I’ve been struggling to determine exactly what I want my Photoshop assignment to focus on. Though I have previous experience with Photoshop, it is limited to creating posters for academic projects. These projects have left little room for independent creativity. Therefore, I found myself searching YouTube for inspiration. I came across multiple tutorials on an effect called the Disintegration Effect. The effect is powerful and I believe it to be a perfect place to start for a more serious, moving photo.
The word disintegrate means to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; breakup; deteriorate. In my personal opinion, the tool looks best when applied to a single person. Both a head or full body shot will work perfectly well. I have attached two tutorials I’ve found very helpful. Personally, I learn best by trial and error while working at my own pace. Therefore, I used the step by step written directions more than the YouTube tutorial. Often, when learning something for the very first time, I find myself falling behind the videos or spending far too much time pausing and rewinding the clips. Therefore, the instructions with pictures worked better with my learning preference. Both links are listed below:
I won’t take you through a step by step procedure of how to master the effect of disintegration. However, I will highlight a few of my favorite tools I discovered when attempting to achieve the effect. The tools listed were taken from both tutorials and do not all need to be used.
- Eraser tool with the “Splatters” shape. It is important to adjust the spacing of the splatters to ensure a softer look. This tool cuts out portions of your subject, leaving the background visible.
- Liquefy is a filter that allows you to move the selected area of the picture as if it was molten lava or clay.
- The particle brush, when matching the color of the background, can be used to erase portions of the subject.
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