The 42nd Challenge is now up. Parri (aka Patti) 🙂 Anderson graces us this week with the Challenge Image. It is early for Christmas but the tintinnabulation of keys pressing should peal forth the joys of Elements. Please have fun whit this one in spite of my terrible puns
Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the then the Present will be Past and new images will be posted.
* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don’t think you are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post. — Grant
Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put out more and better ideas if our efforts are appreciated.
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Oh Parri, I’m going to have to sleep on this one….so many thoughts hitting my brain, knocking me off my chair ! Grant, mentioned that holiday and now ‘silver bells’ is playing in my head.
Jodi, I can’t wait to see what you come up with! I’ll have to sleep on it too, I just sent this to Grant today so I haven’t had time to think ahead!
BTW, this lovely ol’ bell is in my yard. Our house (a.k.a. parsonage) shares the yard with the church where my hubby is the pastor. I’ve always wanted to plant flowers around it, but my dog won’t let me. 😉
Send my your email address and I will send you the challenge. for some reason I have misplaced your address. and yes the image is up and can be reached with the link I supplied if you only see the last link click refresh.
What’s that upright thingie on the left side of the bell frame?
That’s the pulley (wheel) that the rope went over that was used to ring the bell. You are looking at it straight on, so you can see the spokes. The bell used to be in the old church steeple. It’s a VERY BIG bell. 🙂
Parri, when Grant gets my image and posts it….please don’t take it to portray something it isn’t ( like anything bad,,,please ). Just a Jodi moment is all it was and all it is.
I’m having problems sending mail so not sure when it will be posted…just warning you ahead of time 😉
Grant, I’m going to go lay on my you know what and relax now that the house is quiet ( along with the forum ;( ) but I’ll try sending that again in the morning. Thanks
Have you considered changing IPs? Yours seems to be at the bottom of the pile with regards to email dependability. I have used two different ones in about 5 years and have NEVER had a problem with email, something to think about.
Is there something strange with Marty’s rendering? the thumbnail looks looks a couple of street lamps and different from the big image. I hope it’s not my puter acting up! 😉
My metals are a little more complicated– I start with the lighting filter, gradient map and recolor. In full PS, I can do it with curves, too 🙂
and that bow is made with liquify and airbrushes.
Keep in mind that I am old and learned to do most stuff pre layer styles. Sally Beacham (Filter Munky) and I have joked about writing a book together– she uses a plug-in and drinks a beer while I demo how to do the same thing with native features.
You should see my recipe for wood grain. LOL
wrote in message
Lorace — The gold in mine is just a metal layer style from the One Click WOW set. Bob Warren
Thank you..I was going for the look of an old antique sign made out of tin. Unfortunately, I didn’t do justice to the filter I was using Jamma 3-D. I also used it on the one that looks like it’s been crumpled. Guess what….it’s FREE. I love free stuff but I really really love it when I get good free stuff. It’s in a set of 7 filters put out by Redfield. Four are freeware…three demos. I just can’t express how awesome these filters are. Of the freeware, one is 3-D, one is water effects (I mean goooooooood water effects), one is lattice or weave, and one is lighting effects. If I was you, I’d download this set before they come to their senses. All of the filters in pack outstanding. Okay, I’ll give you two addresses. To get there directly go to www.redfieldplugins.com….or if you want to do it the roundabout way go to http//:wwwfreephotoshop.com/index.htm. Jodi directed me to this place. Filters, filters, and more filters. This set was the very best one I found (and I found a lot…).
Wally, Have fun playing with them. I’m sure you’ll use those to submit something really unique based on your artist portrait. Great concept…you through your eyes.
Wendy – nice stained glass – I’ve been working on one with a similar theme for the last couple of days but I’ve been too busy to get it done. Maybe today…! Susan S.
Its all done by hand, basically on a new layer you draw over an image then on another layer you colour and texture it. Repeat the process for each individual image to make up the picture and finally you draw a background and colour it using the same method … just wish I could have found a filter to do it for me as it took a while to do 🙂
Everyone sends such good entries for the Challenge its great to browse them and get new ideas.
Wendy, there aint no filter that could have done that and if there is it still would not have turned out this well. ya did a fantastic job on that. Great stuff. Besides, one click wonders get boring 😉
Wendy, I guess I’ll have to ask Santa for one of those drawing gizmos or a scanner if I want to make a decent Mossaic. By the way, I’m even more impressed by your entry knowing that it’s hand drawn.
Apparently all emails from my ISP’s (Internode) email server were being blocked by SORB (the spam protection system that Grant’s ISP uses) because a single user from Internode had been infected by the Sven virus and sent out a virus/spam email which got picked up – if the spamblocking is commonly that that inflexible it would seem we are all going to have problems…(the guy who runs Internode had a few choice words to say about other ISPs who use such poorly designed spamblockers)
I still don’t know why resending the email got it through though. Susan S.
Your #40 Before Grant got it fixed, the thumbnail looked like street lamps, especially the light color bell on the left. My bad eyesight is to blame. 😉 I like your original image.
Looks like folks have rung the changes on this challenge.
BRYON G: Interesting idea of putting the bell and background onto a rock surface — the continuation of the crack through the bell is neat.
CHRIS R: I like the burning bell & the contrast with the black & white background in #1. The falling bell in #2 is a gas.
DICK S: Nice cleanup and color job in #1. The nested color bells in #2 are a nice touch.
FRAN: I like the way you incorporated the clip art in the ‘card’ design — did you create the curlicues?
IRENE K: Very nice design in #1 — the drop shadows on the textured background produce a striking effect of depth. Looks like you used one of the distort filters to change the brick wall into arches in #2 — which one?
JAMES H: The upturned bell as brazier in a great idea — reminds me of old Hollywood Bible epics.
JODI F: Interesting batch of images this week — I like your stone wall and reflections in #1, the lightning in #2, the receding bell line in #3, the really cool lettering in #4 and, of course, the Texas slogan in #5.
JP K: Great bow! Could you elaborate on how you achieved the effect?
JUERGEN D: I love the way you’ve abstracted the bell into a 3-dimensional space.
LORACE G: Interesting incorporation of the bell into scenes from the Holy Land.
MARYILYN L: I like the way you matched the white snow in the background with the white of the bride’s dress and cake icing — I was reminded of those sugar Easter Eggs that you could look into and see an entire scene.
MARTY L: Interesting use of a common texture to unite some disparate objects in the same theme in #1. Where are the original bells in #2?
NANCY S: Nice use of color and texture in #1 — a custom gradiant? I love the way you put the rusty bell in among the vines in #2 — very nicely done.
PETE D: Are they ringing in duck season or rabbit season in #1 — cute! I like the cut-away job in #2 and the way you extended the bell frame.
ROBERT J: Nice use of the bell to comment on modern fashion design — I especially like the little cutout for the eyes.
SHAN K: Glad someone thought of using the bell in a suit of armor!
SUSAN S: Oooh! and also Ahhh! — very nice triple-bell image (#1). Is that the flood filter in #2?
TERRI F: Nice set of scene insertions. I particularly like what you did in #4 — the face in the sand is cool.
WALLY A: Interesting images — the tessellation in the background in #3 is very neat — any hints on your technique?
WENDY W: As others have already remarked, this is a great image — I really like what you’ve done there.
WALLY A: Interesting images — the tessellation in the background in #3 is very neat — any hints on your technique?
Thanks for your comment..
It was pretty simple to do in the end.
It came about because of the effect I was going for in #2 (the "winged bell). I knew what I wanted to achieve, and #3 is a midway step with the red light added for effect.
So:
1: I cut the bell, and turned it into a 100×100 pattern, then poured the pattern into a new page. This left white spaces between the bells, that was an upside down bell shape.
2:I then rotated the 100×100 copy of the bell 180%. On the main image, I selected the individual white spaces, and "pasted into" them.
Now that was a bugger to do, because I did it one at a time. If anyone could come up with a better way to do it, I’d appreciate it. I guess I could have made a 100×200 pattern file of two bells, one rotated. Now that I think of it, that would probably work!.
Anyway,it took a looong time :-)) The full page effect is very hypnotic, but I cut it back to the dimensions you see, and added a red spotlight.
So for #2, I did a simple spherise on the whole picture. I suspected the effect would come up something like that, and I wanted the colours of the "background bells" to match the "foreground bell", but be distorted in the way you see.
I just thought the shape and colours of the bell lent itself to a repeating pattern.
BRYON G: Interesting idea of putting the bell and background onto a rock surface — the continuation of the crack through the bell is neat.
Bob,
LOL !!
The effect I was shooting for was to have a ragged, wrinkled, scarred piece of an old b/w image, curled up a bit, against a pale version of the colored original.
….guess I need to test-screen my images better before I send ’em in… just because it looks like something to me, doesn’t mean I’ve ensured the same interpretation by others. Hahahaha…
At least the frame is unmistakably Jodi’s Wood Style 6.
I truly appreciate your comments, both for your positive observations, and for the opportunity to reflect. (And for the good giggle I had at myself!!)
My second one was indeed done with the Flaming Pear flood filter – it works for a month without paying for it, and it isn’t extremely expensive after that (altho’ I think the novelty will have worn off by then!). Available for both Mac and PC. I flooded St Pauls’s Cathedral (photo taken on the pedestrian bridge across the river to Tate Modern) and then added the cut out bells and flooded those with the same settings, having first recoloured them to match the stone work – only took about five minutes. It is possible to do these flood effects by hand but it takes much longer.
My first one was done by cutting out and selecting the bells, then on a new layer stroking around the outline in black. On another new layer I drew random vaguely star shaped lines at the same width as the stroked lines. Created a blue back ground layer, added monchrome noise to this, then radial blurred. Then added a lot of pretty lighting effects in various colours to the background and to the bells (using the blue channel as the texture map). Then finally added a metal layer style to the stroked layers to make the leading.
I’m glad people liked them – I had a lot of fun with these!
Bob W. Thanks for all the replies to everyone…again, you are spoiling us ! All your images are fab as well. I’m torn between #2 and the bunny 😉 By the way, my first one…all the rocks were created from the one rock in the original image. It was a rockin’ challenge 🙂
I have just noticed something peculiar about my challenge entry. When I finished it the size was 13.25 cm by 19.88 cm (1565 pixels by 2348 pixels) 1.2MB tiff so I did a save for web 533 pixels by 800 pixels, quality 45 to reduce the file size to 91KB.
The odd thing is that when I look at the new jpg size in cm it is 18.8 by 28.22 ! … and its not just a one off as I tried it again and the same thing happened.
How can the size increase like that? I am most confused …. has anyone any ideas about what is happening? Wendy
JODI, The aging bell on a stone fence reminds me of some wonderful visits in Connecticut and their charming countryside. I sat in awe looking at "Patti’s Bell", the colors were captivating. All your work (play) has been A#1 (except for that ugly hairy cowboy!). I haven’t made a brush yet but have the "how to" still sitting on my computer desk. Marty
Wally A. The shading and tones in the pink bell make it especially interesting. I also likes the stain glass window, a beautiful rendition. You certainly have an artistic mind. Marty
Wally A. The shading and tones in the pink bell make it especially interesting.
Thanks Marty, it was fun getting that one out.
I also likes the stain glass window, a beautiful rendition. You certainly
have an artistic mind.
Can’t take credit, that’s Wendy Williams’ work. I wish I could figure that out, because I’d love to do something like that for some Xmas cards I’m producing for family members.
Thanks for your comments again, Bob. It is always so nice to read your comments on everybody’s images, and look the pictures again. I can’t decide between your images, they are all good, balanced ones. The #1 originally caught my eye when it was posted, then you posted the other pictures and of course the bunny … 🙂
I used the Polar Coordinates filter in #2 with the same cut down image as in #1 but with colours. It seems to me that I’m using it quite often, as well as the Diffuse Glow.
Thanks for the compliment Bob. Out of your entries, I like your rabbit entry the best . The added texture to the flowers really catches the eye and makes your entry "pop". I also liked your Christmas bells…nicely arranged…would look beautiful on a card.
Wally, LOVED the spinning bell…or is it a half moon. At any rate, it’s beautiful…done to perfection…would look nice hanging on a wall. I also liked the #3…nice tiling and use of color.
Chris R. Is that Lars under that bell? It gave me a laugh when I saw it. I really liked your bell of fire. Very realistic effect. Did you learn this in that Fire Tutorial there was a thread about several weeks ago? At any rate, it’s very well executed.
Robert J. I got a laugh out of your entry. I think you have been watching E!
Nancy S. I like the way you incorporated the bell into the truck’s grill.
Susan S. I can’t decide if I like your glow or water better. I LOVE both of those entries.
Fran. I like your eye for composition.
Jodi. Beautiful work as ever…I particularly like patti’s bell entry. I liked the way it had a glowing ember look.
Ann T. That’s cute the way you made the bell into little mushrooms.
Shan K. Loved the Armor. At first, I thought you had sent something else into the challenge by mistake…but then I saw it. So natural I almost overlooked it.
Irene. Your’s are beautiful enough to be Christmas cards.
Marti. If a bell rang in the forest, would you hear it ring? A very lonely piece. I’m seeing a gate or fence of some sort at the bottom…that’s not a cemetary fence is it?
Marilyn. That is so sweet. That would look lovely on anyone’s wedding album. Is that your wedding picture?
Dick I like the transparency you gave the flag in the background.
Byron. I’m amazed by how much that actually looks like paper.
James. I like your use of colors and bevel. It has kind of an Art Deco feel to it. I also like that up close it had a nice texture to bell and flames…very nice.
