Photoshop Tips And Tricks

Create A Vector illustration

2009-05-01T11:38:00.001-07:00

Introduction

The world of vector graphics opened its doors for me, I discovered after the royalty-free micro-community of values and business opportunities to the launch of a digital artist. It has been over a year since my first vector loaded, and then to iStockphoto Shutterstock.

During this time I have gathered some knowledge of how to prepare vector illustrations for the sale of shares of micro-sites and I'd like to share with you in this tutorial. Now I sell my royalty-free vector illustrations iStockphoto exclusively, but I'll tell you some tips to Shutterstock too.

You will learn

• How to create a vector illustration until the final drawing in Adobe Illustrator in terms of the demands of micro-stock sites.
• How clean your Adobe Illustrator file before saving in EPS format.
• How to open and close all the roads.
• Saving JPEG and EPS files correctly for micro-sale securities.

You will need

• Paper and pencil
• Camera or Scanner
• Adobe Illustrator (CS3 I used, but the method works with other versions too)
• drawing tablet
• Scripts for Adobe Illustrator (with download links in this tutorial)

Preview the final image

Below is the final image.

Step 1: Make an Outline

Draw a sketch of your picture. I made this drawing with a pencil and H plays with him until I was satisfied with the outcome. His drawing is a reference to the forms and composition of their future enlightenment, to work on it.

Scan your drawing or photograph. As no scanner, I took a picture of my picture with my camera and imported into Photoshop. Then stored in clean and usable size for Illustrator (File> Save For Web and Devices). My schedule is 600 pixels by 786 pixels.

Step 2: Import to Illustrator

Open Adobe Illustrator. Create a new document 700 px by 800 px (File> New). His scheme to import Illustrator (File> Place).

Check the template.

His drawings are automatically placed in a separate layer with a lower opacity for your convenience. You can move the design on the artboard to find the best position. I put my picture a little to the right to give more space on the left side of the illustration.

Step 3: Create forms of child

Create a new layer and name "Chico." With the combination of the pen (P) and how to create tools of the ways of a child. Try closing all forms while you are creating, because you need all your ways closed at the end of vector illustration for micro-sale securities.

Normally do not adhere to my schedule and try to experiment with shapes. Also refine my lines and shapes in this phase. For example, I have changed the shape of the eyes. When finished creating your form, their child should look like the picture below.

Step 4: Color the Boy characters

Now start selecting the shapes and coloring them. At this stage the parties may send forward or backward depending on each other.

I like the background color to add a character at this stage so I have a good difference. In this way it does not get bored if I change the types of work during the process. I do not have a typical system for choosing colors. Playing with colors to see which looks better, works for me.

Until now we have the basic shapes of color of a child. The details, shadows and highlights, as well as a map and hands of children is added after the creation of color and other elements of this illustration.

Step 5: Map

Create a new layer and name "Map". How to create the map using the Pen Tool (P). Using the pencil tool (N), draw the shapes in a forest and lake. Be sure to close by holding the Alt key while drawing with the Pencil Tool (N). Ways that reach the edge of the map should go beyond.

Using the pencil tool (N) with a stroke of color, do not fill, and set to 1 pt, draw the paths in the forest. The lines must reach beyond the map. Select and expand (Object> Expand) and then check and fill Carrera. Use the Pen tool (P) and the Rectangle tool (M) to build houses.

Select each shape with the selection tool (V) and the color of shapes.

Duplicate the base of the shape of the map and put the copy on the front. Lock the base of the form (Object> Lock> Selection). Now select all the shapes together with the copy of the main crops of the press and on the menu Pathfinder. Unlock the basis of form. You must have a result similar to the picture below.

Now let's do the bending of the edges of the map. With the Pen Tool (P) or the line segment tool (\), draw the lines the edges of the folded part of the map should be. Theses lines must go beyond the form.

Then select all the lines, along with the map and click Split on the menu Pathfinder forms. Ungroup the object.

Your map is cut into small pieces. Group all objects carefully from each side of the map folded together.

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to the color darker and lighter on the map. Map of the entire group together.

Use the pencil tool (N) to draw the shapes of hands. Color of the group and put them in front of the map.

Step 6: Squirrel

Create a new layer and name it "squirrel." Use the pencil tool (N) to create a way around the squirrel. Always close the form by holding down Alt when the shape is close in a corner, use the pen tool (P). Use the Ellipse tool (L) for the eyes. For the use of whiskers Pen (P) or pencil (N) Tools (0.5 pts, flat brush, white, stroke, no fill).

Color Forms.

Step 7: Sign of Road

Create a new layer and name it "road sign". Using the shape tool, create the forms of road sign. I used the Rounded Rectangle Tool for the post and the Rectangle Tool (M) to the top of the arrow. To make the point of the arrow I added to the Add anchor point tool (+) in the center of the right side of the way and dragged to the side with the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Copies of forms, reflect (right-click> Transform> Reflect> Vertical). Make two copies and the position of arrows in the bottom places in the post. Use the Ellipse tool (L) to the nails. Color all the shapes.

