adds
that fine detail in the image and brings a dark, misty
atmosphere. Feel free to use the smoke.psd to add
extra detail to the lighting layers, by blending it using
an applied Soft Light or Overlay blending mode and
setting a low layer opacity. This will add texture to
your lighting. Place similar effects in the lighting
under the model, to evoke a sense of movement.
DYNAMIC LIGHTING techniques
20 focus on extra detail
Repeat Step 10, but add effects to the
model’s right leg that sits in the background. Use the
Pen Path tool to make a selection around this leg,
then duplicate and create a new leg layer. Tone this
so the colour matches that of the water and the two
arms. Apply crack textures to the knee and use the
Eraser to work out some of the coloured leg layer, so
it looks like the knee is visible through the cracks.
21 light elements individually
Now we’ll repeat the same method used in
Step 15 to add highlights to the hand layers. Some of
the hands in the image are set some distance from
the main light source, so when you do apply light,
make sure you use separate effects to individual
hand layers. This will enable you to have maximum
control over the brightness and means you can alter
the intensity of light correctly for each element.
23 replicate a radiant light effect
Referring back to what we’ve learnt in Step
15, we can now use similar techniques to add
highlights under our model’s legs, creating the
illusion of light emitting from the water. Doing this
will draw the viewer’s eye to the centre of the
composition once more. First use the Pen Path tool
to target the areas you want to highlight. Also create
a new layer set to Color Dodge blending mode
before painting in your lights using a light-blue soft
brush set to 80% Opacity.
quick tip
Adding new colours to the image’s lighting and
mixing tonality can create interesting looks.
We’ve added a new layer and applied a soft brush
over the already vibrant areas of our image. This
brush is set to Soft Light blending mode and
we’ve inserted pink tones, which produce an
eye-catching look.
071
 TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE

HOW I MADE

AGENT ESCAPE
BILL BAILEY

B
LEARN HOW THIS DIGITAL ARTIST USED ADJUSTMENT
LAYERS TO CREATE ACTIONPACKED EFFECTS
ill Bailey (www.billbailey.de) made this
image as the final part of a six-part story
inspired by James Bond and film noir
movies. “The agent gets his assignment,
confronts the enemy, escapes and rescues the girl.
Inspired by modern action movies, I wanted some
big explosions to end the scene.” Treating the models
separately from the background, Bailey was able to
create different effects on each level before merging
the images and “adding a film grain as well as
increasing the vibrance and contrast”. To create the
vibrant tones and action effects in the image, Bailey
used Photoshop tools such as “the Lasso and Pen to
cut out the buildings and models; a normal round
brush to add things like glare in the background and
a fire colour on the edges of the models. [I also
applied] Dodge & Burn for contrast”.

01 INSERT YOUR ELEMENTS

Place all the individual buildings together,
then add sidewalks, gutters, cars and reflections to
make it seem as though it’s recently been raining.
You can also brighten up the centre to add depth.
02 ADD CONTRAST
Desaturate the image to add drama to the
scene, increase the contrast and sharpness, then
simply add in your models and explosion elements
separately from the rest.
03 BOOST THE VIBRANCE
Use Dodge & Burn to give the models more
contrast, then add colour on the edges to reflect the
explosions. Reduce the hue and saturation, apply
film grain and vibrance, then increase the contrast.

072
HOW I MADE TECHNIQUES

073
 techniques roll up type

074

typography
master isometric type
T
Create beautiful isometric typography
from scratch using photoshop
his tutorial is dedicated to all type-lovers
who are looking to expand their
knowledge in creating three-dimensional
lettering without using a 3D program or
any advanced feature at all. Here you’ll learn how to
achieve this from scratch, without any pre-made
resources. While following this tutorial, you’ll explore
the process of creating a custom, surreal,
typographic piece that’s emerging from a typewriter
in the form of a paper roll.
create the composition
Begin constructing the lettering and perspective
01 sketch the letters
First we’ll need to sketch an outline of our
lettering, assuming we already have an established
idea, direction and title. Although the sketch doesn’t
need to be perfect, it’s best if you could make it as
precise as possible so you don’t have to complete
any additional steps later on.
03 draw the outline
You can now start redrawing the lettering.
This can be done directly over your sketch when its
imported to Photoshop, or you can just use it as a
reference. This will require precise lines because
legibility is a big issue, so try to make the lettering as
recognisable as possible. This step can also be
completed in a vector program, which can be a
whole lot faster.
While following this tutorial,
you’ll explore the process of
creating a custom, surreal,
typographic piece that’s
emerging from a typewriter in
the form of a paper roll
master isometric type techniques
This is a good opportunity for you to broaden your
skills in creating isometric shapes, which can be a
great benefit when you approach similar tasks. You
won’t be given any shortcuts for extruding the
objects, because we want to keep every object as
flexible as possible.
Although this effect can be almost completely
Our expert
replicated in Illustrator, Photoshop will provide better
marko purac aka
control when we begin correcting colour, adding sepra4life
textures and applying other blending options. www.overclothing.com
Marko is a graphic designer and
illustrator from Serbia. His work is
mostly based around illustration and
typography, while his favourite
mediums for expression are T-shirts.
02 open a new document
When your sketch is done, move to
@sepra4life
Photoshop. We’ll create a new portrait document, at Work in
a size of 7,050 x 9,060px 300dpi, with Background Progress
colour # ff3b3b. Before you begin redrawing the from outline to artwork
outline, make sure your Freeform Pen tool options
are set as: Shape/Fill: None, Stroke: Red 1.7pt.
Progress 1: Outline letters
Progress 2: Define perspective
Progress 3: Add shades
075
 techniques master isometric type

