The One Four Challenge gets harder once you get to Wk3 – after using up the usual tricks, now you have to find something to fill the gap before the final Wk 4 Showstopper!
(If you are new to the Challenge – click here for info)
This week I have spent time learning how to use and slowly getting the hang of ReMask, from Topaz Labs. While it is a bit fiddly and there is some cleaning up to do, its still MUCH better than having to mask/erase it all by hand in PS. Admittedly picking a fairly challenging image with lots of steam vapour and a messy tree background didn’t lower the difficulty level any.
This is my steam train image selected via ReMask against a JaiJ background. past thru Impression Monet II. Then edges cleaned up and blended in with soft brushes.
Wanting the same textural feel across the image I put the background thru the same Impression preset and finally added a Foxey Squirrel edge just to frame it up.
Please click on the image above to enjoy the details at a larger viewing size
Thanks to the people who commented about the background being distracting, it was the push I needed to try out ReMask and take a risk with this image and it has been a great learning experience.
Like it? Don’t Like it? Tell me ALL ABOUT IT!
Learning to See Light 
I love it!! Topaz Remask is the one I don’t have. I don’t mind masking in PSCC and have got pretty quick at it. This is really so wonderful artistic. Oh and I adore Topaz Impression!
V5 just got released and its sposed to be quite an improvement, it is quite fiddly esp with this kind of image but still easier than masking by hand in PS. Impression is fantastic, I have to stop myself using it everywhere but I really felt it worked excellently here
I love it, too! It looks….historic? Realistic? I can almost feel the steam rising from the train. I really like it.
Thanks Lois, the steam is an intrinsic part of this image and I worked hard to maintain that so if you can feel it, that makes me happy!
You did great!
I love the Topaz effect…
Isnt it fun, I have to restrain myself from using it everywhere!
Looks FABULOUS! 🙂
🙂 Yes I like it a lot, want to see it printed BIG
Very cool. Love it.
Thanks DJ
love it, great job
Thanks Julz, i like it a lot too
This is a cool change. Looks like an old oil painting. Bit of red lightens it up. 🙂
Thanks, yes I like the effect myself and how the colours in the background are also in the train
I love this. I have a very, very soft spot for oil painting filters, anyway. This looks slightly unreal, and it is full of love of trains and steam.
(I’m very tempted to join in on the one-four challenge; it’s a nice incentive to *do* something with images)
You should join, its fun and really good to challenge your ability to create and diversify – BTW I love your comment “full of love of trains and steam”
Very painterly Stacey, I really like what you’ve done!
Thanks Chris, I really like it too, there is an opportunity to show some work at a small community gallery and I am seriously considering getting this printed to hang in it.
Oh my gosh I love this version – So “artsy” – It’s got a bit of a Steampunk feel to it, which is so popular right now.
Here is the direct link to my edit:
http://wishesdreamsandotherthings.blogspot.com/2015/09/one-four-challenge-week-3.html
Thanks, it should have a steampunk feel to it I would hope 🙂
I like the oil painting look you have going on here, and the textures around the edge are really cool too.
I’ve noticed that you really like to add textures and overlays to your images… where do you go to get your textures?
The adding textures and overlays comes from the Photoshop Artistry and AWAKE course that I am doing online (link to the PA course in my blog roll if you are interested)
As part of those courses you get TONS of content including textures and overlays.
But it turns out there is a thriving industry for this stuff out there – I have just recently discovered Jai Johnson of The Daily Textures
https://www.facebook.com/thedailytexture/timeline/
and she sells individual textures as well as bundles.
Denise Love of 2LilOwls has some lovely painterly textures and some good freebies and tutorials
http://2lilowls.com/
A lot of it is digital scrapbooking based and you have to read their T&C carefully cos some of them are extremely unclear on the commercial use part
Jen Maddocks does some really great elements
http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Jen-Maddocks/
Katie Pertiet supplies a lot of the stuff we get as part of our class content and its excellent stuff
http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/
Anna Aspnes of Anna Art does some really different elements to blend creatively too
http://annaaspnesdesigns.com/
That should be enough to get you started 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