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Computer Arts November 2008 June 2010

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Technique

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Photoshop and Illustrator CS3 or later

Augusto Giovanetti shows you how to give your graphics a kick using only the most basic creative tool set
Do you ever wonder how easy it would be to create striking surreal imagery out of thin air, just opening your favourite application and having some fun? In this tutorial Ill demonstrate ways of creating impactful graphics from scratch, using no stock imagery, no pre-ready textured backgrounds nothing but your everyday Photoshop and Illustrator tools and your imagination.

Create graphic impact from scratch

01

I want to create a new image from scratch, making elements in Illustrator and combining them in Photoshop. Firstly, in Illustrator I create some type by making a new type box, typing my letter A and then extruding it (Effect>3D>Extrude & Bevel).

The 3D element currently looks very simple, so it will definitely need some light and shadow work to bring it to life. I expand the 3D element so I have control over all the paths created when extruding. I go to Object>Expand Appearance.

02

03

Its time to play with some gradients to enhance the 3D feel. I want it to look like theres a soft light on the top of the scene, so I start by adding dark tones in the inner faces of the object. I leave the front face a lighter colour.

Augusto Giovanetti Born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1980, Augusto explores the fields of illustration, sculpture and video in his work. Previously having studied classic art and sculpture, the designer now works across editorial, advertising and fashion photography, producing works for the likes of Nylon and Moviemaker magazines. Visit www.prrr.tv

Time needed 2 hours Skills Photoshop masking techniques Working with colour Using Photoshops blending modes Drawing in Illustrator Using Illustrators Mesh tool

I create the organic part of the illustration by drawing a simple shape with the Pencil tool. I then select the Mesh tool and start forming the mesh we will use in the next step. You can do this by hand with the Mesh tool or you can go to Object>Create Gradient Mesh. Personally I like to do it by hand.

04

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06
Now its time to give depth to the object by colouring sections of it with lighter colours to give the illusion of volume. I do this by selecting the nodes of the mesh we created in Step 4.

05

Now to create a shape (I choose a triangle) and create a Scatter Brush. Go the Brushes palette, select New Brush then click New Scatter Brush. We want a random brush, with pieces randomly scaled and rotated, so in Scatter Brush Options set all the parameters to Random and start playing with the numbers. Its all editable, so dont be afraid to try different looks by double-clicking on the brush youve created.

07

Its time to move into Photoshop. I copy and paste all the elements I have created in Illustrator one by one into Photoshop, and create a nice gradient for my background.

08

With all the elements in Photoshop, I start composing, scaling and correcting the colours and the contrast. I also mask one part of the A using the vector mask button at the bottom of the Layers palette; just select what you want to remain unmasked then press the button.

09

I want these objects to look like theyre suspended in the air, so I add a shadow that I made by making a round selection and filling it with black, then blurring it a little with Gaussian blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur).

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Im going to give it a vignette look by creating new gradient fill layer. To make this, I click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. I create a round gradient fill.

Now to add some fake reections by duplicating (Ctrl/Cmd+J) the blob layer and applying the Chrome effect (Filter>Sketch>Chrome). Blend this layer with the original by selecting the blend mode Screen. Adjust the intensity of the highlights and reections using the Levels setting or the opacity. Ive painted some shadows that the type is projecting on the blob, painting with black on a new layer placed under the type, and then masking to make sure that the shadows only over the blob layer.

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Technique Create graphic impact from scratch

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CV Visualguide to

In pictures: a rk of the career and wo iters our Technique wr

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Augusto Giovanetti
I Ctrl/Cmd+click over the thumbnail of the blob layer in the Layers palette to make a selection of the layers content, then I make a new layer on the top and paint it with some magenta, blue and yellow. The blending mode for this layer is Hue, and I also played with the opacity a little to get some of the red we had previously.

I add some white lines that look like light leaks but on the back of the elements. Theyre created by making a square selection and painting with the Airbrush tool outside the selection, getting closer to the selection to get that subtle white area. I also add more triangle debris in the background and a white circle made just by selecting and filling with white.

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Five choice past pieces

Correnio May 2007 This is a personal piece that was created a couple of years ago. My favourite thing about it is that, despite it including a number of visual components, its a clear and simple piece of graphic design.

I atten all the layers in a new layer, selecting the first layer on top and pressing Ctrl/ Cmd+Shift+Alt/ Opt+E to atten all the visible layers to a new one. I will use this layer to play with some blur and focus without affecting all the layers that we want to be editable until the end, because we dont know changes we will want to do later. Always try to keep a copy of your layers unattened and editable.

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Seor June 2007 Another selfinitiated artwork, I think the mix of colours and elements in this piece are what make it particularly successful.

On our attened layer we go to the Quick Mask mode click the button at the bottom of the Tools palette. We want to paint with a big brush over the parts we want to remain in focus. Click the Quick Mask button and apply a Lens blur effect (Filter>Blur>Lens Blur). Then deselect and add a little blur to the complete layer, something like 1.0.

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Hacedoradesueos March 2008 I created this piece for an exhibition called La Edad De Oro. I think that the composition and colours used in the piece really work.

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Now create a new layer, fill it with white and add some noise (Filter>Noise>Add noise). Ive used monochromatic gaussian noise then blurred it a bit using a blur amount of 2.0. I set the opacity to 24% and used the Overlay blend mode. The final touch is some doodling with my Wacom tablet using the Brush tool, with a very thin brush in a new layer and set to multiply.

Closet 01 March 2009 Another self-initiated artwork, this piece is part of a series in which I explored uses of colour and type, and methods of creating depth in images. Bichos01 December 2009 This is a recent personal work. I really like the fact that it is 99.99% vectoral. In tone, the work is similar to the piece created in this tutorial.

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