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The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.
New Photoshop Actions & Art History Brushes Program Creates Painterly Effects
January 02, 2008
Gavin Philips has released a new set of creative Photoshop actions and art history brushes that create painterly effects. Here's an interview with Gavin that explains his new ‘Paint like Monet’ program. (There is a free action available at Gavin's site. Try the free 'Pastel' creative Photoshop 'action' for PC or the free 'Pastel' creative Photoshop 'action' for MAC.)
What does your 'Paint like Monet' program do for photographers and graphic artists?
It shows them how to quickly create authentic painted portraits using only Photoshop and our custom art history brushes. Also included are several creative Photoshop 'actions'.
How do the creative 'actions' work?
Many photographers and graphic artists use Photoshop ‘actions’ for doing repetitive tasks, such as converting to black & white, or converting from RAW to JPG.
Our creative ‘actions’ combine many complex steps and produce stylish imagery at the click of a button. We also include text messages to give the artist suggestions about how to customize their photo during the ‘action’, or after it has finished playing.
Don't you need a program like 'Painter' to paint digitally?
Our painted examples prove that you do not. Photographers and graphic artists want a streamlined workflow where they do not have to keep switching programs.
There is also the issue of the large amount of time needed to learn ‘Painter’ in order to produce high-quality paintings with it.
I tried using Photoshop's art history brush and all I created was a mess. How are you using it to create these painted photos?
The way to make Photoshop’s art history brush a great tool is the design of our custom art history brushes. We invested considerable time creating the custom brushes in Photoshop that are all included in the set.
The settings of the brush, and when to change the settings is also crucial. Through hundreds of hours of testing, we came up with the best techniques. This is what we teach in our movies.
Are you creating Watercolor type paintings, or other styles as well?
There are many different painting types to experiment with. Some of these styles are dictated by the brush design, such as watercolor, Picasso, modern art, acrylic, spatter etc.
Other styles like our Ink and Charcoal paintings are different techniques that are fully explained in the movies.
Can you paint any type of photograph?
Absolutely. Our tutorial movies show you how to paint people. It is much easier to paint landscapes, animals or buildings. You use exactly the same techniques that we show you how to paint portraits.
Is this program for Photoshop novices, or only advanced users?
Novices can use our program because our movies show them exactly what to do. If they have any questions, we answer e-mails within 2-18 hours.
How long are the tutorial movies? How easy are they to follow?
Our movies average 3-5 minutes long. They are extremely easy to follow and are broken down into an easily digestible length. You see exactly what I’m doing in Photoshop as I do it. They are fully narrated as well.
I’ve been making these movies for over 5 years and take care in creating concise, professionally edited movies that move at a comfortable pace. Our clients have repeatedly told us that the movies are a far better way to learn than books or manuals which often-times miss important steps.
Do I need any other software besides Photoshop? Do I need a tablet?
You only need Photoshop and a mouse. All the examples on our website were made with a regular mouse.
Can I use these art history brushes & creative ‘actions’ in Photoshop Elements or other software?
Photoshop Elements does not have the art history brush, and it does not natively run ‘actions’. So it is not compatible with Elements. Our program only works with the full version of Photoshop. The art history brush goes back to at least Photoshop 7, maybe earlier. So you can use and learn our hand-painting techniques in Photoshop 7 through CS3. However, our ‘actions’ are only guaranteed to work in Photoshop CS2 and CS3.
How do you print the painted photographs?
You have several printing options. I’ve printed on photo paper from a good inkjet and they look great. We include a custom texture that you can apply to your finished painting in Photoshop for recreating a canvas ‘look’ for printing on photo paper.
I’ve also printed Giclee on art paper and canvas. They look even better, and people are convinced they are traditional paintings.
What's a good way to market this to clients?
A good way is to create a ‘Digital Innovations’ photo book showing your before and after photographs. This makes a big impression on clients and is a great way to distinguish yourself from the competition. People are always looking for something different.
How does your price compare to Photoshop plugins like ‘Snap Art’ or other programs like Corel’s ‘Painter’?
Our price of only $84.95 (download version) is less than ‘Snap Art’, and I think our results are better as well.
Corel’s ‘Painter’ costs over $350 dollars and a graphic tablet is considered essential to getting the most out of it. This is another cost factor.
Where can people obtain more information about your ‘Paint like Monet’ program?
You can go to my website and get the free sample actions and find all the ordering instructions as well.
Thanks you for your time Gavin.
Thank you.
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Photoshop CS3 Upgrade Options And Bundles From The Adobe Store
Photoshop CS3 Extended is ideal for film, video, and multimedia pros and for graphic and web designers using 3D and motion. Get the full version for US $999, or upgrade for US $349. The standard version of Photoshop CS3 is available for US $649, or as an upgrade for US $199. See all upgrade options at the Adobe Store. See our CS3 Resource Center for free Photoshop CS3 tutorials.
Photoshop Extended is also available as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which combines all-new CS3 versions of Photoshop, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 8 Pro. Upgrade options for customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can be found at the Adobe International Store.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store
There are tons of new features in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. From Clone and Healing functionality to metadata browsing, you'll be able to free-up post-processing time like never before. Get it now at the Adobe Store. For more info see our Lightroom Resource Center. If you are a student or teacher you'll find super savings at the Adobe Education Store.
SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - Create Websites Instantly
There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.
Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.
Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, this program turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, this program is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks.
Generate Your Web Pages Directly From Photoshop
By generating web pages directly from Photoshop, you'll be able to spend much more time on the creative end of the spectrum, since you'll know right off the bat how well particular designs will translate to the web. No more going back to the Photoshop drawing board after getting a phone call from your development team, telling you that what you had envisioned doesn't have a chance of being displayed on the web. You can immediately visually and interactively test your designs, which permits you to then make changes to either esthetics or functions while it's still relatively early on in the design process.
Pricing and Availability
Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download. SiteGrinder can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.
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Whether you simply want to retouch an image, create a glamour makeover or create a highly sophisticated montage - this book will give you the essential skills to complete the work to a professional standard.
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Working With Shadows In Photoshop - Advanced Shadow Techniques
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