How to Cheat in Photoshop

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Posted on 05/01/23 10:33:51 PM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5575

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

Michael that's lovely work.

Well I was first in the water and I shall be last out. This is very rushed and not my best as I only thought of it late this Thursday afternoon when, walking downtown, I saw the Christmas market being dismantled. Done my best in the time available.

I would like to second Mariner in thanking Steve for the efforts he goes to on our behalf.

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Posted on 06/01/23 01:28:36 AM

Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 3010

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

Thanks, David. For a quickie your last entry is remarkably clean cut and entirely believable. Just the way I like.

Posted on 06/01/23 08:18:24 AM

Steve Caplin
Administrator
Posts: 7000

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

First to light up the market was DavidMac, with a neatly populated scene and impressively opened stalls. The lighting is perfect, as I’d expect, and there’s a really festive feel. But is the perspective a little off? The people at the front seem much larger, relative to their nearest stall, than the people at the back. A rebuild of Mariner-level detail in the second entry, and it’s a real cracker: the way the stalls are stored, the huge interior, the dismantling, the Roast sign and the rebuilt wall… perfect. Too perfect for me to mention that the height of the ceiling inside would cut into the room above.

Ingenious incorporation into a Flemish painting by Breughel the Even Younger, aka Josephine Harvatt. The stall is so neatly tucked in there you have to hunt for it. And many thanks for the Christmas card!

Good to see Ben Boardman’s Christmas card, and what a great story. The fire must have been personally devastating.

A funny entry from Ant Snell, and it’s beautifully composed - a real sense of comedy drama here. Very neatly opened stalls, too - and the foreground snow really gives it depth.

I like how dwindt has turned the stalls into decorated houses, all viewed from indoors. Subtle lighting: the Christmas tree is beautifully lit, and that single candle perfectly realised.

A snowy scene from Frank, with convincingly opened stalls and well-judged passers-by. Of course it’s Rudolph who steals the show here, complete with glowing nose. I like the hats on the trees.

An animated snow globe from lwc, featuring a truly terrifying Santa… did you have a bad Christmas experience when you were young, Loyd? I like the way the snow radiates from the top of the globe. Perhaps some more distortion needed on the text?

Some really impressive snow from michael sinclair, the multiple layers giving the scene a truly convincing sense of depth. Perhaps you could have dropped the original stalls into that image as well for extra points…

I like how tooquilos has converted the stalls into grottoes, bringing a real festive feel to the scene. A great paper unwrap at the start of the animated version. Is that a Tooquilos descendant lip synching to the song? Splendid.

I see Mariner has pushed this image right to the deadline, and you can see why. An extraordinary rebuild, which each shack perfectly renovated. So much detail here: the lit Roast sign, the reconstructed Yorkshire Pudding Wraps sign, the Ukrainian flags, the smoked glass screen in front of the stall… astonishing. And that’s the goofiest snowman I’ve ever seen.

Good work, everyone. Happy new year!

Posted on 06/01/23 09:08:57 AM

Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 3010

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

Thanks Steve, loved every minute.

Posted on 06/01/23 10:54:06 AM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5575

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

Steve Caplin wrote:
But is the perspective a little off? The people at the front seem much larger, relative to their nearest stall, than the people at the back.

I played with that lot being unsure myself. If there is a problem it is the people at the back too small. But if you look at the rear stall it has a much higher counter than the others so the people appear smaller relative to it. If you look at their heights relative to canopy edge they are pretty consistent. That being said, I am still very unsure about this one.

Too perfect for me to mention that the height of the ceiling inside would cut into the room above.

HaHaHa! Sometimes Steve you can be quite irritatingly correct. A typical David Mac mistake of not seeing the wood for the trees. The dreaded trap of Photoshop tunnel vision.

In a rather feeble defence I shall say it was done in a tremendous hurry.

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The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 06/01/23 1:16:20 PM

dwindt
Realism Realiser
Posts: 879

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Re: Challenge 936: The Christmas Market

Lovely work everyone.

Thank you, Steve.

Happy New Year everybody. Hope we are all blessed with the strength, health and wisdom to navigate through this year!

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Posted on 06/01/23 4:37:40 PM

lwc
Hole in One
Posts: 3137

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