Hi,

After reading some reviews about the latest Topaz release, the ReMask plug-in,  i thought it was just another ’similar’ plugin for making extractions. Because i was very happy with the quality of the Topaz Detail plug-in, i wanted to give it a try.

One of the reasons i was a bit sceptic on this release, was because of my bad experiences with the ‘extraction’ tool in photoshop. The poor results and complaints from users were probably the main reason for Adobe to place the extract tool only on the ‘goodies’ CD, so you have to install it separatly… And yes, there are many good other extraction plug-ins available on the market, so why give this another try?

So, after installing the Remask plug-in, i confronted it with this very hard to extract image:

The image has a lot of similar colors on the fore- and background: brown, gray… and a lot of midtones. So, this is a real challange for masking! I know that people are always looking for the ‘magic bullet’, or the one and only plug-in available that does everything in just one step. If you believe the commercials, yes, this kind of software exists… If you have some experience, no, this doesn’t exist, believe it or not. Ok, maybe i’m too pessimistic… Extracting images with one-coloured backgrounds, images with high contrasts… they are pretty easy to extract or mask. Most software out there have good results. But, with images as above, you really have to play around with masks and blendings if you want a realistic mask at 100 % view.

So, the thing about the Topaz Remask plug-in that i really like, is that it creates a mask. So, you can use this mask for further blending the image! Cool.

I compared the result of the Topaz plug-in with the out of date Extract tool, and, yes, there is a big difference! I placed the extracted image on a black background, and zoomed in on 100 %. Here are some screenshots:

Original, crops 100 %

Extract tool, 100 %

As you can see, the Extract tool has a pretty good result on parts of the image that are ‘easy to mask’, but as expected, once the image has ‘difficult’ parts (fur, blurred parts…), the extract tool fails. It shows hard edges, bad transitions. So, nothing new for me. And, you have no layer mask at all!

Next, i tested the Topaz Remask plug-in.

Topaz Remask plug-in, crops 100 %:

I must admit i was surprised. The results a good, pretty good. I’m satisfied. I’m aware that this kind of image has to unleash the beast inside the extraction software. It’s also fast, but that’s not so important for me, the result matters. The mask is ready for you in the channel pallette:

Isn’t that great? So, now, it’s up to you to fine-tune your mask. Yes, masking is hard work! So, using the Topaz Remask plug-in not only speeds up your workflow, it delivers good quality masks for further fine-tuning your image.

Here are some crops of the Topaz mask. The plug-in gives you the possibility to refine your mask.

Topaz Remask plug-in at 300 %, no refinement

As you can see, the mask fails on some details. But, this is a crop on 300 %! I know, sometimes i’m a freak but that’s my way of ’scanning’ the quality of images. I refined some parts of the image:

Before refinement:

After refinement:

My opinion: the result isn’t better. I’m convinced that refining you image can help, as long as the content of the image is ‘pretty good to mask’. Once you’re dealing with fur and blurred parts, you have to refine it yourself…

For my next test, i used a very easy image to mask: a giraffe against a blue sky. For this extraction, i used the ‘Color Range’, one of my favorite tools in photoshop.

Original image:

Color Range, crop 100%:

As you can see, the color range is very good for images like this, it is very powerful, soft transitions and very fast. Making this kind of mask can be done in about 20 seconds. And with the ‘Refine Edges’ command, you’re a big stap further for making professional masks.

What about the Topaz Remask plug-in? Well, here it is:

Topaz Remask, 100 % crop:

Hmm, not much different. The Topaz plug-in is pretty similar, you really have to look very good to see some differences. Some transitions are less soft than the color range, but it looks pretty natural, allthough i would keep on fine-tuning this masks… The Remask plug-in isn’t ‘ for this kind of images’ clearly better than the refine edges. In fact, it takes a more time to create. But, i have to say, the Topaz plug-in does a pretty good job. But, for images as below, the Color Range is a pain in the back, and therefore the Topaz plug-in comes in very handy:

This is a big challenge. After throwing the Topaz plug-in over it, this were the results:

Topaz 100 % crop, no refinement:

I know, still some hard transitions, even after the refinement:

After the refinement, the hard to mask parts look pretty the same, just as on the first image. But, don’t forget, this is a 100 % crop. I placed the monkey on a new background (image on 50 %):

Yes, it looks good, very good! But, keep in mind that you always have to scan your images at 100 % to compare your result.

Conclusion:

Based on my first impression i’m satisfied. The plug-in does what i expect: it makes a good mask, easy to use, a very steep learning curve. No manual needed, once you read the basic instructions you’r on your way. The mask has now and then some hard transitions on some parts of the image with fur, but that’s normal, fur and blurred parts have always to be refined…

If time is money and you’r looking for a good masking software, than this plug is your thing. Using the Topaz mask without further refining is sufficient for most images. But, if you’r after professional high-end masks, than the Topaz mask has to be refined. So, using the Topaz plug-in for starting to make a basic mask is a very good workflow. I would suggest downloading the evaluation software and give it a try.

For a introductory price you can buy it for $29.99 (expire October 31, 2009), that’s really a bargain. The retail price for $69.99 is pretty high, but it’s a nice piece of software. I advice you to buy a Topaz bundle, they deliver high qualilty enhancement software, but maybe that’s something you already knew…

Good luck,

Kristof

www.lookit.be

Well,

I didn’t know what a warthog was, do you? I had to ask it twice, ‘A warthog you say?’. It is an ‘African Lens Pig’, a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa (Wikipedia). When I saw a picture of it, I was thinking at Timon and Pumbaa, you know, the two  characters from Walt Disney.