04 establish some perspective

Once the lettering composition is done, it’s
time to establish an isometric perspective that’s the
05
crucial part in completing this piece. If you have an
Extended version of Photoshop CS5 or CS6, with the
3D features, you can finish this step with less hassle,
however, you won’t end up with a scalable version of
your final work. Note that if you are using a
pre-made graphic/photo of a typewriter, you will
need to match up its perspective and direct the
lettering that way.
adjust your angles
Duplicate the entire selection of the outlined
lettering and place it in the upper-right area to get a
30-degree angle. Ensure this matches the width and
perspective of the typewriter. The horizontal distance
between the outlined lettering in our example is
850px. You can lower the layer selection beneath the
one you just copied it from and colour it in a different
shade. Select the Line tool, make a 30-degree angle,
duplicate the lines and distribute them to connect the
two outlines and get an accurate guideline.
06 fill out your forms
This is the part of the process that will take
the most time to complete, but it will also deliver the
crucial visual impact we’re looking for. Again, you
can complete this process in a vector program,
which can be later pasted layer by layer as shapes
into Photoshop. To begin, add a new rectangle and
start connecting the ends by following the
established perspective. Continue this process for
every curve and pretty soon you’ll notice the forms
are gradually building up.

07 splash some colour

To gain a better sense of depth, fill the shapes with white and three different shades of grey. After
you complete drawing every letter, it’s time to apply the shading. While we are trying to achieve the most
08 add gradients
When we’re done marking the colours of
the letter elements, it’s time to introduce gradients.
realistic feel we can, we don’t want to lose that glossy effect that gives this piece its depth. We also need to As before, we won’t try to get a very realistic look,
make sure these effects are compatible with the style of our typewriter. but we’ll need to make the shapes look like they are
curved at the right places. This will all be achieved
with a simple gradient, however we need to
customise almost every one of the letters to fit the
shape that they’re applied on, as they are all different
in height and size.

quick tip
The important thing in this tutorial is to get a good
compromise between the form of the letters, the
shades that complement them and the
perspective. For this to turn out well, you’ll need
to imagine the perspective while sketching the
initial outlined lettering.

076
 master isometric type techniques

bring further shades and highlights

Make shapes come alive using linear gradients

09 review your progress

Although we didn’t begin by working on the typewriter, by now we have covered the essential steps
in creating our desired artwork, since we’re primarily focusing on the typography. In the next steps we’ll cover
10 use a proper gradient
Now we’ll add more detail and correct the
gradients applied previously, to get a realistic
the detailed shading, lighting and other effects needed to get a final result. aesthetic for the roll. To start, go to Blending
Options>Gradient Overlay and create a new custom
001 002 003 004
gradient as shown in the screenshot. Make sure you
get the correct gradient angle and repeat it during the
whole process, here we’ve used 117 degrees. As the
distance between the lines is greater, the gradient
should be lighter, but where the distance is shorter,
the gradient is darker.

Once the lettering

composition is done, it’s
time to establish an isometric
001
Import the scanned image into
002
Create a new rectangle,
003
Use gradients on shapes that
004
If using a pre-made typewriter,
perspective that’s the crucial part
Photoshop and redraw with
the Freeform Pen tool.
connect the ends and follow
the established perspective.
form the roll. Customise the
highlights for each shape.
match up its isometric
perspective, angle and width. in completing this piece

11 apply shadows
All shadows can be added with a soft round
brush sized at 150-450px with 100% Opacity. Always
add a new layer so the vector shape doesn’t rasterise
and begin shading after you set Soft Light Blend
Mode on the layer. Later you can change the opacity
and shape of the shadow with the Eraser, or by using
transforming tools like Distort and Warp. You can
also use the Drop Shadow tool when placing
shadows on a nearby object, again with Soft Light.
12 detail the typewriter’s base
It’s now time to create the base where our
roll starts, which in this case is the typewriter. To
start, find a visual reference and begin creating
shapes that will form an outer shell. This will help
you have a clearer idea of the result you’re aiming
for, but will also need to remain isometric and in the
same angle as the roll. Also, make sure all sides of
the shapes are parallel. We’ll now assign each side a
shade of colour from which a gradient will blend.
13 shape the paper roller
Just as with the base, you can use the
rectangles to make your isometric paper roller. This
part will be combined into a separate group, as it will
need to be placed beneath the lettering, unlike the
typewriter, which is in front. Don’t worry if the look
you get isn’t too detailed, because if you go too far it
might not match the feel you have previously set for
your lettering. Also, remember that we are not
aiming to achieve an overly realistic look.

