Time to laugh

[lethal234]

Being new and not getting alot of practice time I thought I would try one of the how to's. So anyone needing a good chuckle take a look at the attached.
I used a blue background instead of gray. All the paints are createx.

Anyone wanting to make comments is more than welcome, although I don't think the web is big enough for that many comments :)

Bruce

[colourshift]

I like the idea of Blue granite...hey, there's gotta be blueish granite somewhere.
I use torn paper to define the cracks, it looks organic, and gives a sharper edge. Just tear it, keeping both pieces, separate em a little...maybe with a little taper and shoot the black. Keep the paper, line up on one side...where ever you decided your light source is, and shoot against the paper to define the highlight. Hit a coupla hot spots (or not) and voila.
I can hit teenie tiny little lines in practice, but it's just like math tests for the real deal, I choke. So until I loosen up, I use props, lots of em.

[blinddog 99]

Good practice piece Bruce! I also like the blue granite look. Water drops look good. As for the cracks, can't add much to what colourshift said!

[lethal234]

I like the idea of Blue granite...hey, there's gotta be blueish granite somewhere.
I use torn paper to define the cracks, it looks organic, and gives a sharper edge. Just tear it, keeping both pieces, separate em a little...maybe with a little taper and shoot the black. Keep the paper, line up on one side...where ever you decided your light source is, and shoot against the paper to define the highlight. Hit a coupla hot spots (or not) and voila.
I can hit teenie tiny little lines in practice, but it's just like math tests for the real deal, I choke. So until I loosen up, I use props, lots of em.

Thanks for the input. I'll try it again until it looks more like I know what I'm doing.

Bruce

[Whit]

Some nice lookin practice !!!:partyalone:

[seadog]

think the middle water drop looks ace. :)

[lethal234]

Some nice lookin practice !!!:partyalone:

Thanks Neil and Seadog for the compliments. I did another practice piece and it did come out better. I looked at for a long time and tried to figure out what made it look strange. I'll post it tonight and you can see what the problem is.

I tried the tearing paper method with some results but I tried cutting the paper the second time and liked it better, although it makes the lines harder. Should the cracks have some softness to them? The major problem I found was putting to much white highlight along the cracks. When I went back and looked at the how to's that's when I realized my mistake. You'll see what I'm talking about when I post my other practice piece.

See ya then

Bruce

[mongoose]

think the middle water drop looks ace. :)
I had to look twice at that one, looks very real.

[lethal234]

Well here is my second attempt at brushing granite and waterdrops. I think I got the speckling effect down a little better and some of the water drops are starting to improve. Not sure about the cracks though. I know there is too much white highlight in some areas. Comments are welcome and needed.

Thanks everyone

Bruce

P.S. Sorry about not having anything more exciting. One small step at a time.

[jbuck011]

I think it's pretty gutsy to try defining a piece of nature from a point of view that has a different perspective.

[Cowboy]

Lethal, I think they both look good, & second one is better. But the cracks look rounded off now, Which is fine if thats what Yer aftr. The first one allmost looks like worms sitting on top shadows included. But the granite effect & waterdrops are very good, Keep it up. Cowboy

[colourshift]

Here's what I did in a workshop last year, using the torn paper technique...

[lethal234]

I think it's pretty gutsy to try defining a piece of nature from a point of view that has a different perspective.

I'm confused, are you refering to the color selection?


Bruce

[lethal234]

Lethal, I think they both look good, & second one is better. But the cracks look rounded off now, Which is fine if thats what Yer aftr. The first one allmost looks like worms sitting on top shadows included. But the granite effect & waterdrops are very good, Keep it up. Cowboy

Is the shadowing incorrect?

Bruce

[lethal234]

Here's what I did in a workshop last year, using the torn paper technique...

I like the piece you did. How did you get the definition on the edges like that?

Bruce

[colourshift]

The bevelled edges were masked off using tape.
The edge of the letter, and the water drops were masked using transfer tape, keeping the pieces you cut out, as you'll need them to mask it in reverse when you go to do the drop shadow.
As far as the crack and the highlight, it was all done with torn paper. Take a piece of photocopy paper, tear it, keeping BOTH sides...arrange them in a tapered "crack", mist lightly with black, creating the crack. I had the light source coming from the upper left hand corner...so the light would 'hit' the lower 'edge' of the crack...so keeping the left hand piece of my torn paper, I lined it up with the lower 'edge' and gently misted white for the high light.

[Cowboy]

Hey Lethal, No, dont get Me wrong, I like the cracks in the second one, They remind Me of cracks in nature that have been rounded of by the elements. To Me, much more difficult than the sharp, defined cracks. I think You have the granite effect right on the money. Great Work. Cowboy

[lethal234]

Hey Lethal, No, dont get Me wrong, I like the cracks in the second one, They remind Me of cracks in nature that have been rounded of by the elements. To Me, much more difficult than the sharp, defined cracks. I think You have the granite effect right on the money. Great Work. Cowboy

Thanks Cowboy, and I didn't take it wrong. Just wanting to do the right thing but I guess sometimes doing it another way or method isn't always a bad thing, right :)

[jbuck011]

I was refering to what looks like an extreem closeup. as though the lens where only several inches away from the surface. Color is good, nothing wrong with blue granite.