WORK WITH

20TYPE SECRETSGreat examples of commercial text effects

being used in the industry today

The magazine for Adobe Photoshop professionals 107

DISPLACEMENT

MIXED MEDIA

EXPERT BLENDING

Combine traditional methods alongside the Brush tool to build a vibrant portrait

Use layer masks, path selections, gradients & colour adjustments to build this unique image

CREATE THIS

IMAGE

ISSN 1748-7277

9 7 7 1 7 4 8 7 2 7 0 0 9

0 7 >ISSUE 107 5.99

PAINT A LANDSCAPECreate stunning scenery using custom brushes and lighting effects

DIGITAL PAINTING PHOTOMANIPULATIONUNDERWATER EFFECTSComposite multiple assets into a scene using layer masks and photo filters

WORK WITH

20TYPE SECRETSGreat examples of commercial text effects

being used in the industry today

The magazine for Adobe Photoshop professionals 107

WORK WITHWORK WITHDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENT

MIXED MEDIA

EXPERT BLENDING

Combine traditional methods alongside the Brush tool to build a vibrant portrait

Combine traditional methods alongside the Brush tool to build a vibrant portrait

Combine traditional methods alongside the

DISPLACEMENTUse layer masks, path selections, gradientsUse layer masks, path selections, gradients && colour adjustments to build this unique imagecolour adjustments to build this unique imageWORK WITHWORK WITHDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTWORK WITHDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTUse layer masks, path selections, gradients

CREATE THIS

IMAGE

DISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTcolour adjustments to build this unique imagecolour adjustments to build this unique image7 7 1 7 4 8 7 2 7 0 0 9

0 7 >ISSUE 107 5.99

PAINT A LANDSCAPECreate stunning scenery using custom brushes and lighting effectsCreate stunning scenery using custom brushes and lighting effectsCreate stunning scenery using

DIGITAL PAINTING PHOTOMANIPULATIONUNDERWATER EFFECTSUNDERWATER EFFECTSComposite multiple assets into a scene Composite multiple assets into a scene using layer masks and photo filtersusing layer masks and photo filtersComposite multiple assets into a scene using layer masks and photo filtersComposite multiple assets into a scene Composite multiple assets into a scene using layer masks and photo filtersComposite multiple assets into a scene

WORK WITH

PHOTO EDITINGPHOTO EDITING

PROFESSIONAL RETOUCHINGRETOUCHING

Improve your photos using Curves and the Selective Color tool in CS6

Use layer masks, path selections, gradients

9

ISSUE 107

DISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTDISPLACEMENTTYPE DESIGN

CINEMA 4D & PHOTOSHOPIncorporate a 3D text render into CS6 to produce a striking poster

Tutorial files available at:blog.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/tutorial-files

ISSUE 107

NOSPINE.indd 1 04/03/2013 10:06

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WELCOMEISSUE 107

Welcome to the latest issue of Advanced Photoshop. We value regular feedback, so recently asked what you would like to see more of in the magazine, via our social media sites.

IN THIS ISSUE:

GRAPHICSDIGITAL PAINTING

PHOTOMANIPULATIONPHOTO EDITING

ANNALISA SAYWELLDeputy Editor

You answered in your droves and here it is an issue thats dedicated to our reader demands. Typography and type effects are very important subjects that are often overlooked in design magazines in favour of better or more impactive artwork, but this month we have given it centre stage. Our 20 type secrets feature delves into the world of commercial type effects in the industry today. If that wasnt enough, we also show you how to take a 3D text render from CINEMA 4D into Photoshop.

One of your other requests was to see more photomanipulation. From our feature on product retouching, to our underwater effects and displacement tutorials, weve got it covered.

I couldnt end without mentioning what we have on our amazing disc this month. Our Advanced Creative Collection is bigger than ever, with 95 premium images, 25 textures, ten Photoshop brushes and much much more!

FIND US ONLINE:@advancedpshop /AdvancedPhotoshop

.co.uk

003

ISSUE 107 CONTENTS

PHOTO EDITING: EXPERT RETOUCHING40Learn creative and technical tips for enhancing an automotive commercial image

COVER ARTIST

Our very own Reviews Editor is exceptionally

skilled at Photoshop, so was the perfect choice to

take on this mammoth challenge based on

Alberto Sevesos CS6 work

ADAM SMITHwww.advanced

photoshop.co.uk

FIND US ONLINE:

68 GRAPHICS:BLENDINGMIXED MEDIAUse brushes, drawn elements and other tools to build an inspired editorial illustration

TYPOGRAPHY

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EYE ON DESIGNWhats hot, whos in and the latest art & design happenings

PRO PANEL:Our contributors share Photoshop secrets06PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW:Cinematic illustration with Neal Hanson08

14 PROJECT FOCUS:Creating a Gothic poster16 STUDIO INTERVIEW:Hugo & Marie

CONTENTSISSUE 107

16 STUDIO INTERVIEW 92 CREATE SMOKE EFFECTS

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CONTENTS ISSUE 107

34 PROFESSIONAL RETOUCHING

64 CINEMA 4D & PHOTOSHOP

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TECHNIQUESProfessional artists reveal their high-end skills in our easy-to-follow workshops

Professional retouching34 FEATURE

REVIEWSWe put the latest creative kit,books and apps to the test

80 FEATURE:SpectraView Reference 271 monitor84 REVIEWS:Filterstorm 4, Creative Photography ideas

using Adobe Photoshop

Free with issue 107 of Advanced Photoshop

SPECIAL CREATIVE COLLECTION

PLUS: Tutorial project files Exclusive wallpapers for mobile and desktop Fonts worth $30

Featuring 95 premium stock images, 25 textures, 20 Photoshop brushes and a plug-in

EXCLUSIVE CREATIVEVIDEO TUTORIALSMaster retouching techniques and learn how to composite multiple elements to create a vibrant mixed-media image

EXCLUSIVE CREATIVE

96 ON YOUR DISC

Pillars of life 52 HOW I MADEWork with displacement46 WORKSHOP

Imaginarium60 HOW I MADE20 type secrets24 FEATURE

Expert automotive retouching40 WORKSHOP

Underwater effects54 WORKSHOP

SEE PAGE 22 FOR THE LATEST OFFERSUBSCRIBE TODAY!

64 CINEMA 4D & PhotoshopWORKSHOP

Fantasy lighting effects88 READER INTERVIEW74 Paint a landscapeWORKSHOP68 Blending mixed mediaWORKSHOP

CREATE SMOKE EFFECTS

ISSUE 107 CONTENTS

74 PAINT A LANDSCAPE

Create smoke effects92 RESOURCE PROJECT

54 WATER EFFECTS52 PILLARS OF LIFE

CINEMA 4D & PHOTOSHOP

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eye on design pro panel

pro panelOur cOntributOrs share sOme Of their essential techniques and advise us hOw tO imprOve Our images

eye on design

theo aartsma http://cargocollective.com/theoaartsma

If youre serious about your Photoshop work you should really consider buying a Wacom tablet. This opens up a whole range of new possibilities to experiment with. This artwork shows how the tablet was used to brush

over what would have otherwise ended as an ordinary composite. The mixed-media style wouldnt have been possible without a drawing tablet. Find theos how I made image on page 52

drawing tablets provide you with realistic application when using Photoshop brushes

James KNoWLes www.grungetv.deviantart.com

Apart from using various colour and Levels adjustments to increase texture detail in Photoshop, you can also apply the Dodge tool. The original

texture in this 3D render was quite flat, so I adjusted the Midtones and Highlights sliders in my applied Levels layer. I also added a textured Dodge brush with Control set to Pen Pressure in my Shape Dynamics brush settings. This created rich and vibrant textures. James CINema 4D and Photoshop tutorial is on page 64

