Smoke Rings Anyone?

[GB1]

Do any of your Photoshop gurus know how to create smoke rings in CS5...?

There's a video tutorial online (Google and you will see), but it doesn't work when I try it.

gb

[Mikeyfin]

no that would be so cool though. hope someone replies!!

[Medley]

Thanks G. Now you have me tinkering in PS, using up MORE of my precious free time.

I think doing smoke in PS is a lot like doing fire- I've not seen a tutorial yet that beats the real thing (or really even comes close).

Unless you're looking for a particular effect (such as placing an image in the smoke), I think your best bet is to set up some stock shots. I know that you can buy canned smoke, for use in testing smoke alarms (because really, what good does it do to know the button works?). I could see making modifications that produce smoke rings.

But as I said, I'm still tinkering. If I come up with something, I'll let you know.

- Joe U.

[SalamanderStrikes]

Hey, I just read this post. Are you wanting the smoke to be based off of a stock photo of smoke, or to "create" smoke using brush tools etc. on PhotoShop CS5?
I know you can make good smoke rings just from a lit cigarette held vertically Upwards and "bounce" the lit cigarette. I don't smoke, never had, but my older sister showed me this years ago.


I personally only use Photoshop Elements 7, but my dad uses an older version of CS at home computer. I've uesd self-taught photoshoping since 2004 (with previous PSE versions) and I used to only use it as a program to draw with. Would it be of help at all if I try "creating" smoke rings from brushes etc. or stock photos (although I don't have time to flaff on PS until 29th or 30th)?

[GB1]

Salamander -

I was thinking more about creation; cutting and pasting from an existing photograph leads to a number of problems. Not impossible, but you often have problems when dealing with the contrast, density, transparency, .... Of course, creating them has its own issues too, like making them believable.

There's a neat tutorial online on this, but argggg, instead of listing out the steps so the viewer can actually see what to do, it's in more of a 'MTV commercial' format. I must be missing a step or two because I can't recreate it - try viewing this and see if you can make heads or tails of it

Photoshop Tutorial: Creating A Smoke Ring - YouTube


G

[SalamanderStrikes]

There's a neat tutorial online on this, but argggg, instead of listing out the steps so the viewer can actually see what to do, it's in more of a 'MTV commercial' format.

That video tutorial looks a bit. . ghastly?! Couldn't see most of the window.

Sorry, I slightly forgot about this post I made - I've never used forums before, this account is my first time using it, and it slipped my mind with my usual quick scan on DeviantART cheking etc. being below the priotiy of email checking.

Hmm, yes, I'll have a go! I'll try it out tomorrow. What sort of image are you wanting it on? Black/darkish background or a . . non-black background? I'll attempt it with out a background as such [the wee cheques visible] and see how that goes with various sorts of backgrounds. Could potentially video it, if I instal a free and safe program for 'recording' the screens, as I was going to do so for PSE7 'quick' sketch drawing things.

But I'll probably just be working on PhotoShop Elements 7.0 as it is on my Vista laptop with my tablet pen installed, but I might have a fumble on I think it's a CS1 (but it's on an XP, although it's also got a tablet pen).

[SalamanderStrikes]

Ok, my first attempt at a smoke ring on Photoshop Elements 7.0

1) with a background photo plonked into the background:
http://forums.photographyreview.com/...und.jpghttp://

2) the above with black background:
http://forums.photographyreview.com/...background.jpg

And the same smoke ring, but with a bluer tinge added:




I tried making a video as I made this using CamStudio, but the avi files seem to have some sort of a problem for only that file (but none of my tests of CamStudio)..

The thinnest lines are in the top-most layer, with a unsharp default brush 1px to 3 px max with opacity 13% max. Below the thinnest lines within the ring itself, 6% opacity ~13px.
Four layers in total, which I used the erazor tool lightly in the underlayers later one making this.
The smudge tool wasn't great at all. I thougth I could do it so qucikly with it, but when I zoomed in, the low opacity background-ish lines for the smoke ring appeared pixlated and jagged and horrible. I quickly went over these areas with the blur tool (from 79 - 100% Strength) to get rid of that.