Photoshop Playtime And Special Effects/ Filters
Novica
Posts: 23,895
This thread is to showcase Photoshop Plugins and / or special effects/techniques you'd like to share. Please note, Envato/Graphic River does pull products, so if you buy from there, always download your product immediately!
Very important: In many of the plugins, the more contrast your render has, the more dramatic the result.
TIP: Please use either 600 width, or 600 height, whichever is greater, in the POST so the entire image usually can be seen. (And do put the render IN the post.)
A few things to note- if you are not having luck with plug-ins, see if the vendor has a YouTube instructional video. Your renders usually should be 1500 to 4000 pixels, I use 2000 on average. Then reduce the size down to about 900 for here so people don't wait forever for the image to load. (Even if you put the 600 px in the post, the 900 still has to load.)
Index: These may have "Photoshop Plug In or Photoshop Action" at the end of the name. The posts will tell you the Envato product number and full name.
What version of Photoshop Elements Will Work
Alphabetical. New ones will be marked for you.
30 Pro Photo Effects (My thread) (Read eight or nine posts to see the solution to my problem I had)
45 Popup Effects and continued here
Cartoon Sketch Action 2 (My thread)
Cartoon Sketch Action 2
Creative Retouch
Dispersion (My thread)
Dust Storm
Feathers
Filter Forge Posterization And Line Art (Cris Palomino)
Filter Forge (Cris Palomino, available under her name there)
Fury
Grand Trend Art
Hand Drawn
Hand Drawn (My thread)
Mixed Media (My thread)
Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 (6 posts)
Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 (3 posts)
Pencil Drawing Effect
Pencil Sketch
Pencilogy (Link to it in my thread)
Photoshop Photo Filters (Chohole)
Photo To Painting
Rainy Day Photoshop Action
Sandstorm
Sketch Mix
Realistic Sketch Photoshop Action
Ultimate Paint Action (My thread)
Watercolor and Pencil Action (3posts)
Xero Filters (Chohole, some filters not available now)
I'm also adding to this post to give you some issues to check if you can't get the Photoshop Plug-in to work. This does vary from plug-in to plug-in, so be sure to read the instructions. If your plug-in gives error messages when you first start: Check to see if...
1. your brushes are loaded
2. your presets are loaded- any patterns, papers, or other extra items
3. your image is the size required (some are 2500px, some 3500 px, etc)
4. your image mode is RGB and 8 Bits Channel if required
5. in Panel Options, Thumbnail Contents is Entire Document, the bottom three items are all checked (use default masks on Fill Layers, Expand Ne Effects, Addy Copy to copied layers)
6. brushes are 100% Opacity 100% Flow
7. you are using .jpg if required, or .png if required
8. you are using a version of photoshop which is compatible
9. your layer (first one) is named Background if required AND if it needs a capital B or lower case b
10. if you need other layers named a certain thing, it also has either a capital letter or lower case as required
11. you are starting on the correct layer. Some photos/renders require masking, and you start on THAT layer, not the first one.
12. you have the right tool clicked (aka brush, move tool) as perhaps you need the brush selected instead of the move tool.
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Comments
I'm going to start going through my old, simple renders from my Art Studio thread. Here's Antelope Expansion Pack applied to Pronghorn Antelope. Original is the first one, plug-in the second. (Again, the more vibrant colors, or the more contrast in colors, the better results.)
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
Adrianna for Victoria 6 Crazy Locks Hair Tomoe for Manga Anime Battlesuit
Eyes go really funky! (Which can be easily touched up. I wanted you to see out of the box.)
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
LY Aileen
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
Airboat 105
My notes say I used Keira lights with a spotlight from above.
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
FWSA Adaline Rieval Hair 2
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
Ambie Grace Dress for Genesis 2 Females Hikari Hair
Used: this is graphicriver.net and it's Oil Paint Photo Action CS3 to CC15 and it's product number 12425929
There are 10 actions. This is #2
Filter Forge can be used as a plugin in Photoshop or as a stand-alone. Tons of great filters. I have made several (you can find them in the filters under crispalomino). Here is one example. The closeup uses my filter, Stitcherydoo, in needlepoint (which is the default).
Sometimes Postwork in Photoshop needs to only be subtle. I use Photofilters a lot. (Optiverve)
Cris and Chohole, those are stunning! Chohole, I love the way the last one with the cool tones gives it a wintry feeling (to me, at least.) So different than the others. Cris, thanks for the heads up on Filter Forge. I have it, but haven't explored it yet.
