Can anyone make these look better?
Discussion
Thats the size I wanted for my room. My dad has printed it as I ran out of colour (typical) so going to collect today
once again many thanks....
Is the one with the view in the background as good as we can get (not that I dont like it now just curious as you have made the other look fab)
Thx all
once again many thanks....
Is the one with the view in the background as good as we can get (not that I dont like it now just curious as you have made the other look fab)
Thx all
I chose this image rather than the other one because I could see more easily how to fix it. If I briefly describe the process, perhaps someone else will have a go at the second pic.
The problems with the original image are: strange colours, too dark, distracting background. So, to address these in Photoshop CS2:
1. Copy the Background layer, select Image>Adjust>Shadow/Highlight and move the sliders to add some detail, particularly to the right eye.
2. Add a Levels adjustment layer, and set it to lighten the shadow areas enough so that the right eye is as bright as you want it. Fill the mask of this adjustment layer with black, and then paint white on the mask around the eyes, nose and ears.
3. Select the Background copy, and add a Curves adjustment layer. Using the grey color picker (middle of the three) click on various parts of the white area of the chest until the colours are near enough correct.
4. Select the Background copy again, and use the pen tool to draw a path around the outline of the dog. In the paths palette, drag the path to the 'Create new path' button to save it. Click on the button at the side of the paths palette and make a selection (New selection, 2 pixel feather.) Click on the Layers tab, and make a new layer via copy (CTRL/ Command-J).
5. Select the Background copy, and add a new layer. Use to color picker to choose a dark tone from the dog's coat. Fill the layer with this colour.
6. Add another new layer, select a lighter colour from the coat and add a gradient. I then transformed this and added a mask to hide the edges, but that's optional.
7. Next, click on the top layer (Levels adjustment) and add a Selective Colour adjustment layer. Select 'Blues' and move the sliders to neutralise the blue cast.
8. Add another Curves adjustment layer, add contrast to the RGB channel and tweak the Red channel to make it all a rich brown.
9. Select the dog cut-out layer, add a layer mask and paint black on it around the edges of the dog to remove the coloured fringing.
10. Select the dog cut-out layer again, and add a little Smart Sharpen filter.
11. Finally, select the light gradient layer, create a new layer and Ctrl/Command-click on the thumbnail of the dog cut-out. This should load the outline of the dog as a selection - fill this with black. Deselect, and erase the top of this black shape (you'll have to turn off the layers above to see it) to leave the approximate 'footprint' of the dog. Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur to make a realistic soft shadow.
Turn all the layers back on again and your layers palette should look like this:
Note the way that selecting the colours for the background from the coat of the dog ties the whole thing together.
I haven't had time to check this completely yet, so let me know if it doesn't work.
The problems with the original image are: strange colours, too dark, distracting background. So, to address these in Photoshop CS2:
1. Copy the Background layer, select Image>Adjust>Shadow/Highlight and move the sliders to add some detail, particularly to the right eye.
2. Add a Levels adjustment layer, and set it to lighten the shadow areas enough so that the right eye is as bright as you want it. Fill the mask of this adjustment layer with black, and then paint white on the mask around the eyes, nose and ears.
3. Select the Background copy, and add a Curves adjustment layer. Using the grey color picker (middle of the three) click on various parts of the white area of the chest until the colours are near enough correct.
4. Select the Background copy again, and use the pen tool to draw a path around the outline of the dog. In the paths palette, drag the path to the 'Create new path' button to save it. Click on the button at the side of the paths palette and make a selection (New selection, 2 pixel feather.) Click on the Layers tab, and make a new layer via copy (CTRL/ Command-J).
5. Select the Background copy, and add a new layer. Use to color picker to choose a dark tone from the dog's coat. Fill the layer with this colour.
6. Add another new layer, select a lighter colour from the coat and add a gradient. I then transformed this and added a mask to hide the edges, but that's optional.
7. Next, click on the top layer (Levels adjustment) and add a Selective Colour adjustment layer. Select 'Blues' and move the sliders to neutralise the blue cast.
8. Add another Curves adjustment layer, add contrast to the RGB channel and tweak the Red channel to make it all a rich brown.
9. Select the dog cut-out layer, add a layer mask and paint black on it around the edges of the dog to remove the coloured fringing.
10. Select the dog cut-out layer again, and add a little Smart Sharpen filter.
11. Finally, select the light gradient layer, create a new layer and Ctrl/Command-click on the thumbnail of the dog cut-out. This should load the outline of the dog as a selection - fill this with black. Deselect, and erase the top of this black shape (you'll have to turn off the layers above to see it) to leave the approximate 'footprint' of the dog. Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur to make a realistic soft shadow.
Turn all the layers back on again and your layers palette should look like this:
Note the way that selecting the colours for the background from the coat of the dog ties the whole thing together.
I haven't had time to check this completely yet, so let me know if it doesn't work.
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