#they work differently and that doesnt apply here but it still adds layers

[fascinationstreetmp3]

im aware that daniel calling armand "boss" is a one time thing in the book and at some point it became like a fanon nickname that gets used frequently and some people don't like it. but personally i am a daniel caling armand "boss" enjoyer. i think it's cute. especially when it's like... it just started out as a snarky passive aggressive thing whenever armand got really bossy and bitchy and daniel bit back and then it evolved into a term of endearment

[foster-the-moths]

If you don't mind, could you give us a tutorial or brief explanation on how you render hair? /nf

YES!! unfortunately i got. very tired after making this so this is only one hair type :( was gonna go into all the different types of hair textures but. i will just have to do that later. also keep in mind i drew this in like. 7 minutes its just a simple guide to get out the basic steps

^i didn't put music in this so. listen to whatever u want while ur watching this (its 6 minutes 40 seconds). also its slightly sped up this isn't real speed

elaboration of each step under read more:

step 0: look at other hair tutorials/pictures of real hair to figure out how light reflects off of them. then completely disregard that and just make things up (this is the best artistic process trust me i do it every day)

step 1: just get out that basic shape. it doesnt have to be anything fancy,

step 2: just fill it in and adjust the shape as needed

step 3: figure out how the hair moves and flows, which parts go out more (highlights), which parts are closer to the head (shadows/base), etc. i highly recommend just looking at pictures of hair online, or taking pictures of your own hair. for coily/curly hair, you just kind of have to do this for each curl/coil. one thing to keep in mind the highlight is in the middle of the curl/coil and the shadows are on the edges (usually). i'll elaborate more on that once i have an actual video for it

step 4: just make it so the edges of the highlights transition a bit more smoothly into the base color. it just helps for later steps tbh. try not to over do it, don't want to completely get rid of the highlight, just soften it

step 5: add more highlights with thinner brush. this should be where the light would bounce off the hair the MOST. i think i forgot to say in the video uhhh add in some base value too. maybe a few shadows. mostly this step is for highlights tho.

step 6: idk what else to put here sorry. ngl just get silly with it

step 7: it is very important to do one stroke per area in this one. do not lift your pen off the screen/tablet/whatever until the little area youre working on is one smooth transparent shade, then move on to the next. idk if i'm explaining this right hopefully this makes sense.

step 8: complete opposite as step seven. make as many strokes as you feel it needs. not TOO many, just enough to get some texture and then some yk? i recommend making a copy of the layer youre working on before doing this so that if you mess something up you can always go back to square one.

also a lot of these steps apply to pretty much any hair type just. in a completely different shape with completely different rules. which is to say its exactly like this but it actually isn't like this at all. which is why i plan on making other videos some day (hopefully) also look up "hair texture chart" it will help you find the words you need to look up good refs

remember: always get silly with it. the only rule to to make things up and change your mind 400 times. bring a 'fuck it, we ball' mentality to your art program that the haters (your brain) really won't like. practice makes perfect and all that, do NOT expect to get something good first try, sometimes i still struggle with drawing hair in a way that i like and just scrap the whole thing. also i'm not kidding about those real hair reference pictures it helps so so much

hope this helped at least a little bit bc i am not good at explaining things 👍

[jxthics]

hi! i was reading your post about underpainting but i couldn't figure out how to get the underpainting to show /through/ local colors. i might've missed something while reading but do you use layer modes on the local colors or something? thanks!

hey there! my "underpainting" layer is usually an overlay layer! there's a lot of ways to do it, so check out other artists via speedpaints or their tutorials and see which version works for you (some people put in greyscale for their underpainting and then add local colors -- i have yet to try this out but i might soon). the only big thing id watch for is making sure it doesnt lighten any of your hues too much if you do it the way i currently do, because its really easy to lighten stuff via layer modes. i would not take my word on my step by step method as law here, i'm still figuring out how to paint but the general "use a layer in tandem with your local colors because color theory uses inherent light" rule works well. many different ways to apply it though

[jellyseul-archive]

Hello! Could you share some psds, our tips etc that you use to edit? :0 Thanks in advance!

hi!! i’d be happy to share some tips!! this might be a bit long, i think i went a bit overboard…… i hope it helps a bit though… !!! also im assuming you have access to a program that can open psd files. and i use photoshop so i’m not sure this will be very helpful unless you have access to it or a program with similar capabilities..

i’ve made up a few examples (using the so what mv bc i just edited that) of how i usually go about editing, you can find the file here but i’ll explain a bit here as well!

0 : psd & general stuff

i feel kinda weird about this but i’ve included my psd in the attached file... if you’re going to use it i dont mind but please don’t say that you made it yourself, and a credit would be nice but i guess it’s not strictly necessary.

first of all, i pretty much always use the same psd with very minor adjustments. i do this to try to maintain a similar look to all of my edits & because i like this psd (i’ve been evolving it with minor adjustments every so often for years…). i always edit below the psd (as in the psd is applied over all the layers of my editing) and i usually edit with the psd on (i used to edit and then put the psd on after and that took so much longer because i couldnt see how the psd was affecting the way the image looked as i was working..)

this is basically how all of the psd files for my graphics look (usually with more descriptive names rather than numbers though), where each of the numbered groups is a graphic panel...

1 : colour correction 

i basically start off by trying to normalise(?) the image as much as possible (trying to return the colours to what they would be naturally, without colour correction/filtering…)

first i use curves!!! curves are a lifesaver for me. most images/screencaps will have some kind of colour correction / filtering, i use curves to (somewhat) remove those effects. if you go here, i use the method described as “remove colour cast using auto colour” (except i basically ignore the steps 4/5)! sometimes this works, sometimes it doesnt… if the result isnt quite right i lower the opacity on the curves layer until it looks right to my eye.

if the image is still too bright/dark i add another curves layer with auto set to enhance brightness and contrast! and i again use opacity to make this look more natural!

if the image is still looking unnatural (usually this occurs on especially dark images, and the problem areas are usually on faces…) i use colour fill layers set to soft light or colour balance layers to adjust the colours until the image looks more natural? you can see this in group 8. yves face has a blue discolouration on it (if you untick the colour fill & balance layers you should see what im talking about), to counteract this i added a yellow/red layer and set it to soft light & then added a colour balance layer to make the image a bit more yellow/green. overall the image doesnt look exactly natural, but the colours are more smooth and i’d probably lean into the yellow/green tinge if i was making a graphic with this image!

