aesc | .art experiments: Teyla and Castiel

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.art experiments: Teyla and Castiel

*hugs to

Aside from sharpening, gaussian blurring, and one or two other things, I've never really used any of Photoshop's filters. But there is a rather simple, yet cunning, way to turn a photograph into something more painterly by using the Find Edges function under the 'Stylize' filter to get that penstroke/fine brushpoint outline effect. I tried it out on Teyla first, because 1.) Teyla is gorgeous, and 2.) the colors in this particular scene from "Kindred I" are, IMHO, some of the best in SGA, period. For a first attempt, I'm pretty happy with it!

I also revisited the 4.16 cap in my header, because of how it is awesome. The actual version is 1000px wide, and so is behind the cut.

In this one I discovered the Trace Contour function, which is vaguely... pointillist-y? I ended up piling a whole lot of crap on top and a lot of Pattern Stamp layers.

Okay, no more coherence from me tonight *fallover*

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They are both beautiful, but the Castiel one is just breathtaking, somehow. I don't know why, but it is.

*smooches you!!* Thank you! Weirdly, I am inclined to go with Teyla more, because I've never really felt comfortable with really vibrant, saturated colors in large pieces (icons, fine). Also, if they made a non-maternity version of her top, I would be all over it XD

They both looks so gorgeous. I mean, they are both pretty people to begin with, but they look particularly lovely in these two art pieces. Teyla seems especially effervescent.

Thank you!! I'm pretty happy with the way Teyla turned out. That dream sequence from "Kindred I" is beautifully shot and lit anyway, and Teyla... well, Teyla is always lovely :D

They're both gorgeous, but the Castiel one is really awesome.

*hugs* Thank you!! For some reason I could not get that cap to cooperate... I think Teyla ended up being beginner's luck XD So in the end, with Castiel I did what I always do and futz around for a couple hours trying to get things to work. Stubborn Castiel, deciding not to obey orders *sigh*

Oh *gasps in awe* your Cas banner....I'm just sitting here gazing at it, it's so utterly beautiful ♥ is it up for grabs? because I'm so using it! please tell me if it's not and I'll take it down. My lovely friend from the BBM fandom

cathalin is constantly singing your praises to me. :) I love your art and fic and talent, it's just awesome ♥ Thank you.

Thank you so much! And you can take if you like... most of my graphics are free for whatever purpose, so long as they're not altered :)

Both pieces of art look gorgeous and I love what you have done with them - but I especially love what you've done with Castiel!! He just looks very peaceful and beautiful!

Thank you! It's very funny you mention peaceful, because that's from the end of 4.16, where the moment is anything but :D :D

That Castiel piece is so ethereal and beautiful. Amazing work.

Thank you so much! Oh, Cas... he makes the pretty easy work :D

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They're gorgeous (and the banners aren't bad either *g*), thanks for posting and sharing with us :)

Thank you for coming by! I'm glad you liked them :)

Beautiful! :D

♥♥♥ Thank you!!

Wah another pretty pretty awesome graphic!
How did you add the multiple colours with PS?

Thank you!! :)

To get the multiple colors, what you do is save the layer with the subject (in this case, Teyla) as a pattern stamp, pick a brush, and in a new layer (set to Hard Light) brush in the pattern. The layer order from top to bottom is something like:

Background copy (Find Edges; set to Multiply)
Pattern stamp layer (set to Hard Light)
Some kind of texture layer (like heavy paper or canvas; Normal)
Background (the subject that you use for the pattern stamp)

I can write up an actual proper tutorial, if you'd like... it's actually from a Photoshop magazine a friend was kind enough to pass on to me. Very easy to follow, and much clearer than I'm being. (I'm sorry, I've had exhaustion issues the past few days, so I'm not coherent or useful at all!!! And your Misha icon is not helping with the coherence ;))

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That is gorgeous. I am literally tearing up it looks amazing.
and yes Kindred was amazing. :D

Thank you so much!! I absolutely loved "Kindred I" (slightly more than II). Teyla's amazing as a rule, but she was more so there.

