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Posted on 19/02/06 01:03:18 AM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply  |
Restoring Old Car
I remember our family car from the 1940's (1942 Chevrolet) similar to this one which I have started to photoshop restore. As you see I have done the door and two fenders. I have worked on layers and then reduced the fill a bit but the result doesn't look quite metallic enough. I have tried the curves technique from the book unsuccessfully. Help please. Marty  |
Posted on 19/02/06 09:19:12 AM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Is this the image after the curves trick? This is the result of adjusting the curves as shown (also on the door). Add some stronger reflections as they are the difference between matt and shiny surfaces. 
_________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |
Posted on 19/02/06 10:23:23 AM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply  |
Re: Restoring Old Car
I think your problem is that the colour is flat and metalic surfaces have a reflective quality the step curve you are trying to use won't be effective on a single flat colour it needs something to work upon. In the above picture I Magic Wand selected the door and panel and created a new layer that I filled with 50% Grey, this layer was set to Hard Light which I also locked the Transparency of the layer to ensure blurring doesn't spill outside of the filled area (using the lock transparent pixels icon the first symbol at the top of the Layer Palette next to the word Lock: ) Then added some Guassian Noise which I then applied Median to smooth out a little and some Dodge & Burn set to 10% Midtones with a soft brush - this would act as a key for the Step Curve you mentioned. Once the Step Curve is applied I then added a largish Motion Blur in a diagonal direction (although the direction isn't really important) this was smoothed using a largish Guassian Blur. I then applied Image>Adjustment>Equalize to boost the contrast which I then pulled back a little using Edit>Fade... at Normal 50% I then added 0.5 pixels of Noise to match the photo's noise levels. I once again selected the door and panel area from the original car layer and Ctrl+J to make a new layer via copy and applied a Hue & Saturation adjustment to boost only the Saturation enriching the colour of the door this layer was set to a Color blending mode. I've left most of the values open for your own choosing that way you can get a better feel how it all comes together but basically what I've done is simply give a key for the Step Curve to work upon otherwise it isn't effective on such a wide expanse of flat colour, just like any Chrome plugins don't work so well upon flat colour. I didn't add any reflections from the grass or prehaps an horizon set to Soft Light or Multiply which would complete this image as I didn't want to over complicate things. Edit: 
Here's a completed one with reflections set to 75% soft light, I also changed the 50% grey layer to soft light as it works better with the reflection. _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:28:46 PM |
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Lexus
Persistent Pixellator Posts: 623 Reply  |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Martin, do you have an original? _________________ 3 Radio Visit http://www.3-radio.co.uk and listen! You will love it! |
Posted on 19/02/06 5:59:47 PM |
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chris
Photo Parodist Posts: 138 Reply  |
Re: Restoring Old Car
nice tip s david/maiden, def think the addition of reflections are the key to this one to give the metal a glossy feel. Think i have an idea on what next weeks challenge might be! |
Posted on 19/02/06 6:58:57 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Thanks for all the great tips to feed my Sunday addiction. However I trying for that new car gloss. I came up with this so far but not completely satisfied.  |
Posted on 19/02/06 7:00:10 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
this is the original  |
Posted on 19/02/06 9:44:29 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Well outlining what I explained earlier here's a quick fix-up  _________________ mad as a badger and twice as furry |
Posted on 20/02/06 04:03:03 AM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
It's a good thing I don't do this for a living. It still needs a background, hub caps, a new headlight, and a little bit of trim. Opinions and criticisms welcome.  |
Posted on 20/02/06 04:29:41 AM |
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DaltonX
Raster Reanimator Posts: 259 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Hi Mguyer... This was kind of a quick fix.... I selected the red parts of the car (you'd do it a lot more carefully than I did lol) then copied it and pasted it back into the original pic... then used Hue/Saturation on 'colorize' to get the red... after that I just used the Dodge Tool and Burn Tool to add light bits and dark bits..... oh yeah, and I used the paintbrush on 'color' to try and match up and red bits that were bad on the original pic... I know it's not great... but I'm sure you will spend a lot more time on your version than I did..... hope this helps?...   |
Posted on 20/02/06 04:30:14 AM |
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DaltonX
Raster Reanimator Posts: 259 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
This was the result of the quick fix from above.... not great... but hopefully it's a start for you?
oh yeah, I forgot to say.... I emmmm... stole the hubs and lights from another car.... yikes! 
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Posted on 20/02/06 05:53:38 AM |
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DaltonX
Raster Reanimator Posts: 259 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
you could also use curves when you've done the quick fix ....to brighten the red bits up... select all the red bits again..... just open up the curves box.... on RGB ...click on the mid point and push it up till your happy with the result... this is wut I got adding curves to it.... you'll need to fiddle about with it a bit more than I did tho lol.... hope sum of this helps
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Posted on 20/02/06 2:50:42 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Thanks DaltonX...nice job...none of us is making it look "real" so either we are not good enough (most likely the case) or we have not advanced far enough(also most likely the case) or that we are limited by the original and just how far Photoshop can take us. I can live with any of those possibilities. Since there is apparently a car in NOrthern Ireland without hub caps and headlights, maybe you should return them. |
Posted on 20/02/06 3:17:31 PM |
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DaltonX
Raster Reanimator Posts: 259 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
No problem Mguyer... I wasn't actually trying to do the pic for you .... merely give you a few pointers ..... I'll think about returning the hubs and lights tho lol 
Having said all that.... if this turns out to be a Friday Challenge... you may hope that engine is working in that car... or I'm comming to get ya!!!
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Posted on 20/02/06 4:37:21 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
First you are going to have to close the hood (bonnet) so that it doesn't fly up in front of the windshield (windscreen).  |
Posted on 20/02/06 5:01:29 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7047 Reply  |
Re: Restoring Old Car
What a great post! Thanks, Marty, for having raised this one. Great responses, everyone! |
Posted on 21/02/06 8:44:28 PM |
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Lexus
Persistent Pixellator Posts: 623 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Maybe could be looking at a new Friday Challenge Steve? _________________ 3 Radio Visit http://www.3-radio.co.uk and listen! You will love it! |
Posted on 21/02/06 8:52:34 PM |
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Lexus
Persistent Pixellator Posts: 623 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Did a quick back fender before reflections, wanna know what you guys think  _________________ 3 Radio Visit http://www.3-radio.co.uk and listen! You will love it! |
Posted on 21/02/06 9:45:46 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Thanks for bringing the Chevy back to the top of the list, Lexus. I guess the old buggy still has some life left in her. Nice job...not too many chartreusse cars in 1942. |
Posted on 21/02/06 9:47:23 PM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply |
Re: Restoring Old Car
Speaking of reflections, I would imagine that there would not be any with the car being backlit and the sun getting low in the sky. |
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