Friday 30 May 2008

Yet More on Displacement

Well - you all seem to be keen on carrying on with the Displacements. Lovely lot of messages, it’s so encouraging. I have made a resolution to leave more messages on the blogs I visit - don’t always have time.

Marian - I’ll let you know how Clive gets on. He is doing some great abstract landscapes with charcoal at the moment but he won’t let me put a pic up yet.
Had a look at your blog, Susan - loved your animal markings. Pippa - I don’t want to be cited in your divorce papers, so cook him a meal now and then.

Arlee - get loading and Artisue thanks for the good wishes. The gesso piece was just cast paper stuck on cartridge paper, painted with black acrylics and gessod when dry. Then spray painted. Must get back to that - I spent most of yesterday on the phone doing admin and stuff. I also have a great excitement in the wings but I’m keeping quiet until it is finalised, Ooh, I wish I could tell you!

Hi Tom. So sorry about the new nickname. You used to do loads of computer design - do you still do it?

So good to hear from Annabel - love the stuff on your web site and the bit of ‘headology’ relating to it. Clive used to write poetry while I drew and that was quite companionable. He hasn’t done that for ages - I won’t ask why because he’s probably too busy with all the web stuff. My fault.

Sonja - I had forgotten about Arithmetic in PSP7. It is more like Layers than maps as it merges two images using a form of blend mode. Great with a gradient all over a page, as we were doing yesterday.

Jackie - keep on with the fun.

On with today’s Displacement Activity which involves displacing part of the screen only.
Fill a new page with a gradient. I used this one.



Displace with a suitable image. Here’s my Sissinghurst poppy.


This is the result. Save as you go along, by the way.



Open an image containing words to use as a map. The indispensible Clive also does calligraphy and this is a sentence or two of his which I cloned into a ‘manuscript’.


Draw a rectangular selection box around an area of the poppy design. Then go to the displacement map and choose the words image. The changes will only appear in the area contained by the select rectangle.


Use the clone tool and a soft, fuzzy brush to smudge the hard edges around the
text.


Now for more fun.
Go to the layers menu and duplicate twice so you have three layers with the same image. In the layers palette (go to View, Palettes, Layers if you can’t see it) click on the top layer and go to Effects, edges, find all. It will look strange.
Still on the top layer in the Layers menu, reduce the opacity to about 50.
Finally go to Effects, Texture, Sculpture and choose this option.



Now spend a few hours changing the Blend Modes - big fun. The one below shows Difference on the top layer.

13 comments:

Aussie Jo said...

What a sensational effect, now how does that transfer to textiles without losing the detail too much?
These tutorials are great, but I'll have to save them until I can afford a new computer to put the PSP program on. The children have too much loaded on the laptop already.

West Country Buddha said...

Wow that's a wonderful series of effects and the last one is fabulous! I love the colours; they're so vibrant and deep and I can immediately see this in stitch.

Genie said...

Lovely effect, loved your article in Stitch

pjpatch said...

Maggie, I love the effect that you are getting with Photoshop. This is what I am keen to learn.
Do you do a workshop on this?
Pat in OZ

Aussie Jo said...

P.S. Actually now I come to think of it I can answer my own question — go and buy the 'Image to stitch' book!!!

Cathy said...

Hope you received my comment thanking you for posting my "Chimneys" project. Just getting the hang of these blogs!
Thank you so much for all the information re displacements etc,. which has followed on beautifully after your talk down here in Kent.
Your article in "Stitch" magazine was also most enlightening.
So looking forward to receiving your new book.
Many thanks,
Cathy.
P.S. Could you recap on Val's "Whooshing" with the camera technique?

Digitalgran said...

I've been on holiday and I loved playing catchup this morning Maggie, only to find I've been missing the fun with the displacement activity.
I must agree with you I find using displace in Elements a pain. The results are fine, but getting at them is so slow, clicking through this and that. glad to be back :)
Well done Clive on doing an OU Art course!

Penny said...

I have just got your image to stitch book from Dale, gosh there is a lot in it and I am only about 1/2 way through trying to sort it out. Unfortunately dont have photo shop on my machine but have been trying to work out what I can do with possibly picassa and paint, not very literate in these things and wish I had someone close to stand over me and work it out.
Great book and I am sure there are a heap of new things I am going to try. Must track down the ink aid stuff.

Wabbit said...

Wow, thank you! I can't wait to have a few minutes to try this out and see the differences in doing this with PSP vs. Photoshop and PSE. I'm waiting for the new book to arrive.

pjpatch said...

Wabbit, please tell me about the new book!
Pat in Oz

pjpatch said...

Wabbit, Please tell me about your new book!
Pat in Oz

Cathy said...

Thanks, Maggie, for the info re pics in blogs. Will have a go soon.
Have a nice weekend,
Love Cathy.

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

Oh this is just gorgeous!!! I'm going to have to come visit more often! Marva