john November 3rd, 2007 . . . .

Matte Painting #30 (now with 6-step tutorial!)

Drowning in a Sea of Tears
“Perhaps it was the Fish” © John R. Uibel 2007
Photoshop CS2, 6 x 8 Wacom tablet; approx. 3 hrs

Well, just something to keep the skills up, ya know what I mean? This is an assembly of about 15 photos. I can’t quite call it a matte painting, but it’s something more than a photocollage. It was Halloween recently and I thought I’d do something macabre. I know it’s a couple of days late, but whatever. I’m uploading many of the original images so you can see what I was up against.

Essentially, these are my steps:

  1. Find Photos. Sounds reasonable. and it certainly makes it easier when the perspective is roughly what the composition requires. With these I didn’t have to distort much at all — mainly since I was putting it together as I went rather than starting with a concept. (actually a practice I don’t recommend).
  2. Use Photoshop’s Filter>Extract. There are many ways to separate an image from its background. I like this method, particularly in natural settings, as it gives a nice, jaggy edge to foliage and other natural elements. After you’ve extracted the image, drag it into your composition (a simultaneously opened, separate document).
  3. Place element roughly into position. Drag it, resize it, whatever you have to do. Distort it if you must. Just get it where it’s supposed to sit in your composition. I know it doesn’t match color-wize yet — that’s what we’ll do next!
  4. Color balance. I like to work in LAB color mode — it actually makes more sense to me than RGB balancing.
    1. Start with the B channel (Blue/Yellow) and click Ctrl-M to bring up the Curves palette. Now here’s the game: Adjust the curve so that the grayness of the element seems to match the background image and other elements you’ve already brought in. Too dark? lighten it. Too light? You get the idea. In this channel, light gray means warm color (Yellow), while dark gray means cool color (Blue). Get it so that it ‘fits’.
    2. Move on to the A channel (Green/Magenta) and do the same. Easy, huh.
    3. Lastly, do the very same with the L channel, matching the degree of ‘grayness’ with Curves until it seems to ‘belong’. Now, activate the LAB channel and return to the Layers palette.
  5. Now, instantly you’ll find you’ll need to make a monor adjustment to contrast or brightness, and so pull up a Brighness/Contrast Adjustment Layer. Tweak until happy. Notice that this image is fairly monochromatic. I like to group element adjustments into folders, but organize however you will.
  6. Continue this method through all of your elements until you’re finished.

Voila’! that’s it. With any luck I’ll be able to post sooner than 4 months, so watch for something soon. Thanks to those who have emailed me — I appreciate the encouragement!

angel, againangel, yet another timedrainskulls

super grouper

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Comments

  1. John,

    Very cool! I’m very exited to see a new post, they seem to have slowed, and I understand. Not like we can always be having fun. This one heck of a way to create a piece, using a bunch of different photos and all. I don’t know that this is something that I’ll ever get a handle on. Nice work John.


    Spencer H.
    November 8th, 2007

  2. Hey Spencer! Thanks for checking the website to see if I’m still alive:) Yeah, the posting history is fairly dismal, but I hope to have more time. I hope you’re staying busy, but not panicky, and that the exotic world of resort design continues to blossom!


    john
    November 9th, 2007

  3. Looks great John! I love the color and lighting.


    Kari Christensen
    November 9th, 2007

  4. Hey John,

    Beautiful work! I appreciate the tutorial, it’s amazing seeing how you created the piece from the sum of its parts.


    Lou Columbus
    November 16th, 2007

  5. Hey John,

    Very Nice work, just read the Advanced Photoshop Magazine and was wondering what else you made.
    I really like your work, it’s beautiful.

    Greetings from The Netherlands, Europe.


    Niels
    November 24th, 2007

  6. Really good and really interesting post. I expect (and other readers maybe :)) new useful posts from you!
    Good luck and successes in blogging!


    HeavyGod
    November 27th, 2007

  7. J,

    Another lovely piece. You are the epitome of photoshop ingenuity. What you can do with a Wacom!

    Warmest regards,
    Ms. Faucet


    Ms. Faucet
    December 19th, 2007

  8. John,
    You are so talented. It’s fun to experienceyour influence through your blog. Looks incredible.


    Lynne
    January 9th, 2008

  9. John,

    I discovered the site by accident but glad I did! Wow! Your work in an inspiration to people like me that have learned most of the P-Shop on my own. There is so much to learn after seeing work like this. The Lord has indeed blessed your work! Can’t wait to try some of this.


    Gregory Glaude
    January 27th, 2008

  10. Well John, I finally got my copy of Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Master Collection. Now for a lifetime of learning. I’m having fun along the way though. Thanks for the inspiration.


    Lou
    February 21st, 2008

  11. Thanks, Gregory and Lou. I appreciate you stopping by. Let me know when you have something I can see — it’s always good to share and learn from each other.


    john
    February 22nd, 2008

  12. Hey John,

    What I great image and I love the colour pallet in it, just fab. Btw I m doing th CGS matte painting course, yeeeepiii :=)

    I


    Ismini
    March 7th, 2008

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