2 : selecting subjects

there are so so so many ways to extract people or objects from images. i vary the method i use depending on the image in question and the effect im going for. i’m not going to explain every method because you can google “how to cut out an image in photoshop” and get some pretty good tutorials on how to do it in lots of different ways.

recently i’ve been using “select subject” (described here). you’ll likely have to clean up the selection using other tools such as lasso & selection tools, and it helps if you cut out a smaller square/area around the subject before trying to use the select subject tool. theres an example of this in group 9.

another method i use is selecting a range of colours from an image using “colour range” (described here). i use this to both change colours in an image and to remove backgrounds that are of a (relatively) uniform colour. you can see an example of this in group 10, i isolated the fire from the dark background by selecting the shadows & then inverting the selection but because olivia hye was also quite dark i had to select her separately.

theres no real easy or quick way to cut out things, it takes time and effort if you want it to look neat. but it really depends on how you want it to look and basically just practicing is the most important thing… over time it will get more straightforward and you will understand how to cut out different things depending on the image..

3 : colours & textures

probably my favourite part of editing! the fun bit!! 

i’m not going to explain much of this right now bc i’m exhausted & i’m not sure how detailed this should be. but if you have specific questions i’ll be happy to try to answer them!!

anyway here are some basic notes on my editing style:

if i’m editing a music video i try to use other caps as textures, you can see this in groups 11, 14 & 15.

i like to layer different caps as seen in group 12

i use colour fill layers set to different blending modes (i mainly use soft light, color/hue, screen and multiply) as seen in basically all of the examples

i havent really put in any examples of this here but i use selective colour & hue/saturation adjustment layers to change/enhance specific colours

i have this one texture that i put on basically all of my edits, i’m not sure why but i like the way it looks... its in the “PSD + TXT” folder and its set to soft light & i put it on top of the psd bc otherwise the psd messes with the smoothness of the texture

(fyi,,, i shrunk the image size just so the file size wouldnt be too big and so the sitting kimlip is bigger than the cap it came from bc of that; the mv was in 4k so the caps were HUGE)

4 : other tips/notes......?

don’t get discouraged if you find it difficult at first

i’ve been editing for years and i’m still not that great and i find it hard sometimes but i do it for fun. i make probably 3 times as many things as i end up posting because i enjoy it and because i use it as an artistic outlet.

i hope someone found this useful? i think i went way overboard but i thought it was better to be thorough !! anyway i hope you have fun editing ! its always great to have more creators in the tumblr community!

[oak23]

[So, I decided to do a “short” translation of a thread about glueheads. Its written by woman who mostly mods MH dolls, you can find her by nickname OylOul. She wrote it about MH heads, but it applies to Barbies too, bc same manufacturer.]

Part 1.

First of all she criticizes current methods of getting rid of glue (such as using talc) bc its not effective and cant solve the problem permanently. Bc the source of that problem is inside the head. And she also guesses that glue isnt actually a glue but rather silicone grease or sort of oil or resin. Thats the reason why it cant be removed by “water, alcohols, mineral oils and fuels, weak acid solutions, alkali and hydrogen peroxide”.

Next she writes about theoretical part of research with help from her dauther who is a chemist. Bc “glue” is sort of silicone oil, solvent should be “related” to that. Then she writes which solvents would and wouldnt work. [I cant translate it well, Im not chemist]

So according to her: -Dichloroethane and butyl glycol would be too weak to dissolve thick layer of glue inside the head. -She couldnt find Carbon tetrachloride to test. -Toluol and xylol were the ones she actually tested.

!!! To work with said chemicals you need basic protection such as resin gloves, mask, good ventilation and in general to be really careful bc these are !!!TOXIC!!!

Then she writes about actual experiments. Fill the head for 5-10mins, pour out, repeat til liquid is coming out clear. Around 6 times should be enough.

Some additional notes: -xylol is safe for faceup as long as you dont touch it. If you accidentally wetted faceup you should let it dry first, and it will be alright. If you touch or rub it wet, it will be smeared. -toluol based solvent she used contains acetone, and that one damages faceup. -both chemicals make resin soft and leave bad smell, but after maybe a week it comes back to original shape and smell goes away. -she recomends to start cleaning hair rigth after cleaning insides, bc some of softened glue comes through hair holes, and if you leave it like this it will dry on hair.

Then she experimented with pieces of glue that stuck after drying. No effect: -different household cleansers -alkali(weak-soda, mid, strong-NaOH 30%) -asid(weak, strong-acetic essence 70%) -oxygen bleach -organic polar solvents (glycerin, alcohol, acetone) Negative effect: -oils Positive effect: -Dichloroethane and butyl glycol (it does actually work on smaller amount of glue) -Toluol and xylol (obviously) -some kind of hydrophilic oil from cosmetics [Im not sure what that means]

Also she used ultrasonic washing machine and washing powder and that worked to clean hair (But! not just washing powder). Then she wrote about why that worked. [chemistry+physics, Im leaving it out]

Alternatives she suggested but didnt test: -try other non-polar solvents -search highly active surfactants with a long hydrocarbon “tail” -absorb with some powder

Source: http://forum-dollplanet.ru/viewtopic.php?p=2859840#p2859840  or http://oyloul.diary.ru/p194281829.htm?oam#more1

Part 2. [I used googletranslate for all that chemistry talk]

She made chemical analysis of glue with mass-spectrometer. Results are that “glue” isnt silicone bc pattern doesnt match with known silicones. The substance is high molecular weight from 1000. It decomposes by dividing into fragments with a molecular mass of about 200. She guesses that its phenol-formaldehyde resin, but she isnt sure about that. That sounds not good for kids toys at all. She didnt get actual formula, so no confirmation on this.

[Im skipping some unrelated or already written info]

She names three methods to clean hair from glue: -chemical (as written in part 1) -physical (ultrasonic washing machine) -mechanical (thats why some people use talc for cleaning hair)

So mechanical. Bc glue is aclually resin [or gum or tar?? google isnt helping here, what do I call this??], it can be removed by wiping it off with something. Like talc. Or flour. But as it only plays a role of abrasive, it can be replaced with something like salt or sugar! So you can just use soap+sugar, and after maybe hour of active rubbing hair you will clean it all, and its really easy to wash out.

Sourse: http://forum-dollplanet.ru/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=42230&start=1050#p3052285  or http://oyloul.diary.ru/p197873644.htm?oam#more1

[Additional notes by me: I tried this method on one of my gluehead barbies. I used xylol to clean inside of the head and soap+sugar for hair. It worked perfectly, hair is now as good as new. But I must add few things: -xylol washes out with water, but not fast. If hair is oily (but not greasy), then its still here. -I accidentally melted a liiittle bit of plastic of body with xylol bc I was not accurate enough. -smell didnt go away for two weeks, even after I used conditioner. Right now its gone tho. -Scalp paint was rubbed off in places where I was holdind head. But faceup is alright. -I think the head actually hardened a little bit more than it was before? But Im not sure about that. -It was hour or two of work in total. Half for working with chemical, half for washing hair. -Again, PROTECTION IS MUST HAVE, THESE CHEMICALS ARE TOXIC. Aaand thats all.]

