How to Cheat in Photoshop

» Forum Index » The Friday Challenge » Topic: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Posted on 17/12/12 5:14:29 PM

Ant Snell
Specular Specialist
Posts: 576

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Nothing to ambitious this week (room for improvement I know) but this week’s challenge was edited entirely in Photoshop Touch. Not a bad little application for £6.99 when you compare it with the price of the full blown CS5. Steve, I feel a book title coming on “How to Cheat in Photoshop Touch” I obviously need to buy it!

Posted on 18/12/12 1:17:03 PM

josephine harvatt
Gag Gadgeteer
Posts: 2603

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Finished wrapping my Xmas presies early so thought I'd try something a bit more ambitious ...

_________________
I'm not really bad - I just draw that way

Posted on 18/12/12 1:24:16 PM

josephine harvatt
Gag Gadgeteer
Posts: 2603

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

For the animated version see:

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff325/jsharvatt/xmas2012_zps6fcb5de3.gif

_________________
I'm not really bad - I just draw that way

Posted on 18/12/12 4:26:55 PM

Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician
Posts: 1319

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Great images everyone. Costumes are from a few periods, but the budget was tight!

Posted on 19/12/12 07:36:13 AM

brewell
Pixel Pentagrammarian
Posts: 752

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

From humble beginnings...

_________________
The journey of a thousand hours begins with a single layer.

Posted on 19/12/12 10:02:08 AM

Frank
Eager Beaver
Posts: 1770

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Posted on 19/12/12 10:36:42 AM

tooquilos
Wizard of Oz
Posts: 2905

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

http://vimeo.com/55926269

_________________
Wicked Witch of the West: I'm melting! I'm melting!

Posted on 19/12/12 2:30:14 PM

Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 3126

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

High res is here.

Posted on 19/12/12 4:10:17 PM

james
Surreal Spoofer
Posts: 1194

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s211/fungismith/horsecart-2.gif

Posted on 19/12/12 11:31:17 PM

james
Surreal Spoofer
Posts: 1194

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Kiki, I've just spotted the 3D image within your banner. Very clever.

Posted on 20/12/12 11:19:45 AM

joeysala
Perfect Palmist
Posts: 604

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Excellent images!

_________________
"Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad

Posted on 21/12/12 03:31:06 AM

Hope Leslie Laust
*
Posts: 32

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Posted on 21/12/12 03:52:30 AM

marlcliff
Knight of Intrigue
Posts: 171

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

Merry christmas Steve and to all

Posted on 21/12/12 08:19:22 AM

Steve Caplin
Administrator
Posts: 7052

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

First to attack the scene this week was Sjef, with a splendid retro image that set the tone for the rest of the week. A fine array of characters in period costume, with some excellent touches - the poster on the wall, the milk seller, the delicate shadows, and of course the lamp cleaner up the ladder. Excellent work, Sjef!

A fine snow scene from Nick Curtain, with snow both lying on the ground and falling from the sky. I like the extra touch of the steam from the horse's nose, and the suggestion of snow starting to settle on the horizontal surfaces of the building. Perhaps a little on the roof of the carriage?

A rare entry from David Asch, and a very subtle one it is too. Excellent lighting of the two lamps and corresponding darkening of the rest of the scene, for sure; but what really stands out here is the ingenious way in which the street lamp casts its glow on the tops of the horse and the driver, as well as the base of the lamp itself. This effect takes a lot of working out, as it's not obvious which surfaces would catch the light; great work!

There's a distinct Holmes-and-Watson feel to Josephine Harvatt's entry, with a fine array of Victorians strolling through the scene. I'm particularly interested in the animal the coach driver is now feeding - is it a coypu? Or a Dutch beaver? I really like the animated version with the flickering flames - but of course the master touches are the breath of steam from the horse's nostrils, and the occasional twitch of its ear. Genius.

A festive scene from GKB, with a splendid Christmas tree and a good array of snow (but see David's tutorial in How to Cheat in Photoshop Elements for a really good snow technique). A good lamp lighter, I like the penny farthing replacing the modern bike in the background - but it's the nosebag that really does it for me!

I enjoyed sciteach's entry, with copious snow and a masked figure standing by the carriage in a most mysterious way. There's a stark, sharp appearance to this that really suits the weather. The only thing I'm not sure about is the light inside the lamp: would it really be a giant candle flame like that?

An intriguing scene from puffin31939, with another cart joining the first and the coach driver now petting a dog - very clever. The real ingenuity here, though, was placing the image amongst an array of photographs, which really puts it in context. Quick tip: curl the corners of the shadow down a little, it will give the whole image a much more three-dimensional appearance.

The original building remains in michael sinclair's entry, but the horse, carriage and driver have all disappeared, as the Prussian army marches in to town. I can't interpret the politics of the scene, but they do all appear to be having a very jolly time.

