Metal Boy

Indigo · 03-08-2002, 09:52 AM

In the challenge 3 thread, page 3 or so, is a lovely image by vogonpoet which he called Metal Boy. How did he it? Not asking for a detailed tut but some rough, general idea on how V went about it. Did he do a metal texture and overlaid that over the original image? It is a nice effect and the person is still quite recognizable.

(Btw, other than that, if i see one more image of that snotty, snooty kid with his golf clubs i think i will puke).

kiwi · 03-08-2002, 12:06 PM

Baaaaarf me too

.....ya but wasnt it fun messing with the little gits pixels

Try the sketch filter menu > chrome Indigo,not positive but it looks like VP may have used that filter

Stu.

Blinky2004 · 03-08-2002, 02:42 PM

Also try Desaturating the photo/image, then using the Curves filter to produce a metal type of effect.

For the curves, basically just add 3 new control points to the line, along the points where the lines of the grid cross. Then leave the center one alone and move the other 2 up'n'down until the effect begins to dial in.

Hopefully VP will catch this thread and address your question more specifically.

vogonpoet · 03-08-2002, 04:22 PM

Hi Indigo,

Mark was pretty close.

I took the original image, lifted the boy from it, and then on a copied layer of the boy, I used the channel mixer (found under IMAGE--ADJUST) with the 'monochrome' checkbox selected to make the boy grayscale. I find using the channel mixer to give me more control than using the 'desaturate', but use what works for you.

I then used an 'curves adjustment layer' to accentuate the tonal differences much like one would do working on a shiny metal texture. I possibly used a 'levels adjustment layer' also.

More than likely I did a tad of 'unsharpening' to finish the look.

I am at work and have not got access to my home PC til this evening, but if I saved the orignal .psd, I will zip it up and post it.
I am not sure if I kept the orig of that image

Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions/problems

Indigo · 03-08-2002, 07:41 PM

Thanks for the feedback. Will experiment with this a little tonight.

Vogonpoet, good to see you here; I know you from the GN (I'm Journey there).

kiwi · 03-08-2002, 10:56 PM

Thats a Doh! [doh] from me I was not even close even close

Stu.

Indigo · 03-09-2002, 02:13 AM

I gave "our little darling" the Vogonpoet treatment. I'll post it here. It is a nice effect but it can't compare with what V did. Obviously at some point he inversed the image but can't figure out where to do this. I tried to set the blending mode of the curves at difference, tried some other inverse methods but am not getting it. I'm probably very stupid for not figuring this one out.
V's image is much more delicate and to a non PSer it looks like he has been sweating with actual charcoal sticks over it for a long time. I am not trying to imitate V (well, actually, I do

) but it would be nice to know the treatment.

PS: given my rotten comments about the kid with the golf clubs I hope he's not a childhood image of someone around here. If so, you have improved greatly ! [slick]