[tdrcharmschool4]

Charm School Test #1: An Unconventional Mug - Critiques

For this week's test, we asked the students of TDR Charm School 4 to take pictures of a shoulders-up makeup look that included some sort of unconventional element. Outside of that, it was up to the girls to get creative and show us not only their growing makeup skills, but also their ability to think outside of the box. Let's see how they did!

Erica Strada

So my look is inspired by something that I truly love. SNACK TIME! I ended up using Cheetos Crunchy snacks for the powder used on my cheeks as an orange blush that was also achieved with a bit of matte lipstick to allow it to stick better. I used some matte lipstick around my eyelids as well and added a bit of blue Powerade mix for added color and texture. I took the empty snack size bags from the Cheetos Crunchy snacks and shrunk them in the microwave for my fashion forward earrings. I took a few of the Cheetos Crunchy snacks as well as a bunch of Cheetos Puff snacks to create my One-Of-A-Kind edible couture necklace. I took the slightly rectangular Doritos and made them into a delicious pair of eyebrows, fit for a #SnackPrincess like myself! All in all, this is a look for when you wanna come thru, when you're not close to a drive thru!  Analyse: Hey, Erica! Right of the bat, you can tell that you have such a whimsical personality that just shines through in your submissions! It's also very clear that even though the focus here is on the unconventional element of the makeup, you've still taken your homework critiques into account. I can't imagine that Cheetos dust was blending too well, so I'll leave that alone. Really the only ~big~ thing that I would change would be to add a liner and lashes to the eyes. Other than that, I think you took the challenge and ran with it very well, even going so far as to make accessories out of the unconventional materials. That shows just the type of Extra™ that you can be, and I'm excited to see how you bring that to future assignments! Letha: Erica, I can't help but smiling every time I look at your photos. They're so happy and fun and I can tell you really enjoyed this challenge. You used the unconventional materials in unconventional ways such as the blush, as well as going so far to make accessories. I think the the makeup goes well too, and the contrasting blue garage door really serves the color story. I would say that the look needs some lashes, which you then could have jazzed up with some more cheeto dust or dorito shards, as the lid is a bit plain at the moment and dying the some contrast that a black liner and some lashes would bring.  I think the brows are a really fun shape but maybe you could have made them more dimensional with either drawing hairs with the cheeto dust or layering different flavors/colors of Doritos. The wig isn't the most expensive/tasteful looking, but hey neither are cheetos so it really does go. All in all there are some technical things you can take away from this paint and apply for next time, but overall great job with this test!

Kushboo

So here's what I did. I blocked the eyebrows and then painted half my face with BB Cream because I remember Letha saying it was light. I wanted this part of my face to look ashen and spooky. I then applied talcum powder ( im obsessed) to that side of the face as a setting powder. I contoured this side of the face with pepper. It doesnt stick very well but I used a tad of water and it gave me the grey jaw and cheekbone I wanted. I finished off the cheekbone with a touch of black eyeshadow. Then I dabbed on tons of blue and purple eyeshadow to give a bruised bloodless dead cheekbone look. After that I drew my exaggerated torn bleeding stitched lip with black, maroon and red paints. 

Then I started on the other side, this time with regular matte pan stick foundation. I set it with this translucent-ish foundation powder i regularly use. For contouring however, I used dark brown coffee. I drink coffee regularly by making a paste and the pouring hot water. I made the same paste, a heap of coffee with enough water, and then whip it till it becomes of the consistency of the contour pallete - adding water or coffee as required to get it right. If its too watery it runs all over your foundation.��

Next I used regular highlight cream on both sides. After this was done, I blended the stuff together - the foundation kind of overpowers the coffee when blending so it needs to be done carefully. Next I pounded on blush above the contour line and modified the color to look multi-hued. This meant reds, purples, blues. Finally I started on my eyebrows. 

These are my special new invention - chai-brows. Otherwise known as 'eyebrows made of tea'. They are drawn and cut out of white greeting card material cardboard, after which I put bonding glue and stuck small grain tea leaves to them. The result is a nice 3 dimensional thickish eyebrow. These I glued on to my forehead. 

Next, I drew my angry zombie eyes with white paint, kajal and red for blood. I shaped the two eyes differently. The eyes on the normal face are shadowed with turmeric powder. This product, locally available as 'haldi', is popular in most indian meals. It also has really useful properties for the skin and provides a deep yellow tinge which makes it an obvious choice. 

I hope you enjoy my look!

Analyse: YASS, Kushboo! I love all this creative energy right out of the gate! I'm getting a story that I can see right away when I look at the picture, and that one of the more important parts of a concept is making sure it reads right away. Like I said with Erica, a part of the problem with the blending in this look is that the food products used as makeup aren't designed to blend like makeup, so when you're back to actual cosmetic products for this upcoming week, just make sure you work on that nice even blend where applicable. The ways that you've done the special effects on the ooky spooky side with the blood works well, and I like the little spider friend up on the forehead! On the daytime side, I would just make sure that you bring some black onto the waterline of the eye. This was such a creative submission though, and I can't wait to see what you do in the coming weeks!

Letha: Kushboo, this is such an interesting paint! You really challenged yourself with this paint, not only by doing a half and half paint with wildly different looks, but by using unconventional materials and trying to make them look real. So my hat is off to you for that, for sure! Are the techniques perfect? No, which I'm sure is part of the materials working against you, but some things, like the lips which didn't use an unconventional material, could have been better/more defined, so make sure to blend your overdrawn lips more (liner to lipstick) so the real lips aren't as clockable. The Pepper and black eyeshadow wasn't your friend on the zombie side as much as coffee was on your other side, which actually looks quite nice. The black pepper side needed a bit more of a gradual blend, because it's a bit of a stripe/bruise situation at the moment. The tumeric eyeshadow is GENIUS, that shade of yellow is gorgeous, just work on the blend as it looks a bit stark on the lower lash line. And on to possibly my favorite part of this paint. The EYEBROWS. That shape and texture you achieved with the chai is really cool and might be an experiment worth repeating in the future for a fun look! All in all, though the products didn't lend themselves to an easy application, you were really innovative with this challenge, good job Kushboo!

Luna

After a long night of hookin...trade didn't like the session so he had gutted me, and set me on fiyah. But you know, I didn't die. I had CRYSTALIZED, and now I'm a Glamazon bitch, ready for the runway. 

