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mercurycode — Making Of Texture 218
Published: 2014-10-15 13:12:29 +0000 UTC; Views: 3814; Favourites: 101; Downloads: 163
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Making Of Digital Art Texture 218.Materials used are my own plus 2171 by ooc-sdz and one that he's privately shared with me.
Here's the finished result and next to it a Work in Progress that I did a while ago:
Any comments, critique, questions? I'd be happy to answer to all of them. Hope this has been helpful!
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Comments: 57
No problem, I hope it was helpful!
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This is a seriously good tutorial! 
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Thanks, Pauline 
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This really helps! Especially since yesterday, I just jumped right in without knowing what I was doing. Thank you for making this!
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That's how I started, too 
But I'm glad my Making Of helped. That already makes it worth while.
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It's the best way to learn.
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Wow, it's great to see how you make your textures!
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Thank you so much, I am glad it makes sense to... you know, other people than me!
I'll probably do one or two more, but not in the near future. Only when I have something entirely different to show.
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Everyone develops their own techniques with Adobe Photoshop; i've been using it for over 15 years (from its first release till CS6) and i still learn new things constanly about it.
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Hello Carlos!
Wow, that is one flashy comment. I gotta admit, I was a little startled, seeing my name in gigantic red glitter caps.
Thank you for your feedback, though. I appreciate it! Wish you a wonderful start into the week.
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It was fun to make
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I am very glad!
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I didn't realise how much work went into making a single texture! Suddenly, I see texture making in a whole new light. Thank you for sharing this, I need to show this to many of my friends.
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Wonderful, please do!
Yes, it can be. Although I deliberately chose to show a texture that came together really quickly. I think I spent about 20 minutes on the making. With other textures, it can easily be more than triple that time. Also the gathering of the material is really time-consuming, my texture hunts through the city can take up to 4 hours, even in winter.
That's why I love to give a little bit of insight. When people understand all that has to happen before there is a finished product, they will maybe respect giving credit more or pay more attention to it if somebody else doesn't. At least I hope so
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Actually I am glad you did a "How I did this". I took a bunch of photos of some steel piers which support a fishing pier in St Augustine Florida... lots of interesting patterns in the rust. I think (actually I know) they will make some great textures. But I feel they need some tweaking and assistance.
You pointed out some techniques you use. Surprisingly, I played with some of the same types of tools you tried. So far, I have not been pleased with my results, because I think them a bit too harsh (even for rust). But your method of softening parts, adding the bokeh, and so forth have given me a couple of ideas.
Finally as I have watched your work, I had a gut feel that a lot of your results were a 'let's try this' because of the variety in the textures you post. Not a bad thing, but to me obvious you don't approach the textures with a specific procedure.
Thanks for this post. Great inspiration for me. I'd look forward to seeing another 'How I did..." or two.
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Thank you, I am very glad you took the time to check it out.
I can give you one or two very valuable tips that I've learned over time. As you can see in the Making Of, I didn't apply any intentional contrast or coloring until the last step. No matter what texture, I keep contrast, sharpness and brightness the very last step.
The reason for that is, when you apply too much contrast or sharpness at the beginning, there isn't much room left for anything else to do. Everything you add on top of high contrast will look too much. You want to blend layers very softly and gently, it's a bit like seasoning a stew. If you put in too much salt right away, it's very hard to come back from that.
More importantly, the people who will use the texture in the end can't get rid of that contrast.
So often less is more. When I use the eraser tool, I use it in the biggest size (2500px), a soft standard brush and I turn down the capacity of the eraser to about 30%, sometimes 20, sometimes 40. It will give you the chance to blend away gradually rather than make one stroke and it's gone.
One thing that you noticed is very true: It is always trial and error. Every time, with every texture and every layer. But that's the fun in it, you never know if it will work. I will eventually publish one or two other Making Of's, but not for a little while
Thanks for your support and feedback, it is highly appreciated.
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I love how you have integrated the leaf! pure genius!
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Thanks, I was so pleased of how well it added to the shape! Before you try, you never know if it's going to work out
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Thank you so much. I might make my own one day, but then why should I when yours (and siruses' are all I need)
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Because it's fun
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It's a pleasure, thank you for appreciating!
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Thanks for showing us Mercury! It's amazing how much work can go into these!
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Thank you, too, for checking it out. Well, this happens to be one of the textures that wasn't so much work. There are other textures that are far more labor-intensive and challenging.
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How long can they take?
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Sometimes more than an hour a texture. The most work of all goes into texture packs, not only because I am making between 6 and 15 textures, also because I have to work on the preview.
While I'm at it, I might also mention that the texture hunts (when I am looking for textures and taking photos in the city) is a lot of work, too. Especially in winter, when it's getting really cold.
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I can imagine! How cold does it get where you live?
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Oh, good question. I had to google that. Our temperates often drop below 0°C, sometimes even -10°C.
Let me quote:
"Bundle up! German winters are cold, with temperatures often dropping below zero, which in turn results in some great winter sport areas in Germany, especially in higher German regions such as the Bavarian Alps. Other parts of Germany are often blessed with a white Christmas as well, but there is no guarantee for snow: German winters can be unpredictable, and you should always be prepared for rain."
December: Average low 27° F, average high 41° F
January: Average low 23° F, average high 40° F
February: Average low 25° F, average high 41° F
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Holy crap!! Then I am really thankful and grateful that you take the time to makes these!
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Is it warmer in your climate zone?
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I live in the South West of the US, in the summer it can get to be almost 120 degrees and during our monsoon, 50 % humidity...
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Oh wow. I can't even handle temperatures around 90 degrees! How do you cope with that?
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I grew up with it
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Lucky you! I am an excessive sweater (got that from my Dad) so anything heat-related is my natural enemy
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Holy crap! How hot can it get in Germany?
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Not that hot compared to your climate zone. I am certain we very rarely have more than 100 degrees in a hot summer, often a few degrees below.
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Wow~ That sounds pretty awesome! How often does it rain?
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Probably more often than in southern USA
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Yeah XD Where in the city I live, we'd be lucky to rain once in out monsoon season. Though, we have been pretty lucky this year~
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That's awesome! You know, I really love the southern accent. When I hear it, it always puts a smile on my face 
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Lol~ The South West accent~? Like the ones cow boys have~? Or the Country Hillbilly accent~? Both are amazing~! ^^
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BOTH 
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A slightly accent I grew up around people from the South West and East, and my family is German, so they also gave me a little accent. So when I pronounce words like Twenty or Apple or anything with TW W E's A's You can tell.
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It's weird that I can't imagine that at all although I am German
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The family tree~ doesn't apply to us XD We are a stub. My grandma was adopted by an American couple when she was born in Germany and so was my father. I'm a 2nd Gen of broken American~ XD And when we moved to Florida, basically the south east of America, I got the Southern accent there, and when I moved back to Arizona, the South West, I inherited the other side of that speech as well. When I lived with my Grandmother for a year, I started speaking heavier and sharper vowels and consonants
I got the super weird side XD
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