Sandstorms

Rowen · Post by **Rowen** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 1:50 am

In a short while in my comic I'm going to need to put my characters right splat bang in the middle of a sandstorm on a desert planet. I was wondering if anyone had any tips/ideas on how I could a)draw it when I sketch out a page and/or b) colour it in when I use Photoshop elements 2 to add the colour? Obviously the colouring part is slightly more important than the sketching part.

Thanks in advance.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 1:58 am

Off the top of my head without trying anything? Transluscent yellow/brown rendered clouds with lots of swirl filter.

No idea how that'll work but it seems reasonable enough to try.

- Joel Fagin

Jakkal · Post by **Jakkal** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 2:01 am

I'm not really sure what photoshop elements is capable of. If you can add a texture to brushes in it like Photoshop, then try using a soft edged brush with the cloud texture on it. Then paint with it at varying opacities.

You can also use a light tan color with a soft brush, and set the brush to "Dissolve" and lower the opacity a whole lot. Do this on a separate layer of course. Then use the gaussian blur to give it a cloudy effect.

Phalanx · Post by **Phalanx** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 2:46 am

Hmm... in Photoshop:

Use the gradient tool, set it from foreground colour to transparency, set mode to Dissolve. Apply as required, then go over it with a blur tool and a brush set on dissolve to make it uneven.

All on a different layer, of course.

Rowen · Post by **Rowen** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:19 am

Ok I have a few attempts at making a sandstorm here, just wondering what peoples opinions are on them.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:56 am

Oo. Third, definitly, although don't forget you can combine them. Different layers at different transparencies... The second one, especially, would help give the effect of blowing sand if combined with one of the others.

- Joel Fagin

Ida · Post by **Ida** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:20 am

Like Joel said, the third one is definately the best. The first one looks like the sand is behind the characters and the second is far too streaky. Third is good.

[edit]Woohoo, 500th post![/edit]

Phalanx · Post by **Phalanx** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:52 am

The only problem with the third one is it's too uniform a gradient. Could try playing around with motion blur and distort filters or a displacement map.

Rowen · Post by **Rowen** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:30 am

Displacement map? Either photoshop elements doensn't have that or I have yet to stumble across it. What does it do?

Phalanx · Post by **Phalanx** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:35 am

Well... it 'displaces' elements in an image using another picture (greyscale) as a map.

I have no idea if that is availabe in Photoshop Elements though.

Oh... do you have the 'smudge' tool in photoshop elements?? That works quite well...