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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.



Photoshop Plugins - Twisting Pixels Offers Third Edition of Artistic Filters
March 25, 2008

When it comes to a traditional painting the surface quality and the painted edges can be the difference between an ordinary painting and a masterpiece. With ArtStudioPro CLASSICO you can turn a newly created painting or photo into a timeless classic by simply adding hand brushed edges and a thickly painted background.

Also in this classic series are several effects to create old world charm. With cracked and aged paint you can add character and detail. By using the DaVinci effect you can reflect an ancient moment in time with sketchy brown outlines on golden aged paper. If you have little or no traditional painting ability, then ArtStudioPro is for you. It involves no painting — just click and get — and you have an old world masterwork created by your fingertips. TwistingPixels customers can purchase this product for 40% off the original price [limited time offer].

In the eighteenth century Europe was captivated by the spirit of one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci. Using ArtStudioPro Classico you too can captivate your audience by automatically turning your photo into a sketch, complete with all the signs of the ravages of time. Our daVinci medium consists of sketchy pencil combined with brown and black chalk and even touches of semi-opaque white paint to indicate highlights. Included in this classic series are Artistic Edges, Cracked Paint, Painted Backgrounds and Vintage Scene.

Aged Paint — The Mona Lisa is quite a small painting, but up close you can see all the vast different layers of paint that have been worn away into unique shades and textures. Like this effect it can add so much more to your image. Using the aged paint effect can give that look of wearied old paint that has an individual look. You can adjust the cracks to get an uninformed jagged style for your painting or have them be subtle in your background.

Artistic Edges — This effect can add a lot of emotion to your image. You can load in a leafy texture or add smooth strokes around your picture making it stand out and contour your straight edges making them more attractive. These are hand painted edges that will add a final touch to your painting or drawing. You can choose from hundreds of these edges or combine as many as you want to get your own edge. Your edges can have a soft look giving it dimension or a more bold look giving them a sharper texture. Your borders won't have boundaries with these effects.

Cracked Paint — Give your masterpiece and ancient look with cracked paint. It adds character and detail to your paint. Change the color of your cracks to set the right tones or adjust the size to emphasize them dramatically or in a softer way. You can mix up this effect with an edge or aged paint to give more of a decorative look that adds centuries onto it. This effect gives a timeless atmosphere that promotes the feeling that it was done years ago.

DaVinci — Go back to the days of Leonardo DaVinci with this look. This effect is filled with organic tones and textures that you can alter to fit your drawing. Change the curvature of your lines to get a more interesting look or keep them in a smoother rhythm. DaVinci created a personal style that shows expression with a distinct framework that he created with his modern mind in old days. This effect will give you the hands of DaVinci and give your drawing a classical ambiance.

Graphite Sketch — By using graphite sketch you can create a drawing that is filled with different kinds of values. You can add soft or harsh tones by adjusting the slider higher giving the look of a pencil shading on its side. To get shaper details you can do the opposite and move the slider down. Graphite sketch gives you the classic lead drawing with unique strokes and details that can only be made with this medium.

Sketch — This effect will create a drawing that has sort of rough characteristics to it. It has different shading patterns and line patterns that make your sketch drawing one of a kind. This effect will make your image look like you roughed it in with a box of your favorite colored medium. This effect sets its self apart from elegance with its color and harsher lines, but creates a drawing that is inimitable and dramatizes what a sketch is itself.

Painted Background — This effect can add so much to your background. Painted background takes your flat background and adds texture and paint strokes with several different tones and turns it into a painted masterpiece itself. Automatically your background will change but it can be modified to how you wish.

The foreground is not necessarily the most important part of your art. Without the right background your painting can become less alluring. With this effect you can have your paint be as thick and raised or as flat as you wish. Your background can now be as interesting as your foreground.

Vintage Scene — Add the effect of the past times to your painting or photograph with this effect. You can add the soft tones to a photograph that makes it look interesting and unique as a classic rare image. You can add a paper texture to set the mood of an older photograph or drawing. This effect is great to get a misty, faded, photo.

Pricing and Availability
TwistingPixels customers can purchase this product for 40% off the original price [limited time offer].

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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.

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 Lightroom 1.0 that you won't find in the beta version. 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. Customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can find special pricing and offers at the Adobe International Store. For free Lightroom tutorials see our Lightroom tutorials page.

Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask 3 - $15 Discount Special

The 4 1/2 out of 5 star review of Fluid Mask 3 at MacWorld begins by saying that this "Photoshop plug-in takes the pain out of extracting backgrounds," and goes on to recommend the latest version, stating that "Fluid Mask 3.0.2 is a very effective tool for separating objects from their backgrounds. It offers a variety of useful features for tackling almost any difficult image, from wispy hair to complex foliage. Online video tutorials and live training sessions help ease the learning curve."

Our friends at Vertus, the makers of Fluid Mask 3 Photoshop Plugin, have set up a special exclusive discount for PhotoshopSupport.com. Just follow this discount link and instantly get $15 off your purchase of Fluid Mask 3.

Fluid Mask 3 is designed for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously. In a streamlined interface and workflow, Fluid Mask 3 instantly shows key edges in the image and provides comprehensive easy to use tools that work with difficult-to-see edges and tricky areas like trees & lattices. Features include: