Photoshop Workbench Archive
Photoshop Workbench 303: Increasing Edginess
I’ve been examining the work of Joel Grimes and I have to say that his edgy portraits of athletes represent some of the most exciting imagery that I’ve seen lately. I’ve been obsessing over his techniques, and after reading Matt Kloskowski’s remarkable book titled Photo Compositing Secrets, I’ve decided to commit this Workbench and several [...]
Photoshop Workbench 302: Creating a Custom Watercolor Brush
For as long as I can remember, watercolor painting has seduced me. I love the way the water, paper, and pigment interact. Although I’ve only dabbled in the process, I’ve been curious to see if it’s possible to recreate the look using Photoshop. What I’ve discovered is that, although nothing beats the real thing, Photoshop [...]
Photoshop Workbench 301: Extracting Wispy Hair
Prior to Photoshop CS5, extracting hair was tricky business, but thanks to substantial improvements to the Refine Edge dialogue, the process now feels almost like child’s play. To improve your odds of producing a clean extraction, consider these capture strategies: 1. Photograph the subject in a studio. 2. Light the subject with a diffused beauty [...]
Photoshop Workbench 300: The Alec Johnson Edgy Portrait Treatment
As I record this, the 300th Workbench, I’m reflecting on the past six years and relishing what a remarkable journey it’s been. I count myself lucky each day to be in a position to share with my audience creative techniques that excite me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued [...]
Photoshop Workbench 299: Adding Light to Eyes
Today’s Workbench features a handful of extremely useful tips for adding light, and therefore life, to a subject’s eyes. Each technique is accomplished in a non-destructive fashion permitting the effect to be strong, subtle, or anything in between. We’ll work with two images––one an animal portrait and another human. The first, a lovely image of [...]
