Photoshopping our houses

[JoceAndChris]

Our new member "Hudson" has very kindly offered to photoshop BC so that I can see what different colours will look like. My guess is others would like to see their houses photoshopped too, so it would be very useful to understand how to do it and get some instructions down here.

I'm very stuck on, and bored WITH (Penners - ) stripping the existing non-breathing paint on the windows at the moment, but the beautiful Holkams oil has arrived as well as a beguiling selection of samples of linseed oil paints.


Hudson - not really sure how to show you the Photoshop colours I'd like, sorry, but something close to this for the walls: http://www.farrow-ball.com/productdetails.aspx?pid=0068DC&cid=PC&language=en-GB and this for the windows: http://www.farrow-ball.com/productdetails.aspx?pid=0032CG&cid=PC&language=en-GB

This image of the house will do:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Actually - Roger - if you're reading this I've just had a little go at Photoshopping it with some limited success. I can see it's a laborious process, and the colours are too garish and unreal -looking to give much of a guide (though it did help me to realise I wouldn't like it with very dark green windows, so that was useful).

Don't worry if you don't have time for this.

 

[Hudson]

Here you go Joce. it's a little rough but you get the idea.

As a quick over view for people doing this themselves. It's all about using the selection tools to mask out the different coloured areas you wish to edit then applying the colour and using an appropriate blended layer style.
1.Start by creating a new layer that you will fill with your new colour variation.
2.Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool (Press 'L' to cycle through the lasso tools, you want the angular one) on the new layer to select the area to be re-coloured. I basically worked around the outer edge of the whole building so it was all selected then I de-select windows, doors, drain pipes etc using the same tool only holding the Alt key down (a minus sign appears at your cursor to indicate this mode).
3.Now the selection is done double click the colour swatch (at the bottom of the tool box) and choose your colour.
4.Press alt and backspace to fill the selection with the colour.
5.At the top of the Layers window there is a drop down list with the blend mode set to Normal as default. Scroll down and experiment with different types. I usually end up using Multiply, Screen, Overlay and Soft light depending on the job.
6.Go through the same procedure for the window frames.

I hope this gets some started. Just keep playing around and it will soon click.

 

[Penners]

Joce - the trouble with changing colours in Photoshop is that there are so many different ways of skinning that particular cat*.

But here's a handy little tutorial that you can try: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1335484/photoshop_car_colour_change/

And another one: http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/elements/replace_color.html

Although these don't show houses, the principles are exactly the same.

Have fun!



* Sorry - an unfortunate choice of metaphor for you!

 

[Penners]

it will soon click.

Oh very droll, Hudson! Click! I see what you're doing there....

Nice Photoshop job!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Good grief, that's amazing! How very kind you both are - thank you so much, and expecially Hudson for taking the trouble to photoshop BC (not sure that colour combination really works though - hmmmmm)

The instructions are really clear, and the videos very helpful. I have Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 on this computer which is looking a little different, but the principle is basically the same, so I should be able to figure it out now - thanks!

 

[MdB]

For those that don't want to pay the photoshop tax, you can get a similar image processing application here:
http://www.gimp.org/

This is completely free and has similar features to photoshop though it looks rather different.

 

[Hudson]

Joce, here's the psd file. it's set up so you can just swap any new colours in(choose colour then Alt and backspace)
I noticed the windows layer isn't locked like the render one either. Just press the forward slash key while on that layer before filling with a colour. A padlock icon should appear on there to let you know its locked.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/904871265/38e89f92db17216f0b274573f2fcb3fe

Penners, Thanks, I'll take credit for the 'click' too if it makes me droll.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I've had a try with this in the past to try and visualise what my place would look like if limewashed over the current stone - without much success.

The key seems to be to find a way to colour the walls without losing the underlying texture of the stone in the image (but to fuzzy it up a little as the limewash will soften the edges somewhat).

Anyone able to advise a little.

Here is an outdated pic of the house, and I'm not asking for it to be done - just a few hints. I can then try this on a better pic of the house.

Thanks

Robin

 

[Penners]

Robin - I'm not getting the picture of your house, just the word "image". Could you have exceeded the permitted file size, perhaps?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Robin - I'm not getting that image either, you need to post it again! Let's see your lovely house again!

Joce, here's the psd file. it's set up so you can just swap any new colours in(choose colour then Alt and backspace)
I noticed the windows layer isn't locked like the render one either. Just press the forward slash key while on that layer before filling with a colour. A padlock icon should appear on there to let you know its locked.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/904871265/38e89f92db17216f0b274573f2fcb3fe

Penners, Thanks, I'll take credit for the 'click' too if it makes me droll.

Thank you very very much, that's wonderful. I'm too stupid to really understand how to use it but Chris will know straight away and hopefully will have a moment later just to go through it again.

 

[Penners]

I'm too stupid to really understand how to use it

Don't talk tosh! Just because you don't know how to do something, that doesn't make you stupid.

I don't know how to make curtains. Does that make me stupid?




Er... on second thoughts, don't answer that.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Robin - I'm not getting the picture of your house, just the word "image". Could you have exceeded the permitted file size, perhaps?

Dunno - it was just a link to something someone posted on the Geograph website a few years ago (by trespassing on my drive I might add! :evil: )

Anyway, here is a "proper" copy. What I was trying to illustrate is that the walls have a texture which if I just fill with a colour then looks very flat and unrealistic. My question is how to colour something in Photoshop and let the texture show through. I may have to try some transparency.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Awwww, so lovely, your house.

But this is the problem with Photoshop. The computer, wonderful though it is, can't do justice to the contours of stone or the softness and variance within limewash. Let us know if you have any success Robin!

 

[Moo]

I must admit that I haven't tried it, but it might be worth increasing the contrast on the area in question and then adding colour with more or less transparent layers.

 

[Hudson]

FamilyWiggs - select your new colour layer and try using the different blend modes in the layer window. It's the drop down option with Normal written in.
I think I'd prefer to look out of your window with that view though.

 

[Feltwell]

Robin - I've said it before and I'll say it again.

STOP POSTING THAT DAMN PICTURE UP!!!

I want a house with a view. I really want a house with a view. I really really really REALLY want a house with a view. Preferably one from high up on a hill overlooking rolling fields and woods. :mrgreen:

 

[MdB]

Gimped at high speed (5 mins) whilst drunk.....

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Thanks all - sorry Feltwell. Maybe I'll take some updated pics and post them (cropping out the view of course!). For anyone who is interested, the house is situated at about 750 ft up on the slopes of Hope Mountain and the peak you can see in the distance is Moel Famau.

Thanks to Hudson-the-Photoshop-man for the advice and MdB for that quick knock up. What is interesting and pleasing is to see how the garish crazy-paving coloured stone extension is suddenly toned down and the whole place given more cohesion and balance. I think I need to do the limewashing sooner rather than later.

Having used GIMP in the past with difficulty, I offer respec' to anyone who can drive it whilst drunk! :lol:

 

[MdB]

Sorry Feltwell.... (still drunk...)