Challenge - Layering Textures

Challenge Topic: Layering Textures

Posting Date: Saturday, November 9, 2013

Online Background Information: 

• Photoshop tutorials for applying textures
• textures in Picmonkey
• textures in Befunky
• textured photography inspiration
• tips for texturing photographs

Additional Tips and Suggestions:

This challenge will expand and test your creativity skills. With digital editing, you will apply textured layers to photographic images to enhance them and provide a “painterly” effect.

You don’t need to have a digital editing program like Photoshop to participate in this challenge. You can layer textures on your photos using one of several free, online programs, such as Ipiccy, Befunky, Picmonkey, Lunapic, Ribbet, and Pixlr. (See sidebar for convenient links.) For example, Picmonkey has several built-in textures and also allows you to upload a texture of your choice.

You can do online searches (e.g., Google images, Pinterest) for free photographic textures. Or you may contact the blog hostess for some recommended sources.

After applying a textured layer, change the blend mode for different looks, such as multiply, overlay, soft light, or screen. Adjust the opacity of the texture layer according to your taste and subject matter. You can change the hue of the texture if you want a different color or lower the saturation. Erase or mask the texture where you don’t want it to show (e.g., skin). Some images lend themselves readily to texture layers. Photos with simple compositions and clearly defined subjects are good candidates. Dark or grungy textures provide dramatic effects. Light textures provide a dreamy and soft quality.

Have fun with this challenge and wake up your inner artist! 

Instructions:

Prepare one to three of your own photographic images that has been modified with a textured layer. For each image, it would be helpful to present a before and after comparison, in addition to the texture layer that was used. You may use photos from your personal inventory or take new ones for this challenge. It’s your choice. Please include any information or tips that may be of assistance to other participants (e.g., digital program used, blend mode applied, what you learned).

The linkup tool will be available the day before the challenge date (November 8) and a couple of days thereafter. Don't forget to set up a calendar reminder to yourself!