Step 8: Land

Create a new layer and name of "land". Use the Pen tool (P) to create the shape of the grass. Close the forms carefully. Not following the schedule exactly the grass and spread a bit to the left.

Use the pencil tool (N) to form around the flowers and the Ellipse Tool (L) so bright in the center of each flower. Create the stems of the flowers using the pen (P) or pencil (N) Tools (0.5 pts, flat brush, green time, no fill).

Using the pen tool (P) to create the shape of the road. Use the Pencil tool (N) for the stones. Remember to hold Alt while drawing the ways to close them.

Color Forms.

Step 9: Sky

Create a new layer and name it "Sky." With the Rectangle Tool (M), a large rectangle, the size of your artboard (700 px by 800 px). Align to Artboard using the Align palette.

Make a gradient ranging from a more intense blue to a lighter blue. I like to select a color, apply to both sides of the slope, and then adjust each side of the color palette.

Create shapes of clouds with the Pen Tool (P) and apply them to the gradient using the same technique with the sky, but the lighter colors. Use the Pen tool (P) to create the shapes of birds and color them.

Step 10: The details, shadows and highlights

At this point, your example should look like the image below.

You can create a separate layer for all of the details, highlights and shadows of the picture, but I will add the details in each layer one by one starting with the child character.

Create the shapes of the shadows with the pen tool (P) and its color darker than the color of the main form. Repeat this process with the highlights on the hat, hair and so on the bottle, but use lighter colors of the main figures.

Create ways to shade the cheeks and near the nose with a gradient color to the skin of darker color. I decided to change the cheeks of the child to the round more smoothly at this time.

Make the lines of shoe soles by drawing two identical lines and make a left and right of the white rectangle. The lines must go above and beyond the rectangle below it.

Then mix them (Object> Blend> Blend Options ...> Mixed distance> 4 px, and then Object> Blend> Make).

Larger strokes (Object> Expand ...) Copy the rectangle and the sole of the shoe in front of the lines. Select all and crop (Pathfinder menu> Crop).

Use the same technique with the lines on the shirt. I freely lines in different directions. Create forms to detail, the shadows and highlights on all the layers one by one. At this point, you should have a finished vector artwork should look like the image below.

But this vector is not yet ready for the sale of shares in the micro-Web site. Now we will prepare the artwork for the micro-sale securities.

Step 11: Closing All Routes

Create a copy of your file, vector illustration and the name "traveler_stock.ai. Open it in Adobe Illustrator. Delete the layer with your drawing. It is a raster image and vector there should only in our archive.

Its vector illustration must not contain any roads. Examples of open roads are the ways to break patterns, single, or strokes.

Our example is quite complex, making it difficult to find ways to open all at once. For this purpose you can use the selection menu, which is a free plugin for Adobe Illustrator. Download, install and use it to find enlightenment in all the roads open. After you've installed it and relaunched Illustrator, you can find the script in Illustrator under Menu> Select> Open Directory Caminos.

After that you can close at hand or to use other useful scripts for Adobe Illustrator, as selected routes and trails Close Close all that you can download through this link (found in forum iStockphoto). These extensions help you with bright broken its forms, but will not stray, with good points and lines only.

You must be careful to separate these three types of roads in their open and close with an illustration methods. Stray items should simply be removed and should be expanded beating (Object> Expand> Fill and Stroke).

After installing the scripts, you'll find on File> Scripts Directory.

Step 12: Test slides, hidden objects and closed

Now that we have closed all the ways our vector illustration, we can see that for transparencies. You can not use any slides in your vehicle for micro-sale securities because, as you save in EPS 8 format transparencies will open all its forms. Check carefully for any slides that you might have used it by mistake.

In addition, menu items to see if there are objects hidden or blocked in your illustration. If so, unlock them all and show everyone clicking Open Show.

Step 13: Performing Groups

Go to the layer of each group and all parts of all the objects together (eg, all parts of the boy as basic shapes, details, shadows and highlights should be grouped). This is important because in EPS 8 file to create later layers will not, and have grouped objects without a lot of parts for the customer to download. I also sub-groups within the larger groups (eg, a hat is a sub-group and is a kid).

Step 14: Cleaning blades

Go to your sample palette and click the dropdown menu. Click Select All Free ... and as all samples are not used, press the Delete Swatch button. Do the same with your Brushes palette.

Step 15: Save File EPS 8

Go to File> Save As, select the location and click the dropdown menu, then select Format> Select EPS from Illustrator (eps)> Save.

The EPS Options panel appears. Since version, select the Illustrator 8 EPS. Leave the rest at the defaults and click Save. You should now have an EPS file to sell shares in the micro-Web site.

