Mask Workshop 2023

[Ann Seeber]

4 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

You can always   resave the Png as a  jpeg, if need be.

That doesn't work, either! Aarrgghh!

[Sue Thomas]

Out of curiosity,  change the gradient you used with a similar one, and see what happens. 

[Marie-Claire]

23 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

Outstanding work Marie-Claire.  When was that script added to the store?  I had no idea it existed.   The background paper is busy, yet it's  subtle, and not overpowering, a great job all round.

Sue, did you find the script? I had won the script then.

[Sue Thomas]

If it happens again using a different gradient,  it may be a jpeg saving issue.  I  don't have a clue on how you  check jpeg  specifications.  If you even can.

[Sue Thomas]

1 minute ago, Marie-Claire said:

Sue, did you find the script? I had won the script then.

 I did, thank you!   I found it in the store.  You lucky girl, winning it!!!! x

[Ann Seeber]

10 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

Out of curiosity,  change the gradient you used with a similar one, and see what happens. 

Here's the new result. The gradient is called Rising. Still shows that texture in a jpg! I give up. Maybe Carole will have an idea.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ann Seeber

[Anja Pelzer]

@Ann Seeber I work on 3600x3600 pspimage in my projects and I often save,

when ready I save export as  Jpg. close and open this again, then resize to 600x600 and sharpen the image, export as jpg again

some detail goes away without sharpen after resizing.

hop this helps

[Susan Ewart]

41 minutes ago, Ann Seeber said:

Tried the experiment with flattening the pspimage file but the jpg conversion created the texture again. Oh well, it's probably that particular gradient. 

Is it possible you are getting the texture "because" it's a jpg.  Which is a lossy file as opposed to a png which is lossless file ( bigger and retains more pixel information).  Make two file at the largest size, 1 - jpg and 1- png and compare them, there is a difference, look especially at the shadows, you'll see more detail in the png than in the jpg.

[Susan Ewart]

11 minutes ago, Anja Pelzer said:

@Ann Seeber I work on 3600x3600 pspimage in my projects and I often save,

when ready I save export as  Jpg. close and open this again, then resize to 600x600 and sharpen the image, export as jpg again

some detail goes away without sharpen after resizing.

hop this helps

I'm going to try this.  

[Susan Ewart]

Masks Workshop Day 2 Diamond Extra. This is baby Squirrely White Tail. Her's (or His) dad used to frequent our feeder. Sadly he had a run in with a transformer and did not make it. I'm glad to see he has passed down his white markings.  I know, I know, never point the subject out of the frame....but, in my defence, there are TWO ends to this little creature and one of them is surely pointed inward right at you. ? It's all about the base, 'bout the base, no treble (with apologies to the singer of that song).

Fonts used: A: Quentara. Tale: Amnestia Normal. Of A: Allicia. Tail: Audiciti. All from Creative Fabrica. Photos: min. I used the plaid at 45 degrees and as large as you can make it (250 I think), with a black layer below and a reduced opacity on the plaid layer.

I changed the sizes of the small masks (before they were masks).  I remembered learning that if it's in a group I can resize all the group at once so before I made a mask I made a group of the black square and the frame, resized it, ungrouped it and made the mask of the black square.  I also bring my photo into the layout and lower the opacity a lot to see the size against the raster layer (before it's a mask) to get the sizing.  Once i'm happy with the size of the photo and soon-to-be mask I can then go ahead and make the mask and drag the photo in.  It might be a long way but I found before I'd bring in the image and I always wished it was either a bit bigger or small or wider or taller. This takes all that away and I can make the best decision before I make the mask.  

Love all the layouts, you are all so creative.  I'm learning a lot from you. 

[Susan Ewart]

1 minute ago, Susan Ewart said:

Masks Workshop Day 2 Diamond Extra. This is baby Squirrely White Tail. Her's (or His) dad used to frequent our feeder. Sadly he had a run in with a transformer and did not make it. I'm glad to see he has passed down his white markings.  I know, I know, never point the subject out of the frame....but, in my defence, there are TWO ends to this little creature and one of them is surely pointed inward right at you. ? It's all about the base, 'bout the base, no treble (with apologies to the singer of that song).

Fonts used: A: Quentara. Tale: Amnestia Normal. Of A: Allicia. Tail: Audiciti. All from Creative Fabrica. Photos: min. I used the plaid at 45 degrees and as large as you can make it (250 I think), with a black layer below and a reduced opacity on the plaid layer.

I changed the sizes of the small masks (before they were masks).  I remembered learning that if it's in a group I can resize all the group at once so before I made a mask I made a group of the black square and the frame, resized it, ungrouped it and made the mask of the black square.  I also bring my photo into the layout and lower the opacity a lot to see the size against the raster layer (before it's a mask) to get the sizing.  Once i'm happy with the size of the photo and soon-to-be mask I can then go ahead and make the mask and drag the photo in.  It might be a long way but I found before I'd bring in the image and I always wished it was either a bit bigger or small or wider or taller. This takes all that away and I can make the best decision before I make the mask.  