I used to enjoy doing toon type renders for my Grandkids, but unfotunately, unless people already have the older releases of Xero's filters I can't explain how I did them as some of his free filters are no longer availalbe.
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/avast-me-hearties-tis-time-to-go-a-venturing/1610561/
I bet the grandkids loved that! Particularly the dog on the hill, the squirrels- the animal details. Kids love animals.
Hey Novica, I went to graphicriver, did a few searches and there are lots of oil paint actions on there. Definitely want to make sure I'm looking at the right ones. Because I do like the look you achieved with the above images. Was it any of these?
http://graphicriver.net/item/oil-paint-photoshop-action/9698673
http://graphicriver.net/item/oil-paint-action/8848685
http://graphicriver.net/item/oil-paint-photoshop-action-bundle/11448242
No. It's Oil Paint Photoshop Action CS3 to CC15. I will go through my Art Studio thread and summarize the ones I did, and link what goes with what. I bought 20 different actions and there are some really stellar ones. ALL the ones above are the one I mentioned. I did a mermaid last night, and did the 10 Oil Paint actions in that ONE product, and will post them in a few minutes. I'll be right back and put the product number for this one in this post.
graphicriver.net/item/oil-paint-photo-action-cs3-to-cc15/12425929 (put a http:// in front of it.)
Let me explain how the Oil Paint Photoshop Action CS3 to CC15 is organized. You have TEN different effects. Each one is labeled Oil Paint 1, Oil Paint 2, Oil Paint 3, etc. You simply click it, then it does what it does. They are all different, some with slight variations in hue, some with the larger areas of "blobs" (material zones, so to speak. Aka, the cheek in one may have a shadow under it, but in the next option, those are both one area.)
I'm going to take my mermaid render (and btw, all the ones above and this one are 3DL renders, and do NOT have exceptional contrast. They're run-of-the-mill so you can see you can get dramatic effects with typical renders.) and do each of the 10 actions without tweaking any of them. Once you do the one click and the action does its thing, you go into each layer it creates (if you want to) and make changes.
ALL photos are RGB as the CMYK triples the MB and only 2 are allowed. There were 5MB with CMYK. These will go in order, posting Oil Paint 1 first, etc.
Free free to download these and put them side by side in your graphics program. See which is your favorite. Then look at the number in the image name, and that's the painting action number. My favorite is of course #2, but #1 (more bold) and #7 are also strong contenders. For fancy/mystical, #6 is more "fluttery."
I'm going to post the original again, with circled areas where it is super easy to see the difference.
FIRST- the original.
This is Oil Paint 1. It will be more bold than the next one.
This isOil Paint 2 (the one used for all the others before he mermaid too)
This is Oil Paint 3
This is Oil Paint 4 (same product, the CS3 to CS15)
This is Oil Paint 5
This is Oil Paint 6
This is Oil Paint 7
This is Oil Paint 8. (Quite bold!!)
This is Oil Paint 9.
And this is Oil Paint 10. Notice the "noise" in the image. That is done deliberately with the Photoshop action.
love it - great work
Thanks Novica for the detailed breakdown and the link. It definitely gives plenty of visual options. And lots of possibilites.
I needed to make a new filter for some work I was doing. Submitted it to Filter Forge.
It does a posterization of your photo/render with line art over it.http://prntscr.com/8hur6i
It also lets you separate the line art http://prntscr.com/8hurks from the color http://prntscr.com/8hurx0 so you can modify the line art in an image editor where the details are too pronounced.
There’s also HSL control, http://prntscr.com/8husdx and tinting capability, http://prntscr.com/8huss9 each with separation as in the first example.
Sure! As you know (but others might not) any of these can be radically changed and not look even remotely like these. All of these were "out of the box" with one click. For those not familiar with Photoshop, then layers are created (think of a stack of transparencies) and you can change each one. You can also change the type of lighting- think of going from regular to polarize, or to neon! So wow, hundreds of options with using these ten.
Cris- that is amazing- I love that look. The colors remind me of Degas, his ballerina series, but his lines and blending were muted. I can't think of what other famous painter has not only the style, but colors. Love it!
