Advanced_Photoshop_Issue_136_-_2015_UK_

(Brent) #1
3D TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP CC
Not everyone has the time, money, or inclination to
master 3D modelling. And if you want to be able to
import 3D models into your own work but also be
able to manipulate them sufficiently so they feel
like they’re yours, well, Photoshop CC can do that.
Mayers thinks this is a great way of working: “It’s a
bit like using stock photos because someone else
has already done all the hard work in creating the
model. I used this method of importing several
models in my piece Future City. The imported
models were used in a way not originally intended
to create the buildings. Many 3D models come
supplied with Photoshop textures or bump maps; if
not you can use an app called UVMapper which
enables you to create texture maps based on the
object’s UV coordinates. Photoshop also allows you
to modify or update your textures on 3D models in
real-time, which is a great feature.”
According to Koch, another “interesting trick is to
use basic 3D objects for retouching complex photos,
aligning objects in perspective and using them to
generate depth maps to give depth of field effects or
volumetric depth fog, these layers will be rasterized

NO 3D PRINTER? GET YOUR 3D
DESIGNS PRINTED VIA THE CLOUD

3D PRINTING
SERVICES VIA
PHOTOSHOP CC


  1. SHAPE WAYS
    http://www.shapeways.com
    One of the first players in the 3D printing game,
    Shapeways also has a marketplace so you can sell the
    jewellery, toys or art that you have designed. You can
    pick from plastics, metals and ceramics to print with.

  2. SCULPTEO
    http://www.sculpteo.com/en/
    Sculpteo too has a marketplace where you can sell
    your 3D printed products. There are different design
    guidelines, depending on what material you want to
    print with, but the site has plenty of information to
    make sure your models pass muster.

  3. MAKERBOT
    http://www.makerbot.com
    The MakerBot 3D Printed Products service allows you
    to order from as few as 50 units of your design, or,
    alternatively, you could splash out on a MakerBot
    Replicator and print as many or as need as you need.

  4. I.MATERIALIZE
    http://www.imaterialize.com
    An online 3D printing service for anyone with an eye
    for design. You can turn your ideas into 3D printed
    reality. Then share it with the online comminity.


and then deformed to fit precisely with the
picture. This trick is extremely interesting for
texturing photos too! giving some dirt on walls or
even a adding details like dirt, mud, rust to a car for
example, it could have many more applications, it is
just a matter of experimenting with it, I find this
technique super interesting to give final details for
the finishing process.”
Because no matter how good a model you’ve
built, or how expensive a model you’ve bought, the
finished result can still look lifeless if you can’t
wrangle Photoshop properly. Fawke notes: “It is
your job as an artist to be creative in bringing the
image to life. Photoshop has a wealth of adjustment
control to help transform your 3D renders (produced
in or out of Photoshop). Try new things, experiment
with adjustment layers, add colour, change blending
modes, use your masks. Emphasise your lights and
shadows. The biggest tip I can offer is to always look
at reference material. Materials and light react
differently than you may think. Look at the contours
of edges, study reflections, then tweak settings, play
around and try to replicate what you see.”

TECHNIQUES 3D & PHOTOSHOP: THE COMPLETE GUIDE


© Cris Koch

© Andrei Lacatusu
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