Making sure I’ve still got it with Photoshop
By John Potter
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I decided to go through some online Photoshop exercises and tutorials and create a few challenges for my self as well. I haven’t had much opportunity to really push Photoshop beyond the usual daily grind functions in a while and I thought I could create some new content for my portfolio at the same time.
I created all of these images using Adobe Photoshop CS4. I had never used Clipping Paths much before and now I am swiftly becoming fond of them. I tried not to use Illustrator too much, but it’s just impossible to ignore such a great tool. The version of Illustrator I used was also release CS4.
I used myself as a model because I am always available, always cheap and a variety of other good reasons. I chose John Muir as the subject of the one piece above because I wanted to use this foliage theme, so an environmentalist seemed an appropriate subject and royalty free photos of John Muir are relatively common. The method of execution is very loosely based upon a tutorial.
I’ve always liked the look of old soviet and German posters from the 20s and 30s, so making a soviet style poster design was great fun.
The “rain” portrait was the subject of a tutorial. I’m afraid it’s not terribly original, but I would like to think I made it my own. Besides…the goal of that specific piece was to make sure I understood the techniques clearly and could implement them effectively. I think I accomplished that.
The wine box is more Illustrator intensive. I would like to get into this flourishy type style thing more. I’ve always liked the look.
I’m not really sure if these pieces should fall under the heading illustration or photography, but I have put them under illustration. The fact is that they are very heavily retouched photos that probably benefit greatly from the touch of an illustrator if not require it.
See more illustrations on my illustration portfolio page.
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Also see my article “Conventional Photo Retouching“
