Melted Crayon Zombie Painting - Part 1

Finally i managed to get things into perspective again and find the time to create a new painting...and not just a digital one but a one-of-a-kind canvas painting!

Well, to the left is the black and white outline of the zombie which i drew on a 4 foot tall canvas...the idea is to line up a row of "zombie"hue crayola crayons below his waist and melt them vertically  down the canvas with a hair dryer...it'll look like his color is oozing out of his body...

...stay tuned!

Photoshop Tutorial #3: Distressed Graphic on a Rough Surface

The easy way out when it comes to having the background show through a cover image is to use one of the layer blend modes, apply it, and walk away...this works if you want to achieve the clearly "Photoshopped" look.

...for more realism, try this (see final image below)...

...i used the graphic i created for my name site (Thomas Troisch.com) and superimposed it on a weathered wood palette backdrop - then distressed it for that aged look...

...here's how...

1.   Select a base texture – wood, paper, concrete, cardboard, etc. – make sure that it is a flat texture (see image to the right)

2.   Select a rasterized image – photo, text, graphic, logo, etc. – to weather; make sure that it has a transparent background (a PNG or PSD works best, for my image i used Thomas Troisch.com)

3.    Shift drag the image onto the base texture (this action allows the image to be centered).

  

      Result:  

      layer1: base texture, layer2: image

4.   Select the image layer (L2) and change its blend mode to multiply.
(see image to the right)

5.   Select the base texture layer (L1) and duplicate it (Ctrl J), move it above the image layer (L2).

Result: 

layer1: base texture, layer2: image, 

layer3: duplicate base texture

6.   Select the duplicate layer (L3) and desaturate it (Image>Adjustment >Desaturate – Shift Ctrl U).

7.   Select the duplicate layer (L3) and apply a levels adjustment (Image>Adjustment >Levels –Ctrl L) as follows (once done, OK):

Move the black pointer around the left base of the peak and the white around the right.

Rule: all dark texture will mask the image and all light texture will reveal it.

Result: 

the more dark and/or black areas in the texture results in a grungier final image.

8.   Perform a select all (Ctrl A) on the duplicate layer (L3), then copy (Ctrl C) the selection, then deselect it (Ctrl D).

9.   Hide the duplicate layer (L3) (click on the eye icon to the left of the layer name).

10. Select the image layer (L2) and create a layer mask (click the icon – white circle in a grey rectangle – at the bottom of the layers window, or select: Layer>Layer Mask>Form Transparency).

11. Alt + Click into the layer mask in the image layer (L2) and paste (Ctrl V) the black & white texture into it.

12. Click on the eye icon next to the layer name on the image layer (L2) to view the final result.

Titled Window Ledge/Sill Plate

The originals (those that came with the house), wood composite all wrapped-up in their fading 70s glitter pergo-laminant glamor, didn't quite cut it for me...

...these glass tiles (0.75 inch squares available by the square foot) applied themselves very well to the dimensions of the underlying structure with mortar and grout.

The colors tie in with the overall room themes (kitchen, living-room, office, bed-room), either as complimentary or analogous hues...

...a fairly inexpensive and simple way to create some dramatically unique balance in any room...

FYI: for those suffering from Chromatophobia (fear of colors)...this could look pretty cool with pearl or silver tiles in a snow white room...

Screen Series: #4 Bill Irwin (actor and clown)

I'm still waiting on the signed print...

Bill is the fourth one in my signature series.  

Just a bit on Bill; he's an accomplished actor of stage and screen, with a professional clowning degree...outside of his theater accomplishments, he's currently best known as Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street and the "Dick & Jane" serial killer, Nate Haskell, of CSI...