Here you can see a clear difference between the original and edited textures

sCott DuKes www.dukesphotography.com

When stripping in a cloudy sky on top of a clear blue sky, always use a Soft Light or Overlay blending mode. This enables the tonality of the real

sky to bleed through from below, giving a more realistic blend of both. It also helps to bring through tough-to-mask objects on the horizon, such as trees, bushes and other shrubbery. scotts expert automotive retouching tutorial is on page 40

in this image you can make a clear comparison of how successful effects can be when used with blending modes

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JIM LIND www.jimlind.comI find Curves to be one of the most powerful options in Photoshop. Most of my colour-correcting work is fine-tuned using each channel in the dialog box. However, one of the quickest hacks for this tool is creating an empty Curves adjustment layer, applying presets

and improving this by changing the blending mode of that layer. The modes that I find most useful are Overlay, Multiply, Screen and Soft Light. Find Jims tips for creating smoke textures in our Resource Feature starting on page 92

ARTEM KOLOMEICHUKhttp://positivepictures.net

Any final image must always include authentic lighting and other effects to create better realism. This

image is a good example. None of the elements was shot in 3D or in-motion, so I applied Motion Blur and Radial Blur filters to the trees, road, sheep and the automobile. Once the effects were combined, there was a better interaction between all the objects that created the realism needed. Our Pro Retouching feature begins on page 34

RAPHAL VICENZIwww.mydeadpony.com

To create this personal illustration called Megaton, I drew the face directly in Photoshop. I composed

my image by using various elements, including hand-made textures, then applied different blending modes to these such as Linear Burn and Multiply. Parts of these textures were removed with layer masks until the result looked painterly. Find Raphals tutorial on page 68

Rich cyans have been applied to this image through the use of Curves

Dont be afraid to experiment with the strength of effects to create different looks

Realistically overlap and integrate mixed-media effects with blending modes

007

APPS REVIEWS

Imagine Publishing Ltd 2013

ISSN 1748-7277

Magazine teamDeputy Editor Anna-lisa Saywell anna-lisa.saywell@imagine-publishing.co.uk

01202 586243Editor in Chief Dan Hutchinson Reviews Editor Adam SmithDesigner Marcus FaintSub Editor Tim WilliamsonPhotographer James SheppardHead of Publishing Aaron AsadiHead of Design Ross AndrewsContributorsAndrew Brooks, Lynette Clee, Jo Cole, Darius Davis, Scott Dukes, Matt Henry, Takumer Homma, Angelica Jopson, James Knowles, Chris McMahon, Kirk Nelson, Devin Schoeffler and Raphal Vicenzi.

AdvertisingDigital or printed media packs are available on request.

Head of Sales Hang Deretz 01202 586442hang.deretz@imagine-publishing.co.uk

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Cover discHead of Digital Mat Toor

Digital Projects Coordinator Steve Littonapxtrahelp@imagine-publishing.co.uk

InternationalAdvanced Photoshop is available for licensing.Contact the International department to discusspartnership opportunities.

Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman +44 (0) 1202 586401licensing@imagine-publishing.co.uk

SubscriptionsHead of Subscriptions Lucy Nashsubscriptions@imagine-publishing.co.ukFor all subscription enquiries:adphotoshop@servicehelpline.co.uk

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CirculationHead of Circulation Darren Pearce 01202 586200ProductionProduction Director Jane Hawkins 01202 586200FoundersGroup Managing Director Damian ButtGroup Finance & Commercial Director Steven BoydGroup Creative Director Mark Kendrick

Printing & DistributionPrinted by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XTDistributed in the UK & Eire by: Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT 0207 429 4000Distributed in Australia by: Gordon & Gotch, Equinox Centre,18 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 + 61 299 728 800Distributed to the rest of the world by: Marketforce,Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU 0203 148 8105DisclaimerThe publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.Photoshop is either a registered trademark or trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries and is used with express permission. All $ prices are US Dollars unless otherwise stated.

Imagine Publishing LtdRichmond House, 33 Richmond Hill,Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ +44 (0) 1202 586200Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk www.greatdigitalmags.com

The magazine for Adobe Photoshop professionals

I composed my image by using various elements,

including hand-made textures, then applied different blending modes to theseRAPHAEL VICENZI / WWW.MYDEADPONY.COM

006-007_AVP_107.indd 7 01/03/2013 14:14

A concept artist at Sucker Punch Productions can receive requests for just about anything a 3D artist or animator needs visualising. Neal Hanson, previously a cinematic illustrator at ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2, steps up to this awesome challenge by forging paint-overs of screenshots, mood pieces and prop designs. These are essential references for the 3D crew to take and re-create for future videogames.

Landing a role at Sucker Punch didnt just fall from the sky, though. Hanson grew up in an artistic family including a grandmother that has been playing videogames for as long as he can remember. With art and storytelling running through his blood, when it came to choosing an education it was DigiPen that stood out as the place to go. My education at DigiPen turned getting a job in the videogames industry something that I knew as little about as joining the circus into a reality,

Neal HaNsoN gives iNsigHt iNto a career already spaNNiNg areNaNet aNd sucker puNcH productioNs

portfolio interview

CINEMATIC ILLUSTRATION

http://nealhanson.blogspot.com

Hanson reveals. After a year of community college I enrolled in [DigiPens] Production Animation program and studied everything from storytelling, animation, traditional and digital art, to 3D packages.

While his time at DigiPen certainly laid the groundwork for Hansons career in videogames, his real education began after attending a Massive Black workshop in Seattle. The talent outside the classroom was shocking and I realised that I needed to devote myself to my work if I wanted to survive as an artist, he adds.

Dedicated to the cause, Hanson found himself taken on board the ArenaNet team, joining as a motion graphics artist before being promoted to cinematic illustrator. His experience in motion graphics taking illustrations painted by the cinematic artists and adding particle effects, camera moves and transitions helped him to design and illustrate compelling shots.

Here Hanson reveals his creative secrets, explains how he has manoeuvred through the videogames industry and offers advice for those wishing to follow in his footsteps.

does being based in seattle influence your work at all? My position at Sucker Punch has been my first working experience in a major metropolitan area. Its great being able to walk to just about anywhere from work. However, I currently live outside of the city, way out in the woods. Its a nice change relative to the city. When I can, I go out with my laptop and [paint] the rivers and forests around my house.

How does tHe pace at arenanet compare to tHat at sucker puncH?The main difference between Sucker Punch and ArenaNet is the amount of time needed to complete

Guardians: This personal piece was created in a fantasy setting. Hanson wonders whether this could be an entrance to some abandoned mountainside fortress? Neal Hanson

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eye oN desigN portfolio interview

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portfolio interview eye on design

Divinity Reach Celebration: A vibrant celebration piece made for the end of Guild Wars 2. Hanson suggests that this was inspired by disneys Magic Kingdom theme park All Guild Wars materials are property of Arenanet/nCsoFT and are used with permission

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eye on design portfolio interview

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Sylvari Grove: This concept features another market-like scene for a load screen in Guild Wars 2 Arenanet/nCsoFT

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Sleeping Tree: This concept piece was painted for the end of the Guild Wars 2 sylvari intro cinematic Arenanet/nCsoFT

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Lions Arch Celebration: Another colourful finale piece created for Guild Wars 2. This particular one started out as a paint-over Arenanet/nCsoFT

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use references Jumping into a concept without research is a bad plan if you intend to be innovative with it. Its also a lost opportunity to discover new ideas. The internet is a great and accessible place to explore and broaden your repertoire. Use it! refresh your perspective It always surprises me how different my work looks when I come back to it after walking away for a few minutes. Dont leave it for too long, though, or youll never finish the piece. Its easy to get lost in your work when youre investing hours at a time, making it difficult to point out individual problems and remove them.

spend energy wisely You only have so much creative juice in you to spend every day and you need it when creating original designs. I try to recognise when I have run out and move to something that doesnt require the same kind of thinking. Try looking at other artists work for inspiration, reading, copying a movie still, or even just gazing out the window!

top concept design tipsNeal HaNsoN reveals His tHree best pieces of advice for tHose lookiNg to get iNto coNcept work for videogames

portfolio interview eye oN desigN

each piece. At Sucker Punch, the primary goal is to simply get an idea across clearly, so I do more drawings/paintings with little polish if any at all. At ArenaNet the illustrations are essentially videogame assets and naturally call for a higher level of finish.

who most inspired you from the ArenAnet crew?[The concept art teams] work served as the foundation of ArenaNets high artistic standard, which I look up to [even now]. My own proximity to that energy positively affected my art and forced me to hold my new work up to a much higher standard than I did when I was going through school. I really cant thank the guys in the cinematic room enough for critiquing and painting over my work. I learned a ton from the team and my mind was opened up to a lot of new techniques.

