Where do you learn...?

thecharmed01 · 07-15-2009, 05:38 AM

how to do the fancy layouts with photos fading into backgrounds and the like?
I have been browsing the galleries and some of the layouts are just amazing!

I get a bit stuck, I have lots of ideas, but then when I put them together they dont always look as good as I would like, so I end up rebuilding them over and over again.
Is coming up with interesting layouts part of the learning process? And are there places I can go that will teach me how to make the ideas in my head come out so to speak?

For example, I saw a neat layout here;
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com...p?photo=325136

I just fell in love with the way it was done, the way the photo fades out from the top AND both sides, but is clear under the frame.
I would love to know how to do this!!

Another thing I have been fighting with, is getting text to bend without warping in Photoshop......
I have a monkey face I want to use, and I would like the text to curve in a half circle under his chin but cant for the life of me figure it out!!!!

Any help would be hugely appreciated!!!

I found a tutorial that showed me how to fade part of a picture in Photoshop but I could only get one side to the other to fade, not 3 directions.
I also couldnt get the specific area clear without the fade being too much.... if you get what I mean?

nafeesa · 07-15-2009, 06:14 AM

PMed you

*scamptx* · 07-15-2009, 07:32 AM

And don't feel too bad-- Mars is an absolute master at all things digital.

There are some great classes and tutorials here at DSP, in addition to hit and miss ones on the web.

The most important thing, IMHO, is to keep playing. Try something with no expectations. It will come!

debilou · 07-15-2009, 08:22 AM

Gosh, you happened to pick a layout by Mars - who is one of the best at what she does... her layouts are awesome, aren't they... but, she didn't get there overnight...

DSP has some wonderful classes, great tutorials...

As far as your text bending... what version of photoshop do you have... can you post what you have.. and someone will be right by to help!

*diturpin* · 07-15-2009, 08:58 AM

I agree with what was said above. The tutorials here are great and you might want to check in to getting a mentor. I'll be back with the link in a minute. Mentoring is a 3 month cycle and it just started at the beginning of this month so the next one won't start until October. The great thing about mentoring is that they pair you with someone who uses your same software. And it is great to have someone to say "How'd they do that?" to.

Here's the mentoring link: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com...y/mentor.shtml

**Teresa** · 07-15-2009, 09:25 AM

LOL---EVERYONE wants to scrap like Mars. She is fantastic. Study her work and ask her questions. She is a delightful person.

Don't give up.

*Kathleen* · 07-15-2009, 12:24 PM

I can make some suggestions on blending and text on a path, but can you tell me what version of Photoshop you are using?

thecharmed01 · 07-15-2009, 05:02 PM

Well thanks to the very very amazingly halpful nafeesa, I think I got a bit more of a grasp on blending, but am still in the dark about the whole text on a path thing.

I am using Adobe CS4 and I have googled tutorials, but cant seem to get it.
I can get text into a shape, so it fills a shape....
But when it bends, it always seems to warp which I dont want....

Any help would be fabulous!!
I have read every tutorial here I found on the page of them and bookmarked them for reference LOL

I would LOVE a mentor if there are any in the Southern Hemisphere who are night owls, or northern who are on during your day LOL

*Kathleen* · 07-15-2009, 09:57 PM

Text on a path ... this baffled me for a while, and now I don't know why because it seems so easy. Have a look at these tutorials:

Adobe Photoshop Text Tutorial: Creating Text On A Path

Adobe Photoshop Type on a Closed Path

Try a simple circle or square first, and then learn more about the pen tool and you can make any shape you want!

Let me know if these help, or if you have looked at them before and it still isn't working.

thecharmed01 · 07-16-2009, 12:57 AM

Oooh that first one was great!!!!

I have read several and just couldnt get it as CS4 is slightly different with where controls are, but that particular tutorial was much nicer than the tutorials I have!

Thank you so much!!

smarttr7 · 07-16-2009, 10:08 AM

Yeah, I'm glad this was posted! One more thing I've just learned!
Thanks once again Kathleen!

*Lynnie* · 07-16-2009, 11:12 AM

Best thing about this place is the membership! You can always find someone to help with anything you want!

allsmilz61772 · 07-16-2009, 04:24 PM

when you see a layout you like or a part of one etc, ask. Most people are generous and will try to explain or even lead you to a tutorial that they used

thecharmed01 · 07-16-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diturpin

I agree with what was said above. The tutorials here are great and you might want to check in to getting a mentor. I'll be back with the link in a minute. Mentoring is a 3 month cycle and it just started at the beginning of this month so the next one won't start until October. The great thing about mentoring is that they pair you with someone who uses your same software. And it is great to have someone to say "How'd they do that?" to.

Here's the mentoring link: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com...y/mentor.shtml

I went to that page, but it looks like tis for people who want to be a mentor?
Not who want one.....?

allsmilz61772 · 07-16-2009, 05:22 PM

i still say you ask as you see something you want to learn, one mentor would be fabulous, but no one person knows everything and certainly not everything thats to your taste. Most people will help you out with something they did if you ask.