Lorace. I enjoyed your piece with the fairy. So mystical. Very nicely put together.
Pete. Your loony toon entry is soooo cute.
Juergin. I like the way you transitioned into several different textures and colors…very smoothly accomplished.
Re:- Your #47 I got a little greedy with showing more of the background interior. The armor figure is too small. There is a face mask under the "bell" helmet, making like Darf Fader. May be I should do a closeup. ??
Re; your Image #2 Almost missed seeing the bell at first glance. Must have spent quite some time selecting the interstices among the vines. Did you use the Magic Wand or some new-fangle secret weapon?
Wally, LOVED the spinning bell…or is it a half moon. At any rate, it’s
beautiful…done to perfection…would look nice hanging on a wall. I also liked the #3…nice tiling and use of color.
I set it up as kind of a "flyng bell" I was working on something like Mike Oldfileds Tubular bells at the time, and figured that a spherical filter would make it happen, Funy you should say something about hanging on a wall. My sister in law wants a print of it. I’m going to centre it a bit more, then do it. The background is the same tiling on number 3, but with the sperise on as well.
I think everyones was was vvery good. I mean everyones.
sory about mispellings. Got some awesome news tofay, and been on red wine for a bit. cheers, Wally
I tried to find a secret weapon, but to no avail. No matter which approach I used (like all the blending modes) I couldn’t get the grey inbetween the vines to "drop out" and leave the vines reasonably intact. I didn’t select the vines, I erased around them and actually deleted quite a few so as to better see the bell. It was tedious but I was in a patient mood.
Hi everyone. I am checking via my archaic desktop (28k modem). My laptop went on the blink (literally) last night — arrggghhh! I was actually working on my challenge entry and the screen went black, as if it went into sleep mode/hibernation. I was working on battery power, playing with a scanned image of an old postcard of the actual church this lovely bell came from. Apparently…I should have been on AC power! I am hoping it’s nothing serious, because having a computer break down during a holiday week is bad. 🙁
This has happened before (Compaq Presario 700Z) and I was able to have it fixed…but my local computer guru is out of town until tomorrow. No, of course it’s not under warranty anymore and of course I was planning on getting a new laptop next spring. I have done all the usual easy fixes for laptop power problems, remove battery, hard reset, remove/re-seat RAM. Still no go.
I won’t be able to install Elements on this ‘puter, it just doesn’t have the juice. If push comes to shove, I will still send in my entry late or I will post it in my PBase gallery.
Bob Warren and Terri Foster – Thanks for taking the time to comment on my picture. The couple in my wedding bell are my sister and brother-in-law. I, instead, got married in jeans and cowboy boots 🙂
I liked your bunny picture, Bob; it would make a nice greeting card. And your beach scene was really extraordinary, Terri. Certainly lots of variety this time around.
BETH, You Christmas card looks so real that I can smell the pine. It’s given me a great idea for a similar card using one of my White Pine trees (Thanks). ANNE with an "e", Wonder if those little mushrooms are the edible type??? I’m curious…what kind of camera do you use to get such detail in the tree bark? TERRI, The bell on the right is mine and in the side yard. Beyond those bells is a field of Pines. One night about 11 PM my 15 yr old son played taps from that field. That was such a ‘goose pimply’ moment. Marty
Did you get any of the messages I sent with my Challenge entry? The last I sent to seemed to go through. However, I get so many "returned messages" that I could have overlooked it.
I am so sorry I have not got into the habit of checking I have had the address for a long time but have never used it. While it is very secure almost to secure as I do have to do a little reaching to get it. You are more than welcome to use this address. as well as everyone else, but for fast results please tell me it has been used. At least until I get my act in gear.
Thank you for your all too kind comments. I will continue to use the regular URL’s unless I have trouble like this time then use this one and leave a message here on the Challenge thread.
I have just discovered the forums. Thought I’d answer your question even though it’s MONTHS old. My camera is a Canon G2 (4mp). It really does take great pictures.
Yes, I’m from Asheville and am a retired EPA librarian. Dick is a GREAT teacher;I learned SO much from him. And participating in the Challenges has really improved my knowledge of Elements–it is SO much fun. My 16-year-old granddaughter Margueritte Pelissier, who entered a few of the Challenges before Christmas is back in the game with an entry in Challenge #51. She and I are probably the youngest and oldest of the challengers, and our styles probably reflect that. Thanks to everyone for their nice remarks about my past entries. P.S. I live up a steep driveway on the side of a mountain and have just escaped after three snowbound days! I promise my future comments won’t be so long!
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