Step 16: Saving JPEG files

Go to File and select Save For Web and Devices. When the window appears select JPEG as the file type.

Go to the tab below the picture size and adjust the height to 2800 pixels, the width is automatically set to 2450 pixels. IStockphoto The rule is that you need an image with parts not smaller than 2800 px by 1900 px or visa verse. Click Apply and Save.

Shutterstock you need to save a JPEG file much smaller. Use same address for that. You can also save ZIP file to upload additional files to iStockphoto as AI files or different versions of EPS files.

For the past two months I've been using a script to save files to the population of micro-site that my husband Alex wrote to me. It's a great job and saves me time. It's called "Save for the populations." This script saves a file EPS8, 2800 px by 1900 px JPEG and JPEG of iStockphoto for a minor Shutterstock. You can download it for free and read the instructions on my website.

Conclusion

At this point you should have a package ready to upload files to the micro-Web sites and selling securities.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and find the information useful and will help you with your micro-vector operations experience. If you have other tips and tricks for preparing your vector illustrations in micro-stock sites, I'd love to hear from you. Below is another look at the final image.

Make Credit Card Front (look like scan copy)

2009-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

What you need:

Fonts: OCR A Extended, OCR-B-10 BT [Download here]

Software: Adobe Photoshop (Version 7 is used in this tutorial)

In this tutorial, I'll teach you how to make a front CC scan.

Create new image 640x480 px with transparent background

Name current layer CC

Choose Horizontal Type Tool and choose font: OCR A Extended, size: 30pt

Type credit card number with spaces like this:

Now press Enter key twice.
Now choose font OCR-B-10 BT size 21pt and type in start date and expiry date, press enter one more time and type cardholders name in CAPS. You should get something like this:

Now save this file as emboss.psd and close it for now
Create new image 640x480 px with transparent background

Choose Rectangular Marquee Tool

Style: Fixed Size, W: 581 px, H: 381 px

Click anywhere in a document. Yow ill get a rectangular selection like this:

Choose select > modify > smooth

Set radius of 19 pixels

Now you will have a selection with rounded edges.

Now choose paint bucket tool and fill the selection with any easy-on-eyes color and deselect (select > deselect)
Save the file as cc.psd

Open emboss.psd that you saved earlier

Now go to Edit menu > Define pattern > OK

Close emboss.psd

Go back to cc.psd

Go to Layer menu > Layer style > Blending options

Check Bevel and Emboss menu and copy all properties from screenshot below

Now check Texture menu

Choose emboss.psd from the texture menu and set scale to 144%, then move embossed image to center it.

This what you should get

Now go to layer > layer style > pattern overlay and choose a background picture for your cc. Mine looks like this:

Now create a new layer and name it Text

Choose Horisontal type tool.

Now type exactly same text over embossed text in black color. You will have to adjust font sizes to match.

Now right click on Text layer and choose Rasterise

Now press CTRL key and click on Text layer. You will have only text selected

Go to Select > Modify > Contract, 1PX > OK

Select > Inverse

Now press DELETE key.

Select > diselect. This is what you should see:

Now go to Layer > Layer Style > Inner Glow, Opacity: 100%, Color #CCCCCC, Contour: Half Round

Go to Bevel and Emboss and copy my properties:

... > Contour:

> Color Overlay, Color: #FFFFCC

...>Stroke: Size: 1px, color: #DFDFDF

You will see something like this:

Copy and paste bank logo, Visa/MC logo, and add necessary text:

Now the difficult part: the dove.

Get an unembossed dove scan. Copy and paste it over last 4 digits. resize if nesessary: (the lines are here on purpose, so that nobody takes my dove. :) The dove should be in separate layer, lets call it dove.

With dove layer selected, go to Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and emboss:

... > Contour:

Make sure contour line is straight horizontal and in the middle:

... > texture, and choose emboss.psd that you saved earlier.

Move the texture so that only last 4 digits show on dove and adjust the scale so that numbers on cc and dove are same size.

Now choose Text layer (the one with cc number, dates and name) and move it to top by choosing Layer > Arrange > Bring to front.

Now final touch-ups.

Create new layer named White.

Choose Paint Bucket tool, color: white and fill the layer.

CTRL + Click on CC layer

Click on white layer and press DELETE key:

Go to CC layer > Bevel and Emboss > Contour and make sure the contour line is straight:

This is what you see:

Go Layer > Merge Visible.

Filter > Noise > add noise:

Amount 3%, monochromatic. > OK

Image > Image size

Width: 600, height: 450 > OK

Edit > Transform > Rotate

Rotate a picture by about 1-5 degrees, not more.

That's All

PhotoShop Real Blood On Face

2009-01-12T01:26:00.000-08:00

Well here you will be taught how add realistic blood to a pic.

