| » Forum Index » The Friday Challenge » Topic: Contest 194: Build me a fire |
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Posted on 21/04/08 2:59:41 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6938 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
No, no - it's not a competition! The aim is not to outdo others, but to enhance your own Photoshop skills. Show us your stuff, James. |
Posted on 21/04/08 3:31:42 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3883 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
I second that James B. We have some great people with different skills levels on the forum and without exception they have all improved over the weeks and months that they have been participating. What makes this forum so good is that it isn't a competition - it's FUN!!!! And the best way to improve your own skills is by setting yourself projects. |
Posted on 21/04/08 5:52:05 PM |
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james
Surreal Spoofer Posts: 1194 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
JamesB. You can't pack up. Your a JAMES.  |
Posted on 21/04/08 6:39:28 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
JamesB. I agree, It is not a competition and we are all learning all the time, not just from the Challenge but by seeing what other people do for it. James, have had a lot of bills to pay today, and needed cheering up. I had a good laugh at your entry, so Thank You! |
Posted on 22/04/08 00:26:52 AM |
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Maja
Dewey Decimator Posts: 66 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Hi everybody, I am new to the forum. You guys seem to have fun. Can I join?  |
Posted on 22/04/08 00:34:08 AM |
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brewell
Pixel Pentagrammarian Posts: 752 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Great fun indeed, Maja. Welcome! And this one's for Jack London.  _________________ The journey of a thousand hours begins with a single layer. |
Posted on 22/04/08 1:22:51 PM |
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Steve Mac
Grunge Genie Posts: 539 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Everything but the grate is PS. Tried painting in the grate but can't paint for beans. The log texture is a bark pattern I created. The brick is a pattern I made w/PS. Some great ideas this week!  |
Posted on 22/04/08 7:52:52 PM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2157 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
How come the ones that look really easy, turns out to be so hard. animated version here: http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z206/friis-kiwi/fireplace.gif 
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Posted on 22/04/08 9:10:20 PM |
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mariong
Bayern Brushsmith Posts: 36 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Hi everybody, already lots of great fireplaces! I think mine looks like the whole place will burn down soon, colours were better before "save for web", but can't change that before going back home.   |
Posted on 23/04/08 02:20:04 AM |
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mguyer
Incisive Incisor Posts: 799 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
MrsMGuyer warming at the fire  |
Posted on 23/04/08 3:09:01 PM |
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katew
Virtual Virtuoso Posts: 678 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Walking into danger ...  |
Posted on 23/04/08 7:59:14 PM |
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Eva Roth
Luminous Liberator Posts: 269 Reply  |
Contest 194: Build me a fire
Another day, another fire. I'm afraid the bucket suffered badly from jpg compression. Lovely fires so far!  |
Posted on 24/04/08 5:58:37 PM |
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Luis
Six-String Synthesist Posts: 236 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Hello All. I'm new to the forum. Looks like a great place to learn about Photoshop. Here is my attempt at the Friday Challenge. Inside of the fireplace, the brick wall, flames, and logs were created from scratch in Photoshop. I also use three stockphotos from the How To Cheat in Photoshop CD. Luis |
Posted on 24/04/08 6:00:19 PM |
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Luis
Six-String Synthesist Posts: 236 Reply |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
I thought I attached the picture. Luis  |
Posted on 24/04/08 6:29:58 PM |
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vicho
Ingenious Inca Posts: 248 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
some cozy fire..  |
Posted on 24/04/08 7:55:05 PM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2157 Reply |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
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Posted on 24/04/08 9:26:52 PM |
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Elliott
Mirror Magician Posts: 91 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
 Hey Everyone it's been ages since I've been able to do a challenge...good to be back!! So many great entries =)
_________________ My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them! |
Posted on 25/04/08 08:19:58 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6938 Reply |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
We start this week with a first entry from Philbo, featuring a roaring fire in its own grate. The angle of view is exactly right, and the detail of the flames and smoke being sucked up the chimney is a great touch. Adding the reflection was a great idea, but it looks as if the fire is rotated: the vertical bars in the grate should be vertical here as well - look at the reflection of the marble surround. Shear, don’t rotate! A great first entry - welcome to the forum. I greatly enjoyed Mick Malkemus’ entry, and I’m sure the late Arthur C Clarke would have appreciated its subtlety. All the elements from the opening scene of 2001 are there - the ape wielding a bone, the mysterious black obelisk: and the idea that it was this ornate fireplace that brought fire to mankind is a real hoot. Great reshaping of the surround (it does look good in black), and turning the side vent into three versions of Hal is genius. A fantastic entry! A neat animation from Trev, with rapidly flickering flames in the original grate. I like the idea, but there’s something odd about this flicker: perhaps a few of the flames should stay where they are and grow, rather than them all dancing from place to place? Nicely drawn, though, but I think they make the electric bar redundant. A roaring fire indeed, from michael sinclair: I particularly like the way the side wall inside the fireplace varies in glow intensity. But these look like a lot of small flames, rather than a few big ones: take a section from the middle, and enlarge it to fill the space. Good getting the animated reflection! A fire-breathing dragon from