Arctic Underwater: Used in one of Guild War 2s many limited cinematics, this impressive digital painting was the first full illustration Hanson created in his role at arenaNet arenaNet/Ncsoft

005

Sky Gunner: this beautifully serene personal piece was primarily inspired by Final Fantasys world of ivalice Neal Hanson

004

how did the move from ArenAnet to sucker punch come About? As a relative newcomer to the industry, I think its good for me to explore and challenge myself as often as I can. Once Guild Wars 2 shipped, I heard about the position at Sucker Punch through some connections. I saw it as a good opportunity in my career to experience a new project The shift has forced me out of my comfort zone and [made me] tackle things Im not used to. Its important to resist getting too comfortable with your work, or your progression as an artist will falter.

whAt chArActeristics do you need to produce whAts expected (or even unexpected) of you?Someone [gave me a piece of advice] that I really agree with, so I will just repeat it here as best I can:

More than anything, your take or your unique vision on any given subject is extremely important as an artist. These days so many people can draw and paint There are tons of free resources and tutorials at your fingertips that can teach you just about anything. Your imagination is really what sets you apart and what you imagine is fuelled by your experiences. If you live and experience an interesting life, your art will reflect that.

whAt Are the key skills for depicting Adventure in still imAgery? There is a lot to juggle when making an image feel impactful, but the characteristic that generally makes pieces feel adventurous is the sense of exploration, which inherently involves some ambiguity or the unknown. Things that make the viewer question the story beyond the image and stimulate their

005

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eye on design portfolio interview

imagination are key to capturing that feeling. In a way, it allows the viewer to do some of the painting themselves and enriches their experience. In terms of artistic elements, the composition of a piece is one of the most important devices to consider. For me, the images that feel adventurous and exciting feature big open environments and the composition of the piece can do a lot to make or break this effect.

Do you have any aDvice for combating creative challenges? how Do you prepare yourself for a project?Usually when Im stumped on something its because I dont know enough about the subject, so I do research to better prepare myself. Another set of eyes is always helpful [too]. I did get a piece of advice that pertains specifically to design and I think its a great way to combat design problems: You can apply dissimilar subjects to one another, bringing new ideas to mind that you otherwise would have never found. Lets say youre trying to design an interesting cottage. Using this method, you can apply the alphabet (as an example) to your cottage, then try making an A-shaped cottage, a B-shaped cottage and so on. You could apply shapes of fruits, animals, office furniture and so on. This is a super-helpful way to come up with new design solutions when you find yourself stuck or slipping into autopilot.

creating concepts for viDeogames is a much-envieD job, with many talenteD artists competing in the fielD. whats the competition like? The demand for concept artists is less than for other artistic jobs in the industry, so its naturally a competitive field. That said, Ive never had any experiences where Ive been competing neck-and-neck with another artist for a job, so I guess I have been pretty fortunate so far. Who knows whats to come, though! Im always checking out the work of other artists and trying to figure out what they are doing that makes their art tick.

Do you finD time to be creative in your spare time? I think its very important to explore personal pieces outside of the job. I feel my best work is personal or at least it comes when I have the opportunity to just mess around. I find myself going back to mostly fantastical art in my free time. Worlds from Studio Ghibli films and the Final Fantasy games are incredibly inspiring to me and are a large part of what drove me towards this career in the first place, so I tend to lean towards that genre. I dont really do any finished work outside of digital painting but I do like to draw with pen, pencils and ink brushes when I can, if only because it just feels good. Because digital

is such a forgiving medium, I tend to take it for granted and work too chaotically. The nature of working with pen and paper forces me to think before I put something down, which in return helps me solve problems before I bring it to a digital stage.

can you reveal some creative secrets? I dont have any major staples in my workflow but there are some that are particularly helpful. [For instance], I find myself using the Navigator all the time. I make it really tiny and have it hovering right above my working canvas. As they say, if it works tiny it will work big, so this is a nice way to constantly keep tabs on the overall effect. Color Balance and Color Replacement are huge timesavers when experimenting with your colours. The Surface Blur filter is a great one when studying another image and figuring out which elements are essential to the piece without losing the edges.

how Does it feel seeing the results of your harD work in the enD proDuct? Guild Wars 2 was the first game I had the privilege to work on. Its an encouraging indicator that Im progressing and hopefully heading in the right direction. To be honest, its hard not to cringe when I see my work in a game I cant help but see lazy mistakes and wonder what I was thinking!

Ratasum Market: This load screen for Ratasum was particularly fun for Hanson as he enjoys creating busy market scenes. Lots of opportunities for little easter eggs in this one! Arenanet/nCsoFT

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Full Page.indd 1 27/02/2013 15:54

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eye on design Building a gothic poster

Illustrator ludovIc cordelIres dIscusses makIng a grIm gothIc Image thats nevertheless pleasIng to the eye

project FocUS

Building a gothic poster

W hen you hear the term Gothic, a certain set of visual touchstones will likely jump to mind: gargoyles looming from cathedral buttresses; skulking figures concealed in spectral forests and Nosferatus ominous silhouette lurching up an eerie staircase. This arguably isnt the most visually spectacular aesthetic, to say the least. It shies away from the bright colours of a lot of contemporary art, more often dwelling in the shadows and the darker end of the spectrum.

When tackling a poster for a South American horror film festival, artist Ludovic Cordelires was challenged with taking this grim, uninviting, rather sombre mien and turning it into something entirely more striking. The result is Temple Ov Depression, a charcoal frieze featuring skulls, demons and a menagerie of other horrifying creatures. With a background in illustration and design within the metal music genre, Cordelires was truly well placed to take up this task.

The key to this image is its clever use of composition, a careful managing of layers and a subtle sense of restraint. We spoke to Cordelires to learn exactly how he harnessed these techniques to capture our morbid curiosity.

Can you disCuss how you went about Creating this image?I started with a photo of an Indian statue, then modified its design to become an ancient god at the centre of the canvas. I wanted to build something majestic, both architectural and organic, hence the

name Temple Ov Depression. Once the main figure was placed, I added two gate keepers to escort him. I tried out a few different heads for the main character (which was eventually built from vegetable stock images) and then added an organic door to the temple. I tweaked the image by playing with the head of the main character, then worked on colours and spotlights to enhance the two sentinels, the temple god and eventually the festival logo.

whiCh PhotoshoP tools were PartiCularly useful for the Creation of this ProjeCt? I didnt use any special tools to build this image. Most of time I use Photoshops core set, such as the Pen, Lasso, Fusion Mask and Eraser, because they enabled me to create a quick mock-up of what I had in mind. They are very simple to use and enable uncomplicated photomanipulation, for example with the work done on the demons head.

are there any tools the software doesnt yet have that you would like to see imPlemented? For me, no, definitely not. Photoshop is an amazing creative tool, which does the job its designed for incredibly well. Everything is possible, its just a matter of time, patience and learning. There are some tools and plug-ins that are pretty cool but theyre often too expensive. You can usually obtain the same effect by making it by yourself but if everything were easy, the work wouldnt be half as rewarding as it is!

