NBK Design Advanced Challenge March **WINNERS ANNOUNCED**

Discussion in 'Designer Challenges' started by Oldenmeade, Mar 1, 2020.

  1. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    How To Make Dramatic Skies
    From this...
    [​IMG]

    To this...
    [​IMG]

    to this...
    [​IMG]
    Hi everyone, Anne here. This month we're going to be working on giving your skies more drama. Your task will be to:
    1. Post the Before and After photos of your sky to this forum, showing the effect of the Blend If slider.
    2. Use your altered sky photo in a layout.
    Check the rules at the end of this post before you start.


    Here is a very short video tutorial which shows you one method for changing the sky. The guy speaks very quickly though, so I have also done a written tutorial for you.

    https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/...FFWkQSdQzZDqsbAu-xDg5ZiKaGNWbEZ0ys3CLQ0lsppIA

    WRITTEN TUTORIAL
    1. Open your sky photo
    2. Create a solid adjustment layer (any color) and hide it by clicking on the eye icon. (below)

    [​IMG]

    3. Double click on the adjustment layer icon and sample the sky color on your photo. Your cursor will change to the color picker when you do this. (below)

    [​IMG]

    4. Make the color darker by dragging the cursor on the color picker downwards. Then desaturate it by dragging the cursor to the left. (above) The video will give you some idea of how much to do this, but it will also depend on your image. Click OK.

    5. Turn the adjustment layer on, select the mask and invert it by pressing Ctrl + I (below)

    [​IMG]

    6. With the mask still selected, choose a large soft round brush, foreground set to white, and paint on the clouds/sky. (below) I altered the opacity of my brush in various areas, but this is optional.

    [​IMG]

    7. Double click on the right hand side of the layer panel to open up the Blend If dialog box. (below)

    [​IMG]

    8. Take the slider of the Underlying Layer from right to left. You will see the effect is very harsh. So split the slider by holding the ALT (or OPT for a Mac) key when you click on it. (below)

    [​IMG]

    9. Then take the right slider to the far right and the left slider towards the left until you get something you're happy with.

    ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES TO USE (Optional)

    If you want to take your image even further you can try some or all of these techniques:
    a) Make a composite layer (select your topmost layer then click Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (C.A.S.E is how I remember it), then duplicate the composite layer to make changes on.
    b) Experiment with one or more blend modes at varying opacities
    c) Play with gradients
    d) Use some adjustment layers
    e) Try blending another sky into your original sky. Mask out areas you don't want.
    f) Use Lookup Tables (LUT's)
    g)Use filters
    h)Blend in some Magic Lights (try desaturating them first)
    i) Use Lightroom effects

    [​IMG]
    In addition to the basic Blend If method I also used:
    - Curves adjustment layer
    - Sepia photo filter
    - Lookup table
    - Magic Lights
    - Another sky image blended in
    The template is from Spring Flings and Easter Things and the collection used to scrap the page was Wanderlust, with lots of blending and color changes.
    Credits for the font and original photo are in the gallery.

    To summarize, here is your task and the rules.
    1. Post the Before and After photos of your sky to this forum. Your After photo should show the effect of the Blend If slider.
    2. Use your altered sky photo in a layout.

    RULES
    This challenge runs from March 1st to 31st (One Month)

    TWO lucky scrappers will be randomly chosen to win a $5 coupon to the NBK Design store.
    You must use 100% NBK Design Products.
    Post your layout here and in the NBK Design Gallery and link your layout.


    Let me know if you have any questions - and have fun!
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2020
    wombat146 and marijke like this.
  2. wombat146

    wombat146 Check out my kilt! And my turret!

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    Great tutorial and challenge Anne! Will try to join in if time permits! :)
     
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  3. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Ona - I would love that :)
     
  4. Cherylndesigns

    Cherylndesigns All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz

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    I can't wait to dive into this one!! Wonderful inspiration pictures and pages!
     
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  5. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Cheryl - I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with :)
     
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  6. TrishD

    TrishD Well-Known Member

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  7. Ursula

    Ursula Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, Anne for this great tutorial and challenge, I tried it on a photo but don't have the layout yet.
     
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  8. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Can't wait to see it, Ursula :)
     
  9. Ursula

    Ursula Well-Known Member

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    Here is my page, I am not so satisfied with the layout but I like the photo treatment.

    [​IMG]

    The original photo
    [​IMG]
     
  10. TrishD

    TrishD Well-Known Member

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    Perfect cloudy day photo for this tutorial Ursula and the deer sets the scene perfectly
     
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  11. SharLamb

    SharLamb I should have been a Supreme

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    Last edited: Mar 6, 2020
  12. TrishD

    TrishD Well-Known Member

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    Oh Shar this is spectacular and I love your framing and the dark background to set the mood

     
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  13. rdutch

    rdutch Well-Known Member

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  14. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Mar 8, 2020
  15. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Thanks to dear Trish for filling in whie I've been sick :bk
     
  16. janedee

    janedee Is a craft project ever really finished?

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    Thanks for the great challenge Anne. It was interesting as the effect seemed stronger before I flattened my images.
    Here are my photos - before
    [​IMG]
    After
    [​IMG]




    Here's my page
    [​IMG]
     
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  17. nollipap

    nollipap Well-Known Member

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    I really enjoyed this challenge, igot this photo from pixabay and started painting the clouds with red and green nbk advanced challene march 2020.jpg

    nbk Advanced Challenge_no mask layout.jpg
     
  18. nollipap

    nollipap Well-Known Member

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    I ended up with my finished page like this
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    Great page, Jane! I have that problem too sometimes with effects changing when I compress the layers. I wish I knew why that was.
     
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  20. mcurtt

    mcurtt give me all the paleo brownies

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    Thanks for the tutorial! Here is my layout:

    [​IMG]

    My original was in color:
    L16_01518_original-color.jpg

    I changed it to b&w before I began adjusting the skies:
    L16_01518_original-b&w.jpg
     
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