hi guys...back to this image again. you guys gave me a lot of good suggestions and played around with it, showing me some different ways to do it. i have really been trying to make this work, but i'm pulling my hairs out with it!!!! i dunno. i wanna do right. but it majorly sucks!!!!! i feel so stupid. i mean, you guys already gave me ideas and suggestions. i'm just so fed up with working on this. would like your feedback...again....sorry guys!!!! practically bald, sheila

oops...here's the image.

Hey Shelia, You are almost there - Try using a different text - one that is less blocky - ie: thinner - that way it will be clearer and easier to read :) I Love your color picks and the placement! Ohhhhhhh Soooooooo Close :) Dee-Marie

you really think i'm almost there? jeesh...i thought i was gonna have to scrap it. i used cindy's idea for placement. and she also kept it the orginal blue (i changed it to green in first draft of this). but i lightened the blue. i'm not happy with the fading of it...not enough contrast. but if i make the image the way i want it...then the text becomes harder to read. i can't be objective about this one. worked too long on it. i'll try a different font...maybe it'll help. thanks Dee-Marie!!!!

If you have the time - put it away for a day and look at it with fresh eyes - I know that is not often possible - but it is amazing how much it helps :]

yep... you're real close...
use your lasso tool (with feathering to blend the edges) to selectively heighten the contrast & darken the image without messing with the background where the text is
& agree, maybe a less thicker text...
i had just used what you had there as i didn't want to go
through fonts & retype it... good luck!!

Just playing with some ideas Addes layer colour black 70% transparent 10 px buttonise font timen new roman

Addes layer colour white 60% transparent 10 px buttonise font timen new roman

Added layer colour black 70% transparent font verdana Title case instead of upper case

Added layer colour black 70% transparent 10 px buttonise font verdana Title case instead of upper case

tv Sorry for the poor cloning out of your text, it was just done quickly to illiterate my idea. Using an additional layer may solve the issue of having a darker image and text being hard to read Font new roman is easier to read and veranda has almost become a web standard as it is possibly the easiest font to read, it is also the preferred font of many web designers. Hope this helps you a little Sorry Cyn for making this thread too big LOL LP

thanks so much guys!!! i so much appreciate your help. I'm gonna work on this tomorrow. I've had one of those days from hell....have a migraine...again. i'm sorry, LP...i just have no idea how you did that with my text. i sure do like it, but i don't where to begin to do it. How do i get my text in that frame? My brain must be fried. i should know how to do this. jeesh...i feel so stupid. i'm sorry. pretty embarrassing! thanks for help!!!! sheila

ooooooooh... i really like that last one LP!
sure he'll be happy to explain it :]

Message edited on: 12/11/2004 00:56

me too cyn...like that last one the best!

but i really liked the cigarette butt... maybe reduce the text box a bit to show the butt? or just clone it to another area... lol :]

haha...yeah...i liked that cigarette butt too!!!!!

ok first comment/involvement with this forum, or indeed any other, still sussing it out? brilliant image excellent sentiment. please get rid of the 'shadow' box, it does nothing but detract from the image, my thoughts, reduce the type to lower case, new roman is cool enough. by reducing the case to lower i think it makes more of the statement...like it's not so much in your face as in your spirit/emotion or sumfink! or is my first forray my last!!!!x

ps. it's not 13.55, please check your clock and adjust appropriately to 20.00 x

The only thing I can suggest for Obsessive Hair Pulling ....is a Wig :]

haig The clock is correct RR server time! The dark box that you dont like is a workaround for text display issues, this is the 2nd thread on the issue, and you need to have seen the other one to fully understand everything that has been going on. Personally I feel that the box adds to the image rather than detracting from it. tv I will post the instructions hopefully later if I have time, glad you liked it, oosp missed the ciggy butt. LP

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12379&Form.ShowMessage=2029246

link to previous thread for those who'd like to see the full progression :]

Tv This was done using PSP 8, not sure what software you are using. I have resized the layer but this has blurred the text a little, and I didnt keep the text separate oops, but in my defence I did that as it was not really mine to keep. I chose title case as I felt this had more impact than uppercase, and I feel that using all lowercase would look grammatically incorrect, you could use sentence case but I think that may look odd. (Didnt try it) How I did it. Saved and opened your image in PSP8 Opened new image 300 x 635 (for the text) would need to be 290 x 615 to keep fag butt on show (see image) Filled new blank image black and reduced the transparency to 60% so it is see through whilst allowing some contrast with the text. Added text align centre Font size 12 veranda, and resized it slightly to fit into the image with enough space around the edges to allow for the buttonise effect. Effects menu: 3D effects/buttonise and changed values to 10 pixel height and width, opacity 75 colour white transparent. Once this was done, dragged text layer onto image, and positioned it using the move tool. Save as tiff or pspimage to keep layers. Merge visible layers and saved as Jpeg. IMHO I like the last one best too and feel that although it is just my interpretation that the transparent layer does add to the impact your already impressive and powerful work. Let me know what software you are using, not sure if this is possible with PSP 7 Best regards Simon AKA LP and sometimes TT (Cyn will know LOL)

Ok I have got 12 variations now some good some bad some indifferent! Anyway you can have them all if you like, but IMO this one kind of works?? But it is for you to decide, in the end it is your work and great idea and just my interpretation. Flipped image and used the same background and text as before. Selectively used curves and feathered to progressively darken the image, the flip preserves the ciggy butt and maybe helps compo?? As the droplets go from left to right. LP

Simon....i really like this last one the best...it has exactly that feel that i was hoping for...everything feels tied together! i really do like the "shadow box" ...somehow it gives it a more finished touch a think...just feels right to me. and i like that ciggy butt kept in. I have PSP7. I'm gonna print out all this and work on it Wed. when i have a day off. See if i can do it. Thanks so much everyone for your input, your suggestions, and you taking the time to work on this to see what could be done!!! you guys are awesome!!! Hopefully once i print all this out I won't have problems doing it with PSP7. hugz, sheila P.S. Brian...i DO have a wig...it's blonde!!!

don't laugh...no makeup here...dark circles...ugh! i wear this wig just a few times a year...for kicks...or in case of bad hair cut. this day...had a hair cut from hell!!! i think i might need to wear this more often...all the hair pulling i'm doing these days!!

It's ok Wee One....I wear a wee Blonde Wig too.....and...I sleep in it....next to a Full Length Mirror.....I have started calling Myself....Cynlee....sigh....self embrace...I must go to Sleep....My Mirror will be waitng :]

Glad I could help sheila Good luck with your work LP

Sheila Have had a play about and it can be done with PSP7 much in the same way as I said in PSP 8. The difference being that you have to use the layers menu/layer properties and adjust the transparency from there. To put the frame into your image you need to right click on frame top bar and copy and then past as a new layer into your image, use the move tool to position it. If you get stuck you know where to come. LP