affinity photo Do Not Adjust Your Set

[AffinityJules]

An experiment using dispersion and distortion effects.

[John Rostron]

This looks like the distortion effect that I am trying to create. How did you do it?

John

[AffinityJules]

Hi John,

This was achieved by using multiple layers.

The first 2 were the standard dispersion techniques using identical layers, one with a white mask, and the other black. Masking out areas with dispersion brushes. The result was then blurred slightly to help the colour merge.

On one layer I used the COLUMN MARQUEE tool on the woman then copied that and stretched it out across to the TV set. (1 vertical row of pixels stretched out).

On one layer I used a ZOOM BLUR on full range and centered it just behind the woman.

On one layer I used the RIPPLE effect on a low setting (just enough to see the waves). OVERLAY BLEND. GAUSSIAN BLUR.

On one layer I used MOTION BLUR on a mid setting.

After that it was a case of adjusting the opacities of all layers until I got the desired result with this picture.

Made a few colour alterations and used a film grain Nik filter on the master.

Hope that explains it.

EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention; All modified layers were adjusted using the perspective tool so that they all lined up!

[casterle]

9 hours ago, AffinityJules said:

standard dispersion techniques

Where can I learn more about this?

[AffinityJules]

The basic method is very straight forward and there are several video tutorials out there showing the method.

Here's a couple. The top video is for the iPad but the techniques are the same.

 

[casterle]

4 hours ago, AffinityJules said:

The basic method is very straight forward and there are several video tutorials out there showing the method.

Here's a couple. The top video is for the iPad but the techniques are the same.

Thank you! That was indeed easy to understand. 

In software development we have 'Design Patterns', a toolbox of various language-agnostic methods of accomplishing a given result with names like 'Observer', 'Singleton' and 'Decorator'. 

It seems to me that the 'Dispersion Technique' is something similar. If I were interested in learning about Design Patterns there are numerous resources available both in print and on line. 

Where can I learn more about these generic techniques used by image artists?

[AffinityJules]

3 hours ago, casterle said:

In software development we have 'Design Patterns', a toolbox of various language-agnostic methods of accomplishing a given result with names like 'Observer', 'Singleton' and 'Decorator'. 

Where can I learn more about these generic techniques used by image artists?

I'm sorry, I have never heard of those terms you have mentioned so I have no idea what you are referring to.

Maybe someone else in here will know what you mean?

[casterle]

1 hour ago, AffinityJules said:

I'm sorry, I have never heard of those terms you have mentioned so I have no idea what you are referring to.

Maybe someone else in here will know what you mean?

For example, when John said "This looks like the distortion effect that I am trying to create. How did you do it?" you knew what 'distortion effect' meant. When a programmer uses a pattern, other programmers know what that pattern means and thus knows something about the design.

I imagine there are other common terms like 'distortion effect' used to convey how part of am image was created. I'm looking for those terms so I can find instructions to create the effect. 

As I learn more about AP it becomes less important that the instructions are specific to AP (they can be program-agnostic) as long as there is a way to accomplish the same thing in AP which, as I am finding, there generally is. A good example is the use of the right panel in Blend Options as a more capable substitute for PS's Blend If, for which their are amazing uses.

[AffinityJules]

14 hours ago, casterle said:

For example, when John said "This looks like the distortion effect that I am trying to create. How did you do it?" you knew what 'distortion effect' meant. When a programmer uses a pattern, other programmers know what that pattern means and thus knows something about the design.

I imagine there are other common terms like 'distortion effect' used to convey how part of am image was created. I'm looking for those terms so I can find instructions to create the effect. 

As I learn more about AP it becomes less important that the instructions are specific to AP (they can be program-agnostic) as long as there is a way to accomplish the same thing in AP which, as I am finding, there generally is. A good example is the use of the right panel in Blend Options as a more capable substitute for PS's Blend If, for which their are amazing uses.

Your best course of action is to check out all the video tutorials which can be found in here, they cover all aspects of using Affinity Photo.

[casterle]

4 hours ago, AffinityJules said:

Your best course of action is to check out all the video tutorials which can be found in here, they cover all aspects of using Affinity Photo.

Yes, and they're very good, but not exactly what I'm looking for.

I've hijacked this thread - I'll start another.

[AffinityJules]

1 hour ago, casterle said:

I've hijacked this thread - I'll start another.

Oh that's ok, it doesn't bother me.

That's what the comments section is for.

[v_kyr]

Well the above reference more what we commonly (re)use in software engineering, namely some well known and described design patterns. - Similar in graphics there are also certain well named techniques and/or effects available (dispersion effect, splatter effect, disintegration/pixel explosion effect etc.), even a child might have several namings here (...also known as).

[casterle]

50 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Well the above reference more what we commonly (re)use in software engineering, namely some well known and described design patterns. - Similar in graphics there are also certain well named techniques and/or effects available (dispersion effect, splatter effect, disintegration/pixel explosion effect etc.), even a child might have several namings here

Exactly. I'm looking for the GoF book for image manipulation.

[v_kyr]

Not sure how the right terminology to use or search after in the graphics domain would be here, but most book titles are instead more about image processing than manipulation...

• Best Digital Image Processing Books You Must Read

• 45 Best Image Processing Books of All Time

Also I doubt that such effects like the one used in this thread here are then the theme of such books, since that's more an artistic one and nothing dealing with common graphics basics from ground up.

[casterle]

1 minute ago, v_kyr said:

most book titles are instead more about image processing than manipulation

Yup. I've found all kinds of technical info about algorithms and such but not much on the artistic side of things. I'll look through the links you provided and see if something clicks.

[v_kyr]

You probably have to look instead after motion and particle design in graphics for such related topics. And specific PS tutorials.

[casterle]

3 hours ago, v_kyr said:

You probably have to look instead after motion and particle design in graphics for such related topics. And specific PS tutorials.

Searching for "photo manipulation" rather than "image manipulation" has been more fruitful. What I'm finding are a lot of PS videos, which is OK, but nothing generic. I hadn't found the link you provided, so thanks for that.

[v_kyr]

There's one guy who always made very complex PS actions out of such stuff (dispersion, sandstorm ... etc. but I've forgotten his name and website link, he often also sells these PS actions  at several web services) and also made some tutorials on how to make that stuff via PS. I think some of the effects shown here are initially from that person, who somehow specialized on such effect things:

• http://www.designfreebie.com/best-dispersion-photoshop-action-collection/