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Digital Photo Tricks and Fun

new:  added hints and tips for Corel Photo Paint 8 and similar programs

Complete Photo Image

Take a good look at the photo just below this and to the right.  It would seem to be a scene from a village in South-Western England called Wooten-Bassett.  However, as you look closer, you might notice that it does not look quite real.  What is real in this photo?  Absolutely nothing.  It was entirely created of the tools within Corel Photo Paint 8.  While villages in South-Western England may not be your thing, some of the techniques to create this fantasy photo may be helpful.

The following steps were used to make the photo

1. Basic blocks.  Three rectangles, with black borders and white insides were used stretching across the entire width to define the building area, the sidewalk area, and the curb area.  White insides were used since we knew the insides would be filled in later.

2. Doors and Windows - Doors were added using the Corel Photo Paint 8 image sprayer.  Under "buildings" in the Corel Directory were doors.  Even though one can change the size of images and hence the doors, we left them the standard size.  We just clicked and erased each door till we had the desired door in the desired spot.  We added steps beneath each door with the rectangle tool.  Windows were made using the simple rectangle tool - again with white insides and black border.

3. Brick and Stone - The fill tool was used.  Note that the fill tool - aside from solid colors - can also use preset patterns called "bitmap patterns" that can be selected when viewing the "tool settings" for the fill tool.  One can then press "edit" and load the pattern of their choice.  Note that one can also change the size of the fill item after it is "loaded" by again pressing "edit" and modifying the size.  The buildings each used a different brick pattern - each about 1/3 the normal size.  The street was a third brick pattern, about 1/2 the normal size.  The sidewalk and curb stones were also selected.  The brick and stone fill patterns were under "stone" in the Corel fill pattern load area and like all else here, came with the standard software Corel Photo Paint 8 package..

4. Mailbox and Car - Ahh, these were harder.  We wanted a British mailbox, and then also a car that would be likely in England.  So we searched the net for "photo plus mailbox" and then "photo plus Mercedes".  Finding reasonable pictures of each, we copied them, and then loaded them into Corel.  We used the "freehand mask tool" to cut around each image, so we could capture the image itself and not any surrounding color or background.  Using the ".cpt" version thus created of each, we then used "image resample" to make the image the right size to blend in well in our picture.  Then we just dropped them both in, one at a time, at the desired location for each.

5. Car Paint - The car we had selected looked gray, and did not fit into our otherwise color picture.  So, we used the airbrush and blue paint to give it a new paint job.  To be sure, the air brush takes talent - which we pretty much ignored and just painted it quickly, trying to get shading that would look reasonable.

6. Signs - Signs were made with the rectangle tool and the text tool.  That one was easy.

7. The dog, the hardware, the hats - these items were done with the Corel image sprayer again.  Yes, dogs, hardware and hats are just some of the "for-free" images that come with Corel Photo Paint 8.  Note again that one can adjust the size of the image before using.  All image items were carefully adjusted in size to match the overall photo.

8. Shading - the primary shading tool used for shadows and overall photo shading was the "brightness" control - set at various times from about -15 (fairly dark) to maybe -6  (somewhat dark).  Some airbrush was also used for finishing touches.  We also used the "clone" tool for repairs as needed.

9. We added a few different types of leaves and rocks - again with the image sprayer, and then ...Done!  Again, if one actually took more time, such as 20 minutes instead of 15, the photo might even look more realistic.  However, I think even this photo does somewhat show the power of some of the features of a powerful photo package as Corel Photo Paint 8.

SUMMARY

Hope you enjoyed this photo section.  It gives the techniques and tricks that I personally use.  It may also make you wonder the next time you see a digital photo - what in there is really for real?

- owner of rpsoft 2000 software

new:  added hints and tips for Corel Photo Paint 8 and similar programs

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