Art & Inspiration The Photoshop thread to end all Photoshop Threads!

OLSCHOOL - I Cheated and just added hubcaps to a pic I found!

 

Ok, its a little tutorial about painting shiney panels, in ten steps...
Hopefully this will be useful if you have a multi coloured panel, like the fender on this truck, where you can´t just change the colour.



Use the polygonal lasoo tool to select the panel you want. Use "Ctrl alt D" to feather the edge of the selection. I normally use only a half point feather, its enough to stop you getting steppy edges on your panel. Paint the panel a solid colour, using 100% opacity on a large size airbrush.

Should give you this.



As you can see, it looks totally flat. You need to add some darker green the lower part of the panel. Use a big airbrush, select a darker green, and use only 9% opacity. Make a few passes until its dark enough.



Then do the lighter part of the top of the panel using a pale green or white.
See it starts to take on some sort of shape.



Time to add a few details. The shadow under the headlight. A bit of light on the front of the panel. Again using low opacity and a smaller brush. The detail at the back of the fender is done on another layer (in case I screw it up). Layers are good. Once you paint over something on the same layer and make a mistake, it can be hard to fix it. Layers are a good safety net.



Ok, its looking alright, but its still not shiney. We need to add a horizon line to show that the paint is reflective. Lasoo through the middle of the panel in a convincing looking way! Copy and paste (it should make a new layer). Then play about with brightness and contrast until its looking a little darker. Don´t overdo it though.



Then you can add a highlight to the top of the panel. Make a new layer. Just use white and don´t be shy with it. You´ll end up with a right mess, but don´t worry.



Take the eraser tool and work away at your highlight, until it looks realistic and has a good shape. Use low opacity and smallish brushes.



Erase some of the edges of your horizon layer to soften it a bit.



Add some "bling" to the highlight - and Hey Presto - shiney paint.



I left the rest so you all could get some practice!

 

Thanks for taking the time to put this tutorial together. Your last suggestion to "get some practice" may be the most important tip of all but it is very helpful to have someone walk you thru the individual steps, like feathering the edges of your selection. And of course, PhotoChop Rule No. 1, "Layers Are Your Friend!"

What really impressed me about your tips is that you not only covered the real "physical" application of color, shadow and highlight, but you also put in the "cerebral" bit about adding a horizon line to really sell the illusion of a painted panel. This is just one of those subtle, almost subliminal details that's so easy (for me, at least) to overlook. Your eyes and brain know it's there but you don't always realize how much of an impact it has on the finished work.

The polygonal lasso tool works good for selecting simpler shapes with straight edges, but for curves or irregular shapes it's really worth learning to use the Pen tool. Of course, it's one of those PS tools that takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it. But if you want, you can save individual selections, or paths as they're called, on the paths palette tab. Then you can go back and select one of the saved paths, convert it to a selection, and used it as a mask for painting.

 

If a car is already in finished paint, I mess with the color levels. I make several levels and tweak things until they're close then I add highlights and shadow when necessary.
Lighter colors are easier to work with. On a '58 Chevy I posted here, the car was white with a red primer rear quarter. The picture was a direct profile which helps. In that
instance, I created skins using a restored to original Bel Air from a magazine that I scanned at a high res. and removed the dots and pixels from. The car was tourquois, which is a good base color to use to create others from using the color adjustment tools. But patience and practice are the best tools.

 

Good tips, guys. To be sure, everyone has found their own way to make the tools do what they want to achieve the desired effects (or as close as we can get). The pen tool is very useful (thanks to Claymart for teaching me how to use it). Practice is the key--I've been falling out of it lately. I'm not as good as most on here, but hope that the folks whose cars I do don't mind too much--'til I get better.
The tips are much appreciated, James. It's great to find a way to do things that cut my method time in half.

 

can someone give me a mint green body, white steel wheels and top w/ pinner whitewalls?not the greatest picture i know
if so, that'd be awesome

 

would love to see mine other than white...looking to get it painted soon. I'm keeping the red flaked roof. Im thnking candy gold or silver:

 

Hey '64wagon,
there was a tiny bit of overspray in a way earlier layer--so now you have bigfoot flippin' burgers on the neighbor's grill.

 

Quickie...

 

can you guys do some thing to these ads. those other ones on here are bad ass

 

After being on the board for a while now I'm now re-thinking my rim selection for my wagoon....can someone throw on some wide whites and painted rims as well as some WW with some nice hubcaps. And maybe some other ideas for were the side woodgrain is to go...it has been painted over.

Thanks...

Click for larger image....

 

Not quite what you asked for...

 

Not bad...I like it...looks good...Hmmm.

Thanks!!

 

Bit different...

 

The more I think about it, I kinda like it lower like James'.

 

G'day I was wondering if anyone would be able to help to photochop my falcon.
I have a couple of shots of my car (use what you want)and a picture of a modern car (the colour I want the roof) could the rest of the body be gloss black, shaved door handles (please leave the side trim) and possibly a set of chrome reverse wheels with narrow bands( i tried to find a picture of the wheels but had no joy). feel free to make it as low as you want
Thanks in advance
moondog

 

bump

 

Me old MUM said I was 'priceless'.I think she was right...........

WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?

 

the roof didnt come out so well but it's the right color

 

sweet man that looks great thankyou so much

 

Just wondering if someone could throw some thin whitewalls on my wagon and paint the roof blue like the bottom of the car (but leave the posts white).

Just kinda toss around some ideas.

Thanks in Advance

 

Just a quick one...

 

Can someone put some Black and white steelies on them? Getting them powder coated this weekend and can't decide...

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I know it's not exactly what you asked for, but I had one of those boredom/inspirational moments here.

 

1957 dkw universal - if i could i would ! looks just like my '59 would if i chopped it up

 

Howdy -

I cannot make up my mind on a color scheme for this truck....would y'all help. We finished up the body work yesterday and it is in primer now. This pic is one from last year but it is the side shot you ask for.

My initial thoughts were to run a matte finish with IH red on bottom and black from the body line up with a black firewall. The chassis is already painted cast iron gray.

Other ideas include:

1. a copper color with a white firewall
2. a copper color with a black roof
3. IH red with a black roof

Any other ideas or suggestions for the paint on my truck? My goal is to have it at the Roundup this year.

Thanks!

 

That is an excellent concept! Build it. Looks like a cross between a bug, a Porsche and an Airflow.

 

Here's acouple i did. I'm just learning don't be to harsh.

 

Could someone photoshop a 4 inch chop on my model A, thank you in advance