Flash Writing Effect

I have tried at least four other Flash tutorials before this one and I have been unsuccessful with all of them so I decided to start with something really simple. The tutorial can be found here. I began using a script front to write my name and I used the break apart tool twice to break apart each letter. Then I used the eraser tool and worked backwards from the end of the text, erasing a piece and then hitting F6 to create a frame, and repeating that until I reached the beginning of the text to make it look like my name is being written across the screen.

I can't figure out how to post flash things on here, so here is my Google page and I hope you can open and view it.

Cyborg Girl

This is probably going to be my last Photoshop-only project for this class. I began by taking the start image and camouflaging any blemishes on the model's skin. Next, I used the curves adjustment layer, made a layer mask and then erased over her eyes to make  them stand out. Then I used to magic wand tool to cut out the model from the background, refined the edge, and placed her on a gray background. Next, I added the cyborg parts, and there were a couple different methods for doing this. One method was using the pen tool to cut away part of the model, and then placing the cyborg part. Others were cut and dragged in and then I used layer masks to help them blend in.

Christmas Tree

Tutorial can be found here.

I found this Christmas tree tutorial and it looked really fun. I began with a black background and then used a green and black gradient overlay. Then I added two more gradient layers with the fill level at 0% to create the background. The tutorial used the pen tool to draw the tree and the shape tool to make the stars but I just used a star shaped brush and changed the size to create my tree. Next, I added an outer glow to the star layer. Then I used the snowflake shapes and placed them randomly on the background with varying fill levels to make them different shades of white. Then I used the shape called Registration Target 2 with a gradient overlay to make the top star look like it is glowing. The tutorial used the pen tool to draw the garland on the tree, but I just tried to use the shape tool to make a line and then warp it.

Cracked Portrait

This is another tutorial from the Photoshop magazine. The goal of this tutorial was to make to make a picture look like the Black Swan movie poster.

After opening the start image, I duplicated the layer twice. I used to texturizer with a sandstone texture on both layers, but the first layer had a lesser effect. Then I merged those two layers and edited the color and decreased the saturation and increased the contrast. They included a brush pack to use for the cracks. After drawing some of the cracks in, I filled in one section with black paint  to make a selection, then duplicated the selection twice and changed the blend mode to multiply. On the first duplicated layer, I added an inner shadow and added a drop shadow on the second layer to make the cracks look 3D. Then I added some random paint spots to make debris in between the cracks.

Two Quick Tutorials

The first tutorial is from the magazine and it is a solarized eye effect. First, I opened the start image in camera raw and used the curve tool to create an inverted cone shape to alter the colors of the eye. Next, I made the image black and white. I added a mini cemetary scene and put it in the iris of the eye. I duplicated the cemetary layer and changed both to linear dodge to make it blend in with the eye.

The second tutorial is Sin City inspired with the black and white contrast and rain effect. First, I made the image black and white and then changed the levels to make more contrast. To make the rain effect, I made a new layer and filled it with 50% gray. Then I went to Add Noise and changed the amount to 400% and made it monochromatic. Then I used a Motion Blur with the angle and 90 degrees and skewed the layer so it was slanted. Then I changed the layer mode to vivid light. I made a new layer and did the same thing, but slanted this layer less to create a different effect for the rain.

Artists Sketchbook

The goal of this weeks tutorial was to take an image and make it look like something from an artists sketchbook. First, I used to magic wand tool to cut out the woman from the original background. Then I added a layer mask, created a new blank layer,  and used the smudge tool on the new layer to bring the woman through the layer. Then I used the pencil sketch filter and the tutorial said to invert this layer, but later showed it as un-inverted so I'm not sure what it was supposed to be. Then a layer mask was added an a wet media brush was used to erase some smudge tool layer to blend it with the pencil sketch layer. This is where things went wrong. My image does not look very blended and does not look like an artists sketchbook painting whatsoever. Next, the paper background image was added. I used the polygonal lasso tool to select some of the hair and then transformed them into different shapes to look like brush strokes.