077
 techniques master isometric type

combine and blend

Complete the base and apply colour corrections

14 add the keyboard

Take the Ellipse tool and make a shape so it
can complement the isometric perspective of the
whole piece. Duplicate this and move it to about 35
pixels above the original. Make two new anchor
points on the lower one and pull it up, then apply a
gradient and a drop shadow. Group this selection,
then copy and paste it further on. Add the text by
typing and skewing it into position.
15 insert reflections
Upon getting a complete structure of the
typewriter set, start creating highlights with linear
gradients applied to shapes. Since we previously
established the colours of each side of the typewriter,
the gradients must start with the same colour as the
side it’s beginning from. Although the materials don’t
have this level of reflection, we’ll aim to stay within
the same style as the lettering above.
16 apply further shadows
To add a bit more depth, create a rectangle
filled with black and try to follow the lines of the
typewriter in a 30-degree angle to make a precise
isometric shadow. When done, apply Gaussian Blur
with a 20px Radius. Copy the layer, set the Opacity to
30%, take the Eraser tool with a 50% Opacity and
start making gentle strokes in the furthest part of the
upper shadow layer.

17 correct the tones

For the final touches, make a new layer above the Background layer, take a soft round brush set to
the highest size and at 90% Opacity (if using white as the base colour), then start applying highlights so the
18 make the final touches
To finish, flatten all the groups then set the
Hue/Saturation to 5. Adjust the brightness and
backdrop doesn’t appear as flat as before. Duplicate the Lettering group, merge it and start making colour contrast if needed, then apply some noise, but don’t
corrections if needed, adjusting the Hue/Saturation levels. Ours is set to Hue: -150 and Saturation: -60, to get a overdo it. Ours is set to 20% Amount,
brownish aesthetic. Monochromatic, Uniform Distribution. This will
produce a grain effect and add a vintage feel, which
sits nicely on these kinds of gradients. Apply a Smart
Sharpen filter if needed when scaling down your
work for exporting. This will make the lettering and
typewriter pop out from the background.

flexible workflow
By following this simple workflow you allow yourself
to come back at any time and make any alterations
to almost every single layer, without losing quality or
having to redo an edit all over again. This means the
work does take more time to produce, but in the
long run you’ll save time, especially if you’re working
on a client project that needs revising. It’s essential to
organise the layer groups, since there will be plenty
of layers forming this piece.

078
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 reviews perfect photo suite 7 premium edition

080
 perfect photo suite 7 premium edition reviews

perfect photo suite 7

premium edition
A
We explore whether or not significant upgrades
take this photo-editing suite to a new level
host of leading photo-editing software individually. This instantly makes the bundle a sound www.ononesoftware.com
companies, including the likes of Nik economic choice, while upgrading is even more
operating system:
Software and Anthropics Technology, cost-effective, working out at $21 per program.
• OSX 10.6, 10.7, 10.8
relentlessly vie for your attention and Considering the usual annual upgrades professionals
• Windows Vista, Windows 7 or
money. OnOne Software (www.ononesoftware. go through, this softens the blow of products with a
Windows 8
com) is the latest to throw its hat into the ring, with routine shelf life.
the launch of Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition, Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition also specifications:
but how can it hope to compete? comes with a modified interface, now with a new • 4GB RAM
First of all, Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition carbon style replacing the outdated light-grey • 1.5GB hard drive for installation

£185
packages seven individual pieces of software in one version. This new aesthetic integrates nicely with
complete bundle, working out at $43 per licence. It’s Photoshop CS6’s look, when activating Perfect Photo

$300
worth mentioning this price, as you’ll find the cost is Suite 7 Premium Edition software from inside
twice as much if you opt to purchase the programs Adobe’s software (File>Automate).

