One-Four Challenge: October Week Four

Posted on by Louise Bunting

Here’s my final October edit for Robyn’s One-Four Challenge. My main aim for this month was to learn how to layer images to create a composite. I also wanted to build up to a really spooky image for the final week. I’m feeling quite happy with everything I’ve achieved but I’d love to know what everyone else thinks!

Week Four Edit
Week Four Edit

This week I began by opening the original image in Photoshop where I gave it the same crop as week two’s edit. Next I found a picture in my archives that I could crop down to show only the eyes – one of the very rare pictures of me! I gave this a black and white gradient map before copying it into the main image. I reduced its opacity to 20% and used the eraser tool to blend it into the background. I then added a violet, green and orange gradient map with a 40% opacity.

I then took the image into Camera Raw where I  increased contrast, clarity, blacks and shadows by a lot. Highlights and whites were also given a slight boost but I mainly wanted to give the image a more menacing feel.

Next I returned to Photoshop where I added a textured layer that I found on freestocktextures.com. I lay this over the lower two thirds of the image with a hard light blend at 10% opacity and I used the eraser tool to fade its edges into the background. I then finished off by extending the canvas with a dark green fill to create a border.

As it’s week four it’s time to include a poll so you can all let me know which of the four edits you liked best. Here are all the edits together for comparison:

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And here’s the poll:

As those of you who also follow my writing posts may already know I’m joining in with NaNoWriMo during November so unfortunately won’t be taking part in with the One Four Challenge. The only posts I’m likely to be doing are the occasional writing update and some Wordless Wedsnesday. Hopefully I’ll be back for the review month in December but that depends on how engrossed I am in editing! If I haven’t managed to make my way over to your posts this month, I apologise – I’m trying to get the whole novel thoroughly planned before November!

onefourchallenge

25 thoughts on “One-Four Challenge: October Week Four”

  3. Great edit! I voted for week 3 in the end as I like the width and colour (or lack thereof), but I do think this week’s would make an excellent book cover.

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  8. Textures and layers are fun and you used to great effect here, I like the eyes, and they are nicely blended.

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  11. Week 4 is the scariest, so very fit for this week’s end… But I guess I like 2 better still. Nicely done!

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  12. This has been a fun image to watch change throughout the month! I absolutely LOVE the green. and the eyes, oh my! it really adds to the spooky. I’m sorry that you won’t be joining the One-Four in November, but I do want to wish you good luck on the NaNoWriMo! 😀

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