Ludovic Cordelires, aka Rusalkadesign, is an illustrator and

art director with a background in drawing. Hes currently employed

as a graphic designer and works in the music industry. He creates tutorials and freelances in his

spare time.

ludovic cordeliresabout the artist

www.rusalkadesign.com

temple ov depressionname of ProjeCt

@rusalkadesign

select a centrepiece Ludovic Cordelires Arrange the layout Ludovic Cordelires Add dark effects Ludovic Cordelires inject colour Ludovic Cordelires

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Liquify is one of the most powerful tools in Photoshop. I used it for this demon to make it more skeletal and creepy but still dynamic. You can use the tool to modify a characters appearance, but dont overuse it or youll damage your photo.

Simple but truly essential, the Pen tool enables you to nicely isolate a subject. Fusion Mask is another powerful tool as it enables you to keep the layer youre working on intact. In this case, I hid some of the demons head to put in a Spartan helmet.

Deformation filters such as Spherize are pretty cool to create a planet or add volume to a flat texture. Here I used the tool to build a demonic orb. I drew some organic shapes on the orb outline to increase its volume.

Ludovic Cordelires

Can you disCuss layout in your work? How do you avoid overCrowding in an image suCH as tHis?The most important thing for me is to tell a story, whatever colour my design is. This is the main foundation of my job: to illustrate. As such, I worked hard on light and contrast and brought out aspects I wanted to be noticed with various spotlights.

Forcing myself not to overload my picture was a huge challenge, however. I made sure to choose the right composition for the image by using the golden ratio most of the time. I first put the important elements in my working area, even if they werent clean and finished, then I built the back and

foreground and added the details in last. In fact, for this kind of piece, its very important to work on every element at the same time in order to get a well-balanced result. Once the main pieces were in place, I worked on the aforementioned light and contrasts to highlight them.

wHiCH pHotosHop tips and triCks would you offer to otHers looking to Create gotHiC artwork? Using a graphic tablet is essential to make clean and precise designs. Also, try to always work with high-definition elements (using your own stock or buying some from image banks). Pay particular

attention to the composition and framing of your creation to focus on lights and colours.

Try to manipulate elements as much as you can, while avoiding typical figures such as nude girls with crows, vampires, blood and overused colours. Most of the time Gothic images look very similar to one another, so one of the best tips I could give is to be original, even if you include a vampire or a demon. Tell a story in your design thats fresh and engages attention. Theres so much inspiration in videogames, books, music (metal music, for me) to stimulate the mind. Concerning Photoshop, dont use free brushes or other filters available on the internet. Try to make things for yourself!

Building a gothic poster eYe on DeSIgn

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EYE ON DESIGN STUDIO INTERVIEW

WE MEET THIS IMAGINATIVE AGENCY TO FIND OUT HOW THEYVE UTILISED THE INTERNET TO GARNER SUCCESS THEIR OWN WAY

STUDIO INTERVIEW

HUGO & MARIE

Hugo & Marie is an agency that has been working with a number of leading creative talents, across all disciplines, for nearly half a decade. This is due in no small part to the reputation for quality and reliability that has be nurtured by the agencys creative team.

Mario Hugo and Jennifer Gonzalez founded the company together early on in 2008. Id been working at a design agency called Syrup NYC, then as a freelance illustrator, reveals Hugo. Jennifer was working in fashion. We werent really interested in operating under any one roof, so we formed the agency out of a desire to collaborate with talented friends and individuals.

Like many other agencies, Hugo & Marie began working fairly exclusively in print and illustration and many of its artists still do. Some of our internal team has since evolved to working digitally, explains Gonzalez. We still love print projects, they just have to be right. Working digitally has offered our team the opportunity to experiment and expand into new territories. We feel strongly about a variety of work weve done that is suited to the web.

However, when asked which visual qualities Hugo & Marie is renowned for, the duo are stumped. We definitely feel each of the artists we represent share things in common, but weve never really put our finger on what those qualities are, says Hugo.

Hugo & Marie is a full-service creative agency that specialises in artist management and interactive services. Its team is dedicated to direction, illustration and interactive design, bringing all manner of creative projects to life.

HUGO & MARIEABOUT THE STUDIO

http://hugoandmarie.com

@hugoandmarie

1. Sam Hodges 2. Mario Hugo 3. Fanny Nordmark 4. Masha Spaic 5. Ania Nowak 6. Jennifer Gonzalez

As founding members, both bring a recognisable male and female influence to the agencys style. Their work manages to successfully amalgamate a variety of looks. We cant always speak for one another, but I think that Hugo & Marie is made of equal parts graphically both masculine iconography and feminine nuance and gesture. We like the language of fashion and music, but we really pride ourselves on telling beautiful stories befitting each of the agencies or brands we work with.

The agency has managed to gradually build a strong network of commercial clients off the back of a period of calculated inertia. The team of artists worked for a length of time producing and publishing

@hugoandmarie

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direction, illustration and interactive

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work independently, before actively seeking wider commercial success.

Gonzalez explains further: Our thought was pretty simple that the internet is an invaluable tool, but full of white noise. Hugo & Marie felt, and still does, that curation is the currency of the internet.

Hugo & Marie aimed to curate a group of designers that it believed in, showing the strengths of the creatives operating at the agency and attracting clients through these talents on show. Finding commercial clients isnt always easy, but we do believe the key to being discovered is to make things you believe in, adds Hugo.

The agency persists in utilising the web to its full potential as a means of actively seeking the publics attention, making prospective and existing clients fully aware of the agencys wonderful projects. We keep our website active, promoting work and creatives through the standard social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, Hugo tells us. We send books, schedule meet-and-greets when appropriate and we just ran our first print ad in the beautiful Port Magazine late last year. However, were mostly an online business.

Continuing these relationships is crucial to Hugo & Maries long-term business plan and theyve built a reputation for quality that returning clients have come to expect. Being reliable in as fickle and fast-paced a business as the creative industry is a good way to ensure growth, Gonzalez explains. Variety is the spice of life though. We enjoy working with diverse new clients with different goals.

This philosophy certainly applies to the agencys use of Photoshop. The software is applied in such a manner that its once again hard for the team to relay all the specifics. Im actually not too well versed in names and shortcuts, admits Hugo. The projects are pretty diverse, so its hard to say what, if anything, is most commonly used. I also feel like anything I say here may misrepresent the other artists on the Hugo & Marie roster. What I can say is that I spend about 95 per cent of my creative time in Photoshop and the other five per cent in Illustrator. I play with the Refine Edge filter a lot. I also like being able to tweak some of the subtler qualities of an image by gently softening things.

One thing thats consistent is the agencys technological preference. Were definitely in the Apple camp iMacs, MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads and so on, explains Gonzalez. The in-house team use Wacom Intuos pen tablets more or less exclusively. Weve also got a TV and a PlayStation for out of hours. The only hardware that you might not see everywhere else is an office swing and a Polaroid camera. We never cared much for white-box office spaces.

The reliance on stout creativity and being technologically savvy has seen exponential growth, with the team now having to take on specific roles and functions to continue to prosper. Gonzalez and Hugo & Marie Were definitely in the Apple camp iMacs, MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads and so on Hugo & Marie

MVMs beautiful Rihanna illustration was remixed by Mario Hugo, for the disc art. special thanks goes to Fanny nordmark, sam Hodges and our friends at def Jam records for their late-night teamwork def Jam, sRP

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3.1 phillip lim holiday card Mario Hugo explores tHe Making of tHis fasHion branding project

I spoke with the client at length about the general tone of the video, with a set of pencil sketches preceding the painted mockups. Textures from the garments were also used throughout. These images were sent to 3.1 Phillip Lim and ensured the mood fitted the brands Holiday collection.