So the unconventional element to my make up look today are cut up pieces of dvds used to shape the face. I used them as a nose contour, as cheeck/cheekbone contour, and as fragmented pieces of eyebrows, carrying with the broken theme. I also used a holo foil from packaging I found as lashes to give them the holo shine. I've never done this type of make up or even anything that hasn't been trying to just look like a girl, so this was certainly out of my box. I hope y'all enjoy this look and thank you for the opportunity to do something different!

Analyse: Hey, Luna! I really enjoy the concept of this mug, and I wish we could post a video of it, because from the videos you sent me, it looks even cooler in motion when it catches the light. I think the choice to use something so shiny is a lot of fun, and I'm not mad at the face that the actual makeup parts are pretty plain, because it's a nice contrast. I like the foil lashes a lot, and it helps to brighten up the eye. I wish the eyes were a little lighter and had more interest going on, but I know in PM you said you wanted them to have that sunken masked kind of vibe; I just don't know how successful it reads for the look. I like the lips and the kind of "reflective" effect they get with the white on them. Make sure the lip color goes back further though, especially when using a color that dark, because it makes the point where the color stops and natural lip starts really pop (in a not great way)! I think this was a very creative look, and I hope that you'll try some more like this in the future. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be scary, but sometimes (and this is one of them), it can turn out pretty well!

Letha: Luna, this is a fierce paint! There's a lot of color/shine going on, and the way the light hits the pieces is really cool. The lashes are great and add great contrast to what otherwise would be a very dark socket. I will say the shape on the middle part of the face looks a bit more 'masky' than Makeup, simply because the shape is so solid and the rest of the face in between is a bit plain. I think perhaps had the pieces of DVD tapered/faded out from the middle of the face it would be more gradual and more face like. The harsh line does work on the cheeks though, those are cut severely and it really worksz The lips are also really cool,  but some of the shiny foil from the lashes could  have helped tie the matte lips in with the rest of the look. As for the brows, in this state they don't really read as brows for me, just more of the dvd mask. Maybe if they had been one piece, or multiple pieces that came together to resemble a brow then I might get it more. Overall I think there were some shaping choices that could have been made better, but I'm still really please with your work this week, good job Luna!

Marina Lumiere

Here is my test submission! I really wanted to make a flower centric goddess kind of look as I usually excel at that. I used glitter glue as highlighter and the glitter tears. The pearls on my eyes are from an old pearl necklace. I used black pieces of plastic as the eyelashes. For the whites on my eyes I used NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk mixed with baby powder. I hope you enjoy my look and I hope you can excuse the lateness!

Analyse: Hi, Marina! This is such a cute look, and right off the bat, it's giving me an ~æsthetic~, so I really do appreciate that. My major complaint here is that some parts of the execution look a little rushed, but we already know that's the case, so there we go. I think the eyes are beautiful, and you do a great job at picking out a color story for your mug. These brows are also beautiful and fit the makeup so so well! With the second picture, I know we all love being an Art Heaux™ from time to time, but it makes it hard for us to critique the makeup when half of your face is hidden by the prop, so just be mindful of that in the future. This was a beautiful look from you, and I definitely think could be even more stunning given enough time and some more fun with the unconventional elements!

Letha: Marina, I like the direction you were taking with this look but due to your circumstances it just didn't have the time it needed to really get there. For the makeup, I enjoy your eye shape as with your previous submission. The bottom lashes look like real fake ones, if that makes sense, so good job on those being unconventional! The blush could use a better blend up, as the line is a it harsh. The pearls are a nice touch, but besides those and the flower in your mouth/covering your face, there isn't a whole lot else that's unconventional. Still, what you do have is a cute look that I could see you doing again. I'm glad you still submitted even though you were late, it shows dedication and for that I'm proud of you, so keep it up!

Nikita Nox

Hello judges! For this week's mug, I decided I wanted to use cloth as my unconventional element.  Immediately I latched onto the image of a ragdoll; I love how they're simultaneously nostalgic and creepy. From there I decided to include the unconventional elements of thread,  stuffing, and buttons. Along with higher contour, I also tried to curve it up at the ends and make the blush front-heavy to give me school-girl appled cheeks. I used scraps of old shirts as patches, to show that this doll had been loved perhaps a little too hard, and used the thread to expose one of the eyes while the other stayed behind a button.

Analyse: Hey, Nikita! This is a cute mug, and I think you've used the unconventional elements to really tell a story, so congrats on that! Most of my comments just stem from this mug being rushed, and I know you ran into problems with having to move this weekend and all that, so I hope that future weeks will run smoother. I can already see some of the things from your last round of crits being improved on, so that's great to see. I think if you plan on revisiting this look, take some time to figure out how the cloth lays best and how to make it look like it *is* a part of the skin. For the eye that still has button on it, I would recommend not having a lash there so that you can just have the button on top of the eye without that getting in the way. I think this is definitely a look to play some more with and see where you can take it so that the execution of the concept matches the creative vision!

Letha: Nikita! This look is pretty simple, I have to admit, but also oddly haunting? I LOVE the drooping button eye, it's very well applied. The other button was a harder fit, I think, and just sort of sits there. The patches are a nice touch, but I think could have been blended more, maybe with some cotton and spirit gum/glue? Because at the moment they look a bit random/tacked on. I think for this you could have added more elements to sell the doll fantasy, like some pipe cleaner brows, some pink velvet blush on the cheeks, just some more to really add to the look. The Lip could also use some cleaning up, as I think the shape got away from you, both in symmetry and in having clean edges, so be sure to take your time and to check in the mirror while you do them. Overall I'm pretty pleased with your work this week, and I'm happy you submitted late rather than not at all. It reflects better on you and your work ethic, as well as giving you more practice to get better, so kudos to that!

Ophelia Waters

When I heard that the makeup test would be based around unconventional makeup and materials, I was excited because I love unconventional makeup looks! The concept for this is look was to do something candy-themed with Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, David Bowie, and Club Kid inspiration and influence. Candy couture, if you will!    

For the overall look, I wanted to take the critiques given for my regular makeup during the makeup homework and apply them for this look! One of the major critiques that I was given was on the application of liquid foundation and powder with the liquid foundation being applied too heavily and the setting of the foundation being too heavy to the point of cakeyness. To counter this, with the advice of SallyTM on the use of Clown White face, I applied Clown White foundation by Ben Nye with a small triangular makeup sponge by dabbing and patting it on for the lighter application than last time and set it with baby powder both more lightly and gently than before to reduce any cakeyness! On a recommendation, I also tried to make sure that my workspace for doing makeup was as cool as possible for better adhesion and no issues with sweating and trying to get as close of a shave as possible this time!    

