The secrets on how to make artwork of the Sam/Jack ship family thread

[bandcat]

Jasmina - it was great i love the white 'sparkles' in it

I tried to make some icons (since i don't have luck doing icons like sigs) but thanks to Luciana's Tut ! feel free to snurch it ... since i can't use it anyways *cries*

These look great rachel!!

welcome to petite stars!!

everyone challlenge sigs are looking fab!!!

[Jumble]

I've tried lots of different methods for cutting out pics, Magic Wand, Quick Selection Tool etc. I've recently discovered 'Refine edge' on the PS tool bar which is immensely helpful when using the QST because you get to fine tune before you cut

Also, for my challenge sigs I stole Jasmina's method of pasting the whole pic into my workpiece and then using the Eraser with a soft round brush to delete the parts I don't want. It gives a much better result

[starlover]

Welcome Petite_stars! Awesome to have another member in here!

As for the clean cuts...don't ask me I don't have clean cuts lol!!!

[Sarai]

Anyone who uses Gimp know how? A better way than the scissor select tool I mean.

Also, does anyone have a really high quality version of the Lost City pictures. When Sam says 'Jack', when she's looking at him in the stasus thing and when we see her face? The only versions I have are of a really poor quality.

[Rachel-Kree]

Ooooooh!!! Thank you, but sorry, Rachel, I think we're at cross purposes here I use a similar technique to that for rounded edges as well. What I was actually getting at was the way some people on this thread (yourself included, unless that background behind Sam is actually the background that was behind Sam) are really good at cutting out around terribly fiddly things like hair. If anyone has a magical solution for that, then I'm all ears ;-)

hummm ... sorry .... i'm really trying to undestand what you said but i couldn't

[Rachel-Kree]

I've tried lots of different methods for cutting out pics, Magic Wand, Quick Selection Tool etc. I've recently discovered 'Refine edge' on the PS tool bar which is immensely helpful when using the QST because you get to fine tune before you cut

Also, for my challenge sigs I stole Jasmina's method of pasting the whole pic into my workpiece and then using the Eraser with a soft round brush to delete the parts I don't want. It gives a much better result

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...azarus-sig.jpg

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...becakeWk19.jpg

Those methods that Jumble use is very effective but i usually dont use nothing to cut the images... i use the layer mask with a gradient to hide everything that i don't want...but when i must cut something i use the magnectic lasso tool and the quick mask colouring the areas that i don't want to be showed...

[Jumble]

Those methods that Jumble use is very effective but i usually dont use nothing to cut the images... i use the layer mask with a gradient to hide everything that i don't want...but when i must cut something i use the magnectic lasso tool and the quick mask colouring the areas that i don't want to be showed...

I'd be interested in trying that layer mask and gradient method.......and the quick mask is a mystery to me ......wanna do a couple of quick tuts

Edit: Or did you already do that

[jasminaGo]

Jasmina's guide to cutting out pics.

1. Don't cut them out at all. Use the existing background, either use the gradient to blend it in or add to it if it's needed. Like in my current sig. I used the clone tool to spread the background from the pic on the right over the entire sig, which left me with only having to cut out Amanda.

2. Use the Lasso (or Magnetic Lasso) tool with a 5-10 feather.

3. Like Jumble already mentioned, transfer the entire pic and then erase what you don't need with a soft eraser brush.

4. And finally a not quite so permanent way of hiding things. Put a layer mask on the layer your working on, take a soft round brush tool, set the color to black and just paint over the parts you don't want to be seen. If you wanna show a certain part later, just switch the color to white and paint again.

[Sarai]

Jas have you already done a tut for that? In which case, can you or someone else just drop off the link ? If not can I request that you explain that a bit more fully ?

[Rachel-Kree]

I'd be interested in trying that layer mask and gradient method.......and the quick mask is a mystery to me ......wanna do a couple of quick tuts

Edit: Or did you already do that

Actually the Quick mask is this little thingy...



after you use the 'magnetic lasso tool' still with the selection above the image you press this button then you'll see everything that is selected or not (depends if the selection is not inverted )in red colors, then you can erase it with some smooth brush the areas that the lasso tool could not reach, then for you to back at the 'normal' file just press it again...after that you can use the 'refine edges'... it will give a better result to cut the images... it's kinda complicated for me to write it... i don't know if i was clear trying to explain it...