Id never worked in motion before, so after initial approval I spoke with Wyeth Hanson over at motion studio Labour (www.labour-ny.com) about the best way to proceed. He informed me his team would be happy to receive vectors, so we created what were essentially illustration wireframes.

over the course of the video the viewer is climbing up a dream-like story where festive toys meet fashion ephemera. Music is another major theme for the video and the narrative is punctuated with a dark, moody tone, which is right up my alley.

our conference table. theres no one around in this photo, but usually there is something going on back here Mario Hugo, Hugo & Marie a rotating selection of reading materials and scented candles. sometimes there are pieces to play with Hugo & Marie

We thought for a while about what to end on we didn't want to stick any holiday clichs at the top, so stars and angels were a no.

the video begins with a toy crank and moving textures of phillip's textiles. these were something that really characterised the collection, so they were included from day one.

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Masha Spaic manage both agency and commercial project productions. Creative direction and all internal projects are handled by Hugo and the other agency staff, including Fanny Nordmark, Sam Hodges, and Ania Nowak. Our team of twelve artists includes talent such as Deanne Cheuk, Mike Perry and Tom Darracott, who focus on art direction, illustration and design, explains Hugo.

Going forward, Hugo & Marie actively seeks to evolve and rejuvenate itself. We tend to approach artists were interested in representing, but the aesthetic qualities that speak to Jennifer and I can be pretty elusive even to us, muses Hugo. Quality and consistency are clearly important in your work, but there really is so much talent out there that it can be difficult to stand out. We cant speak for all agencies, but were really attracted to people with a fresh perspective, who say something different.

eye on design studio interview

When reviewing work, we will generally spend less time pouring over portfolios of people with an overwhelming variety of work. He advises you to find a few things you do well, then continue to improve and do them even better. Dont worry so much about commercial viability, a little weird is good, he adds.

With creatives working around the clock on so many exciting and high-profile projects, the benchmark is understandably set high. Hugo gives us one last bit of advice. As an agency, weve worked with clients such as Stella McCartney, Gucci, Rihanna, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Apple, Microsoft and Nike, he says. Weve worked with agencies including BBH, BBDO and Yadda. Theyve all been unique learning experiences, both creatively and in terms of management, but the common lesson learnt and to always remember is good things rarely come easy.

TIP 1 Clean up your desktop. After a big job we ritualistically tuck files away into folders and toss out unnecessary clutter. Its almost a rite of passage.

TIP 2 When were working in teams, we use Basecamp software with clients, but we really like Kickoffs simpler task management with the design team. This and Dropbox are essential for our workflow.

TIP 3 We realise it can take time to acclimatise to a drawing tablet for absolutely everything. The one-to-one ratio of a tablet means you develop an instinct for navigating your screen space.

TIP 4 Argue politely. If you believe in something, argue its merit. I dont care if a designer has been with us three years or three days. If you believe in something, speak up.

TIP 5 Take breaks. We realise designers are pretty accustomed to an unsung social martyrdom, but youre more efficient when you take some time out.

TOP fIve PRODUCTION TIPS

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MARIO HUGOA blAck-And-white MondAy At hugo & MArie. MArio took the opportunity to tAke out his iphone And docuMent office events

8:12 HEADING TO WORK EARLYLately Ive been coming in earlier to have some quiet work time. Coffee quickly becomes the lifeblood of our creative day.

10:08 TAKING ON THE mORNING mEETINGWe have a meeting every Monday, including video conferencing, debates and catching up on weekend activities. This was my view when I tilted my head back.

14:00 TORO Y mOI AND OTHER CURRENT mUSICIANSMusic drowns out some noise and energises the whole office. Everyone gets a shot at DJing. Were going on an office field trip to see Toro Y Moi this week.

16:13 mAGAZINES ON mARIOS DESKI keep a number of magazines around. I flip through all kinds of print material throughout the day.

17:00 BROOKLYN LIBRARY We try to photograph any and all inspiration, particularly when were out from behind our monitors for meetings in the city.

17:57 A STRESS-RELIEVING SWINGOur swing is home to plenty of informal business planning. Its great when used as a time-out device and as a stress-reliever.

18:23 FIFA TImEObligatory FIFA 13 rounds. Sam murders me, usually. The banter can get a bit aggressive. Its a great way to unwind after work.

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TECHNIQUES 20 TYPE SECRETS

WE BRING YOU AN INSPIRING COLLECTION OF TYPE PROJECTS ALONG WITH INSIDE INFO AND PRACTICAL TIPS FROM THE ARTISTS WHO CREATED THEM

JORDAN METCALF www.jordan-metcalf.comTo create a toolkit for Boston Magazine, artist Jordan Metcalf

decided to go for a clean bespoke type that he refined and completed in Photoshop.

1. VINTAGE SHADOWS

The brief I was tasked with building a visually striking typographic treatment that would work across a contents page, DPS and various sub-section headers of the magazine. The inspiration The style is a play on vintage signage that pays tribute to the rich history of the city. It was important that this wouldnt be specific to one place in Boston or preferential to any particular sub-section of the feature. Custom type All the type was completely drawn from scratch and no fonts were used. Creating shadows The shadows cast by the lettering were all done in vector with a combination of a few techniques. Getting grainy Photoshop was used for the final grain and highlight effects on the type. Gradient Map I used a Gradient Map adjustment layer in Photoshop to get the subtle muted colours consistent throughout the toolkit.

Jordan Metcalf

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TODD FOOSHEE www.toddfooshee.comWith a bold font from the Avant Garde family as a base, Todd

Fooshee set about building up a graphic type by adding hundreds of very small birds to his project. The font is clean, easily readable and has a really thick, sturdy look to it [thats perfect for rebuilding] the forms with birds. I did some adjusting to the kerning and from there began to place birds all around the letters. [I kept] balance in mind, but really just placed them at random to build the words. In terms of the specific tools for this project, I used a pen and paper, a scanner and some basic features inside Photoshop. Without the Invert adjustment I would have probably had to go a different route The layer groups were what really helped me out the most, just to stay organised and keep things in order After I finished the letters, it came down to building a background texture, which I did by combining a few images using different blending modes then erasing [areas] and using some texture brushes. I applied some of the bristle brushes with my Wacom tablet to add the slight vignetting around the top edges and then toned it down a bit with some blending modes. There is also a lot of copy-and-pasting work at the heart of this piece.

2. BUILDING LETTERS

HERE DESIGN www.heredesign.co.ukThe multi-disciplinary team at Here Design decided to let their type do the talking when creating the packaging for the Hairy Bikers crisps brand. Coming up with a concept to sell snacks on behalf of two unorthodox TV chefs was a unique challenge. The team started by developing copy lines for each unusual flavour and sensation, as director Caz Hildebrand explains: Once we started looking at using just type, it quickly became obvious that this would work well and help the packs stand out against the competition. We were inspired by the sort of graphic style associated with packaging that has to travel, like cardboard boxes containing fragile items reading This Way Up or food packaging date stamps that read Best Before and so on. The colours were derived from the flavours, for example the Keralan King Prawns pack is pink both for the colour of the prawns and the Indian feel. The logo for the Hairy Bikers combines a spanner, a pepper pot and a fork inside a wheel to evoke both the motorbikes and the cooking of the duo. Each pack has relevant language for the flavour as well as Si and Daves seal of approval and signatures. We used Photoshop to create the impression of old letterpress-printed type thats a bit battered and care-worn We mixed some of the Effects Gallery styles with scanned textures we found to create a unique set of textures to be used with the type.

3. COMMERCIAL PACKAGING

MARCELO SCHULTZ www.behance.net/marceloschultz

When he was commissioned to create a T-shirt design for Nike that would fuse trainers with a slogan, Marcelo Schultz immediately reached for the textures.