I don't know SGA (*ducks*) but the one of Teyla is really great the way all the colors come together with the outlines and ...paint-y effect, especially the hair, the way the thin dark lines show how it falls, and how the light lines crossing them suggest sunlight on her hair. (Clumsy description sorry!) Also like the boldness of the red fabric.

Now Castiel, I do know about. :D It's too hard for me to pick favorite shots out of the ep but of the more peaceful-appearing ones this is definitely one of the top two, with the way he's *not* holding his head up and that contemplative look on his face, which to me looks calm and thoughtful, yes, but also as if he's already decided to do something with epically awful consequences to himself and doesn't mind. (Another clumsy description, sorry!) I don't know technical Photoshop terms but the brush and pencilstroke-like textures you added are wonderful, and I don't know why but I really like that you chose the primary colors to mix with all the lovely shades of gray!

The faint outline of the contours that you superimposed a little to the right of where he actually is (I hope this phrase is decipherable!) - I love thinky Castiel so I'll interpret it to mean he's so contemplative/concentrating so intensely he's having an angelic slightly-out-of-vessel experience! :D

You are a GENIUS with the Photoshop.

I would use the Castiel one as my desktop but then I'd get absolutely no studying done so I'll just save away if that's ok with you. XD

Awww, thank you so much! I'm happy you like the one with Teyla--those were exactly the effects I was going for (and it was my first shot at this particular technique, so yay!)

the primary colors to mix with all the lovely shades of gray!

I have been doing that a lot lately for some reason... Primary colors on a grey background. Not sure why, but my brain is addicted to it :D

Thank you again!! ♥♥

Both are lovely! I adore Cas, he looks like he's daydreaming.

Thank you!! And if he is, I'm sure it's about Dean :D

Oh. They are both utterly gorgeous :D

Thank you!! ♥&hearts♥

Ärm first one.. I´m sorry, but i don´t like it.
But Castiel... WOHA! grogeous! Such beutiful colours.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't like the one Teyla, but I'm happy you like Castiel :)

Oh, my. That is really pretty. Both of them, but I love the Cas one especially. Excellent choice of caps--he looks so quiet and tired and contemplative, as if he is snatching a moment of stillness in the middle of a battle...

Thank you so much!! Oh, Cas... I'd love to know what he's thinking :D

I had to slap this Castiel image up as my computer's wallpaper- it's that beautiful.

Oh, Castiel, he makes making pretty things much less work :D :D :D

(mmmmph, new episode tonight *flaps*)

I love filters! I too don't use them enough.
The Teyla picture is truly different, interesting, both the pose and the blurred effect coupled with the sharp black ouline. The Castiel one is just awesome. Becasue Castiel's was just perfect in it and because I love the mix of shadows, black&white and colors in that sea of gray.

Aside from just a few things, I've never really liked the filters... they just seem too, I don't know "automatic" to me, and the effects I got seemed too uniform and not very natural. Of course, I think this is because I didn't know how to use them properly :D

*hugs you up!*

oooh pretty. you have mastered the photoshop

Ha ha, I wish! Thank you, though :)

Oh god, I didn't think it was possible but you've just made that man even MORE gorgeous. Wow.

Ha ha, thank you!! But no, I really don't think that's possible ;) ;)

Those are both absolutely gorgeous!!! I knew you do something fabulous with that tutorial. Isn't that pattern stamp great? Did you know about painting with it? Because I did not know about painting with it and I was *fascinated*! And very excited. *g* It amazes me how much I don't know about Photoshop after 20 years of working with it. : ) I've just...never had need for a pattern stamp before -- or at least I thought I didn't! Clearly I was very wrong!

Thank you so much, for the lovely words and for the tutorial! I've used the pattern stamp a couple of times, but it never occurred to me to use it like this, as something to paint--as opposed to, you know, stamp--with. Yay for discovering new things!!!

Beautiful!

Grabbed the Castiel for my desktop -- have had a black and white nature shot for waaaay too long. Thanks!

Thank you so much!! I'm happy Cas has a home :D

That background is just lovely. Your use of color is just beautiful.

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