After the Clown White base, from there, I wanted to create a gradient of candy "dripping" down the side of my face, starting with bigger candies (Starbursts and Sweet Tarts) and moving to smaller candies (Nerds and the tiny dot candy sprinkles). On the advice of both Toni and Letha, I used spirit gum to apply most of the bigger candies and eyelash glue and a small brush to apply the smaller candies, especially on and around the eyelid and the lips! From there, I used a bit of pink tulle to create a headpiece/finisher to simulate a bit of cotton candy! I had so much fun coming up with and bringing this look to life and I hope you enjoy it!

Analyse: C'mon, Candy Queen! Before I even looked at your text description, the two influences I thought of were club kid looks and Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, so you hit the nail on the head with those! Is there a lot going on makeup-wise here? No, but I'm not mad at that. I think you took the critiques from the homework and applied them where applicable, but then made sure that the unconventional challenge and your creative vision still really shined through in the submission. I wish there maybe wasn't as much white space along the jaw line and on the nose, but I appreciate how meticulously you've played with the balance of the candies and negative space. Great submission, and I hope you keep this up, because I've definitely got a sweet tooth!

Letha: Ophelia, this is honestly such a cool look. First let me say your base has really improved from your homework, so whatever you did it seems to be working. Now as for this club kid candy Ziggy Pixiedust fantasy, I'm really feeling it. It's cool, it's colorful yet stark with the white makeup, and it's fun. I wish certain areas, mainly the lips and the eye with the rainbow sprinkles, had a more defined shape, as they're a bit blobby at the moment. The lashes could also be trained up more. That means getting the base/band of the lash close to your real lashes, then tilting/leaning the lashes up so they don't droop down. It makes the eyes look more awake and makes your lashes really pop! I also think maybe a stripe of candy contour/blush on the cheek that's bare could have been cool to add some interest, but that's just my personal opinion. Also I see the glasses divots in your nose makeup, so be sure to touch those up with powder before photos! All in all I can see a LOT of improvement from your first paints, so keep up this momentum, you're doing great!

Shillelagh

So I know this look isn't very good. My initial plan ended up being overwhelming and I got scared and I cried and I almost quit, and this isn't the first time this has happened with drag. And this isn't me begging for a good grade because, while I appreciate everything you all give me, I take critiques and I use them to grow. I'm trying new things, and I tried some paper and some paint. Did it go well? Absolutely not. I look a hot booboo mess. But I'm okay with that. This is the most fun I have ever had putting together a look, and for that, I thank you, judges. I am going to work my ass off to improve in the coming weeks, because makeup week was the week I was most afraid of, and it got the best of me. It won't next time.

Analyse: Hi, Shillelagh! There isn't really anything makeup-wise to critique here, so instead, welcome to Analyse's Tip and Tricks for Success in Charm School: Shillelagh's Critiques Edition! I know it can be so hard to bounce back when something doesn't go as planned. A huge way to prevent falling into the realm of "oh, shit. what now?" is to have backup plans. I mean, almost every assignment in Charm School and challenge in Cycle Nine, the panel would get multiple ideas from me and I'd say "hey, I have these three ideas, I really like these two, and I'm leaning this way. Thoughts?" Do that. Talk to your panel. I promise you're not bugging any of us by asking for advice or help in the planning process. The fact that I didn't know there was a problem with your Plan A until you submitted worries me a little bit, because I don't know that you're using all of the resources we're offering you. All that being said, I'm super glad you got *something* in, because picking yourself up and dusting yourself off speaks a lot to your character as a queen. I want to see you go all out in these coming weeks. We saw a lot of potential in you when we cast you, and I just want to make sure you see that same potential.

Letha: Well, Shillelagh, there isn't too much to say that you didn't say in your description, but I'm proud of you for submitting this week and getting over your fears. I hope you take that energy and apply it to the following weeks to better improve. As for this look, there isn't a whole lot to critique as there isn't so much makeup as it is a mask. The colors are fun but the shapes are sloppy and ill defined, and would not be practical for a look to go out in, as you have to have both eyes closed. That being said, I'm glad you are still here and still want to improve, and know that all your deans/sisters are here for you should you need anything.

[waverule2-blog]

Berry Buttermilk Scones

We all blasted through the front door a few hours ago, feet dirty and a bit exhausted from a full day of blueberry picking — something that’s become a bit of a family tradition in late July ever since Oliver was born. We have photos out in the field with O in the baby carrier, chubby legs swaying in the breeze while I obsessively applied sunscreen every ten minutes. Last year found Oliver and his friend Lewis traipsing through the rows of berries together in the late morning hours, eating more than we ended up taking home. This year’s photos tell a different story: Oliver and I in a big open field used for overflow parking, he sitting on his little potty, me singing songs and chatting away, the sun beating down on the two of us. We’re deep in the thick of potty training, so as it turned out, Sam and Oliver’s Aunt Christa did the brunt of the picking today. But Oliver and I had some good talks while staying hydrated, people watching, and eating Sour Cream and Onion Kettle chips. Not a bad way to spend a morning. And really, it’s never about how many berries we bring home because neither of these years have proven to be particularly bountiful, but it just never feels like high summer until we get out there and start filling our buckets, however slowly.

I’d promised you a savory baking recipe today but I’m still testing it, so instead I bring you mixed berry scones! And no, I didn’t just whip these up using the berries we picked this afternoon because, well, I’m just not that much of a sorceress. But I love this scone recipe for a few reasons, most importantly: their simplicity. I flirted with the idea of calling them Vacation Scones — you know those recipes you kind of keep memorized or you kind of roughly pull together when you’re traveling and they manage to somehow always taste great? For me, I can make an impromptu fruit crisp wherever I may be without a recipe and can make pretty respectable pancakes. These scones are simple enough to start to add to that list: they don’t have any fussy ingredients (I’m looking at you, lemon zest), they don’t require any rolling or turning or cutting butter into the dough (I use a food processor for ease and speed), and they’re easily adaptable. I dig them.

And I did promise I’d share a few other things I’ve been into lately as the summer ticks on. I have a pretty decent commute now with my new job, so I’ve been listening to more podcasts, have been forcing myself to read more in the evenings, and have bookmarked some new recipes. So here’s a quick and loose list of a few of those things:

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: I’m ashamed to say I have a few pages left of this novel and there’s no good reason (other than I can’t keep my eyes open at night) because it’s such a rich, beautifully-written story and I can’t recommend it enough. On the surface it’s about a marriage, but it speaks so much to the different kinds of love, how time changes people, and the different versions of ourselves that we discover along the way.