4. LEATHER AND TREAD

Create a mask to apply the texture you're using. Select the type that you would like to apply the texture to by holding Cmd/Ctrl and clicking over the tiny image of the shape on the Layers panel. Keeping the selection active, create a layer folder and select Add Layer Mask, located at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Next place the texture inside the mask, which should fit to the exact shape. Inside that mask you can add some shadows and create a 3D depth effect, as you can see marked in green, to achieve the final effect.

This image uses different textures, such as leather and tread. Textures can improve and lend a realistic effect to your artwork, as long as they are of a good quality.

Todd Fooshee

Here Design

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TECHNIQUES 20 TYPE SECRETS

NIK AINLEY www.shinybinary.comDrinks giant Diageo enlisted Nik Ainley to give a typographic

treatment to promote a line of cocktail drinks. They wanted something with plenty of abstract and photographic items related to each drink and centred around 3D typography. The final design went through many iterations, almost 40 for the first image I seem to remember. The smooth flow from the pump to the glass was an important part of the concept and helped to give each illustration a shape. The first elements to frame each piece were the pumps and drinks, which came from specially taken photos. After this I discussed with the art director what sort of typography would work. From experience I knew that a fairly simple font was needed, as when you extrude a font you introduce a lot of new surfaces that can confuse the eye. In the middle of complex illustrations like these you need to keep things as legible as possible. Using a simple chunky font minimises the confusing effect, so thats what I went for. The 3D letters were then built in 3ds Max and positioned. An excellent 3D artist and friend, Marcelo Jr, was involved heavily in this part of the process. Even after the 3D elements were brought into Photoshop, the piece consisted of many layers that enabled me to continue tweaking it as I went. From there it was a case of creating all the other aspects that consisted of stock photos, images captured for the project, decorative 3D elements and sections built in Photoshop. I brought all of these together with a heavy dose of retouching and editing.

7. FLOWING EFFECTS

ANTHONY GIACOMINOwww.agiaco.net

Anthony Giacomino teamed up with Richard Roberts (www.richardroberts.com) to create an other-worldly type project for the Intrinsic Nature art collective. Bold 3D lettering takes centre-stage, enhanced by light effects and futuristic elements, as the team explains: For this piece we started with a base in CINEMA 4D to make the 3D type, lighting and also an assortment of geometric shapes. After importing this into Photoshop, we added more atmosphere and light emitting from the top, in addition to some light effects.

The piece needed some more colour, so we sampled pinks and oranges to complement the cool blue and navy tones. For the final details we added a few other points of interest, such as the figure on the right and some foreground shapes to add depth and dimension. We utilised blending modes such as Screen and Overlay when playing with stocks and other elements to create some unique effects.

5. 3D TYPE

Anthony Giacomino and Richard Roberts

MARCUS BYRNE www.behance.net/mobdesignMarcus Byrne created this striking lighting typography for Cricket Australia/George Patterson Y&R in Melbourne. The illuminated fluorescent design includes detailed light

effects and bright colours and was reproduced in all hues across the colour palette. The type was used in extensive applications across the range of marketing materials for T20 cricket. Here you can see some of the stages in Byrnes process.

6. ILLIUMINATE IT

Nik Ainley

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LUKE LUCASwww.lukelucas.com

The team at Esquire magazine required an innovative and stylish headline treatment for a grooming section of the publication. Here Luke Lucas runs through how he approached this task.

8. GRAPHICAL HAIR

EUGENE LVOVSKYwww.eugenelvovsky.com

If youve ever thought that standard type options are incredibly boring and if youre reading this I bet you have try looking at them through Eugene Lvovskys eyes. Instead of seeing letters, he sees shapes, and has used this approach to create his series of Type Is posters. You can see the full series here www.eugenelvovsky.com/typeis. The inspiration for the series is the immense beauty of typographic forms. Simply spotting a beautiful descender on a typographic character could easily grow into the question, Can I make this into a flower? I take this step further by

creating a visually pleasing relationship between every single character, respecting and being true to its unique shape. Everything is thoughtfully interconnected, every character, every shoulder, stem and serif. There are no letters accidentally placed together in my images and the accessibility of Photoshop helps enormously when working on made-to-order prints. Everything from a Gradient Map to Hue/Saturation adjustment layers save time when Im perfecting a bespoke colour combination for a client.

9. USE A NEW PERSPECTIVE ANDR BEATOwww.andrebeato.com

Andr Beato created a playful type for easyJet, merging bold letters with different elements. The brief behind this project was to create a main type header for an article called The Next Big Thing. The idea was to play (bastardise, overlap or italicise) with the header title text, combining the four stories related to the article, namely Northern Lights, Cycle like the Pros, Ice Climbing and Sleep-Inducing Machines. I started the illustration process in the vector program FreeHand MX and tried to find the best way to combine the text block I used the magazine house font called Benton then drew the elements to adapt and join them with the text. I always try to create something legible but appealing at the same time. The process concluded in Photoshop, where I added all the little details like shadows, glows, brush-star effects and colour adjustments.

10. PLAY WITH TYPE

Initial brief I was asked to create a type illustration and some hairy graphical elements. Base text The client wanted to evolve the illustration from their standard condensed sans serif, into something that was more dynamic and relative to the theme. Creating hair I next built up all the hair elements using very fine strokes drawn with the Pen Path tool in Illustrator. Making hair brushes I created several hair brushes and applied them to paths in the shapes that I felt would work the best on the different letters. I then made some slight distortions using the Mesh Warp tool. Copy layers I added in some hair highlight layers using fine paths. I then copied both the base hair and highlights into Photoshop in separate layers. Add highlights I hid and made a selection of the highlight layers and brushed them within the selected shape on a separate layer. This brought more variation to overall design.

Luke Lucas

20 TYPE SECRETS TECHNIQUES

Andre Beato, Ryan McCabe

Eugene Lvovsky

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LINZIE HUNTER www.linziehunter.co.uk

Skinny Cow and JWT New York were in need of a fresh interpretation of their campaign copy, so they got illustrator Linzie Hunter to apply her unique style. Sometimes Ill create my lettering on paper, while other times I play about with colours and styles directly in Photoshop. For this series of ads I worked fully in Photoshop using a Wacom tablet and pen. I concentrated on creating lettering that looked and felt hand-rendered and more in-keeping with my personal style. I like to mix and match typefaces with upper- and lower-case characters, as I feel this lends energy to my work and I prefer everything to not feel too neat or perfect. Sometimes its obvious which words need greater emphasis, but for me its usually just more of a hunch when it comes to developing or picking lettering styles I used a variety of custom brushes in order to achieve a more painterly or hand-rendered effect and also used my own textures, either scanned, photographed or hand-drawn. I also tend to have a lot of layers set to Multiply or Overlay in order to create textural effects and backgrounds. Sometimes with these hand-lettering assignments, the arrangement of words and letters just dont fit the space youve got in the way youd like.

12. DIGITAL HAND LETTERING

Linda Zacks

All images Lizzie Hunter/JWT New York

LINDA ZACKS www.extra-oomph.com

Linda Zacks usually originates her elements with real-world media, but here shares her tips on how to marry these perfectly in Photoshop. RPA in Santa Monica asked me to create an artful interpretation of the Newport Beach Film Festival name. This typographic collage was born from a stack of city shots taken while zooming around at night I went through heaps of photos, picking out awesome shapes and colours. In Photoshop I had a zillion windows open simultaneously and pasted stuff into a giant master file with a billion layers. Slowly but surely the letters came to life from several bits and pieces of photos as I sized, resized and transformed them. I also added some watercolour textures over the top that I had scanned in one rainy day. Nothing originated in Photoshop, but I used it as a virtual gluestick. For this project I used lots of layer functions as well as Multiply, Screen and Overlay blending modes. To finish I punched up the colour to add the last burst of zing.

