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. 

Making Lace in Photoshop/Photoshop Elements 6

I'm going to try to explain how I made the lace & cut-out cover, for those who are interested.

I used Photoshop Elements #6, so I think most anyone could reproduce the effects I managed.

Hmm. Where to start?  Well, let's start with the small (background) lace:

Finished "Background" of lace, without inserts or cut-outs.

STEP 1:  Set pallet to whatever cover background you want, with WHITE as the Top color.

Fill layer with your dark color, then duplicate layer.


On duplicated layer go to "TEXTURE" filter.

Use "Texture": Stained Glass.

Cell size: 8,   Border thickness: 6

Light intensity: 0 

(Border color should be White)

"Stained Glass" filter applied to blue copy of background.

"Select" dark background color, then use "Similar" tool to select ALL of the dark color.

DELETE dark background color (color will show through from the layer beneath).

Switch pallet background color to White, foreground color to Dark or Black

Select the Stained Glass "border".  [ & SAVE in "select" filter.]

Apply ARTISTIC: Film Grain to selected white border (aka: Lace)


Set Film Grain to: 15,  Highlight Area: 4
Intensity: 1

(Note: the "add noise" filter can also be used if you want a coarser-looking Lace)

Stained Glass with "FILM GRAIN" added to White Border.

Apply BLUR Filter: "Motion Blur"

Motion Blur:  Distance 3 to 5 pixels, Angle:  -45

Apply SHARPEN MORE Filter

White border (lace) with Film Grain Blurred & then Sharpened.

(Switch back your pallet with the original dark color underneath the white.)

Filter:

Sketch: Bas Relief  (this gives the lace  3-dimensional look)


Settings:  15,  Smoothness: 2

Apply Sharpen MORE filter again. 

Apply Filter: "Remove Color" to the lace.

BAS RELIEF applied to white border (LACE) before applying LEVELS.

In the LEVELS filter, "Adjust-Lighten" the brightness:

Right Input Levels:  212
Middle Input Level: 1.80
All other levels remain at Zero

"Remove Color" again (in lace) if you wish. Having the "texture" be the color of the background looks very nice, too.

Lace is lightened in "LEVELS" Filter.

AND THERE YOU HAVE YOUR BASIC "LACE" BACKGROUND, just waiting for designs.

You can easily change the background color in the Background layer, and the top white/shadow layer stays the same.

NEXT: Applying different designs!  NOW we get to the really fun part!

Book Covers for "Bride From A Hat"

Back Cover

Cover for my story "Bride From A Hat".  It is supposed to look like a lace veil. The woman is taken from a Costume Parisien fashion plate shown elsewhere on this blog.  The story is http://highwaymansclub.blogspot.com/  The blog is named after the London Club begun by the hero. To join, one must rob a coach, but only for a trifle: a lock of hair, a lady's glove, or a kiss from a pretty girl.  All in good fun, tho some grumpy old people have complained...