1) Open the picture that you want to blood to. This is the one i used

2) Next pick the lasso tool and make a outline of where you want it to be. MAKE SURE it is on a seperate layer then your picture. Now fill in with a red color. Make it fairly dark, but not too dark. Now set this new layer as color burn.

3) Now go to ur tool bar and pick the color burn tool (left pic) and the smudge tool (right pic). well we be using these alot.

4) Ok now with the smudge too, pick a brush size that is about 1/4 the width of your blood spot.
Now start smudging. Try to make the blood like as though its dripping. Keep doing this until your satisfied with what you have. This is what i have so far.

5) Ok now use the burn tool to darken the blood where the cut runs deeper. Heres what Idid.

6) Now to get a look as though the blood is on her face we well texturize the blood. Go to FILTER > TEXTURE > TEXTURIZE and this box will pop up. Use the setting i have here.

7) And now your done. here is what my final result looks like

Tan Skin Tone

2009-01-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

Someone emailed me and asked how to make the golden/tan skin tone as seen in many movie posters and magazine advertisements. Believe it or not, the effect can be achieved by just couple mouse clicks. Here is a quick Photoshop tutorial to show you how to make a tan skin tone effect and apply makeups on the model. Let’s take a look at the image below, the left image is original photo and the right is final image.
Before & After:-

1. Overlay Layer
Open the original document that you want to apply the effect. Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer (or press Cmd + J) to duplicate the original layer. Set the duplicated layer Blending mode to Overlay. Then adjust the Opacity to 70%. The Opacity may be vary, depend on the brightness and color of your original photo source.

2. Highlight Spots
Select the original layer. Choose the Brush tool, set brush Size = 200px, Mode = Color Dodge and Opacity = 10%. Use the Eyedropper tool to pick a sample skin color from the image (Option+Click on the image). Gently brush on the areas that you want to be shine.

3. Eyeshadow
Make a selection around the eyelid, go to Selection > Feather (Cmd+Option+D) to feather the selection by 5px. Make a new layer and fill the selection with a light pink color. Then set the blending mode to Hue.

Make another selection slightly smaller than the pink layer. Again, feather it by 5px. Fill it with a blue purple color and set the blending mode to Darken.

4. Eyeliner
Make a selection of the eyeliner. Feather it by 3px. Make a new layer. Use the Gradient tool (pick a green color, select Foreground to Transparent), then drag from the lower corner to the upper corner of the selection. Adjust the blending mode to Multiply.

Final:-
Use the same technique to finish off the left eye. You may also use this technique to apply the color of the lip, blush, etc.

Make an image with multiple photos

2009-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is a kind of "tutorial" I did, starting with pictures of my nephew, to generate an image made up of small photos.

First and foremost, to be able to do this, we must have a minimum basic knowledge of Photoshop and management of layers (I used version CS4, but this can be done with any version of Photoshop ... .., unless they decide to install 1.0. ....).

1:-

First, choose the photo you want to be formed to zoom out (ie, the picture formed by Fotitos):

2:-

Cutting edge and adjusts the picture according to the final size you want with it to be:

3:-

Access the "filters", then "Pixelizar" and finally "Mosaic". This will transform the image in pixels (or "mosaic") of the size you want:

4:-

Once there, we assign the size that will have each of the mosaics of the image (the more tiles, more detail will be the final piece).
In this case, he assigned a size of 160x160 pixels per mosaic:

5:-

Maybe now it will become more arduous or embolante ...
In a new layer, we began to put all the photos that will shape the final image. To do so, each must put a picture next to each other completely stuck, and each must have the same size as the mosaics used in the previous step (in this case, 160x160 pixels):

6:-

This procedure must be done to complete the entire surface with photos.
Then, combine all Fotitos in a single layer (single image).
If the photos we have are not enough, what we can do is go repitiéndolas randomly so it does not feel too much.
In this case, the fourth of the photos of the image is repeated for disorderly manner that is not so obvious:

7:-

Now is when you apply the magic "Modes of Fusion "!!!!!
But .... ¿¿WHAT IS THIS?
The methods of fusion are a number of options that are placed at the top of the window "layers" and serve to achieve different transparencies between them.

Here it appears that we apply a method of melting the top layer (the layer containing all Fotitos).
By applying the method of merger "Overlay", the Photoshop it does is create a transparency in the midtones, meaning that the light and dark will remain intact.
With this, we get some of the photos in the top layer become transparent, allowing them to be able to see some of the content of the bottom layer (the layer containing the big picture pixelizada).
By combining these two layers, we get a single image that appears to be a baby formed by many babies ... .. :

8:-

Finally, we can adjust controls Brightness / Contrast and / or color balance to improve the final image:

And here you go: a picture made up of photos .... O.O:

(it seems that we broke the tuje, when in fact makes the Photoshop magic ...).