11. REALWORLD ELEMENTS

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STEVE GOODIN www.behance.net/demen1

Steve Goodin gave a funky yet classy edge to this piece of marketing material for a Reno electronic music event. The initial idea stemmed from the title of the event. I was given creative control over the theme and style of the poster so I really wanted to set the tone and the vibe based on that title. This poster was created using some 3D type elements as well as some other stock photography and illustrated graphics. For example, the lightbulb images and vintage flowery wallpaper pattern came from a deviantART member.

14. VINTAGE 3D

Luke Lucas

LUKE LUCASwww.lukelucas.comFreelance creative Luke Lucas was asked to design this sweet

and savoury graphic for the dining section of The New York Times, using Poplar as a secondary typeface. This illustration began with defining the main glass shape and the stylised wine pouring inside it in loose vector shapes. The main type was then created using Vector Paths in Illustrator, while the secondary type was set in the Poplar typeface and distorted to fit using the Mesh Warp tool. In terms of the creative process, the wine shapes were brought into Photoshop as separate objects and colour, highlights and shadows were applied to enhance the depth of tone. The main type was then filled with colour and the shadow details within the letters were masked and brushed to define overlapping elements. The warped secondary type objects were overlayed using layer effects, then it came to building the glass. The background of the image was to be white, so in order to define highlights on a white background I first needed to add a slight grey tint to the whole glass shape. This was placed on the bottom layer so as not to tint the actual wine itself. Next I brushed in the highlights and shadows in separate layers above the wine and type shape layers. Some faint reflection shapes were also masked and brushed in. Once the main type and glass objects were rendered to a fairly polished level I placed all of the wine and type elements into a layer group. To finish, I duplicated and applied masks to the groups, separating the objects between those inside and those outside the glass.

13. POPLAR IN A GLASS

Main ideaThe brief was to incorporate various flavours and descriptors associated with wine in an artistic way.

Two typefacesLucas mixed two typefaces, placing one centre-stage as Sweet and Savoury and the other to spell out associated words in the glass.

Refracted effectBy separating and shifting

elements in the glass, Lucas could imitate a slightly refracted

distortion to create a realistic finish.

Highlights and ShadowsPainted highlights and shadows gave definition to the type and the wine background, adding depth and interest.

All images Steve Goodin

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TECHNIQUES 20 TYPE SECRETS

JOEY CAMACHOwww.joeycamacho.com

Inspired by a period of his life when he wanted to slow down and appreciate the simpler things, Joey Camacho created a typographic poster series to echo his ideas. My process with this project, as with all my typographic work, started with word-pairing or putting together the concept for a series of images. I used Burgues Script for this as it has thousands of glyphs and alternative characters. Balancing out the words and using the flourishes sparingly was important. Some people dont spend the time required to understand the entire font, which I think is really important. When I get the images into Photoshop I use the Alpha channels and layer masks to tweak the colours, enhance the lighting and give them a tactile feel. The textured background is made up of quite a few different layers, reduced in opacity and overlaid. This often gives more depth than just one texture layer. I use custom dust and scratch brushes, while also using the Dual Brush feature to add some randomness and inconsistencies to the final result. I spend quite a bit of time dodging and burning the reflections and shadows, which helps make them pop. I also often use Color Balance and Curves adjustments to finesse the final product.

17. EXPERIMENT WITH TONES

JURI ZAECH www.juri-zaech.com

Starting with an initially rough sketch, Juri Zaech gave these quirky personalised bicycles all their touching character using Photoshops toolset.

15. FROM HANDDRAWN TO 3D SI SCOTT www.siscottstudio.com

Working to a brief for Nike, full-time artist, designer and creative consultant Si Scott built a unique typography-lead image. The design fuses the kit of a well-known football team with the words its fans sing at matches. The brief was to make the footballers from famous chants that the Paris Saint-Germain fans sing at their beloved teams games. The piece was used as three-storey-high banners on the side of the Nike store in Paris for the launch of that seasons kit, he says. The result shows the famous kit, complete with Nike swoosh, worn by a man built purely from type. To create the image, Scott fused his well-known style of hand-crafted work with his Photoshop expertise. The image was drawn by hand in separate parts, scanned into Photoshop and pieced together in the program. The Magic Wand tool was used as a selection tool to get rid of the negative space. It was also helpful to remove marks left on the paper from the drawing process, which cant be seen by the naked eye. From there a mask layer was added to the type so the colour could be added.

16. TYPE FOR TALL BUILDINGS

The Write a Bike series started with my own wish to create a personalised bicycle, so using the name of the owner seemed a logical and interesting way to demonstrate this. The process started with sketching up a rough shape of the bike and the name, to see how tight the letters needed to be spaced to maintain a somewhat natural proportion.

I drew the bike in Illustrator, starting with the basic elements and the lettering of the chosen name. It took a lot of adjustments to get to the even structure of the bikes frame. Once all the vector work was finished, I took the different elements to Photoshop to render the 3D effect.

I mainly used simple Bevel and Emboss layer effects. It was important to pay attention to the details like the colour of the shades and obviously the amount of embossing. The reflection elements needed to be blurred, have their opacity reduced and other partial adjustments. The background, shadows, reflections and textures were all finishing touches. Joey Camacho

Nike/ Simon Scott

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20 TYPE SECRETS TECHNIQUES

CHARLES WILLIAMSwww.madeup.orgThe Church of London commissioned different artists to depict various Olympic athletes for the cover of the Metro newspaper

during the games. The brief specified that only the portrait had to be recognisable and include the athletes names. Charles Williams depicted Louis Smith with a combination of hard-edged and soft flowing shapes, in reference to the strength and graceful movement required of gymnasts. Once Id put together a rough layout I started building the vector design in Illustrator, then added detail in Photoshop. I based the type on the shapes I used to build the portrait flowing organic shapes then gave it a bit of a circus feel, as this sat well with the gymnast figures above. I built the type in Illustrator then added depth and a soft 3D feel in Photoshop using Bevel and Emboss. To get this effect I set the Bevel and Emboss adjustments Highlight Mode to Overlay and created individual layers for each letters bevel. This prevented the bevels from bleeding into one another and distorting.

19. TWIST VECTORS

BEN DOWNARD www.cargocollective.com/downard

Ben Downard created a concrete type graphic to raise awareness of the events in Haiti. He worked across CINEMA 4D, Illustrator and of course Photoshop to add texture and bring together the final effect. The result is a solid graphic that portrays the destruction. For the aesthetic of the project I wanted something stark, sterile and in a duo tone to illustrate the idea of devastation and its impact on a clean environment. For the concrete effect I used two photographs: a macro shot of basic concrete for the texture and a macro shot of dry, cracked, muddy earth. From that point on I applied with masks and lighting effects used as layer styles. This achieved a painterly and illustrative effect for the remnants of a building left standing after the earthquake.

18. REPLICATE CRACKED CONCRETE

STEFAN CHINOFwww.behance.net/chin2off

Inspired by horror films and a love of candy, Stefan Chinof turned the Helvetica typeface into a fun take on a terrifying texture. I was inspired by a poster for a horror movie that had a very organic, bloody and sort of raw-meat-looking texture! Since Im a big comedy junkie and not at all a horror fan, I thought of how I could make this effect a bit more fun and juicy. Helvetica isnt a font thats usually seen in such an abstraction, so it was an interesting challenge on top of using the negative space around the font. Using negative space always has great power but is rarely used in this way. The tools I applied the most for this project were the blending options as well as the Bevel and Emboss adjustment. Shapes were quite useful too and a great addition, but drawing the idea out to start was the base of it all.

20. RETHINK HELVETICA

Stefan Chinof

Ben Downard

Charles Williams

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Larry Ewing

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Your website data is stored simultaneously in two geographically separate high-performance 1&1 Data Centres, with automatic daily back-ups included.

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THE CHOICE IS YOURS!At 1&1 we provide advanced solutions for even the most demanding web projects choose from our fl exible Windows and Linux hosting packages for the latest in technology and programming.

