Back2Bare – Logo Design
Two new logo concepts I designed for a barefoot running enthusiast website Back2Bare.com (comming soon)
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Demon Matias – Series Part 5
Part 5 in the Series.
I used the standard burning/dodging technique from the previous series entries and took it a step further in this next project by replacing the subject’s eyes, giving the photo a dark twist. The process requires a little finesse but is simple to execute from a technical standpoint.
Original:
Step 1 – Remove the Eyes: First, duplicate the original image in a new layer. Using the high-res original .RAW (or .jpg) file, select a rough area outlining the eyes and use the “Refine Edge” tool in the “Select” dropdown menu. Stay away from the “Smooth” setting as this will round edges you might like to keep defined; rather, adjust the “Contract/Expand” “Radius” and “Feather” settings until the desired part of the eye is selected to your liking. Delete this new selection and you now have your mask cutout.
Step 2 – Human Eye Analogue: For this next step we’re looking for an eyeball analogue to fill the cutout space. I did a quick Google search for glass orbs/spheres and found a high-res shot that fit perfectly with a subtle catch light. *Note, It’s important to pick a shot that is of equal resolution to the image you’re editing, otherwise it will look unrealistic.
From here, remember that eyeballs are much larger than what we see visually, so size the two analogues accordingly. *Notes, to make this process easier, you can place the new objects in a layer behind the cutout mask and lineup/re-size the objects accordingly (not pictured below).
*Link to the high-res sphere image above.
Step 3 – Blending the Analogue Seamlessly: You might notice areas around the eye that seem off (odd highlights, misshapen corners, etc.), so here is where the finesse comes in. To reveal more of the eye, use a very fine soft brush and erase away the desired portion of the eyelid, being careful not to erase any important details that would make it obvious. As well, to alleviate highlighted areas that may stand out on the edges of the lid, use the burn tool set to “highlights” and darken problem areas/ erase away bits that seem unnatural.
Step 4 – Burning/Dodging: Similar to the other posts in the series, use the burn/dodge tool to burn the shadows/midtones and dodge the highlights to emphasize the lighting contrast. To create the dark, dramatic effect below, I overemphasized the burn areas and went lighter on the dodged highlights.
Post production:
Step 5 (Optional) – Demonizing the image: If you want to take your image a step further, duplicate the original cutout mask layer and set the Layer adjustment to “Pin Light” in the layers palette. You’ll notice a rich saturation of the face while the eyes remain untouched and ‘pop’ out from the image. Adjust the curves/levels if you want to go even further to create the demonic Freddy Krueger-eqsue images below.
Zombie Mark – Series Part 4
Part 4 in the Series.
By fan request for this next post, I “zombified” Mark using the same Burn/Dodge technique and taking it a step further by over exaggerating areas of emphasis.
Original:
Post-Production:
Nick – Series Part 3
Part 3 in the Series.
I realized it’s hard to catch all the subtleties between the original and post-production images without switching between the two as a direct overlay, so for this post I inserted a low-res .gif image to demonstrate the effects/stages of the Burn/Dodge process.
*If anybody knows how to create a higher resolution animated image sequence that’s able to be posted in a non-video format, please let me know and I’ll re-upload.
Original:
Post-Production:
Rambles the Vampire – Liquify Tool/ Burn & Dodge
Shot a series with co-photographer Justin Bettman before the holidays and finally found a moment of free time to do some editing. I’ll be posting up a full set with the 9 models we shot with over the next series of blog posts. Here’s the first shot of Will I edited into a Vampire using the liquify tool on his teeth and very light brushes to burn the shadows and dodge the highlights to really emphasize his natural lines and wrinkles.
Original:
Post-Production