All the new presets let you simulate effects created by professional and expensive lenses, including bokeh and out-of-focus regions in 2D images

081
 reviews perfect photo suite 7 premium edition
Interface features have had a reshuffle, reinforcing
Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition’s new and
improved options, which are more coherent and
driven by improved automation. Perfect Portrait 2 is
a notable example, with facial recognition and eye/
mouth control points targeting areas instantly and
offering greater precision. Option sets have been
retitled so the intended effects are effortlessly
understood before application, which is as
straightforward as using sliders. Teeth, eyes and skin
can also be edited with relative ease.
We have found the absence of specific hair-editing
options puzzling since version 6 of the suite and it
still evades users with this seventh release. The
inclusion of a feature like this would appeal to
serious retouchers, offering more customisation for
Activate Perfect Effects 4’s Perfect Brush and edge-detection technology does the rest. You can affect every area you want without worrying
about bleeding effects into the surrounding edges
Perfect Effects 4’s 400 presets are applicable with one click, then can be layered and further enhanced using Effect and Blending options.
Sadly these don’t upload live, so Undo becomes your best friend. With a little trial and error this is a small price to pay for quality results
082
advanced users. As it is, dramatic changes to skin
tones frustratingly affect the existing tonality of the
hair elements, which will annoy retouchers.
Unlike Photoshop, which does provide a host of
separate black-and-white-related adjustments,
here you have everything you need in one location.
Each option is geared towards creating
contemporary effects through one-click options and
sliders. This means more time to play and less spent
in production. Perfect B&W Tone options give you
everything you need to create powerful HDR looks.
Color Response enables you to easily emphasise
certain areas of an image and de-emphasise others,
based on their original colours. Add to this the ability
to introduce grain, glow and blend modes and you
have one ingenious option set.
the one to watch
The perfect option for stylised edits
If we had to choose one standout addition to the
Perfect Photo Suite 7 Premium Edition, then it
would have to be the all-new Perfect B&W,
which pays special attention to the art of
creating stunning monochrome imagery.
Presets are divided into categories including
Basic Fundamentals,19th, 20th and 21st
Century effects as well as High-Speed
Documentary. They’re all adaptable and we
were able to apply vintage styles, colour, texture,
grain and borders instantly to great effect.
Sliders such as Detail, Shadows and Highlights
enable you to produce smoother portrait effects,
or roughen up a landscape.
Many of these monochrome styles can be
easily replicated in Photoshop, but what
Photoshop doesn’t provide is the number of
borders to finish off effects, which are highly
adaptable too and fit around the size and shape
of an image. Whether you have a taste for the
old photographic darkroom emulsion styles, or
just a clean and professional black trim, there
are many to choose from.
The only thing we feel is missing is a History
palette to help jump to a specific point in the
editing process, which could include a large
number of filters and adjustments.