Jasmina's Tut is a great one !!!! i'm gonna try it

[TrueRomantic]

Umm...Are those suggestions transferable to Gimp? Because with lasso I always have to draw around the shape myself, which is hard to do. And I haven't found a magnetic lasso in Gimp. I can do layer masks and gradient, but sometimes that doesn't work because I want a piece of the pic that is further away and it winds up blending in when I need it to show.

So any tips for clean edges with Gimp?

[jasminaGo]

Jas have you already done a tut for that? In which case, can you or someone else just drop off the link ? If not can I request that you explain that a bit more fully ?

For which one? They're all "stand alone techniques".

Edit: Kim I think you should be able to do #4 in GIMP. Although I'm afraid I don't have a way of checking that.

[madaline_7]

Anyone who uses Gimp know how? A better way than the scissor select tool I mean.

Also, does anyone have a really high quality version of the Lost City pictures. When Sam says 'Jack', when she's looking at him in the stasus thing and when we see her face? The only versions I have are of a really poor quality.

Umm...Are those suggestions transferable to Gimp? Because with lasso I always have to draw around the shape myself, which is hard to do. And I haven't found a magnetic lasso in Gimp. I can do layer masks and gradient, but sometimes that doesn't work because I want a piece of the pic that is further away and it winds up blending in when I need it to show.

So any tips for clean edges with Gimp?

I use the eraser.

Choose Pic ---> Add New Layer ---> You have a choice between a few options, chooses transperancy ---> Move new layer to the bottom ---> Click on pic layer ---> Click Merge Layers ---> Start erasing.


You'll see the checkered background when you are doing it. I use a big circle to get a lot of the background out of the way. Then I increase the zoom to 200%-400% and use the smallest circle brush.

IDK if that is the "best" way, but that is the only way I have been able to do it.

Jasmina's guide to cutting out pics.

1. Don't cut them out at all. Use the existing background, either use the gradient to blend it in or add to it if it's needed. Like in my current sig. I used the clone tool to spread the background from the pic on the right over the entire sig, which left me with only having to cut out Amanda.

Gimpers can do that. I am so happy I discovered the clone tool. I am going to try this next time.

2. Use the Lasso (or Magnetic Lasso) tool with a 5-10 feather.

I don't like the Intellegent Sissors or Free Select. and I don't think I am alone here... I'll give it a shot though.

3. Like Jumble already mentioned, transfer the entire pic and then erase what you don't need with a soft eraser brush.

On the background? Interesting...

4. And finally a not quite so permanent way of hiding things. Put a layer mask on the layer your working on, take a soft round brush tool, set the color to black and just paint over the parts you don't want to be seen. If you wanna show a certain part later, just switch the color to white and paint again.

IDK if in GIMP it works the same way, so I am no help there. I stay away from the masks too. (Because I have absoultly no idea how to use them.) LOL

Thanks Jas for that!

[Solo]

I found this nifty page with five different techniques for getting rid of backgrounds - personally, I like the quick masks idea. And using the grey/not 100% opaque brush to get some more detail without the edges on fine things like hair sounds like a good idea, to me. We shall see... *off to experiment*

Or there's this one for images with a bit more contrast between the object and the background.

[Jumble]

Jasmina's guide to cutting out pics.

1. Don't cut them out at all. Use the existing background, either use the gradient to blend it in or add to it if it's needed. Like in my current sig. I used the clone tool to spread the background from the pic on the right over the entire sig, which left me with only having to cut out Amanda.

2. Use the Lasso (or Magnetic Lasso) tool with a 5-10 feather.

3. Like Jumble already mentioned, transfer the entire pic and then erase what you don't need with a soft eraser brush.

4. And finally a not quite so permanent way of hiding things. Put a layer mask on the layer your working on, take a soft round brush tool, set the color to black and just paint over the parts you don't want to be seen. If you wanna show a certain part later, just switch the color to white and paint again.

I don't know how to use the gradient to blend it, can you explain that a bit more fully please? Also, I've never really understood how to use the clone tool, so a step by step for that would really help