The Ideas (part B)

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Idea Description:

Just like what I said in my previous post, the design concept of this card is about fun and creativity. Christmas is suppose to be fun, so I start on the idea to make my drawing cute and humor to attract people’s attention. Creativity is fun too. But to be creative, somehow you have to think out of box, that’s mean you have to throw away your logically mindset for a while. Let’s say, during the cold winter, it is suppose that the Santa give the white avatar a cloth to wear on. But in this card, I turn things around. So, instead of giving a cloth, I let the Santa to throw a flamethrower to the white avatar. This is something that people can’t expect. Besides that, I also include in a poem that suite with the theme “FUN”. By this little humor of Santa throwing the flamethrower to the white avatar, I hope that it will make the reader to laugh on the idea and have fun with it.

The Design:

Most of the design is being design by me using Photoshop and illustrator skill. The only two things that I took from Google is the big Xmas tree (the front one) and the Microsoft Window background picture.

References:
http://mcg1024-1051106009.blogspot.com/
http://wins.myweb.hinet.net/photoshop_cs/html/photoshop_cs.html
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The 25 Marks

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1) Applied hue & saturation effect on the background
2) Use brush tool to draw snow
3) Apply snow effect: sponge, threshold, motion blur
4) Import image to Photoshop and turn it to smart art object
5) Apply drop shadow effect on some of the drawings
6) Invent new technique to draw Santa
7) Rasterize image to allow editing
8) Create shapes using rectangle tools
9) Create chat box by merging shapes (rectangle and triangle)
10) Use pencil tool to draw object
11) Use type tool to write messages
12) Apply outer glow effect on wording
13) Apply inner shadow on some object
14) Apply strokes on words
15) Apply bevel and emboss effects on words
16) Use history brush tool to create new background
17) Use dry brush effect from filter gallery
18) Use lens flare effect on background
19) Use inner glow effect on background
20) Add vector mask to layers
21) Use rectangular marquee tools to select picture for copy and paste purpose
22) Use blending mode of color burn on the design for background
23) Use magic wand to remove unwanted part
24) Create clipping mask to serve as the window flame
25) Use line tools to draw line for the window flame
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Steps (Part 3)

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Continued from Part 2:

1) Open a new A4 size file. Import in the 1st page of greeting cards. Resize it using Ctrl+T until it fix half of the A4 page.

2) Repeat the 1st step by importing the second image.

3) Create the window flame. Duplicate the 2nd image and use the rectangular marquee tool to choose the window flame. Copy it and paste it for the 1st image. You can use line tools to adjust the broken part.

4) Finally, The work is now done.

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Steps (Part 2)

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Continued from Part 1.

1) Create an A4 size file. Use the rectangle marquee tool to select the whole picture, color it. Add the inner glow effect. Set the color for inner glow as black, blend mode as color burn. Adjust the value until you get something like this. Next, go to filter > render > Lens flare.

2) Add vector mask to the layer. Change the foreground color to be set as black. Open the grunge paper image. Go to image > adjustments > threshold. Set the value. Use rectangular marquee tool to select whole image, go to edit> define brush preset. Set the name of the newly created brush. Go back to our original file, create a new layer and click on the brush tool. At the brush tips shape, choose the brush we just created. Click once on the image and then resize it by pressing Ctrl + T. Set the blending mode to color burn.

3) Apply hue & saturation to make the image brighter.

4) Draw the snow field using brush tool.

5) Type the greeting using type tool. Apply the wording effect. I used drop shadow, outer grow and bevel and emboss.

6) Continue with the poem.

7) Import the trees to your file. Adjust their position using move tool. Apply the drop shadow effect to make it look a little bit 3D. To remove the unwanted side of the picture, use magic wand or lasso tool.

8) Created a new layer. Using rectangular marquee tool, select a long rectangular on the right hand side of the page. Use paint bucket tool and color it. Now, open the vintage flower design. Copy and paste it on the original workspace. Press Ctrl+T to resize it, make sure it is bigger than the rectangular shape we created just now. Press Ctrl +Alt then click in between the layer on the rectangular shape and the vintage flower. A clipping mask is created. Set the blending mode to soft light.

9) Duplicate the layer for 3 times. Use the move tool or Ctrl +T to resize and move the images. At the end of the step, you should have something like this. It is just like a wooden window flame. Apply some drop shadow effect to make it even more realistic.

10)Draw the Santa. The steps is same with the one I used before to create the 1st Santa.

11) Import in the white avatar.

12) Import in the fire signal image. Resize it by pressing Ctrl+T.

13) Draw the flame using Illustrator. Import in the flame.Use magic wand to remove unwanted side.

14) Draw the angry symbol and snow using brush tool.

To be continue...
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