Someone asked me if I could create a chrome verson of them in photoshop! I said I'd give it a go, but I knew that the chrome filter in photoshop is a pain and horride effect!

So I've been playing around quickly, so quickly that I just picked a completely uneditted pic, stuck it against a black background, then attempted to chromed him up.

1) Is it any good?
2) Where can I go from here?
3) How do other achieve a chrome effect?
4) Should I give up this idea as a bad job?

(I'm operating Photoshop CS4)

I think it is a pretty good first try but I wouldn't say it is a chrome effect.

To look chrome it would need to be smooth, yours looks bumpy and especially at the joins such as where your arms cross over it loses a true chrome effect.

See here for a chrome item:



You see how smooth and super shiny it is?

I have never attempted an effect like this so I can't say I can do better or offer any help but I would say don't stop trying. When I am practicing an effect I can sometimes spend weeks on it until I am happy.

If I were to attempt a similar effect, I would go for trying to get the smooth polish effect first in the chrome colour and then possibly by hand add elements of shine similar to the tutorials you might find on creating Mac buttons or bubble buttons.

I wonder, if you take what you have, duplicate the layer and gaussian blue the chrome then sharpen the edges. A bit like a surface blur done on retouching skin only in your case the kin is the start of the chrome. See if that creates a more accurate effect?

M x

Just found this which may helpful: http://www.spoono.com/photoshop/tutorials/tutorial.php?id=21

DragonLady , Digital Retoucher  posted on 15/12/2009 10:55:05   Posted 934 times

Located:London,London, UK
Member Since: 07/11/2008

1) No, not really.
2) Body paint shop to get some metallic body paint
3) Haven't tried it
4) Not if you don't want to, but you definitely need to give it more work.



Switch Photography Studio
http://www.switchphotographystudio.co.uk

I know I've started to go around it the wrong way.  I'm trying to invent the car before I've perfected the wheel.

Understand shape and form of such a reflective matter, then to liquidify the skin once I understand this.  Your right about the time thing, to answer my friends request I have to give it more than 2 hours!!!

I can say one thing for what I've produced - with that applied effect, then change the hue to a lush blue, you can have your very own 'blue-man-group' action figure!

Roy.

Quoting post from landonroad
I know I've started to go around it the wrong way.  I'm trying to invent the car before I've perfected the wheel.

Understand shape and form of such a reflective matter, then to liquidify the skin once I understand this.  Your right about the time thing, to answer my friends request I have to give it more than 2 hours!!!

I can say one thing for what I've produced - with that applied effect, then change the hue to a lush blue, you can have your very own 'blue-man-group' action figure!

Roy.

Keep the positive spirit. An effect like this to look real will take time indeed.

I just edited my original post on this thread with a link for you to a tutorial I found, the result was pretty good though maybe a little cartoony, but applying the technqiues may help you get a good result.

I look forward to watching this progress.

M x

DragonLady , Digital Retoucher  posted on 15/12/2009 11:06:29   Posted 934 times

Located:London,London, UK
Member Since: 07/11/2008