Perfect Effects 4 isn’t found wanting either. Those
of you familiar with versions 5 and 6 of Perfect Photo
Suite will notice the newly available Brush Mode
options. These let you paint in effects to specific
areas of your image, which is great when you’re
looking to cool down, warm up, darken or lighten
areas. Once activated, the software’s edge-detection
technology kicks in, affecting every area you select
without crossing over surrounding edges.
Admittedly, the list of improvements goes on and
although we can’t review them all we can reveal they
include RAW file support; integration with Lightroom
and Aperture; a brand-new effects library in Perfect
Effects 4; new image-browser functionality; blending
modes in Perfect Layers 3 and new built-in presets
for specific printer manufacturers as well as paper
types in Perfect Resize 7.5 Pro. All these additions
make the entire suite far more constructive and
Masking tools in Perfect Mask 5 may seem a bit convoluted to new users, but you have to use them the right way for the best results. Apply
Keep and Drop colours then the Magic Brush tool for a fully optimised application
Each option is geared
towards creating
contemporary effects through
one-click options and sliders. This
means more time to play and
less spent in production, which
you can often experience with
Photoshop’s isolated effects
perfect photo suite 7 premium edition reviews
genuinely demonstrate that onOne, as a software
provider, is giving customers what they really need,
not just what they want. Many advanced users will
find that their pre-existing knowledge outweighs the
need for plug-ins. However, onOne software keeps
its end of the bargain by supplying an editing suite
that produces extraordinary images in less time and
without stretching your budget.
Verdict
Features: 8/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Value for money: 8/10
Quality of results: 7/10
8/10
Final Score:
The Perfect B&W Tone options are all you’ll need to create stunning dynamic monochromatic images. However, you can also experiment with
the Tone Curve and apply vignette styles to enhance effects
Case study
Bob campbell, managing
director, onone software
europe, middle east, africa
and rest of world
Can you tell us the intention
behind releasing three versions
of the suite?
Bob Campbell: It’s now available in three
flavours, including Standard for JPEG users,
Lightroom and Aperture for a full RAW
workflow and finally the Premium Edition for
Photoshop users. Everyone has access to
onOne’s award-winning tools.
What are your personal
favourite new additions to the
complete editing suite?
Bob Campbell: Perfect B&W is completely
new and is already creating a stir. Perfect
Effects offers up to 400 presets to enhance
images with a single click. Perfect Resize
enables enlargement up to 1,000% and Perfect
Layers enables layering capabilities in your
favourite RAW workflow. FocalPoint is ideal for
adjusting depth of field, while Perfect Portrait
corrects and enhances perfectly.
Who will get the most out of this
software bundle?
Bob Campbell: OnOne Software’s Perfect
Photo Suite 7 enables photographers of all
standards to work fast, efficiently and make
images look amazing. Enabling all
photographers – from iPhone users through to
keen amateurs and high-end professionals – to
use these amazing products means everybody
can work simply, creatively and quickly to get
the very best images out of their photographs.
That’s the credo at onOne Software.
083
 REVIEWS SAMSUNG GALAXY CAMERA
SAMSUNG GALAXY
CAMERA
IS THIS CAMERA AND ANDROID PHONE HYBRID A
A
NOVELTY PIECE OR A CREATIVE CORNERSTONE?
• £399 / $499 • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
great photo can easily become the
foundation to your digital art created inside
Photoshop, so a competent camera is a
must when recording your inspirations and
collecting photo resources.
Samsung’s Galaxy Camera is the latest option in
an ever-expanding field of camera choices. This is
essentially a cross between a compact point-and-
shoot camera and an Android phone. The hybrid
device presents itself as the future of photography
and for the most part it delivers.
Packing so much exciting technology into such a
small device means Samsung has had to make
some compromises. The 4.8-inch HD screen is a
great alternative to the traditional viewfinder, but has
left the camera feeling a little oversized, affecting
comfort when handling. The shaped grip on the right
WORKING WITH THE GALAXY CAMERA
A FEW WAYS IN WHICH THIS NEW BREED OF CAMERA CAN HELP YOU GET CREATIVE
The Galaxy Camera runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Its phone-sized
screen means it’s fully compatible with a lot of the image-editing apps
you’d find on a regular Android phone
084
does help slightly, but it could do with being more
pronounced if you’re to rely on it for some
one-handed, spontaneous shooting.
Fortunately, the camera goes on to justify its price
with the included functionality. Thanks mainly to a
built-in flash, it held up well in low-light situations
and really thrived when there was a lot of natural
light to work with.
We felt confident that the Galaxy Camera’s Auto
mode would take care of all the necessary settings
when shooting. However, those who strive for
perfection can specify looks using the full set of
shooting options, including ISO, Aperture and shutter
speed, in Manual mode.
The killer feature here for digital artists has to be
Galaxy Camera’s OS: Android 4.1Jelly Bean. This
opens the device up to a wealth of creative apps,
The fully optical 21x zoom lens means you’ll have no problem shooting from afar without a dramatic loss in quality. This is perfect for nature or
sports photography that can be edited with precision later on
With such a large touch-screen interface, there’s no need for traditional buttons. This makes operation easier for new users, but a little more
complicated when shooting in Manual mode than more traditional cameras.
RECOMM
ENDS
including Adobe Photoshop Touch, meaning you can
edit straight out of the camera. This also means you
can snap and share an image instantly through a
host of useful utilities, including Dropbox. This has an
automatic image-upload feature ideal for getting
those all-important shots back to your colleagues at
the studio when you’re on the move.
Integration between apps and the hardware is
seamless, so you can upload on the go with a 3G
SIM card. This makes all the difference when you’re
working on-location to a tight deadline.
VERDICT: 8/10
The Galaxy Camera is a great asset for
on-the-go shooting and photo editing,
helping to improve your digital workflow

