softening game photos

What process does one use to soften a photo sourced texture to make it appear as a semi-handed drawn finished product? And I don't mean Filter - Blur... or Filter - Artistic - Anything ..... I have seen MANY textures in game that have gone this route, and to me it can appear substandard. (btw, I'm not speaking of clothing textures) ....

thanks

a second layer with a translucent/semi transparent color to it? just a guess but i think that keeps the integrity of the original layer but applies a soft glow to it by having that second layer.

I'm not sure what you mean by your description of the effect you're going for, but since you seem deadset against using filters, I'd suggest you explore the burn, dodge, & sponge tools, as well as the blur & sharpen tools, and the clone stamp & healing brushes. You might also want to play with layer blending options.

I'm just stabbing in the dark here though, because I really have no idea what you mean by "soften a photo sourced texture to make it appear as a semi-handed drawn finished product".

Thanks for the tip, Blaidd. I'm not sure if that will give me exactly what I'm looking for, however it's worth experimenting.

It's not that I'm "deadset against" fliters, Chosen. The problem is I have yet to see a "good" combination, or been able to produce one that effectively works, or is convincing. If you can suggest filter tips, then please do so. I stated it that way because I didn't want posts saying "blur it, duh". No, because thats not what Im looking for. Not a dreamy look, but a softer, more cartoonish or better yet, 3d look.

For example...On professional texture sites, ie 3d total, they show examples of their textures post production. Then, they show you examples of the textures you'll receive when you buy. However, as you can see, the textures that are post production look slightly different than straight photos. I'm assuming that is because of the rendering process in a 3D type program. But what can be done in PS to get that same look. Which to me is a softer more "hand drawn" 3D look.

Hope that clears things up slightly.

Thanks

There's a lot of stuff on 3Dtotal. Can you link some pictures of the kind of effect you're talking about?

http://www.3dtotal.com/services/cds_new/v10/tree_leaf02.htm

http://www.3dtotal.com/services/cds_new/v10/artist_choblet_summer.htm


may not be the same leaf, just trying to show you what I mean.

The textures in the birdhouse picture has a slight "hand drawn" quality to it. Or, a 3D quality. And like I said, that most likely happens in the rendering process in say, Maya, Lightwave, ect. (I'm not a 3D artist, but I'm a professional amateur in PS, so I don't know the correct terms)

Subtlety and combination are often key to avoiding that "pshop filter look". For example, I just took a raw SL BMP file, duped the base layer, ran Filter->Artistic->Poster Edges on the top layer and set its opacity to 20%. It yielded a pleasingly painterly version of the image.

Experimentation is key: duplicate layers often, try new approaches, turn on and off visibility of your modified layers. Most pshop filters are extreme, tempering them is the artist's job. Good luck.

Go get this free plugin: http://www.optikvervelabs.com/ You want the Virtual Photographer plugin.

I will take my photos in SL, do my tweaking, corrections, etc ... and then duplicate the layer. I will use Virtual Photographer (my exact settings are of course a trade secret *grin* ) on the copied layer, then use the layer modes and other tools to soften the effect and apply it to the layer underneath.

That birdhouse is done via a combination of Layers, Blur, Sharpen, and color manipulation. You can clear see that the background, birdhouse and foreground are on totally different layers in order to create a 3D effect. No single tool will give you this effect.

Have you tried to get another layer on top of it in a colour you like and then turn down the opacity of it, or am a thing far too simple here??

*AE*