Love all the layouts, you are all so creative.  I'm learning a lot from you. 

Ugh! I already see that I need to fix the shadow on TAIL.  And when I fixed the kerning on TALE I didnt get it lined up with TAIL.  I feel like I'm chasing my tail!

[Corrie Kinkel]

Another mushroom for day 4. I placed my photo to the left because the mushrooms came out of a tree at its base. When taking that shot I had to be carefull because that tree was on the very edge of a busy road, so I had almost no option but take it this way. It is a funny sight to see these mushrooms coming out of a hole in a still living tree. In the end they will destroy the tree. The background is mad with 3 layers, one a light green blended with a layer with some texture and on top of that an overlay with light leakes set to blendmode soft light. There were a lot of dry leaves around that tree so I put a borders with leaves made with a brush to the rightside, just as an embellishment. Font is Balerina with a bevel.

[Susan Ewart]

5 minutes ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

Another mushroom for day 4. I placed my photo to the left because the mushrooms came out of a tree at its base. When taking that shot I had to be carefull because that tree was on the very edge of a busy road, so I had almost no option but take it this way. It is a funny sight to see these mushrooms coming out of a hole in a still living tree. In the end they will destroy the tree. The background is mad with 3 layers, one a light green blended with a layer with some texture and on top of that an overlay with light leakes set to blendmode soft light. There were a lot of dry leaves around that tree so I put a borders with leaves made with a brush to the rightside, just as an embellishment. Font is Balerina with a bevel.

Corrie, your background is so nice.  all those techniques really add up to an interesting and unique background.

[Lesley Maple]

This is my Day 4.  I love knowing how to make one of these masks!  (Another client pooch)

[sharon thompson]

6 hours ago, Mary Solaas said:

Sharon Thompson: love your library photo and layout.  You know when I read Beauty and the Beast as a youngster, the part that fascinated me was when the beast gives her access to the library - what a treat that would be!!!!!

Hi Mary. I suppose having access is better than owing it..... you get to read everything without all the maintenance issues!!!!   Sharon

 

[sharon thompson]

I had something else in mind for today but I got a call from a friend about a birthday cake design that I had promised for her son who just finished devouring Lord of the Rings in print and is starting on the movie versions.  Apparently her sister-in-law can print images onto edible rice paper that can be placed on top of a cake. I had forgotten about it and his birthday is next week. So, I co-opted today's mask lesson for that purpose. It just goes to show that masks can have quite a life outside of scrapbooking. 

Anyway, I snagged some images from Deviant Art, raided my paper stash, and examined all my watercolor brushes. It took a dozen attempts, numerous brushes, overlays, textures, and a great many back steps to produce an image suitable for a cake. My brush variance menu looked much different than in the lesson but it didn't seem to matter. I am glad that the lesson video showed how to correct errors with the brush placement as I had quite a few. Because I was working in a circular area. I used grid lines to frame the area that the masked image should be in. I toyed with the idea of using a variety of characters but, since Gandalf is his favorite one,  I managed to deal with all that head and facial hair better than I expected.  Then I had to make several versions of the finished image in various vibrancies so she could match the icing for the cake sides to one of them. Maybe next time I will do a matching panorama image for around the sides of a cake as well. Sharon

 

[Gerry Landreth]

Rudy and River in a reverie. 

Carole: The font from yesterday was a freebie from Creative Fabrica called The Romantic by Lettersiro Co. I checked to see if it was still available, but it is now $15. This is the first time I've used it.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Gerry Landreth

[Cassel]

@Mary SolaasOK, good to know you have already tried changing the scaling. In fact, once you get comfortable trying things, you can then have more options to find what works and what you like.

@GabrielaSince your background is dark, have you considered using a lighter color for the title? I wonder if it would make it easier to read. Goot to see you catching up.

@Ann SeeberInteresting way to use the mask and the "holes" with a different color. To answer your question about the "stripes", it is called "banding". It usuallly happens when fewer colors are used, which is common when you are compressing AND resizing too. Consider that instead of 3600 different colors in the gradient, you end up with only 600 since the image is only 600 pixels.

@cindy harrisI will ask permission from Lady22 to see if I can share her template to help those who get completely lost with her French site.

@TonimarieI am  glad you are finding new ways to use what you used before.

@Anne LampIt is interesting how you used the kaleidoscope effect without making it into a tile. Often, it is too powerful, but you managed it very well. And the way you placed the image on the background, it really put the focus on it.

@Carol Anne WallIsn't that easy, in the end, to make a mask? And now that you understand how to make them, you will surely try again!

@Rene MarkerGreat layout. It is interesting how your background, being the same blue as the sky of the image, the masking makes it nicely blended.