FirstBastion- if I get a chance, I'll do the other Photoshop ones I bought, using this same mermaid, so you can see. Check back periodically this weekend (have a lot of errands to run, gotta get to the barn or my horse won't know who I am, etc)
Here's the first one I wantedt to show you, as it gives a similar effect to the ones above. It is called Cartoon Sketch Action 2.
again, it's graphicriver.net and product number 11072106
There are two options, Cartoon Sketch Action, and Cartoon Sketch Action SHARP. I did them separately, I assume you aren't supposed to use one then apply the other, as the rest of the products have each thing as a separate effect. After applying, I believe this is correct. Look at the water ripples by the outstretched hand, between the hand and the dolphin, and you can really see the difference (among other places of course.) The sharp is indeed sharp.
See notes below the images.
If you get this PS Action, this might help you. Remember this was for these images, but it usually applies to most renders.
When you right click on a layer, you have choices of Edit / Blend / or both. I'll identify the layer and put either Edit or Blend.
HDR/Blend: Default is Pass Through. Many work (Darken, Overlay, Soft Light) Try VIVID
Vibrance 1 / Edit: didn't do anything on this, but others, the sliders for vibrance and saturation did work
Vibrance 1/ Blend: Hard Mix will go psychadelic, it's interesting. The rest didn't do much. I'll try it on another one or two but after that I may skip it.
HDR (the square) / Blend: do sliders, they work. Default is 50/100, try 59/100 (opacity / fill opacity)
Result: Normal is default. Test Opacity to 73 and fill to 79, it's worked on several renders. Opacity REALLY changes things. Also, the two sliders on bottom do make quite a difference, whereas in a lot of renders, they don't.
That looks really interesting Cris.
This is Creative Retouch (again from Graphic River) product number 11538758. I'm going to test with some tweaks. See comments below both images. This will show you how much you can change the basic default results. Be sure to click and enlarge, click again, and look at how sharp the mesh is on her chest, showing the light through the bra cup. And those rocks in front- so much sharper!!!
First is the original.
Coming up is HDR / Blend: Changed Overlay to Hard Mix.Overlay default is 20/100 for the Opacity/Fill Opacity. I did 27/84 to darken.
Sharpness/Blend changed to 78/100. which makes a BIG difference. You can almost see her pupils!
Smooth/Blend was 80, upped it to 90. Creative Retouch/Blend- this is important- changed it off of Normal to Hard Mix. It darkens it but keeps it vibrant.
This is Pencil Drawing Effect- Photoshop Action and the product number is11658178. To be honest, it's not a favorite. The result will be really washed out, then I found I had to change quite a bit, then at the end, desaturate 100% and fix the midtones, shadows, and hightlights. A lof of work and I think some of the other sketch ones will do this with more control. It does give you a mix of pencil and watercolor if you do what I did (see second one.)
Changing the Bend mode on most layers did nothing. Here's the original, what I tweaked (giving you a pencil/somewhat color mode), and then the tweaked one with the desaturate/midtones/hightlights/shadows tweaked.
For this, Change your Drawing layer from Pass Through to Pin to darken it. Move the Opacity and Opacity Fill sliders to darken to suit your tastes. Skip Color Fill, Paper Textures, Contrast+1, and Contrast, they do nothing. Then simply desaturate/midtone/highlights/shadows to get what you want. Changing to Pin for the Blend mode is the secret on this one.
Original:
Changing to Pin for the Blend mode: (it darkens it up but also adds color) and moving the Opacity/Op.Fill will give you midtones. So this is a neat one for part pencil, part watercolor.
Then simply desaturate, fix midtones, shadows, highlights. Her hair is too dark and blends in, so you have to be careful using this plug-in. Not much control with this one as it has limited layers.
COMING UP:
Next, Pencil Sketch- Photoshop Action. Product number 9615778
(Did the London scene over in my other Art Studio thread with this one.)
You get two choices, black and white or color. What's neat, you can change the black and white to various degrees of color. Very versatile product! (Thumbs up on this one.) You can also keep some of the cross hatching and get a mixture of pencil sketch and oil/watercolor, whatever you call this. I'll change the blend mode from Pass Through to Multiply and you'll see.
First, out of the box. Wow, dark. Obviously this one works best with a bit more contrast in environments, but let's see what we can do. It is more of a crosshatch style.
EDIT: I tested the color, and sure enough, you can do the same thing using the black and white option and changing what I mentioned below to add the color. Have fun!
Second, this is AWESOME- I am leaving the Blend mode on Pass Through. All I am doing is lowering Opacity to 88%, and leaving Fill Opacity at 100%. Bring in a hint of color! And if you lower the Fill Opacity, you'll get even more. Isn't this pretty?
