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First things first. Last week
I did a tutorial where I turned a human skull into solid gold.
Upon re-reading what I wrote, it seems I imply that the Apply
Image command is new, which is not the case. Chalk it up to lack
of caffeine in my system when I wrote that. What I meant to say
is that there are several new Blending Modes in Photoshop 7 that
can be used in conjunction with Apply Image. Apply Image itself
has been around for awhile. Sorry if this caused any confusion!
Secondly, my new book (Photoshop Most Wanted
from Friends of Ed Publishing) is shipping. As I'm a shameless
self-promoter I couldn't resist giving it a plug here. You can
check out examples from the book (as well as place an order for
it) on my website. Just follow the links found on this page:
http://actionfx.com/index2.shtml . Thanks to all those who have
already purchased it… we creep higher and higher on the Amazon
popularity list everyday, and for that I'm grateful! It makes
this writing gig all the more worthwhile when I can help, and
more so when the masses respond. Again, thanks.
I hope you are all having a good week! Things
are starting to warm up a bit here, and you know what that
means. Yep, it's time to start re-spooling the fishing rods and
plotting my annual attack on the local fishing holes. This time
of year is my favorite, and I'm just itching to get outside and
shake out the mental cobwebs. This Thursday I'm going to make
good on a threat I've made to my wife since we wed… I have my
first official golf date! I know she's hoping I'll have a
miserable time, but somehow I doubt it. Hey, I have a miserable
record fishing and still enjoy that, right?
Maybe all this thought of recreating has
prompted this tutorial. I've never seen a really good
step-by-step description on using the 3D Transform tool, so
let's walk through a quick little exercise for creating an
object from another favorite pastime of mine- a billiard ball.
1) Create a new image, 5 inches x 5 inches, RGB,
100 DPI with the background set to transparent.
2) Create a new layer. With the Elliptical
Marquee Tool (or as it is commonly know up here -'that roundish
dotted thingy') and make a circular selection in the center of
the new layer. Make it so that it takes up about a quarter of
the center of the entire image. Fill the selection with white.
3) Hit 'D' to reset the default colors. Select
the Type Tool and type a number. This will show up in its own
layer. Right click the type layer, Rasterize it and then hit
Command/CTRL+E to merge it with the white circle.
4) Create a new layer beneath the numbered layer
we created with our merge.
5) Let's set up a a couple colors for a gradient
before we go any further. Since I'm using the ever popular One
ball (which is yellow), I'm picking a faint white/yellow for my
foreground and a truer yellow for the background. Selecting the
gradient tool, click the radial gradient button on the options
bar. We'll come back to the gradient in a minute.
6) Select the number layer again. Go to
Filter>Render>3D Transform. Click the Sphere Tool and draw a
circle that takes up most of the image. Then select the
trackball Tool and move the number around with your mouse… it
should begin to look as though it is on the face of a
transparent sphere. Click ok to go back to your image.
7) Go back to the layer beneath the number and
fill it, from top left to bottom right, with the gradient.
8) Change your foreground color to a darker
orange. Select a large airbrush and, in a new layer, begin
painting over the nasty smear that appeared on the numbered
layer when we transformed it. Change to a darker color and
continue painting along the bottom edge, so that the ball
appears darker on the side opposite the bright reflective side.
You may want to choose the Erase Tool and clean up the smear on
the number layer as well. Apply a blur to the paint brush layer
so that the paint blends together, and you should find yourself
with a decent looking pool ball!
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