Montage

[chahncer]

In the days of hand drawn/painted graphic images people used scalpels to cut out stuff to make montages and stuck them down with Lepage School Paste. In 1989 Barney Scanners (these were the roller type) gave away some image editing software called BarneyScan XP. I bought a second hand scanner and the software was a surpise when I opened the box, it was a BS XP clone called ProImage Plus for Windows, I was on ver 3.11

Years later I was able to buy a s/h Ps6+7upgrade on eBay with a licence, to my surprise the layout was the same as ProImage Plus and it would blend layers. I was given some instruction on how to cut out images using the Pen tool and then converting that Path to a Selection. Despite all the claims made for all sorts 'new' and fast methods of cutting out it remains the only sure way of doing it properly.

Having grasped that and also using, Curves, Feather, Hue/Saturation and Colour Balance. I found myself at the edge of a cliff, whatever was I going to use to make a multiple image. A far bigger problem than a few and easy software steps and something faced by every artist in front of a blank white sheet.

A burnt door, plus some logs found in a metal basket, the blue in the figure was done 'off image' pasted back in and partially blended into the other images.

J

 

[chahncer]

I began this with some boulders that had been tumbled down a steep slope to cover the entrance of an old mine, to that I added a cable winding drum and a small winch and then added the figure.

The layers were blended some partially and others split into two and the parts blended separately. The final image was Desaturated and then given a Duotone. Lastly I used the Clone tool to lighten, darken and increase the contrast in small areas.

What I wanted was to make the image glow from the inside and this can only be achieved with a back lit screen.

J

 

[chahncer]

Photos in our little garden, a terracotta bird feeder, paving slabs, back of the doormat, comPOST bag, white Rose, and me, and under it all a Gradient.



Images for montage can be found anywhere.

J

 

[chahncer]

Starting with the grille I took out the holes and put a bit of cardbord and some tree branches behind it, added the leaves and me posing 'en femme'. Used a gradient under the whole lot to get the nice colours.



Cheers