Let's leave the Opacity at 88%, and now do Opacity Fill down to 85% which will add even more color. Keep in mind, we're tweaking the Black and White option. We still haven't done the color option.
I'm going to give you a shock and switch the Blend mode over to Multiply (off of PassThrough that was the default and used above) so you can see the black and white goes full color, very vibrant, but keeps that wonderful cross hatch. This is of course much more vibrant, darker, etc- but may suit your style and if you start with a lighter render, may work perfectly for you. You also don't have to go 100% on the sliders, you can make this lighter. Wanted to show you how dark it can go.
Now I'll keep it on Multiply and do at 57 / 73 Opacity/ Fill Opacity instead of 100 / 100. Keep in mind we're still on the Black and White option. The Color sketch option probably does this from the get-go. (And is part of this product. Two in one is great.) So keep it pencil sketch, or switch to Multiply and get color and take out some of the pencil hatches- it's up to you with this product. (Last one, hatches give the water a "linen" texture look, but hard to see most other places.)
I had no luck with Watercolor & Pencil Action (Product number) 10359110 because it says load, run, done. Well, there's a First (or First Sharp) which gives a dull pencil outline, then a Brush (which you need to brush on and gave me blue blobs for this mermaid) then Second. I end up with a barely there outline of the mermaid surrounded by splobs and blobs. So can't recommend at this point. If the vendor replies, I will let you know. I've run enough of these in the past two weeks to have at least a feel for how they work, and this "ain't happening" so wondering how I messed up. It looks like a great product and hopefully it's something I'm doing. (Go take a peek.
Okay, success thanks to the very kind vendor replying so quickly. (LOVE shopping at Envato.) He does not speak English as a native language but does quite nicely (I really do sympathize, our language is weird!) The problem was his instructions- he did a "one fits all" such as load the action, hit play, voila, and that does not apply to this one. You select First or First Sharp (I recommend, is more dramatic pencil outline) then Brush is the next layer and you have to use a BLACK brush and brush it on (he left all that out. I had figured out to brush, but wrong color!) And you can fill in as much as you want.
Then, leave it that way (darker, vibrant) or hit the next layer which is Second, and it will lighten it for you. I will do some for you.
BTW- got kids? They will LOVE playing with this!
BTW, GET THESE IF YOU WANT THEM AND DON'T WAIT. Four- !!!!!!- of the ones I recommended are no longer offered since two weeks ago. I would be very upset if I hadn't gotten them, one was my TOP pick. (30 Realistic Paintings Photoshop Action.12208882 Let's hope it is being updated!)
First one, (and all of them) used a black brush, and brushed everything over and over again. Nothing left to brush. By the way, kids would LOVE THIS ACTION- you color and here it comes! Like the magic wonder paper. Then I hit Second, so it lightened it. Love this texture pattern.
Thought you'd like a peek at what you start with after you do First or First/Sharp. I am doing a 25 brush size, coloring in the mermaid, then going with a 500 brush to splatter the background. Back when it's done. (And takes, wow- five to eight minutes!)
So here she is, being gradually colored in. This is simply SO MUCH FUN!
So played around, if you reduce the opacity to 30% and the flow to 20%, you can color in the barely there areas (which I covered up, but telling you those settings work very well.) I did brush size 450 to color everything in. What happens when you increase the flow from 20's to 60 or more- you get the splatter drops seen here. (the dark blue.) I left the ocean floor less colored so you can compare with the one above. This does NOT have "Second" applied, which would make it lighter.
This last one shows you how you can use the increased flow/opacity dark splatters to give a gradient to the render, going from left to right, with the left being more murky/distant. I used it to create a shadow on the beam of light (the first section on the left) to give it depth. Hope you'll give this product a look while it's still offered. I can't believe all those others are not available, they were there yesterday! (Remember, I went back to get you product numbers? They were there yesterday afternoon.)
Oh FirstBastion- this ones for YOU
Here's a look at that gal using the above Photoshop action. You can fill in as much or as little as you like. This was with 88 Opacity and only 18% flow. She is NOT MASKED and it didn't go into the background hardly at all. Huh. I didn't do that!
Second one, full flow. You can do any area lighter, or even darker.
This one, I toyed around with changing the brush color from black to a mid-dark blue as the face went WAY too dark. The original has a LOT of shadow. Brush 66, 46% opacity, 29% flow, 1% spacing.
These are great images! I don't own Photoshop, but I do like to get out my Wacom tablet and use the cloning brushes in Corel Painter to create some painterly looking images from my renders.