September 2014 Video Tutorial -- Xara Photo Compositions Part 1

This is the final colour spheres, I changed colours on two spheres and added a small sphere and tried to make the right reflections in the silver sphere. Fun to do but as I have already said, we did a very similar tut. in the Xone a while back.

Stygg

Good idea with that one in the middle Stygg

Cheers csehz, I've enjoyed playing with the colours in this months Vid.tut. and leaned a few things as well.

Stygg

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Originally Posted by theinonen

I call this one finished now as not much more I could do and this is as beautiful she will ever get. Added colour to face so she will not look too much like a corpse...

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Hi Theoninen—

Something very strange is going on here. It's possible your monitor isn't calibrated properly, or you posted an unintended image, but the original PNG file I posted this month is hardly what you'd call corpse-like. Here's the original and post #27 at the right.

Attachment 103907

I think there isn't a lot to do with the woman's face in the first place, but if you're content with your finished version, fine, but I'm still puzzled at why there is such a big difference between my original—and I use both software and hardware color calibration and use Xara's native sRGB color space—and what you did.

My Best,

Gary

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Originally Posted by stygg2003

...we did a very similar tut. in the Xone a while back.

Stygg

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I'm sure you're right, stygg. No denying, though, what you and others have done is great "thinking" work; considering the possibilities and approaching this non-assignment with your own personal style.

This stuff will come in handy, I promise you, if you don't upgrade to Photoshop Creative Cloud 2015! :) Me and Xara are just saving you money here.

In all seriousness, when I'm handed a retouching job, if it's on a pixel-level, it goes straight to Photoshop. But if it's changing stuff on a sub-pixel level, making quick and predictable corrections, and a lot of other times, the image goes to Xara for repairs.

I've probably shown this before...I retouched out the fencing and all reflections using Xara, after wasting 1/2 hour in PS with tools that were not precise enough:

Attachment 103908

This stuff has to be open-minded, but also fun.

My Best,

Gary

Thanks for the feed back Gary and won't be upgrading to P.S.cloud. and was'nt complaining about having done similar tut, was quite pleased to refresh and put to use what I had learned in the Xone in the past, which is an awful lot.

Stygg

Gary just an update on a post of mine last week about there being no Colour select/erase tool in XP&GD10, it only being in the Pro version, well I was wrong. It is not on the Photo enhance toolbar for some reason but hidden in the buttons palette, so dragged it out and it works fine. Just in case anyone else thought they only had the Hue and strength tool option. New pic showing colour select use, no masks :D and I don't think she looks like a corpse ;))

Stygg

My eyes are even less calibrated than my monitor as have been working long days and not been sleeping for more than about 2-3 hours a day for couple weeks now. Have to extend the day to have some time for own stuff but looking better now as have got most of the work that had piled up sorted out.

I like that theinonen, nicely done and I thought my eyes were bad, not got to the glass stage yet :D

Stygg

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Originally Posted by theinonen

My eyes are even less calibrated than my monitor as have been working long days and not been sleeping for more than about 2-3 hours a day for couple weeks now.

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Not good to go sleepless, friend! But I've been there myself more than one time and it's darned frustrating when your mind has an idea that your eyes can't guide to the finish line!

Nice and novel variation you did there with the spheres, too! If you need music to inspire you whilst doing this sort of thing...

Music of the Spheres windchimes. Totally untested by me, mind you, but there is a historic body of work devoted to our planets aligning and their math and tonal meaning here at Wikipedia.

But I digress...

Great work, theoninen,

Gary