this would have been an awful lot easier if i knew what i was doing ;p
there are still a number of things about this that i would like to improve, but i fear i need to improve my PSE skills first... at any rate, it's kinda close to what i was aiming for and i think it will have to do for now...
this is in response to my push challenge set by Kate (@masosy) which was my interpretation of the word "organic"...
it is four images combined... chess board and pieces, trees for the backdrop, two separate texture layers (leaves and bark)... all mine, all taken within last couple of days... melded in PSE... dragged into topaz restyle and applied a filter with the scrumptious name of "dark white horses" (a coincidence, i assure you!), then to colour fx for some tweaking... then back in PSE added a smidgeon of gradient because the reflections were too bright...
and now i need some chocolate ;p
ps - happy for any suggestions on what i might have done differently or better!
i won't throw tomatoes at you, 'course not. but tomatoes is better for the brain than chocolate (i keep the chocolate, d'accord). besides if i throw tomatoes at you, there'll be 712 people to swarm and lynch me. :-)
Very clever idea and great processing too Northy. Only suggestion I could offer is to ease up the dark strip across the background, it cuts off a bit too harshly. If it was painted in with a brush, go for a bigger and softer brush to get a softer edge to it. If it's a gradient, try and see if you can get it to fall off softer at the top. Otherwise it's pucker! ;-)
Just Unbelievable!!! Even is Santa brings me PS for Christmas I fear I will never achieve something as magical as this. What you have captured.. and what you have imagined are amazing!
Um. I must be missing something, but... When you say you had trouble managing the lighting with both black and white pieces, why didn't you just do one shot with the black one and one with the white? You were already going to be combining so many anyway, so would one more have made a huge difference.
Not that I think it matters, because this is rather great :)
And is it just my imagination, or is the queen about to pet the knight's horse?
Very unique and interesting image. I immediately thought about you when I saw the weekly theme board games. Lol. You are the queen of black and white and photos with chess pieces.
@kaesebiscuit tx! the answer to your first question is that i am a sleepy dunderhead and in any event, i couldn't make the texture work on the dark night... to answer your second question, i haven't a clue what they are up to and prefer to remain in blissful ignorance thank you very much ;p
Really love the processing in here, brilliant idea. Such itriguing image. Btw I'd like to join the get pushed challenge, so could you add me to the next round?
I love this just the way it is. It has a dark enchanted feeling. I especially like the forest setting. Your explanation of how you did it still has my head spinning. I've never gotten beyond the basic PS techniques.
WOW....fav.....and I am tired just from reading all your processing....and I love that you share that.
Once I thought I was touching the tip of the ice-berg in terms of processing....nope...not even close!
Not that I think it matters, because this is rather great :)
And is it just my imagination, or is the queen about to pet the knight's horse?
Once I thought I was touching the tip of the ice-berg in terms of processing....nope...not even close!