Like a Mother by Angela Garbes: I haven’t read this book! So why recommend it? I have MANY friends who have and it’s on my ‘next to read’ list. I love the recent handful of books coming out that speak to a bit of a different experience of pregnancy, labor and motherhood than is portrayed in What to Expect When You’re Expecting. From the description, “With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to postpartum changes.” Let’s read this, shall we?!

Momrage Podcast: My online homie Amelia Morris has come out with a really interesting podcast along with her friend Edan Lepucki. They delve into questions about motherhood that are often unpopular or skirted around. And I love that they’re doing it; it’s about time.

Tully: Ok, so at first I didn’t like this movie. I even texted my friend Julie and commiserated with her about our mutual dislike for it. The day after though, after thinking about it in the shower for quite some time, I decided it actually resonated more than I gave it credit for. I love Charlize Theron and, without giving too much away, this film offers a unique and important glimpse into postpartum mental health.

Girls Night In: While I think I’m not necessarily the target age here (I’m guessing it’s more like early 30’s), I’ve been surprised with how much I enjoy this newsletter. It’s really well done, smartly written and always has a few links that interest me.

Green Chile Chicken Verde (in the Instant Pot!): As I mentioned, I (very) reluctantly gave into the craze: I’m the (reluctant) owner of a new Instant Pot and this recipe is calling my name. What else should I make?!

Instant Pot Tomato White Beans: It’s been really too hot to do major cooking this week, so when I stumbled across this recipe, it was immediately bookmarked. I’ve heard that making beans in the Instant Pot is a real game changer, and I’m looking forward to keying up this recipe to find out what all the hype’s about.

Our Favorite Vegan Ice Cream: More often than not we have a pint of Frankie and Jo’s in the freezer. It’s not cheap, but it’s hands down the best vegan ice cream I’ve ever had and just so happens to be a few blocks from our house (but they also ship!). I love the Berries and Cultured Cream flavor this month. So good.

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These whole grain scones aren’t too sweet and are a great way to use up a glut of summer berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries all work great here (I used a mixture of raspberries and blackberries). As you’re making the dough, remember that flour is your friend: if your dough feels too wet or you’re sticking to your work surface, just add a bit more! These are best the day you bake them, but are still great the second day if stored in an airtight container. Beyond that, freeze them for future weekday breakfasts.

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (280g) Bob's Red Mill organic whole wheat flour, plus more for work surface

1/3 cup (75g) turbinado sugar, plus more for the tops

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk, plus more for the tops

1 heaping cup (160g/5.5oz) berries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the butter and pulse until it’s incorporated into tiny pebble-size pieces. Slowly add the buttermilk through the feed tube, stopping right when the dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Place your berries on top and fold the dough over a few times until the berries have been incorporated (they’ll likely be kind of hiding in the center layer there, which is great; you can’t mess this step up … just get those berries in there as messy as it may seem). Add a little more flour to the dough if it’s sticking to the surface.

Form the dough into a rectangle shape (do the best you can here; it’s totally acceptable to have different shaped scones, so it really doesn’t matter). Slice into 9 large scones or 16 small scones.

Quickly transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with a little buttermilk and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Best if enjoyed within two days of baking.

Source: http://asweetspoonful.com/2018/07/berry-buttermilk-scones.html

[jaygraphicarts2-blog]

‘Portrait’ – Vector Workshop

This workshop looks at a basic digital process of converting an image into a vector illustration. By using the subject of a peer, it also looks at a possible way to look at people and use graphics to change their image. This session is a part of a weekly practical development workshop which mainly looks to improve technical skills in digital packages, build up a portfolio of work/experimentation and inspire processes I could use within my project.

Process

Initially, I had to take a photograph of a peer but there were certain requirements I had to keep in mind to ease the later steps. These included:

Contrast (Areas of light as well as areas of shadow)

High enough quality so that there is enough visual information in the image to be kept when making digital manipulations

Avoid complex backgrounds to simplify the vectorising stage.

Once I had a suitable image, the next step was to make image adjustments in Photoshop before vectorising in Illustrator. 

Increase the contrast of the image using the levels adjustment to darken the shadows and lighten the highlights

Duplicate the image layer, add the ‘High Pass’ filter and set this newly created layer to the blending mode ‘Hard Light’. This will exaggerate the details of the face.

Add a ‘threshhold’ layer adjustment to convert the image into only black and white pixels. The black pixels will be the darker parts of the image, and the white pixels will be the brighter parts. This will act as the outline of the vector.

Duplicate the original source image and add a ‘cutout’ filter (found under Filter>Filter Gallery>Artistic>Cutout) to limit it to 2 or 3 colours. 

Save both the outline and cutout versions as JPEGs and add them into Illustrator

By making these adjustments, it made sure that in Illustrator, when vectorising, all the necessary visual information is maintained and the image doesn’t become too far from the original to the point where it is unrecognisable.

In Illustrator, all I had to do was convert these images into a vector format. To do so, I used the ‘Image Trace’ feature in Illustrator which automatically converts bitmap images into vector paths and expanded them so I could edit each path individually as well as edit the colours. Using this method means that sometimes some parts of an image may be lost/disturbed as it is an automatic process, but this is why I made the adjustments first in Photoshop to lower the chance of this happening. 

Lastly, I overlapped the outline version and the cutout version with the outline on top and edited the colours. To do this, once I aligned both layers, I chose Edit>Edit Colours>Recolour Artwork. This allows me to edit each colour as a whole and is a quick way to convert many colours at once without making a final decision. 

What is the effect of this outcome?

In comparison to the original photograph, this illustrative rendition features more personality in my opinion. Everyone is familiar with photographic portraits as well as how people look. When you manipulate this look and limit it to just 4 colours, the viewer can still recognise the person in the image but they become more intriguing to them. Using the effect learnt from this workshop is a good way to celebrate someone as the vector version can be used to spark curiosity in an audience rather than using an accurate photograph of the person.

What is the potential for the outcome of this workshop? 

Following on the idea of using this technique as a better way to celebrate someone, I carried on by applying the illustration to an advert in a similar way to the way I did in the ‘Runner’s workshop with Mo Farah and Nike. I used ‘Vans’ as the company as their logo was present in the image and was carried through the vector.

Many companies have used celebrities as part of their marketing in order to get the celebrity’s audience on board with their own message. Through the celebrity endorsing the company and being part of the message (much like Mo Farah and Nike) the company’s message can be tied along with the values of the celebrity, benefiting both parties. 

What new ideas does this give me?

Before this workshop, I was still unsure of how I could use people to push my message forward. This showed me the possibility of using a portrait of someone and creating a graphic with this as the main focus and how this can actually gain more of an audience, especially when the subject has their own following. 

