Maple turns illegal;;

[illegal;;]

Hey Maple! I'm illegal, aka illy. I've been using CS3 for over a year now [going on 2], but I used a shitty little program that was like a Photoshop wanna-be for 3 years.

Anyway, what would you like to learn? From you're example, I'm going to run through the basics with you before we go anywhere else, but I want to know what your goals are. ^^

[Maple]

hey illy! it's great to finally actually be learning how to make manips, since i've basically taught myself everything i know. anyways, so i don't really know what the basics are but here are some of the things that i really need help with:

- shadows
- reflections
- water/dirt splashing example
- fiery manes/tails example
- fogging/misting
- cutting out a horse perfectly xP
- mane/tail smudging
- blending the horse in with the background

and those are the things that i can think of off the top of my head. thanks so much for choosing me to be your student! ^^

[illegal;;]

No problem! Real quick, we'll go over cutting. What tool do you use? That is quite a list! Hopefully we'll get through everything ^^

[Maple]

i usually use the quick selection tool but i've recently started to use the eraser tool, though it takes a while to erase everything xP

[illegal;;]

Have you ever tried the pen tool? It's UBER easier than erasing everything

digitalvagrant.deviantart.com/art/Pen-Tool-Extraction-44213059?q=favby%3Aillegal-designs%2F9730617&qo=68
^ Great tut.

Try following the tutorial, and cut me out a horse. Put it on a coloured background ^^

[Maple]

using just the pen tool:



pen tool & eraser:

[illegal;;]

Not bad! There's a few sharp spots here and there, but you do well cleaning up with the eraser [while I fail xD]

I think you're good there ^^ How about body smudging?

[Maple]

thanks hahaha and yes, body smudging is definitely something i need to learn and love. xP

[illegal;;]

Ah, the art of body smudging. It can be beautiful, or disastrous.

Here's the tut I used to learn;;
romino4000.deviantart.com/art/Body-Smudging-Tut-80955222?q=favby%3Aillegal-designs%2F9730617&qo=69

DO NOT USE A DAPPLED HORSE!!! Gah, it irritates me when students think they can successfully smudge a dapple horse. I can tell you, it's close to impossible.

[Maple]

i'm just gonna use the same horse for everything :3



body smudging take two!

[illegal;;]

The second one looks mucho better.

What I do when I smudge is kinda go in circles? Sort of. Not move my brush in circles, but like if I'm smudging horizontally, I would then go back over vertically to smooth out the oversmudge? See what I'm saying?

Try a different horse, looking at the same one will make me lose it. xD

[Maple]

sort of like crossing paths with it?

[illegal;;]

Yep, sort of ^^

The only thing that looks weird is the face. Next time, try a lower strength. But then again, it probably didn't help that the face had a bunch of weird lines on it xD

again my slave!

[Maple]

[illegal;;]

Bravo!! Shame on you for slacking on your cutting, but the smudge looks great!

I know, you're going to kill me... but one more!! This time, do a good cutting job! -whips-