Making Ss Flowers Look Realistic..

[Pab]

I have the flowers from this month's club, but am having trouble getting them to look realistic if I use a premade paper to color them. Is there something I am missing? I use PSE8 and have tried clipping a paper to them and go through different blend modes but I don't feel any look as realistic as the examples do. Anyone have any suggestions?

[no_idea]

I'll be watching this thread, I try really hard with SS everything, and don't always get the look I want.

[Elisha]

You may want to add a Levels adjustment layer and play with that. Seems like there was a tutorial for this somewhere. I'll see if I can find it when I get home from work today - unless someone else comes up with it first!

[tiza126]

Sometimes I find that I get a better result when I use multiple layers of the same SS product. For example, if I have a SS flower that I want to color...I'll make a duplicate layer. Clip my paper to the top flower, then using blending modes on that layer, leaving the bottom layer as the original. This sometimes lets more detail through. I've even made 3 layers of the exact same flower, using different blending modes and saturation settings on each layer.

[Elisha]

Oh yea, Tiza - you reminded me! I used this method when I added a style to a ribbon. Here's the instructions I wrote:

 

I want to share with you how I applied the style to the ribbon, keeping the texture and depth. First I duplicated the ribbon, so I had two ribbon layers, one on top of the other. I applied the leopard style to the lower layer, and set the blend mode of the upper layer to Overlay. This gave me a great look, but I wanted to punch it up just a bit! I duplicated the two layers and merged the duplicate layers. With the merged layer at the top, I set the blend mode of that to soft light. This brought out even more shadows and highlights. Then I merged all the layers together and brought my new leopard print ribbon onto my layout!

 

In your case - going up in layers, have your template, then your paper set to a blend mode that works, then another layer of your template with the overlay blend mode (or whatever works). Try that! forgive me, Tiza - if that's what you said.

[MLLatscrapgirls]

I used a layer with one color and not a paper but Angela asked me to post my experiments so I did here:

 

http://scrapgirls.com.ipbhost.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=101874

 

Don't know if that will help but it will give you an idea of all the ways to do this

 

Brandy also gave another trick on the Anniversary Week videos - blow out the color on a duplicate layer and then use the color burn blending mode if you are going for a light color - please watch her video for a better explanation lol

[Pab]

Thanks ladies! I have been out getting my mums in the ground and haven't had time to try any suggestions yet. I will post my results. I don't have any trouble with just adding color, but it's been when I want to add premade papers.. So off I go to play for a bit...

[Pab]

Sometimes I find that I get a better result when I use multiple layers of the same SS product. For example, if I have a SS flower that I want to color...I'll make a duplicate layer. Clip my paper to the top flower, then using blending modes on that layer, leaving the bottom layer as the original. This sometimes lets more detail through. I've even made 3 layers of the exact same flower, using different blending modes and saturation settings on each layer.

I have used three layers before of color with the same or different blending modes. But I never thought to duplicate the actual flower layer itself. Thanks for pointing that out.

[tiza126]

Glad we could help! Play around with it and see what you end up with

[Pab]

I am done playing!! Worked much better just by adding another layer of the original template. Attached are my results. The first one is the one I didn't like the second I like much better. I think it has more detail and depth, though I still would like it a little brighter than it is. Oh by the way the paper I used to color it is KSC_BeauteBotan_LedgPpr_SupMini-1.

[Matadors and a Princess]

Thanks for this discussion...I was just wondering about this myself!

[angelaNussbaum]

So glad you got it to look so great!!! I asked the same question long ago... and i was told to do a levels adjustment on the ss product layer, and play till it looks right. i chose the black dropper and would click on the layout where i thought the ss paper was darkest... then id sample areas near to find the exact look i wanted.

 

this is the layout i started with. The paper was supposed to be a rich purple, and te ss paper crumbled... i didnt like the loss of color and lack of details:

Ucky example

 

This is the purple paper after i did the level adjustment!!

 

 

Good example

 

see the difference?

 

I hope that might help you with that technque too

[Pab]

Hmm I guess I am not understanding exactly what you are saying Angela about how to do a levels adjustment on the ss product layer. But I can definitely see the difference in the results... But I will go play some more and see if I can figure out...