Creating a bit of summary pictures doesn’t suggest all of it needs to be finished in-camera. Photoshop is a incredible instrument to take your summary artwork to the subsequent stage. For this challenge, we’ll have a look at methods to craft a colourful dancer picture from a collection of images of paint. This includes a mixture of taking pictures expertise and Photoshop strategies.
First, we’ll get set as much as shoot vibrant images of paint by capturing the colours as they journey by way of water. As soon as finished, we’ll progress into Photoshop the place we’ll warp the images into the form of our springing dancer. As such, that is successfully two expertise in a single. So when you’re primarily keen on capturing lovely paint abstracts, then you possibly can observe together with the primary half, and when you’d somewhat work on the Photoshop expertise, you possibly can skip the taking pictures half and use the equipped photos to craft your individual painterly figures.
For the shoot, we want a transparent container stuffed with water. A fish tank is right, however any clear plastic or glass container will do. As for the lighting, you should utilize pure gentle at a push, however you’ll get higher outcomes with an off-camera flash – any finances Speedlight will do. The flash helps to deliver out the colours within the paints and freezes the motion because the paint travels by way of the tank of water. We’ll additionally have a look at methods to get arrange along with your off-camera flash and methods to expose for the shot. We’ll then transfer on to the Photoshop a part of the method. It may appear difficult, nevertheless it’s truly a lot simpler than it appears to be like…
Taking pictures summary pictures with paint
Fish tank
A small fish tank like that is excellent, however any plastic or glass container will work. Make sure the glass is as clear as potential earlier than you begin filling the tank with water. You’ll have to refresh the water after each few photographs, so that is finest finished close to to a sink.
Speedlight
An off-camera flash is one of the simplest ways to seize the paints, because it offers your photos a readability that’s onerous to realize with pure gentle alone. Place the flash to at least one aspect of the tank, angled barely away from the backdrop in order that it doesn’t spill onto it.
Reflector
By positioning a reflector reverse the flash on the opposite aspect of the tank, we will bounce the flash gentle into the shadows to even out the lighting. As such, it’s a easy and low cost means of making a second gentle supply in your topic.
Black background
A plain piece of card can be utilized to make a black backdrop. This helps to make the paints stand out, and likewise makes it simpler to mix a number of photos of the paint in a while. It means we will merely mix them utilizing the Lighten mix mode in Photoshop, which successfully cancels out the black backdrop.
Wi-fi flash set off
A wi-fi set off enables you to fireplace your off-camera flash. If you happen to don’t occur to have one, you can set your Speedlight to optical distant mode then use your digital camera’s pop up flash to set off it as an alternative. Or, alternatively, you should utilize a flash that’s wirelessly suitable along with your digital camera.
Digital camera settings
As a place to begin in your publicity, set your digital camera to Guide mode with aperture at f/8, ISO100 and shutter velocity 1/200 second. Set the flash to guide at 1/2 energy and take a take a look at shot. If it’s too vivid then alter the flash energy down till it appears to be like excellent.
Taking pictures paint abstracts
Select your paints
Acrylic paints will work finest for this as they don’t combine with water, so that they’ll keep clumped collectively once you drop them within the water. If the paints are too thick then strive mixing them with a splash of white spirit to skinny them out. Experiment with the peak at which you pour them into the water.
The drop spot
Earlier than you begin dropping paints into your water you’ll have to pre-focus on the spot the place they’ll be. Maintain an object like a spoon within the centre of the water, give attention to it after which change your lens to guide focus as a way to lock it in place. Drop the paints in the identical spot.
Combine your colours
Strive pouring a couple of coloration into the water directly, as the very best images will probably be these the place the paints intertwine with each other. Use contrasting colours with daring shades. If want be you possibly can all the time change the colours in Photoshop utilizing the Hue/Saturation command (Cmd/Ctrl+U).
Use Photoshop to craft your painterly dancer
Drop in a form
Open Photoshop, go to File>New, set Background Contents: Black and hit OK. Subsequent, drag and drop the form that you simply need to use. Right here we used an overview of a dancer, however you will discover many different shapes and figures on-line. Resize the picture with Cmd/Ctrl+T, then hit 2 to set the layer to 20% opacity.
Copy within the paint
Copy in a paint photograph and place it roughly over the determine. Within the Layers panel, set the mix mode to Lighten. Subsequent, go to Filter> Liquify. Test ‘Present Backdrop’ within the settings on the precise. Select Use: dancer form and set Mode: In Entrance, then alter the opacity slider to swimsuit.
Warp the paint
Seize the Ahead Warp instrument from the toolbar and use the ] and [ keys to resize the comb tip. Drag over the picture to push the paint round in order that it follows the physique of the dancer. Form it to cowl part of the physique utilizing brief, sharp pushes with the instrument. Hit OK once you’re blissful.
Paint a masks
Go to the Layers panel and click on the Add Masks icon, then seize the Brush instrument and hit D then X to set the colour to black. Paint to cover any components of the paint that you simply don’t need to embody. Subsequent, drag and drop one other paint picture in, and place it roughly as earlier than.
Extra paint photos
Change the mix mode of the newly added paint layer to Lighten, then, once more, go to Filter>Liquify. As soon as extra, set the Present Backdrop settings so you possibly can see the dancer form, then use the Ahead Warp instrument to reshape the paint to match up with one other a part of the determine, the opposite leg on this occasion right here.
Construct it up
Proceed to construct up the impact. As soon as finished, conceal the dancer form layer and add a paint picture as a backdrop – drop it in and alter the mix mode to Lighten. Press Cmd/Ctrl+U and alter the Hue to provide it a special coloration when you like, then add a masks to cover any areas that you should.
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