Looking Back 

Although the outcomes are very different, the ‘Runners’ workshop and this one both link with the theme of people and have given me inspiration of what I could produce for my own final outcome. In terms of the visual language, for my animation, I wanted to maintain the original texture of my sketches so I used a bitmap file type. Although this limits the resolution of an image, it is better for accurately keeping textures and similar complex imagery. This portrait workshop demonstrates the pros of using vector a format. Although there is no texture, this can give it it’s own look separate from bitmap graphics. On top of this, the accessibility is better in terms of how you can apply vector graphics as there is no limitation to its scale - this means it works a lot better for large prints (such as poster adverts and billboards). 

Moving Forward

I aim to use the skills I have practised here to help me develop ideas on how I could manipulate the portrayal of a person to my advantage. I have done traditional animation, basic digital manipulation; I feel like the next step I should take is trying to combine my digital and animation skills together to expand on different ways I can animate. I looked at After Effects animation with keyframes instead of frames in my last brief (Glitch) and this is what I aim to use to my advantage to expand upon the fundamentals I have been given and create some work which is more imaginative to me. 

[materialgirlindia]

Bright and pop are the colors you always look out for the summer season, but how about a more candied perspective, literally! The bubble gum – Ice cream trend is here and no I’m not writing about rainbows and unicorns, but something that may take you there… I’m talking PASTELS ! Say it with blush and pink this summer to look as cool as a cucumber.Get those blush pink crops, mellow yellow dresses and washout out blue jeans out of the closet and dazzle from dawn to dusk throughout the season. For today’s post I have put together a look-book of 2 Pastel favorites which I personally find comfortable for a casual day out or for a lazy day by the beach.

Through this series you will be able to gain insight into my favourite pastel shades and about the pastel trend in general…. What’s more? I will also be doing an #Insta story with interesting polls and trends you & I both are loving this season!

If your not a Pistachio girl , you sure are into strawberry smoothies and if that too doesnt do you good then a dash of vanilla may just do the trick! Haha got you hungry already? Yes I like to co-relate fashion & food, and if you love them both, you are definitely in for a treat!

So let’s get going…

 Blooming in Blue

My take on the pastel trend is not to go overboard with one color…It’s sexy when mixed with a few tricks that work superbly when putting contrasting pastel shades together. Going by my previous posts, I’m not much of a risk taker with fashion but I do believe some challenges are a must. So here goes nothing!

My comfort zone in most cases is a solid A-line dress that fits just well, but for today’s look I’m donning a very girl next door persona in these comfortable sky blue frill layered dress and a neat pair of peach brogues that offer the right amount of comfort and fun to create this easy – breezy look.

To avoid a skin tan you can style this lovely dress with a denim jacket and wear the most comfortable yet stylish pair of casual shoes like brogues or oxfords ( some fave’s are listed at the end of this post ). Wear a slightly pink/ purple tinted pair of your favourite eyewear and beach hat while you travel this summer season.

Hair & makeup needs to be minimal and matte as you can keep it! I for one love matte lip shades and am going crazy over nudes … For this look I’ve also applied little makeup, bearing in mind it’s a day look and a little eyeliner and kajal is more than enough to give your eyes definition! You can try a few lighter hues of pink, reds and maybe whites as well to bring out the beauty in the color of your eyes.

2. Blushing in Pink

Pastels have this very subtle yet fun character that somehow rubs off on one’s personality and makes one feel free and refreshed. Among pastels, Pinks are a favourite. A tee or an off-shoulder top over your washed out jeans or denims makes for a very casual yet chic look. This way you can be ready to take on any challenge and still look your best under the sun…

Shorts are just as comfy and make it easy to move around in. While many of us will be traveling and packing for the holidays,  lightweight cover ups, overalls and dresses in blush pinks,mint greens, sky blues would definitely help stay cool in the scorching heat.

For my look I’ve worn a fringe design off shoulder pink top with a light blue pair of shorts and white gladiators which offer a comfortable yet stylish look to beat the heat this summer time. Off-shoulders can transform your casual outdoor look to a classy brunch to beach look. Avoid too many accessories in the summer and wear easy relaxed footwear if you have to run around or head out to the beach or do a little of everything…

Trend Snapshot

The ice cream, bubble gum trend is something we can never get enough of. Just look into your wardrobe and you will definitely find a pastel color or two that will go with the current trends.

As much as I love blacks, whites and some pop colors here and there, I love the subtle comfort I feel in my pastel clothing. These are easy to wear and hot to flaunt. Not only do pastels work throughout the year but they also look flattering  when paired with the right fabrics. So to give you a little insight to the #pasteltrend, here are a few looks from PINTEREST to beat the heat in the best way possible and in style !

  The Pastel Bottoms

The trendy coral, light yellow or even a purple can change the mood for you when worn along with sober pastels like a white shirt for starters or layered with light blue denims. This works very well for summers and can help beat the heat.

Add a little pop of maybe a orange tee or a light lemon green tank top, making it light on the eyes and a very cool look to pull off.

Go all Block:

Block color pastel shirt dresses, a-line dresses and jumpsuits can make a very fun outdoor ensemble. Lighter colors let you shine brighter and keep you cool in the summers making it a lot more fun when capturing moments with friends and family. Mint greens,lilac and olive are great colors to pull off the evening look for parties and events.

Sober Wedding Shades

Attending a wedding in the summer? or are you looking for the best look as a Bride? Check out the various lehengas, salwars and gowns available on azafashions from the recent spring – summer collection of Lakme Fashion Week and more.

The floral design on a pastel shades of pink, peach, light blue or even white is now trending all over and makes for some beautiful bridal wear this season.  A very popular example is that of Anushka sharma & Virat Kohli gave us #weddinggoals in their pastel couple outfits for their day wedding ceremony and Anushka definitely stole our hearts in that gorgeous lehenga by Sabhyasachi.  

I for one would recommend pastel gowns, sarees or a lehenga for a day event in this season. You can definitely try going pastel for a indoor night function as well like in these looks below.

  Pastels Mix Match

If you have never tried pastel on pastel, let me give you a few #fashiongoals with a few of my picks this season that are trendy, comfortable and definitely wearable to work, play, party … you name it! When pairing pastels always find one color that will look like the hero of the ensemble or at least a neutral hue.  Pastel on pastel isn’t easy but avoid wearing clothes that look worn down over time, and you will able to pull a rabbit out off your hat making the bystanders appreciate fashion and maybe inspire a few as well.