MASSIVE BLACK
VOLUME 2
A BEHINDTHESCENES TREAT REVEALING THE
A
CREATIVE GENIUS OF MASSIVE BLACK
www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/massiveblack_2
• $65 (Slip Cased Edition)
nyone familiar with Massive Black will
know that this studio likes to do things
differently. When Massive Black Volume 1
was released four years ago, a jet-black
cover with a high-gloss, black-on-black logo
certainly stood out from Ballistic Publishing’s other
creative titles. Make no mistake, this is a studio
operating in a league of its own.
It’s no surprise then that Volume 2 surpasses
expectations once again with an all-white cover,
binding together some of the most stunning concept
art you’ll see this year. Contributors to the volume
– Justin ‘Coro’ Kaufmann, Kemp Remillard, Jason
Ever wondered who worked closely with Michael Bay’s production studio to concept many of the assets in Transformers 3? Well here’s a hint
Whether it’s inFAMOUS 2 or a small startup project, Massive Black gives it
everything it’s got. The book features hundreds of character concepts
MASSIVE BLACK VOLUME 2 REVIEWS
Chan, Wes Burt, Bruno ‘Nox’ Gore – are all
considered the elite in the field.
Massive Black was forged by artists and continues
to be run by them. The crew works together in the
trenches, sharing, critiquing, taunting, problem-
solving and coming out of it all with an incredible
body of art that’s revealed across Volume 2’s 208 full-
colour pages.
Game projects in the volume include Starhawk,
inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2, Red Faction:
Armageddon, Risen 2, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
and more. The likes of Transformers 2 and 3, G.I. Joe,
Thor and Battleship tick the movie boxes. This is a
The book is divided into sections including Games, Movies, Advertising and
MB Entertainment, giving you great insight into how the studio operates
studio that has its fingers in many pies, not to
mention many of its own IPs that are also featured.
Flicking through Massive Black Volume 2 is like
taking a journey. The scope of the art within will beg
you to ask how so few artists can create so much
content. You should let this be your driving force,
after all, these are the artists we want to be. A helpful
reminder of our dreams is never a bad thing.
VERDICT: 9/10
Volume 1 owners will need this sequel to
feel whole again. Never seen a Massive
Black book? You’re missing out
The white soft-cover edition is housed in a sturdy slipcase. Simply open
the pages to be blown away by page after page of stunning artwork
The crew works
together in the
trenches, sharing, critiquing,
taunting, problem-solving
and coming out of it all with
an incredible body of art
085
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 reader interview engaging commerical art
reader interview
engaging
commercial art
H
Hugo Ceneviva reveals how a dedication to creativity and constantly
revising his work keeps him at the forefront of digital illustration
ugo Ceneviva is a retoucher and art
director based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He has worked in the advertising industry
since 2006 and has a solid background in
retouching. He is also increasingly interested in
incorporating CGI into his work and like any true
creative is constantly eager to learn new methods.
Here he discusses his work ethic and what he loves
most about digital art.
How did you get into digital art?
I always loved to read art-based magazines and
when I was 17 I decided to study Advertising and
Graphic Arts. I was constantly looking for the next
creative step to one day become a digital artist.
What was your biggest learning curve?
There was a turning point for me when I started to
study retouching techniques in Rio de Janeiro. Two
years ago I took a vacation there and worked at
Estúdio Ícone for 16 days. This experience changed
my life completely, making me increasingly seek a
Guitar Player: This job was fun to do because I love rock and roll music. I placed all the music elements and built the entire scene around them
to make an impressive image. I used a lot of stock assets and a lot of treatments to get a good result. I applied many layers with Screen
blending mode to get a good light effect. Carefully placed shadows provided a good effect on the player © TAG Comunicação
088
high level of art. After this I started to work and study
really hard towards my goal.
What is your favourite personal piece?
I have two. The first is World Water Day, featured in a
previous issue of Advanced Photoshop, because it
presented a big challenge, but it brought me a lot of
recognition as an artist. The second piece is one I
made as part of a campaign for the agency TAG,
Our reader
called TAG – No Labels.
hugo ceneviva
www.behance.net/hugoceneviva
www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/
hugo_ceneviva
Which artists have influenced you?
Ars Thanea, Mike Campau, Electric Art Studio,
Ricardo Salamanca and of course the Brazilian
studios: Platinum, Estúdio Ícone, Boreal, Fúria and
Romeu & Julieta are all inspiring. What I love in their
work is the minute detail as well as the light and
shadow effects that they re-create to make
something impossible look real and very magical.
How would you best describe your
creative process?
TAG – No Labels: In this project I had to get a stock photo and
transform in something more attractive. I use a lot of Blend Modes
and masks to create explosion effects © TAG Comunicação
TAG Notebook: This project was all about getting an illustration and
bringing it to life, so I cut all the illustrations and began to build a
scene on the notebook © TAG Comunicação
Plane Ad: For this piece I wanted to replicate two periods of the day in one
image, so I applied a lot of colour layers and different assets. I used the
High Pass filter in Overlay mode to add even more textures. It’s always
good to play with different colours for the final effect © Hugo Ceneviva

World Cup Tribute: In this image, I had to take

natural elements and place them to replicate the
Brazilian flag. I worked a lot with shadows and masks
to get a good result Job: Ag. Kiwee © Hugo Ceneviva

089
 reader interview engaging commerical art
001
001
To make this atmospheric piece I worked with four different stock
images of a similar perspective. I applied masks to cut some surplus
areas and left all the best parts.
First I always gather some appropriate references
for each project, then I start with a simple rough
sketch to estimate which elements I’ll be including. I
continue searching for and separating assets, then
later start to edit them where appropriate. There
usually comes a time in the project where I need to
take a break and rest my eyes. After a long time
immersed in the same work, our eyes can begin to
wander a little, so I find it better to rest for 15
minutes to be able to go back and review details that
can sometimes go unnoticed.
What is the most rewarding project
you have been involved in?
A few days ago I started a project for an agency
based in San Francisco, which is going to be my
biggest work so far, because of the sheer reach of
the campaign. It will be really cool to be part of this
project and I feel very honoured. Watch this space.
090
040
002 003
002 003
Next I gathered a lot of references, then played with colour layers With all the elements in place, I cut the photos and illuminated them
and applied Soft Light blending mode to add to the drama. I also using a Soft Light mode with blacks and whites to unify the lighting.
used masks to reinforce certain aspects. Multiple layers were essential for this piece’s success.
What do you believe is the most
important aspect when working on a
project for a client?
I believe it’s essential to present the client with a
creative, unique and magical piece of work,
preferably something they have never seen before.
You should always strive to create work of a high
quality that aims to surprise people.
The role of a creative artist is always to innovate.
It’s our duty to seek something from another era and
bring it to the current context. For me this is the
greatest challenge and my main motivation.
which main Photoshop techniques and
tools do you use?
I always use different techniques for cutting with
blending modes and when altering the lighting
TAG Tattoo Ad: This is part of an ad campaign for TAGCom Magazine,
effects in a project. I study video tutorials to learn incorporating everything the agency will provide in 2013. I used a lot
of contrast and colour layers and deformed the tattoo so it fitted
new techniques, but I also have several books with right on the arm © TAG Ad Agency
 ENGAGING COMMERCIAL ART READER INTERVIEW

