French Fashion Prints Photoshop

Just playing around with new Photoshop filters. Changed 200 year old print into painting... lots of fun.

Empire Lady & Dog

Book Covers and Christmas Cards

Browsing thru Amazon's Kindle Regencys I came across this book http://www.amazon.com/Greetings-Season-Stories-Barbara-Metzger-ebook/dp/B00GA2AS54/ref=pd_sim_kstore_71, which I naturally purchased.  I thought I'd add another picture for the cover.  Can't review the book, as I haven't read it yet, but it looks promising.  I'm rather flattered that they used my image, but [tossing head]. I wish I'd got a little credit, maybe a link to my (long neglected because my daughter HOGS the scanner all the time! Also I'm writing.) Blog.

I always wanted the gorgeous fashion plates from Ackermann's, Costume Parisien, Ladies Magazine (and others) to be used as book covers, and its gratifying to see it finally being done, though sadly, not very well. At least, not as well as my efforts.

http://athousandpix.blogspot.com/2011/09/regency-christmas-card2-2011.html
http://athousandpix.blogspot.com/2011/08/regency-christmas-cards.html

Costume Parisien 

Costume Parisien

Costume Parisien, before & after

Costume Parisien Fashion Plate

La Belle Assemblee Sept 1807

I'm having difficulty scanning from the center of the book, as you can see by the blurring on the left side of the fashion plate.  I finally broke down and ordere a "hand scanner", which will arrive some time next week.

La Belle Assemblee September 1807

July 1807 La Belle Assemblie

Mob Cap

La Bell Assemblee, Princess of Wales

 

I'm having a little trouble scanning these. Even with my "new, improved" scanner. Some of the fashion plates are actually crammed into the binding of the book. I don't think even cutting them out (sacrilege!) would work.

La Belle Assemblie June 1807

Ladies' Monthly Museum 1816 April

April 1816 Ladies' Monthly Museum Fashion

Ladies' Monthly Museum Scan

Morning & Evening Costumes for March 1816

February 1816

Creating a Cut-out Lace picture

Layer 3 above Lace Background.

Making a Lace design/insert

I'll start with just a "shape" from the Photoshop Elements shape files.

Open your finished "lace" Photoshop.  It should have 2 layers: the dark-colored background and the white "lace".

1)  Create a new layer (3) above layer 2. 

2)  Make sure your pallet has "white" as the top color.


3)  Use the SHAPE tool to create a suitable insert.  I chose a fleur-de-lis.

4)  Go to LAYERS and apply:  Simplify Layer.  SAVE the object in SELECT filter.

Fleur-de-lis: simplified

5)  SELECT the object (fleur-de-lis)
    
Go to  EDIT filter and assign 50% Opacity.
    
Assign FILL pallet with PATTERN.
    
For the Pattern: Chose the ARTIST's SURFACES pallet, and apply: GAUZE preset (64x64 pixels, greyscale to the fleur-de-lis).  Now the fleur-de-lis looks a bit like Linen.

Fleur-de-lis with "gauze" filter added.

6) Select Object (fleur-de-lis)
7)  Go to EDIT filter and select STROKE.  Chose a width proportional to your design.  On this one I chose 6 pixels on the OUTSIDE the object.
 
Opacity: 100% (of the preset 50% GRAY).  APPLY. 
The outline should be slightly grey.

8)  Save the outline selection, Select the Outline. 

Fleur-de-lis with OUTLINE (greyish) added outside.

9)  Go to FILTER:  Add Noise.  
Set Add Noise to monochromatic, set Distribution: Uniform, Noise Amount:  25%.  

APPLY to outline of object.

10)  Go to FILTER: Motion Blur.  
Set Motion Blur to 0 Angle, 5 Pixels long.  APPLY

Fleur-de-lis with "Noise" added, and then 5 pix Motion Blur

11)  Before next step make your Pallets have the  25% grey on top, 50% grey background.

12)   Go to FILTER: Sketch: BAS RELIEF
        Chose: Detail: 15;  Smoothness: 2

Bas Relief & Sharpen applied

13)  Go to ENHANCE filter.  Apply: Auto Sharpen (or sharpen as much as you like. The outline is supposed to look as if it were embroidered.)

14)  In ENHANCE filter go to: Adjust Lighting: LEVELS.  In the (default) RGB channel, adjust the Far right lightness setting to 215.  
Adjust the Middle Lightness Setting to 0.90 
Leave other settings at default.

LEVELS adjustment added

 15)  To add some wrinkles, Apply the DISTORT: Liquify filter, Brush Size: 100, Brush Pressure: 20  
(Obviously the size & pressure are adjusted with the size & type of the picture you are making). 

Now the Design Image is starting to look a little 3-Dimensional.

Liquify Filter (20%) added.

I'll do something more challenging & fun tomorrow. 

Costume Parisien

Early French Revolution Dresses

Some of these dresses were made of such sheer fabric (often muslin) the ladies claimed the entire dress would fit in a teacup.

More Early French Republic Fashion Plates for MEN

Costume Parisien, An. 7.

Costume Parisien, An. 7

Costume Parisien: Men

Costume Parisien An.11

Costume Parisien, very early pub. 1797.

Costume Parisien 1807

Costume Parisien Fashion Plate

A couple from 1814. Gentleman looks like Cary Grant!

Costumes Parisien, 1814

A couple more fashion prints from Costumes Parisien, these with couples. Funny mixture of formal & informal.  That is, who would wear a straw hat and carry a parasol to a Ball?  But maybe that was the fashion then!

Costume Parisien Empire Fashion Plate

French Empire Fashion Plate

While looking thru my files for scans that might make a nice "Regency Valentine's Day Card" I found nested file-within-file a folder labeled "MISC Scans". Full of gorgeous scans, mostly of French fashion plates. So I am looking forward to hours of nit-picky photoshop fun.  Heh.