Deep snow from jpore, who has removed the coach driver entirely and added lashings of the stuff all over the place. I really like the way it sits in the windows, creeping up the sides; and on the horizontal surfaces of the carriage and the lamp. But are you sure it would stick to the rear of the horse? Wouldn't that be warm enough to melt it on contact?

A neatly distressed photo from Garfield72, with a fold line right through it - very clever texturing. I like the coach driver now in place on the coach, and the additional one on top - and good patching where he's been removed from in front of the lamp. But a candle? In the lamp? Are you sure that's how it would be done?

A touch of medieval costumery from Ben Mills, with a cheery couple posing for the camera in the much cleaned-up scene. Either they're very small or that's an enormous horse: do you think they should be a touch bigger, Ben?

A good selection of Victorians from katew, and I like the way the man in the background is looking at the girls in the foreground. Perfect blending into the scene, there's a real colour consistency here that works exceptionally well. Good to see you back, Kate!

A Christmas setting from Linda Eckert, with Santa himself apparently having swapped his sleigh for the horse and cart. He seems a touch on the small side - surely he should be a little more portly than that - but I do like the conceit of the red candle in the lamp.

A relatively simple entry from Ant Snell this week, but as he points out it has been completed in Photoshop Touch on a tablet - and that, I think, is a remarkable achievement. It's amazing to see Photoshop, or a version of it, running on such a small device, and this is a great example of what it can do. Did you find the carol singers through the built-in Google image search, as well?

A costume drama from Deborah Morley, with a selection of (mainly) Victorians enjoying the crisp day. The subtle reflections in the wet ground are particularly effective, as is the man standing by the brazier in the background - a good dollop of smoke there. (There's probably a better collective term for smoke, if you can think of it.) And all the eyelines match! Perpsective rules!

Typically incisive work from Brewell, as the frankfurter business shows it origins. I've no idea where you found a picture of a dead horse, or if it was a live one and you lightly killed it - either way, it has a remarkably stiff and lifeless appearance. Great lettering on the new side of the coach, too, and the coach driver is perfectly positioned. Kind of puts me off sausages, though.

A great snow scene from Frank, with a new statue placed in the foreground and the coach driver removed entirely - very neatly patched. Of course, the real skill here was in the building of the photograph album behind, and the excellent judgement on exactly how much of the word 'family' could be concealed while still making it absolutely clear what it says. Very fine work, Frank!

I was so absolutely bowled over by tooquilos's entry that I was speechless. A glorious, intricate and funny piece of work, beautifully realised. Not only did you find a horse skeleton from precisely the right angle, you also removed the original and all trace of it. Then there are all the extras - the verdigris on the lamp, the cracked glass in the windows, and of course the splendid reflection in the wet ground. If I were really fussy I'd point out that the rear left wheel needed to be touching its reflection, but otherwise this is absolutely faultless. Real genius, Anna. And what a fine rain effect in the animated version!

It's always interesting to see how different people cope with the same problem - in this case, the pose of the coach driver. Mariner's ingenious solution is to have him bowing obsequiously to the Dutch royals (I think) about to step into their carriage - brilliant solution! I love the way you've brought the sun out, with the shadows on the ground and the wall behind; and the details of the dog and the wheel, and the new light bulb, are just perfect. Really fantastic work, Michael - you've excelled yourself.

A brilliant animation from James, with a dozing coach driver and an occasionally twitching horse. It all seems serene enough, until - what was that? A dog being pulled by a two-legged horse? I had to watch it half a dozen times before I was convinced that was really what I'd seen!

I've been trying to read the story in joeysala's entry, but I'm having trouble interpreting the emotions: what does the woman want the children to do? And why is the boy so reluctant, when the girl seems happy about it? An intriguing image, nonetheless, and they do fit well into the scene. Perhaps the woman should be a little larger, as she's so much closer to the camera?

A striking night scene from Hope Leslie Laust, making a welcome return to the forum. I like the lamp light, and the subtle glow from the windows; there's a richness of colour here as well that gives the scene intrigue. Not sure about the blocky shadows bottom left, which seem just a little too harsh. Good to see you back!

A couple of good extra characters from marlcliff - ingenious positioning of the woman in purple, neatly obscuring the coach driver. But do watch your perspective: keeping people on the same eyeline makes them fit much more comfortably into the scene!

Fantastic work this week. A real pleasure to look through them all.

Posted on 21/12/12 08:37:55 AM

joeysala
Perfect Palmist
Posts: 604

Reply

Re: Challenge 433: The horse and cart

"I've been trying to read the story in joey's entry....."

Me too, Steve! I think the "Nanny" is telling the ragamuffin boy to get away from her charge (the smiling child)...........or maybe she's shooing away the horse because he's frightened the boy.........OR, maybe I got lost/side tracked/confused, and frustrated. Happens to me all the time!

_________________
"Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art........" Joseph Conrad

Posted on 21/12/12 08:49:07 AM

Nick Curtain
Model Master
Posts: 1768

Reply