DESIGN TIPS
CENEVIVA REVEALS HIS TOP WORKFLOW TIPS
TO IMPROVE YOUR DESIGNS
■ Cut each item out correctly and don’t worry
about the shadows of what you are modifying.
This can leave the work more realistic and will
produce a richer outcome.
■ It’s all in the detail. As simple as it is to
design, it can always be improved somehow. You
should always train in new methods and observe
how each material reacts to new situations.
■ Always work with Blend Modes in a natural
way, without forcing them too much. Try to
make the result as real as possible.
■ Work with different lights and colours. This
can fundamentally change a piece.
■ Always leave the lighting well marked and
with nice contrast, but be careful not to overdo it.
■ Use a palette of colours in your work and
always have a folder of references of everything
you think is cool. This can help you make better
images by thinking outside the box.
■ Finally, if you have finished your work then
stop, walk away from your computer for a few
minutes and look again. You’ll find you can
Rio Type: The sketch for this personal project was from my friend Ots. I started to make a vector version and the 3D in Illustrator. Then I used
always improve something. shadows and light to make the type more realistic, placing some details that represent Rio. I used matte-painting techniques to complete this
work, using layers with colours to make the right environment for the type © Hugo Ceneviva

techniques that I can also freely consult. I always talk

to my artist friends, because sometimes the way
they work is faster and more efficient. My aim is to
constantly learn new techniques and optimise my
day-to-day work.

DO YOU BELIEVE THERE ARE BENEFITS TO

WORKING FOR A STUDIO AS OPPOSED TO
OPERATING AS A FREELANCER?
I think it can work both ways, as I do both kinds of
work today. In the studio you have the opportunity to
work with a larger number of customers from
different areas over a short space of time. Freelance
clients hire you and usually already have a set idea or
they know your style and what they want from you.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

My plans are focused on joining an agency or studio
outside of Brazil, preferably in the United States or
Europe. I always had this dream and I have worked
hard to make it a reality. I hope to do good work this
year and make solid contacts so that I’ll have an
Father’s Day Concept: A personal work made in my 3D lessons, to create a promotional logo for Father’s Day in Brazil. I got some stock photos
and started to cut and put shading on them. I then put a lot of textures on the 3D to make it more real © Hugo Ceneviva opportunity to show my work outside my country.

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091
 TECHNIQUES CREATE YOUR OWN DIGITAL BRUSHES

SHOOTING TEXTURES IN A STUDIO

USE THE PERFECT SETUP FOR CONTROLLED SHOOTS

02 SURROUNDING LIGHT
Introduce a second light
near the camera position. Still
lighting the texture head-on.

01 SET UP YOUR LIGHTS

One light will suffice, but
keep this near the camera and
shoot head-on.

04 ADJUST THE CAMERA

03
A low ISO and smaller
KEEP IT LEVEL
aperture may cause a slow
Use a tripod to shoot
shutter speed. Again, a tripod will
perpendicularly. This will avoid
solve any issues.
any lens distortion.

