June 2010 - Dress the car

The original:

The brief:

As I was cycling through London yesterday, I came across an intriguing grass-covered car. 

It was covered in artificial grass to advertise a company called Easigrass, which makes - you've guessed it - artificial grass. 

And it led me to think: what else could we cover a car with, to advertise what kind of services or products? I've provided the car - all you have to do is cover it.

Finished work:

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May 2010 - The unwinding head

The original:

The brief:

I've just done a tutorial on the 'unwinding ribbon' effect devised by M C Escher, and I think it's an interesting technique for us all to have a go at. 

Taking this head as a starting point, can you unwind it in the most appealing way possible? I'll post the location of my tutorial next week, so you can compare your version with my own attempt. 

Finished work: (I told her not to pole-dance so fast!)

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The gondolier

The originals:

 

The brief:

I had a fantastic time in Venice last weekend, which must be the most spectacular city I've ever visited. Everywhere you look, the city is simply beautiful. 

Go round any corner and you'll come across a scene like this. Of course, this view would be greatly improved with the addition of a gondola. Luckily, I have one here. Those seats do look very empty, though... 

Finished work: (going rather off-brief for once!)

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March 2010 - The caveman cometh (HTCIPS)

The original:

The brief:

I had to do a job yesterday that involved a walking caveman. Curiously, even Wikipedia didn't have any photos, so I started from scratch by building this Poser model. After that, I went on to add... well, what needs adding? Can you turn this hairless ape into a convincing neanderthal? 

Finished work:

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March 2010 - a block of ice (HTCIPS)

The original:

The brief:

A technique challenge this week. Here's the word ICE, set in Myriad Bold. Can you make this look like the lettering is made out of a block of ice? 

There are several approaches to this one - I'll be interested to see what you all come up with. 

Finished work:

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February 2010 - appy Birthday, Photoshop

The original:

The brief:

You're probably all aware that it's the 20th anniversary of Photoshop. Those nice people at Adobe sent me this rather magnificent cake - far too good to cut open. 

To save me breaking the cake apart, can you show me how it would look with a slice cut out of it? 

Finished work:

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February 2010 - A load of tripe

The original:

The brief:

I photographed this derelict shop front near London's Smithfield meat market. What an interesting approach to selling bits of animal! Clearly, marketing wasn't their strong point. 

But how might this shop have looked in its prime? And what on earth does dressed tripe look like?

Finished work:

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February 2010 - Kami Kaze mission

The original:

The brief:

This plane is the A6M Zero, which was used in kami kaze missions in the Pacific in World War II. The 3D model I've used here isn't the best quality, but it shows the shape of the plane clearly enough. 

Can you breathe life into this rather flat model? 

Finished work: (those remote control geeks are a menace!)

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January 2010 - Aargh! Perspective! (HTCIPS)

The original:

The brief:

Several of you had problems with perspective in the last Challenge, matching the angle of view of the saucer to the viewpoint of the scenes you chose to place it in. So I thought it was time for another of those perspective Challenges that I know you all love so much. 

I photographed this locker room with a wide angle lens, and there's some significant distortion as a result. Here's what I want you to do: 

1. Open one of the doors on the locker. 

2. Close one of the doors on the changing cubicles. 

3. Add any other elements you like - but be sure to make them match the perspective of the scene! 

Of course, the forum being what it is, I don't expect any of you to stop there... 

Finished work:

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January 2010 - It came from space

The original:

The brief:

I was contacted recently by a researcher who investigates UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) - alien spaceships, in other words. He asked me to look at a bunch of images of sightings of the same UFO, and tell him how they were faked. I used every technique I could think of and couldn't find obvious construction signs. 

And that made me think: just how easy would it be to make a convincing UFO image? Take this rather obvious toy spaceship. How would you go about making this look like the real thing? I'm after as much realism as you can manage here. Use all your Photoshop wizardry in this one! 

Finished work:

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January 2010 - Challenge 10 (TIPF)

The original:

My version: The stork is on strike!

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January 2010 - More snow on the way (HTCIPS)

The original:

The brief:

With Great Britain united under a blanket of snow this week, there's been almost no other topic of conversation - it fills the news headlines, as people get stuck in their cars and homes. We're also running out of salt for gritting the roads. 

So, being that time of year, it seems appropriate to add some of the seasonal white stuff to this Tudor house. I'd like a snowman outside the door if you can manage it - the rest is up to you! 

Finished work:

Click to view full.

December 2009 - Pop my cork (HTCIPS)

The original:

The brief:

It's been a spectacular year here on the forum. We've seen outstanding work from just about everyone, with some huge leap forwards in Photoshop ability. With a range of new members who now seem like they've always been here, the forum continues to provide expert and friendly advice to all visitors. 

So it's in the spirit of Christmas and the New Year that I propose a toast to all forum members, past, present and future. The only problem is, I can't get the cork out of the champagne bottle... can you help? 

Finished work:

Click for full size picture.