How to Cheat in Photoshop

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Posted on 01/05/25 2:33:29 PM

michael sinclair
Off-Topic Opportunist
Posts: 1860

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Ahh yes! I see it now! The fact I attempted the flag, and the fact you pointed out an error, has enabled me to move forward, so thanks again David.

Posted on 01/05/25 2:56:34 PM

Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 3020

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Loyd, you like Dutch painters? I prefer Paul Gauguin.

Posted on 01/05/25 8:12:52 PM

lwc
Hole in One
Posts: 3163

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Paul Gauguin's choice of subjects work well in your version Mariner. But being French, his work didn't fit my attempt at Dutch humor.

Posted on 01/05/25 9:09:06 PM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5606

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

I like that you have adjusted the colours to something much more Gaugin.

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Posted on 02/05/25 08:18:45 AM

Steve Caplin
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Posts: 7009

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

First to take wing this week was dwindt, interpreting the shape of the wings as matching that of the longhorn. And indeed, it does fit remarkably well on the box front. But what’s with the tyres? Am I missing something?

The wingman from lwc is impressive, with the rippling wings and above all the focus-zoom effect that really makes the ground look as if it’s getting closer. And it works well in the reverse angle shot too. I really like the shot of them jumping out of the plane, but is that the same woman both times? Twin sister, perhaps? A very convincing image. Great wobbling cheeks on the closeup skydiver! Great attention to detail. That crayonasaurus is taking you in a new direction! I had hoped, though, that HotChiPs would be a Barney-free zone… I did enjoy the Road Runner entry, although surely Coyote’s wings should be made by Acme, rather than Ajax? The windmill is a calming image. I hadn’t seen those images from the Paris fashion show, but you’re right – the wings couldn’t make them any more outrageous. Your sequence of Dutch masters is ingenious, with a well-judged oil paint effect on the wings themselves. Looks like you had fun with this one.

Blindingly obvious maybe, but DavidMac's flying tiger is an elegant construction. A curious shape to the left wing, though. And yes, it’s almost certainly an AI tiger, but if you didn’t create it yourself does that make it OK? I’ve never come across Ensifera before, and they do look ratter beautiful (although I imagine the added flying helmets are your concoction). Presumably they use their remarkable beaks for something other than puncturing wing suits? Very effective deflation in the mission accomplished image, which also gives us a good opportunity to see those flying helmets close up. I thought Loyd’s Barney entry was hard enough to look at, but Borat's mankini is a real shocker.

An unusually early entry from Mariner, with a carnival in full display – and the wing suit settling so naturally into the shot that it looks as if it lives there. The only thing that bothers me here is the woman’s feet, which don’t make sense with the shadows and seem at the wrong angle for the viewing perspective; better to crop the image at ankle height. Your ROYGBIV mnemonic is a new one on me. I enjoyed the Gaugin entry, with its subtle rainbow skirt.

There’s a desperate sadness to GKB's pinned butterfly. I like the added head. Curiously the shadow seems to make it more two-dimensional, perhaps because it’s so equidistant all the way round. The wings make a great addition to the Angel of the North, don’t they. A truly remarkable adaptation of the Spirit of Ecstasy’s wings – that’s an innovative idea! And the colour version does get the point across.

Neatly muted colours from tooquilos, with the wing suit slotting neatly into the Icarus painting (although, curiously, it appears to be a cloudy day, and I thought the sun was instrumental in his literal downfall). Ah – there it is in the animated version. Love the way it shines through the wings. That’s a fine selection of Icaruses (Icari?) you’ve built there. Good stuff.

From wings to tailplane for michael sinclair, flying over an endless landscape. Is it my imagination or is there an occasional wobble in the plane? It might be changes in the ground below producing an optical illusion. I’m intrigued by the flag entry, which I’m sure was a lot of work to create. But shouldn’t the rainbow pattern ripple along with the flag behind it? The Aurora Borealis is more convincing.

Posted on 02/05/25 08:46:25 AM

Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 3020

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Thanks Steve.

Steve wrote
...The only thing that bothers me here is the woman’s feet, which don’t make sense with the shadows and seem at the wrong angle for the viewing perspective; better to crop the image at ankle height.

I agree. This image was only a quicke so i didn't give it much time. Time which was better spent on the Hula dancer - a much trickier and more rewarding art work.

Posted on 02/05/25 10:27:48 AM

GKB
Magical Montagist
Posts: 3981

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Thanks Steve

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Posted on 02/05/25 10:39:42 AM

DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 5606

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Steve Caplin wrote:
A curious shape to the left wing, though. And yes, it’s almost certainly an AI tiger, but if you didn’t create it yourself does that make it OK?

Forced perspective gone astray.

No it doesn't. Given my antipathy to AI I would have preferred not to have used it. Typical case of Photoshop tunnel vision. I was so concentrated on fitting the wings I didn't properly see the tiger. It wasn't until after I posted and came back to it a little later with a detached vision that I saw instantly it was almost certainly AI. That is why the AI declaration came separately in a subsequent post.

I’ve never come across Ensifera before.

Not too many in your part of London. It's a species of humming bird.

Very effective deflation in the mission accomplished image, which also gives us a good opportunity to see those flying helmets close up.

Proved incredibly hard to do. I tried to hand paint the deflation with puppet warp and dodge/burn and failed miserably. In the end I found images of limp balloons which I was able to cannibalise. That left a satiny plastic finish (as opposed to cloth) which I couldn't get rid of.

The helmets were great fun to do and, truth to tell, the real motivation for both images.

Borat's mankini is a real shocker.

Anything to do with Borat tends to be. Problem is once I had 'seen' the idea I couldn't unsee it.

I liked Sacha much better in his Ali G persona. I remember an interview with David Beckham when he was going through his sarong wearing phase.

Read with very bad Jamaican accent:

"So tell me David. What is dat you wearin'."

"It's a sarong".

"I know it so wrong, but what it' called?"

I found this week surprisingly fun to do Steve. Thanks!

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Posted on 02/05/25 11:43:38 AM

lwc
Hole in One
Posts: 3163

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Actually the first entry, the longhorn belongs to Dennis.

All of the skydiver bits were fun to make, with the Dutch masters being the most satisfying.

I used Ajax instead of Acme because it was one that I noted while researching original roadrunner images.

Sorry about so many, we have had seven straight days of high winds, heavy thunderstorms, lightning, large hail, flooding, and tornados. Being somewhat trapped indoors, I had little else to do.

Thanks Steve!

Posted on 02/05/25 1:36:05 PM

Steve Caplin
Administrator
Posts: 7009

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

lwc wrote:
Actually the first entry, the longhorn belongs to Dennis.

Oops! My mistake. Corrected.

Posted on 02/05/25 1:50:42 PM

GKB
Magical Montagist
Posts: 3981

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Re: Challenge 1051: Inflatable wings

Just had to do this one.