I know I may be contradicting myself when I say Pastel of same hues match, but at times this rule may not apply, especially with same color but different tones. So if you go in for a very light shade of blue shirt on a 2x shade darker blue pencil skirt, this look will definitely make a wonderful combination, moreover, this can be bettered with a long white formal coat making you look like a model who deserves her very own magazine cover.

So to sum up my undying love for pastels, I share with you a #InstaChallenge!  “ A week of Pastels” I want all you girls to post 3 of your very own pastel looks and use the #materialgirlindia  #goingpastel hashtags when sharing it …No big wins here but it will be great fun. Details will be up on my insta page soon.

Pretty in Pastels this Summer Bright and pop are the colors you always look out for the summer season, but how about a more candied perspective, literally!

[tomleefmp]

JUMP + MAIN SHOT MOVEMENT

for the jump towards the fence, I done pretty much the exact same method i used for the first, opening effect. The only difference being, I changed the direction of the ghosting effect. so it moves towards the gate. Other than that, there wasn't anything else i had to do differently. 

Now for the main shot, I AM SOOOO EXCITED TO DO THIS. 

so im just going to get straight into it because i dont want to keep on. 

3D SOFTWARE

First thing i done was think about different ways it would be possible to create this effect. I watched the clip over and over so i could confirm that the camera does in fact, move from one side of the keyhole, through and out from the other. Meaning, they couldn’t have physically done this with an actual camera unless it was one of those spy snake camera things... (it wasn’t) 

So, seeing as they used CGI, my first idea was to go to cinema 4d and try to recreate a keyhole and animate a camera coming through, and by adding greenscreen footage of me jumping, i may e able to achieve the effect with motion blur added to hide the imperfections. Although thats never a good idea to have in mind, and an easy way out. 

Problems with this is, i need to have an effect that is the most realistic it can be and i dont think i will be able to achieve this in 3d software with my limited knowlege within the software. So, that idea is out of the cards. 

FILM IT

The second idea i had was to put either an extremely wide angle lens on my camera and see how far into the keyhole i can get it, so that, with a digitally added zoom, i may be able to fake the effect of coming from one side to the other. The only problem with this is that i’m filming in 1080p and if I zoom in any more than 25%, which i probably will need to, the video will be really pixelated and not look good. still an option though. 

PHOTOGRAPH

this is my favourite trick, and i come across it myself actually when trying to animate a friends photo. But the idea is simple, My camera takes images at 18mp, which is 5184 x 3456 pixels, which is the equivalent to a 5k video ratio. That meant i would be able to zoom in to the image to a super small size, and still remain an HD image. Heres an example of how much i can zoom. 

i just pulled an image of google, but you get the idea, its a lot. and thats only 1080p, theoretically i could go another 20% and still, remain HD. Bad hd, but its HD. 

So, i wanted to test out this method as i’ve done it before with my instagram, but i needed to make sure it would work as its the most important effect in the film.  

(This will be quick as ill get into the main effect afterwards)

I first took a photo of the keyhole on my shed, i know i’m not going to be doing a keyhole, although i just wanted to test it because if it works with the keyhole, it will defiantly work on the fence. 

Once i had that i took it into adobe photoshop raw to edit the details and also then cut out the black from the photo. 

I then took a random image off google to use as the background as it was only a test. 

In after effects i opened up both photos and placed them in 3d space. 

to give the keyhole a 3d depth look, i duplicated the keyhole layer and moved it back in space slightly. This is a simple trick to fake 3d. 

After keyframing the keyhole layer to move back extremely fast, with motion blur, this is the effect i achieved. I think i nailed it if i do say so myself. 

Its quick, but i matched it to the speed of the one in the film, and that was the rsult, super happy with it, and i now know ill be able to pull of the effect for the main video. 

NOTE: There was a lot more to it than i made it look like

MAIN SHOT

So for the main shot, i first went out and used my 50mm 1.8 lens to take a photo of the gate triangle hole. i took a few photos at different exposure as i never like to rely on the cameras screen. 

I then opened the photo up, yet again in photoshop raw, which i would first tweak with the shadows and highlight, and most importantly, increase the clarity to 100%, i wanted to punch out those wood grains. 

After this i opened it in photoshop and started to manipulate the photo to make it better for the video, and more visually pleasing. I used the spot removal tool to fix a few minor things just to clean up the wood, and mainly, made the hole symmetrical, so that it didn’t look odd in the video. This is the process of the photoshop edits. 

GIF:

its a simple clean up process, but it makes it a whole lot nicer to look at. and will be better for video. 

Once i had this i then took an image through the fence hole of the background. 

This is in focus so that i can choose how out of focus I want it to be when coming around to editing in. 

To blur the background, i applied camera lens blur these were the settings i used to get the blur i wanted. 

Once i had done that, i the background layer back in 3d space, and then scaled it back up to fit the size of the comp. 

Then i added in the Fence layer and brought that forward in 3d space. I tried to align the images as close as i could to how i seen them in person, and this is the result i had. 

Now it looks okay, but theres still so much that needs to be done. First off, the image is too flat, although theres depth, a camera has a field of view, meaning theres perspective. This means i need to fake the 3d perspective of the fence and add it back in. 

to do this i’m simply going to do what i done for my test and duplicate the fence layer. once i done this i pushed it back in 3d space slightly until it was around about the same thickness as the actual fence was in person. 

I added a fill and used the colour picker to match the wood colour and this is the result I had from doing that. 

Still has a lot of problems, but its getting there. Next i am gong to bring back the wooden textures as at the minute, it doesnt look right. to do this i simply am going to duplicate the wood fence layer and place that ontop of the 3d depth layers. and then by using a blending mode, i can maintain the wood textures on the 3d depth. 

Its subtle, but they are there. Now the effect is starting to look much more real. Obviously, because you know i’ve edited it, you a prone to see its fake, but to any average person. They wouldn’t know, hopefully. 

KEYFRAMING

now to create the effect of the camera moving from the one side of the fence to the other, i am not actually going to create a camera, but move the entire scene itself. Using keyframes i am going to move the fence from off camera, to fly past and slowly come to a stop in frame. 

As you can see i have set the 4 layers to be parented to the null object, which is what i use to move all layers together without having to do them individually. 

Once I had done this, i then just key framed the fence to start off screen, at a really far distance, and then end up on screen towards the end of the comp. 

And thats the movement sorted. Because i have used a parent, i didn’t need to separately keyframe the depth of the wood, which is good because by doing it manually, it would have been jerky and not smooth. With motion blur applied, the effect works wonders, and you can see the 3d depth take place when the camera is coming through the hole. 

and thats the movement for the main shot done. Now i just need to add the footage of me jumping and then i can take it into premiere to edit all the footage together.