092

RESOURCE PROJECT
WORK WITH
WOODEN TEXTURES
T
LEARN HOW TO SHOOT AND APPLY TEXTURES
THEN CREATE CONTEMPORARY STYLES
he Resource Project is back, this time
showing you how to capture perfect photo
textures and then apply to your projects.
As you explore ways to set up and shoot
in the studio and outdoors, you’ll also discover which
cameras to use to capture the perfect megapixel
image; which settings to shoot with for the clearest
HUNT FOR TEXTURES OUTDOORS
FIND THE BEST SETTINGS TO CAPTURE PERFECT PHOTOS
01 USE THE RIGHT CAMERA
A camera that supplies a minimum of 24
megapixels in size will provide the best-quality
texture shots. Cameras such as the Nikon D600 and
Sony A99 are exemplary choices, as these also
include full-frame sensors.
BACK IN PHOTOSHOP
USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR FANTASTIC POST-PRODUCTION RESULTS
01 WORK WITH RAW
Following the previous shoot settings will
let you easily adjust colour and contrast. When inside
the RAW interface (now standard with Photoshop
CS6) edit the Exposure, Contrast, Highlights,
Shadows and Clarity sliders to define clearer contour
and stronger detail.
WORK WITH WOODEN TEXTURES ON THE DISC
clarity and other important factors that will leave you
with first-class results.
In addition to this you will learn how to digitally
replicate Hatch Show Print effects by snapping your
textures then taking them into Photoshop, using little
more than a layer mask to apply these to your type.
Professional web designer Archie Butler (www.
02 EXTERNAL LIGHTING
When shooting your wood textures, first
avoid having hard shadows fall across your subject.
Also, shoot in soft uniform light on an overcast,
rather than a bright day. This will not just limit the
affects of shadows, but also surface light reflection.
02 QUICK RETOUCH
For those who fail to shoot in RAW,
Photoshop can still solve your post-production
needs. Lighting and exposure can be easily
manipulated using Levels, or more intuitively with
the Shadow/Highlights options. Wield the Selective
Color adjustment to make intuitive tonal changes.
RESOU
ON RCE FILES
THE D
ISC
archibaldbutler.com) walks you through Photoshop
texture-editing for web and explains how he creates
styles that will ultimately transform your projects.
You can also find out more about our great
texture-giveaway, including 25 high-resolution
examples that are free to use in your commercial
and non-commercial projects.
03 CAMERA SHOOT SETTINGS
Shoot in RAW format with Auto White
Balance activated, setting the ISO between 100 and
400 for better light quality. Use a smaller aperture
setting with a higher f-stop number, like f11 or f16, to
ensure a good depth of field.
03 FIX SKEWED ANGLES
We recommend that you shoot
perpendicular, but no one’s perfect, so if you do
recognise curved distortions, you can simply fix this
with CS6’s Adaptive Wide Angle. Apply the Constraint
tool to visible image curves, then edit further using
control points and sliders to straighten your photo.
093
 ON THE DISC WORK WITH WOODEN TEXTURES

WOOD TYPE LETTERPRESS

BRING BACK VINTAGE LOOKS USING DIGITAL TECHNIQUES INSIDE PHOTOSHOP

01 SELECT COLOUR USING COLOR RANGE

Import your texture photo, apply
Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask, set the Amount
between 70% and 120%, then Radius at 6px.
Desaturate your texture layer, grab the Marquee tool
and Shift-click your image. Select Color Range and
choose Midtones or Shadows from Select options.
02 APPLY A LAYER MASK
You have now made a selection from your
wood texture image. Copy and paste into your type
image, apply a layer mask to your type layer then
Cmd/Ctrl-click your texture layer thumbnail. This
creates a new active selection that you can reposition
when the Marquee tool is active.
03 TEXTURE YOUR TYPE LAYERS
Select a 50% grey tone (#808080) as your
Foreground colour then paint to your type layer
mask, hitting Cmd/Ctrl+H to hide your selection and
scrutinise the effects. You can continue to move your
selection and apply to your mask for alternative
effects. Add the Blur More filter for a painterly look.

WOOD WEB EFFECTS

WEB DESIGNER ARCHIE BUTLER (WWW.ARCHIBALDBUTLER.COM) SHOWS YOU HOW TO APPLY
PHOTOSHOP-EDITED TEXTURES TO YOUR WEB PROJECTS

01 EDIT WITH LEVELS

The lighting in your textured elements won’t
always be the same, but this is easily resolved when
editing with Levels. Applied Highlight, Midtone and
Shadow slider settings will help you match lighting
conditions. Use Levels before any other option when
bringing a new element into Photoshop.
02 APPLY HUE/SATURATION
Apply Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation
to edit even colour accents into your textures. This is
a great way to distinguish certain interface elements,
so here we’ve applied this option to define the wood
texture used in the Slider Frame. It’s best to sharpen
elements to improve the washed-out tonality.
03 USE SPOTLIGHT EFFECTS
Spotlights draw attention to key areas such
as headers and menus. Create this effect by simply
applying a white round brush at 0% Hardness to a
new layer. If the effect seems too bright, add a Color
Overlay blending mode effect to warm colours. You
can use Transform tools to edit shape and size.

HIGHRESOLUTION WOOD TEXTURES

ON THE DISC

USE THIS SET OF LARGE STOCK TO ENHANCE YOUR DIGITAL PROJECTS

This month we’ve supplied 25 high-resolution photo textures in
accordance with the Resource Project theme. You can find
examples shot in-studio and while texture hunting. These also
include several stock images, which you can combine with your
wood textures to create your own web interface design.

094
040
 BUILD A BETTER WEB
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