1&1 offers NEW: Microsoft ASP.NET 4.0/4.5,the latest programming technology for developers, helping to create modern, professional websites with 1&1 Windows Web Hosting. Linux professionals benefi t from NEW: PHP 5.4 and PHPDev, plus unlimited access to 1&1 Click & Build Applications and more with 1&1 Linux Web Hosting.

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DISCOVER THE PERSONAL TECHNIQUES SUPPLIED BY OUR EXPERTS TO CREATE FLAWLESS IMAGES AND ADVANCE YOUR PHOTOSHOP RETOUCH SKILLS

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pro rEToUCHING techniques

R etouching is a secretive trade at the best of times, but here Advanced Photoshop blows the lid off commercial effects once more. In this feature we show you how to apply professional product-retouch techniques.

Admittedly, in an arena preoccupied with beauty examples, retouching commercial products may not be at the top of your agenda. However, mastering this type of retouching will add a vital string to your creative bow. Avenues into product retouching are varied and should be taken full advantage of, if you are looking to make a living from your skills. Image editors can find a number of unique fields to operate within, such as apparel, jewellery, automotive, beverages and technology.

Commercial clients know their products are a gateway to the world of consumers, so they strive to present a perfect portrayal for print and online campaigns. This means they regularly employ retouchers to ensure quality is always at a high standard. Therefore, even when working with everyday products, your portfolio needs to demonstrate aesthetic detail.

In this feature our industry experts show you how to achieve images that will rouse viewers, achieving professional looks using the power of Photoshop. Well also explore CG retouching and reveal how this trend is rapidly evolving.

BeveRAge RetouchingWhen retouching any beverage product your starting point is a strong photograph. The pre-production shoot is an essential phase, as the shots you begin with need to be as high-resolution as possible. Your initial images will determine how much detail is available to work with and this influences the quality of your final image. Digital artist Craig Minchington (www.adoradesign.co.uk) agrees, adding: Youll want your shot to be lit well. Adding highlights [later] is one thing, but you dont want to have to fake [these] too much.

Lighting also plays an important part in successfully presenting the theme of an image, as Minchington explains further: For fruit drinks you want the product to look really refreshing, whereas for a whisky brand you may want to portray

smoothness and class, in-keeping with the brands ethics. Minchington applies a mixture of Curves and Levels adjustment layers to establish these moods. I also experiment with the Dodge and Burn tools to really bring out contrast, accentuating the shadows and enhancing highlights, he adds.

However, Minchington admits that there is no exact science applied to every project. Effects will need probing and can be repeated a few times until the desired effect is achieved. Despite this, he does have one effective routine for smoothing glass surfaces, which is extremely valuable for this type of retouch. Applying a mixture of gradients and brushing in colour can be a very effective way of [doing this], he says. I tend to use these effects for soft highlights, which works really well when dealing with liquids. As many beverage products have recognisable branding, controlling colour is essential. Both the liquid colour and the label artwork need to be exact. I will generally supply CMYK breakdowns then colour-pick areas, using Channel Mixer adjustment layers to achieve the desired tones, Minchington reveals.

Retouching BAllAntines whiskyMinchington explains how he used photoshop to retouch this latest proMotional Key Visual

01 composite the imageSix photos were combined to achieve the final image. One shot was used to get an overall tone, while areas such as the neck were shot using extra light, shining through to show the golden colour of the whisky. I overlaid each section in layers.

02 work out blemishesI added layer masks to each photograph using a soft black brush to integrate edges. This left me with one well-lit shot. A mixture of applied colour brushing (hold Opt/Alt to pick neighbouring tones) and applying the Clone Stamp got rid of blemishes.

03 correct with channel mixerOnce Id cleaned the image, I colour-picked areas then applied Channel Mixer adjustment layers to correct these. To finish I used a Color Balance adjustment layer to add a hint of blue to the shadows as well as to match the background.

035

craig minchingtonwww.adoradesign.co.ukMinchington is a Welsh digital artist living in Bristol who works under the alias Adora. Hes worked on a lot of retouching projects, both at home and in the Epoch Design studio.

angela carlsonwww.angelacarlson.com20 years ago Angela Carlson fell in love with Photoshop while working on her high-school yearbook. After studying Graphic Design and Photography, she now works as a retoucher.

sarah barkerwww.pocketrocket.com.auSarah Barker fell into retouching after starting a career in design and later moving into pre-media. She is completely self-taught in Photoshop and is the director of Pocket Rocket Productions.

darius daviswww.dariusdavis.comAll of Davis skills are self-taught through trial-and-error, videos and publications. He feels you have to explore Photoshops menus and blending modes to find your own style.

artem kolomeichukhttp://positivepictures.netKolomeichuk is a designer born and raised in Ukraine. His primary goal in life is to make a living out of doing something he loves. Currently hes working at Positive Pictures studio.

meet the exPeRts

034-039_AVP_107.indd 35 01/03/2013 12:15

036

Techniques pro rEToUCHING

apparel retouchingWorking with apparel can include a whole host of garments. Canvas shoes, cotton clothes and even metallic watches all fall under this one category. Watches are one of the most detailed subjects to tackle, which actually makes them one of the most satisfying to retouch.

This is why professional artists like Angela Carlson (www.angelacarlson.com) value the tools Photoshop and Camera Raw supply, as they enable image editors the ability to create stunning looks. Lighting, sharpness and clarity are key, she explains. My goal is to create a soft glow, but still maintain a crisp overall appearance portraying the best possible

quality with snappy colour, while keeping true to the actual merchandise.

A photo with multiple watches made of different materials may require several different exposures. It can be difficult to capture a group of watches with black leather and silver textures in just one shot, reveals Carlson. I prefer working with multiple exposures, but when Im unable to obtain them I open my file in Camera Raw. I use Fill Light to open up shadows and Recovery to bring back highlights that may have been blown. The Clarity slider adds contrast to the midtones. Once in Photoshop, retouchers often apply Adjustments>Shadows/Highlights>Shadow Amount and Tonal Width sliders to enhance the detail further.

Colour accuracy is as important as ever, in order to properly represent each specific material. Sometimes you will have platinum, silver and white gold all in a single shot. Its important to make the visual distinction between each one. I use a combination of Curves, Channel Mixer and Selective Color adjustment layers to reach my desired results, Carlson reveals.

With most watch shots looking more sleek and smooth, the only time a retoucher adds texture is when theyve brushed in highlights and have lost the original photographs grain. Carlson tells us: When this is the case, I add noise at a low opacity, which I add a very slight Gaussian Blur to in order to reintroduce [lost] grain texture.

Carlson advises you to always work in RGB at full size, then convert your final layered file to a Smart Object before switching to CMYK mode or resizing. This enables you to maintain consistent quality when repurposing, she explains.

I prefer working with multiple exposures, but when Im unable to obtain them I open my file in Camera Raw

angela carson / www.angelacarson.com

sears canada holiday catalogue watchescreaTe alluring commercial reTouch images using simple phoToshop and camera raw Techniques

001make global moves to improve contrast, colour and clarity in camera raw. pen path an outline around the watch then save feathered selections as alpha channels. clean dirt then smudge or clone out shadows and reflections.

002select with your alpha channel masks and apply curves adjustment layers, balancing lighting across all products. shadows/highlights can help bring out and emphasise details in darker areas. use channel mixer and selective color to correct tones.

003correct all watches so they are set to the same time and date. clone or paste higher-quality stones from one image into another, placing these over any poor-quality ones. also, make sure knob stems are pressed in fully.

004Brush low-opacity white reflections onto the faces of the watches to produce a shine. sharpen these by applying the high pass filter to the faces and stone layers. set high pass layers to soft or Vivid light blending modes.

005put all the layers in a masked group file, revealing only the product. add a white-filled layer thats masked using a gradient. convert all the layers to smart objects