@Sue ThomasIt is great how you worked with the perspective and layered in a way that it appears under the rope.

@MoniqueN.Looking forward to your work. No rush though: enjoy the nice  interruption!

@Marie-ClaireI am so glad to see that tag being used! And seeing all those photos of your dog, I almost wish I had one (although I am a cat person more than a  dog person).

@Susan EwartThank you for sharing your process and how it helps in the end. I am sure it will help others too.

@Corrie KinkelIs that title a single word for the name of that mushroom? I am not sure I would be able to pronounce it!

@Lesley MapleGlad you are getting comfortable in making your own masks. You will see that you will find more opportunities to use them. I would suggest being careful having text on top of a ribbon, especially for a ribbon that is not completely flat. Are you able to put the ribbon on top of the text, and resizing it or moving it in a way to not hide the text too much?

@sharon thompsonYES, masks can be used in many other projects than scrapbooking. And once you understand the principle of masking, you can use other adjustment layers in even more creative ways. For those who do have access to the DIAMOND membership, the Fantasy World master class uses those adjustment layers to create... adjustments.

@Gerry LandrethThanks for the name of that font. As a subscriber, I might be able to get it. I love the quote for your layout. I think it can also apply to families with young children!!

This thread is so busy that I heard some members mention they get flooded with notifications. If you don't want to get an email for every single post in this thread (which the default if you have posted in it), you can change that either by unsubscribing, or getting only one daily notification. For that, go to the top of the thread where you should see the red button that says "Following". Click on it to change your preferences.

I also wanted to let you know that this weekend, I will be at the computer a little less than usual, but I won't neglect you. If you have issues, don't hesitate to contact me or to post in the forum. I might just be a little slower than usual.

[Gabriela]

Font used : Bambino

Paper and Elements ......."Carena_Sweet Love of Spring "

[Susan Ewart]

Day 3.  I call this "Most Muscular".  As this wee babe looks like he's doing the "most muscular" pose at a bodybuilding contest.  Or could it be that he's just showing the Magpies and Blue Jay he's not afraid of them.  I had to go outside several times in the day as the larger birds were picking on this fearless baby.  He scampered around the ground and all over the lawn furniture and since he couldnt get into the bird baths (it was hot) he lapped up the water off the pavement.  

I think I played around for almost an hour with kaleidoscope random pattern.  This one is at size 25 or 30.  I tried a number of sizes and it looks like it's at a 45 degree angle but it's at zero.  Again I put a black layer under the background layer and lowered the opacity to get a darker result.  I find I can control density better than using Brightness/contrast and I can go back and change it later if I want to.  The frames were added on separate layers with an inner bevel. 

[Mary Solaas]

This is certainly a busy workshop.  So good!!!!

I'm finally finished with Project 3 (yes, I know I'm slow).  I played and played and played with the Reflection effects for this one.  I do like Kalaidescope and this time I made several patterns and chose this one for my background.  I also played with the reflective pattern.  The frame I made (I can't believe it is so simple to make a frame)! Oh, the font is Barna from CF.

[Susan Ewart]

33 minutes ago, Mary Solaas said:

This is certainly a busy workshop.  So good!!!!

I'm finally finished with Project 3 (yes, I know I'm slow).  I played and played and played with the Reflection effects for this one.  I do like Kalaidescope and this time I made several patterns and chose this one for my background.  I also played with the reflective pattern.  The frame I made (I can't believe it is so simple to make a frame)! Oh, the font is Barna from CF.

I know, right...about the frame.  For so long I wanted to know how people did that.  It wasnt until I did the Greeting Card workshop that I learned how.  Now to figure out how Sue does the intertwined frames!  Your background is really nice with that photo, which is beautiful by the way.  I would love to walk there.

[Mary Solaas]

17 minutes ago, Susan Ewart said:

I know, right...about the frame.  For so long I wanted to know how people did that.  It wasnt until I did the Greeting Card workshop that I learned how.  Now to figure out how Sue does the intertwined frames!  Your background is really nice with that photo, which is beautiful by the way.  I would love to walk there.

Me too.  My granddaughter took that picture and she does like to hike.  I really like what you did with the picture of that poor squirrel.  Yes, it is interesting on how to change a patterned paper with using a different color layer in back of it and then lowering the opacity of the patterned paper.  Isn't this fun!!!

[Anja Pelzer]

here is now day 4 

with my Sister and my Daughter in 1988 visiting our zoo in Aachen

paper made with the same brushes I used for the mask

strips made from the paper

[Ann Seeber]

10 hours ago, Anja Pelzer said:

@Ann Seeber I work on 3600x3600 pspimage in my projects and I often save,

when ready I save export as  Jpg. close and open this again, then resize to 600x600 and sharpen the image, export as jpg again

some detail goes away without sharpen after resizing.

hop this helps

Yes, that is my usual method, too. Thanks