So, my talented colleague Daniel Hanze had a nice challenge: modeling a warthog. Not only modeling the animal, but also adding the texture, fur and rendering. The warthog had to act as a model, standing in a photo studio on white paper. Nothing special, but this way, the viewer isn’t distracted from other details around the animal such as a background or probs.

The only thing we had to add in the studio with the warthog was mud, yes mud: sand and water. That was my part After playing with mud a whole afternoon, taking too many pictures, the complete make-over in photoshop could start. That was fun!

Step 1: Find the right reference material

Step 2: Start modeling

Step 3: Adding texture

subsurface scattering

specular

diffuse

Bump

Step 4: Lighting setup and rendering

Studio and light setup

Ambient Occlusion

Modo has some nice ‘fur’ features!

Step 5: Retouching and adding mud

Voila, that’s our Warthog!

Cheers,

Kristof & Daniel

www.lookit.be

Posted in My work behind the scenes (selection) Tagged: Advanced Photoshop, advertising, advertising photography, Africa, cgi, computer generated images, daniel hanze, dig, digit, digital artist, digital imaging, digital retouching, kristof verschueren, lookit, modeling, mud, photoshop, photoshop tricks, pig, retouching, synthetic images, texturing ]]> http://photoshopcooking.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/our-latest-cgi-project-a-warthog/feed/ 0 Kristof Verschueren warthog Warthog_(Phacochoerus_africanus)_(0288)_-_Relic38.jpg 2829628187_41d7819d7e_b.jpg Warthog_HS6280.jpg modeling2 modeling2b modeling3 modeling4 texturing1 body__sss body__spec body__diffuse body__bump scene_setup_light a ear mud http://photoshopcooking.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/girls-on-a-boat/ http://photoshopcooking.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/girls-on-a-boat/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:07:09 +0000 kristofverschueren http://photoshopcooking.wordpress.com/?p=254 ]]>

Hi,

Some days ago, I was (again) in the mood for creating a high contrast image, starting from scratch. It has a special effect, it’s maybe not a picture you’ll hang on your wall, but I like some experimenting. I’ve got some questions about how you can achieve this contrast, so, I’ve made a tutorial, a screencast, which you can find on my site.

Here’s the result.

Here are some parts of it, the retouched version and the original:

As you already guessed, I really like contrast. It is something you achieve step by step, not just a plug-in that does the magic for you. No, it takes a lot of time. So, just watch the screencast on my site, and if you have any question, just send me an e-mail.

Cheers,

Kristof

www.lookit.be

Hi there,

I will give a photoshop workshop ‘contrast enhancement’ on the national congres of Belgium Digital.

Belgium Digital is a wonderful organisation, check it out on their website (Dutch): www.belgiumdigital.com. You can find al sorts of information about photography and photoshop, their forum is really huge and all participants are so helpfull.  They have some kind of cooperation with the photography magazine Shoot. Belgium Digital started about ten year ago, and now, they’re having a huge congres on a great place. The program and announcements can be found on www.belgiumdigitallive.com. Some great people are coming over for some interesting workshops and speeches, such as Carl De Keyzer, Toon Grobet, Frank Doorhof. I’m really looking forward to meet these people!

My workshop will be about boosting the contrast in your images. There are al kinds of possibilities to enchance your contrast, but I’ll teach some tricks which are pretty advanced or not so common used. I’ve made some movies on youtube and my website already, but later on, I’ll post here a summary with at least eight or nine tricks to boost your contrast. So check it out and stay tuned!

Kristof

Finally,

My new site is online!

Check it out on www.lookit.be, thanks with the help of my companion Daniel Hanze. He’s a highly skilled 3d modeller who works with the wonderful program Modo 401. His site: www.jedha.com. He did some nice projects for several big ads. Together we can offer clients a whole package, not only retouching but also CGI (Computer Generated Images).

Cu later

Kristof

Hi there,

I’ve just added two more movies on youtube about increasing the contrast on your pictures.

There are so many ways to increase your contrast, but, i’m sure these two movies has some tricks you can use. The first movie is about using the curves, and the second movie is using the hue/saturation adjustment layers to increase your contrast. Very interesting!

I’m planning to make some extra movies about increasing the contrast. The movies are full of tricks I use now and then. I’ll be adding them to my website too, but for the moment he (still) is down. Hopefully my new site will be online soon. Sorry about the old site, but my lookit site is completely down due to certain ‘circumstances’.

So, hope you like them, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or suggestion!

Kristof

movie 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr9yxbxFJe0

movie 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3yF23h6Fio

Hi there,

I’ve made my first two movies on Youtube about making a high contrast image in photoshop. If you like them, or if you have suggestions, pls let me know.

Check it out on my site.

Final image:

Starting image:

cu around!

Kristof

Had some fun with 3d. It was my first try-out in modo 301, great software. I added some stone-texture on it and placed it outside. Postproduction with photoshop cs4.

Here is the original field:

Here the 3d model (modo 301):

Added some rock-texture.

I projected the image in the 3d model, but the result was not what i expected, there was some blur in the background image. Therefore i placed the model in photoshop into the background, shadows included.

Increased contrast, colors…

Added some trees. These or not 3d models, but look a bit surrrealistic, just what i was looking for.

Made some layer masks, so the ingration of the model is correct.

Some nice colorfull detail: butterflies

some postproduction.

Here are some details: