Overview
Ever got a crazy idea – like what if there was a human sized chocolate bar – and then wondered how to make it happen? Well, aside from hundreds of pounds of cocoa and the strangest candy mold ever, you can always try Photoshop. Recently, Aaron Nace from Phlearn set out to create an amazing fantasy world where cotton candy and chocolate come to life.
In the 3+ hour long Photoshop tutorial Sugar High, you will cover everything from styling, planning, retouching, extreme coloring, and special effects.
But before we get into the sweetest aspects of the tutorial – check out some more from the photo shoot:
Behind the Scenes: Sugar High
Basic Information
Website: PHLearn
Title: PRO Sugar High
Run Time: approx. 3:30 hours
Difficulty: Advanced
Price: $24.99 (40% off – $14.99 until Aug. 25)
Contents
The size of this download is going to take up 572 MB and will be in a .zip file. You are going to find 19 items in 5 main folders:
- 1. Actions
- 2. Brushes
- 3. Support
- 4. Tutorial Images
- 5. Video Tutorials
The tutorial download contains a PS Brushes, Actions, tutorial images, a texture image, help files, and additional reference tutorials. The video tutorial folder contains six .mp4 videos that total over 3 hours of instruction.
The mp4 format works well with most players and the video/audio quality was clean. This is something that we have come to expect in these types of tutorials, and we were not disappointed here. Also, breaking the tutorials up in 6 sections made it much easier to follow over the length of the material.
You know – we all need a sugar break ;)
Review
In Sugar High, the 6 tutorials are designed for individuals that have an advanced knowledge of Photoshop and focuses on the specifics of concept planning and advanced editing techniques. Many of the techniques covered can relate not only to fantasy images like this one, but skin retouching (which is a lot of material in and of itself), advanced color grading, and utilizing props for a stylized look.
Software: Use of Adobe Photoshop CS6 accommodates individuals with a solid understanding of post-processing in Photoshop. If you are looking into this tutorial, this is not your first rodeo in the world of Adobe. Much of the material covered utilizes advanced skills. If you are running a Photoshop version that is slightly older, this tutorial will still work for you.
Difficulty: As an advanced level tutorial, the videos are geared towards individuals with an established background in post-processing and Photoshop. If you are a beginner, I would suggest going back and reviewing some basic skills before tackling this tutorial – it can be pretty fast paced in sections and someone who is new to Photoshop may get lost quickly.
Aaron is clear and concise with what he is doing as you watch, as well quite humorous, so if you feel lost, pause and rewind. At times, you may have to do that a few times. Don’t feel bad – that is the blessing of video tutorials – the ever-present pause and rewind. There was a few times, especially during the chocolate section, that I found myself reviewing material. It is great that Aaron explains the how and why of what is going on step-by-step.
Favorite Features
In over 3 hours, and 6 videos, a lot of material is covered. Each video is laid out as an independent section, with some longer than others.
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Section 1 – Introduction and Planning
Section 2 – Coloring Elements of the Shoot
Section 3 – Adding a New Background
Section 4 – Creating Chocolate
Section 5 – Retouch Cotton Candy
Section 6 – Stylizing and Coloring
With all the material covered, it is one of those video tutorials that I will personally go back through a few times. Broken into sections will mean I do not need to weed through all three hours to find what I need. After everything, there was a few points that stood out:
Replacing Hair and Creating Chocolate: In the fourth section of the tutorial, Aaron shows you how to replace hair with another source image and create the chocolate effect with skin. A lot of masking, blending, and adjustments are used in this section. To give the desired effect, much of the tools used reminded me of many of the tools I also use for beauty skin retouching. You will end up utilizing Curves, Hue/Sat, and Luminosity a lot. You will also learn a little hand painting to add details. In the end, the goal was to create something almost cartoonish and playful.
Props and Textures: Using material you have on hand to replace the background or create ‘gold foil’ will save you a lot of money in the end on a stylized image like this. Composites can be tricky and Aaron covers some ways to troubleshoot your composite needs with a few tips and tricks he has learned over the years.
Saturated Color Grading: If you are working with a fantasy type concept, color and atmosphere will help decide the success of your image. For Sugar High, Aaron wanted something fun and happy, so a hyper-saturated color style is what you will learn to create. Keep in mind, if you learn how to create something, you by default also learn how to avoid or create the opposite effect. The sample image did not have any color gels used beforehand, so the color grading is done all in post.
Planning and Collaboration: Going over the lighting set-up, concept (as weird as it may be), and the post-production planning is helpful in getting a feel for how to realize and image like this with your own ideas and materials. Also, as a highly post-production dense image – having a solid game plan beforehand will make your life easier. Another thing to note – is the importance to take a break during large or complex post-processing projects.
Final Thoughts
Overall, each section will teach how to accomplish specific effects (and of course – why). Most of the tools demonstrated throughout the tutorial can be used in various ways, all depending on what you want to accomplish. Aaron breaks down why and how he uses each tool for the specific look he is going for. This is especially important when refining a stylized portrait.
The style of this image and post-processing is highly manipulated. Techniques like hand painting, background replacement, extensive skin retouching, and hyper-saturated color grading are reviewed step-by-step. It is definitely not for the faint of heart or the ‘au-natural’ photographer.
Aaron is simply fun and real. He will be sure to give clear directions that will carry you through the tutorial. His conversational tone will guide you through the 6 separate sections of the material with good breaks in-between. Sample image files, bonus PS Brush and PS Action will give you the opportunity to work through the project for yourself as you refine the techniques.
If you really like the style of the image and would like to learn how this image came to be, this tutorial is a good addition to your collection – that is – as long as you have a strong background in Photoshop retouch. Remember, this is an advanced level tutorial.
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Until Next Time . . .
Stay Inspired ~ Jules
The post Get a Sugar High with Phlearn | BTS and Photoshop Tutorial appeared first on Photography Tutorials and Lightroom Tutorials by SLR Lounge.