The July Tutorial Discussion-Retouching Images

[wizard509]

Thanks for the kind words Frances and Gare. Now on to the marbles.

[Gare]

@Larry—

Take you time, and this is not a "Monthly Assignment". These tutes are very informal—I certainly don't want to be a slave to a timeline, and you shouldn't, either.

If a tutorial of the month sucks, or it's off-target, or needs more explanation, this is where we conduct the repairs.

But this is not a classroom, and I'm never going to tell you to turn over your books and put down the Shape tool.

Cool?

—g

[stygg2003]

Just to get some more idea of using the soft focus, am I on the right lines here in this image Gary. I've left the three foreground shapes alone and applied s.f. to everything else, altering the focus as they get nearer to the front, if you understand what I mean In other words soft focus decreasing to the front!

Stygg

[Gare]

You did great, Stygg.

What a pupil!

See, it was impossible for you to restore some of the focus, so your piece doesn't work 100%, but it DOES demonstrate how useful a ClipView shape and the Blur Live Effect can be.

For example, when you want a floor shadow below an object, yep, you could use the Shadow tool, but then the shadow is not as flexible as if you drew one yourself. One way to make a manual floor ("perspective") shadow is with the Feather feature, but another is to blur the vector shape with Live Effects.

Attached is the file for this:



First, I added a Diffusion Live Effect, and then the Blur. Live Effects work on anything on the page.


Shadows are important to photo retouching. They don't always have to be totally accurate, but if there is one missing altogether—an inaccurate fake or not, people notice that.

[stygg2003]

Thanks for the shadow file Gary, that's a really good way for shadows, I've used it in this image. I've tried to balance up the focus a little better in this one but I think applying soft focus is something else you have to work at to get fairly right but I think it looks a little better

Stygg

[wizard509]

Stygg, you are doing well and are an inspiration.
@ Gare, I enjoy doing these. Hopefully it will keep the cobwebs out.

[stygg2003]

Thank you for your kind remarks Larry. I've learned a lot in the Xone, far from being a Master with all I have learned, never the less, they are all things I would not have attempted to use or was not aware of. I really enjoy the Xone, there is no pressure, no deadlines just learn at your pace.

Stygg

@ Gary
I've just realized after looking at the bucket of pistols image, I had missed out completely the squirt trigger and button, so I've drawn another green croc complete with trigger, not great by any means but passable, I think ?

Stygg

[Gare]

@Stygg—

You know, in the tutorial video I, too, missed the trigger!

@Larry, "I'm keeping sharp by doing these" is a terrific reason to work through the examples, and actually makes me feel good, too, as though I'm investing time and not blowing it away!

Okay, here's a micro-tutorial along the same them as the blurring example I [proved earlier, that is slightly off-topic for this month, but photographic in nature. I went out to the back yard and too another photo of the water pistols. Attached is a Xara file that has the photo and a Xara shape that looks like tree branches.

Blur the tree branches shape, use the Perspective Mould to cast the tree branches a little, and then use a Blur Live Effect (filter) to make the branches out of focus.

With the Transparency tool, in Stained Glass mode, make the shape partially transparent. It's hard to visualize exactly what you're accomplishing without clipping the brully shape to the background photo, so Select All (Ctrl+A), and then press Q.

What you've done is cast sunlight through suggested tree branches into the scene.

Is this cool or WHAT?!





Now don't post an imitation of what I've done. Design your own shadow-casting shape, use your own photo, whatever for an example of 1.)You've learned something and 2.) You can originate and improvise.

And this water pistol photo without the blurry shape is another change to work on your color selection and modifying skills, right?

I'm thinking about Larry here! :)

Ready, steady, go,

Gare

[Gare]

I've attached two JPEG images, one of a single sunflower, and one of a pot of red flowers whose name I can't recall (and Barbara will chime in with the answer summarily).

I have no instructions for these images, but instead I'll leave the Creativity Department up to the individual Xaraist.

Here's two ideas, though...



So if you can't get outdoors today, bring some outdoors inside!

-g

[angelize]

The red flowers are Zinneas I've got some ideas, just not the time right now, but later I'll give it a go!