salfordnurse, peering out of the darkness. Except - isn’t the dragon a bit too well lit overall? I think it should fade into the gloom rather more deeply, especially at the back. And, unless I’m mistaken, I recognize that fire technique: better suited to explosions! It’s not a bad starting point, but I think you need to use the Smudge tool (or even Liquify) to smear some of that light to give it direction. A well darkened room, though, and the glow around the flames works really well. A fantastic volcano from GKB, who has molten lava pouring out from the fireplace and engulfing the carpet. Some very nice touches - the glow around the edge of the mantlepiece, the fact that the basket has been set on fire: very good stuff! A beautiful interior glow from Nick Curtain, who’s created a terrific sense of warmth. A great reflection on the flames, and the cat makes for a really homely scene: but I’ve never seen a cat yet that will turn its back on a fire. Do watch the corners when building brickwork: they don’t make L-shaped bricks! A glorious animation from tooquilos, with a pulsating fire. I love all the safety equipment, which adds tremendous interest to this piece: and the fact that the whole room glows with the flames is excellent. And the rocking chair is a very neat addition! No logs, gas or coal, though? A magical fire indeed. Highly realistic flames, in the original grate, from Ben Mills - and it’s good to see the electric bar has been taken out. I like the fact that there’s a reflection from the flames, but it appears to be underneath the fire: it’s between the reflected legs! Still, the cat’s obviously enjoying it. A rather splendid set of hand drawn flames from Neil O, and the darkened room draws attention to it. Don’t you think, though, that the fire would give the room a warmer glow in the shadows? Yours seem a little colourless, I’d say. And take out that electric bar! There’s a beautiful quality to Ellen’s entry: the entire room seems to sparkle in the firelight. I’d be interested to know what technique you used on the room - can’t quite work it out. The new coals really glow, and the flames look thoroughly convincing, as does the glow inside the fireplace. Those added elements - the log basket and the fire irons - are a great fit, and complement the scene perfectly. Ellen, this is really gorgeous work - and well deserving of a title for you. Hmm... no details in your profile, and your avatar suggests you’re fond of poultry. I think it has to be Fire Queen for this week’s entry alone. Wonderful stuff! Cats aplenty from james - and here’s the man himself, making a rare guest appearance. Is that cat scared or pleased to see you? I can’t read the expression! Either way, though, the flames are a little hard-edged: and shouldn’t the cat beneath the table have a reflection? Another new member this week - and Maja has given us a cosy scene indeed. The rebuilt fireplace interior, the reflected flames and the glow all work well. There seems to be some ghosting of the background on the upper right, though - is the earth moving? And why does that woman look so much like a young Hillary Clinton? Welcome to the forum, Maja! A very dangerous-looking fire from brewell: there’s clearly a lot of heat being generated here (so much so that the basket has vaporized). The only thing that bothers me is the over crisp edge: surely that much fire would cause a glow in the rest of the room? A 100% Photoshop entry from Steve Mac, and it’s always good to see what can be made without using external photographs. Some excellent textures here: the brick work is fantastic (note the perspective on the side wall, and the slant towards the flue), and I’m most impressed with your log texture. An interesting choice of texture for the flames, though: I’d add a little smearing with the Smudge tool to give some vertical movement to them. A rare animation from vibeke, and a novel approach: so much variety of flame reads rather like a fireplace manufacturer’s catalogue. In one of them, we can see some oddly perspectived brickwork at the back - what’s going on here??? I do like the way the glow in the room varies with the flames, though. One thing about the reflection: if you look at the original, you’ll see that the marble base only reflects the legs of the original grate. The fire itself would be nowhere to be seen! A huge fire from mariong - but so close to that fake polar bear skin, and the extra pile of wood! I like the shading in the room, and the armchair brings a cosiness to the scene. But I think a health and safety inspector would have a fit with this one. Good to see mguyer has installed Mrs MGuyer in a cosy position. She seems a little small, though, Marty - compared to the size of the fireplace, at least. And I’d be very concerned about placing a chair so close to such a huge fire! A sinister scene from katew: this one certainly has a story behind it! Good flames, if perhaps a little narrow; and that electric bar should have gone. I like the overall lighting in this room, and especially the red glow on the fire side of the woman’s legs. A rosy glow all round from Eva Roth, with a great flame (although still an electric bar). I like the added fire bucket, and the box of matches on the mantlepiece is an excellent addition (complete with reflection, too). An interesting approach to the reflection: not sure if it’s accurate, but it does add to the sense of warmth. Our third new member this week: and Luis has produced a fantastic entry, with the fire forming the backdrop to a scene of mystery and intrigue. Was everything in the fireplae really drawn in Photoshop? Including the bricks? If so, you have a huge talent - I’d really like to see how those bricks were done! Some rather odd perspective on the bricks, though: we can see the top of the mantlepiece, but the brickwork suggests we’re looking down at that part of the room. Welcome to the forum, Luis. A complete makeover from vicho, who’s replaced the interior of the fire, clad the fireplace in stone and brought us a rather excellent rocking chair. A cosy scene, indeed: there’s a great warmth here, and the shading on the rest of the room draws us in well to the fire. A very ordered, sedate fire from Elliott: those must be gas flames, surely. I like the warm glow to the room, although a touch of orange around the fire itself might have helped. But - that reflection! Why the rotation? Look at the reflected legs, and the reflected pillar of the fire surround: vertical remains vertical, when reflected in a horizontal surface! Great work this week. |
Posted on 25/04/08 08:55:59 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Thanks for the comments Steve. I should explain that the cat had been looking at the fire, until I caught his attention and started to explain the benefits of L shaped bricks. Point taken! Nick |
Posted on 25/04/08 09:56:57 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3883 Reply |
Re: Contest 194: Build me a fire
Thanks Steve. |
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