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Creating claw gouges in metal.


theKeeper

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I'd really like to clarify this effect first off by saying that the effect is a little incorrect. Albeit effective, but incorrect.

Gashes like this would leave the edges of the metal folding inward, not outward. Perhaps if they were made to flesh, the flesh would swell up around the gash and produce an effect more like this one.

And with that said, i'd like to correct myself by saying that if the claw came through the metal from the other side (i.e. inside) then the metal would indeed actually bend outward as is seen here. ;)

And with that said... here's how we create the effect (as seen on the "Jurassic Park" movie poster). :D

(see example images below) -- top is gashes outward bottom one is gashes inward.

It will require 2 effects layers, situated below the main red gash layer. On a new layer above the metal bg layer, use the Lasso tool and manually draw some gashes (hold the Shift key to draw multiple selections). Use the Polygon Lasso if that's more preferable to you.
Fill the gashes with the desired red (try medium dark; like dirty blood).

TIP: thinner gashes make a better looking effect.

Apply a Layer Style to the gash layer -- Inner Shadow. Set the Distance small like 5 pixels tops, and the Size to 5 or 6 pixels; depending on how big your gashes are.

Ctrl-click the gashes layer to select the gashes.
Add a new layer below the gash layer.
Expand the selection by 2px. (amount dependant on size of gashes)
Fill the selection with white, and Deselect.
Apply a 2px Gaussian blur. (amount dependant on size of gashes)
Then apply the FILTER>Stylize>Emboss filter. Use -65 for the angle, jack up the Amount to 500, and set the Height to 3-4px. The height is dependant on the size of your gashes. Judge that for yourself. Basically you want a soft emboss effect, with a decent amount of highlight to it.
Set this layer to Color Dodge.
Choose the Move tool and using the arrow keys, nudge the layer down 2px.

Select the gashes again.
Open the Channels palette and add a new channel. Expand the selection by 4px, and fill the selection with white. Deselect.
Apply the FILTER>Sketch>Chalk & Charcoal, set to: 20/20/1.

Back in the Layers Palette... duplicate the metal texture layer you're using.
Open the Lighting Effects filter. From the "Texture Channel" menu choose Alpha 1 (the channel you just added a minute ago).
Set the Height to 50, leave "White is High", and change the light source to "Directional", and so it's coming from the top left. (see example picture below)
Drag the "Gloss" to 100 'Shiny', and the "Material" to -100 'Plastic'.
NOTE: make sure the white dot of the light source is directly over the gashes. Then drag the other end of the line inward until the gashes show strong highlights, without losing all the detail.
Apply the filter.

Ctrl-click the gash layer again to select them.
Increase the selection by 2px.
While still on the duplicate metal texture layer, add a Layer Mask.
Now apply a 2px Gaussian blur to the layer mask.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that should about do it.
There will of course be a bit of personal tweaking needed to make the effect suit your own needs. But the basic should now be created.

TIP: if you want the metal to appear to be gouged inward instead of outward, simply activate the 2nd layer you made (the embossed one) and press Ctrl+I.

Seems like a lot of things to do, but not once you understand what to do. It's only a handful of steps actually.

Any questions... ask away in the "Photoshop General" board. :)
 
Nice work :righton:



I take my hat off to you bud the way you can write tutes {and remember it all} the way you do.
 
I'm a little confused at this part:
Ctrl-click the gashes layer to select the gashes.
Add a new layer below the gash layer.
Expand the selection by 2px. (amount dependant on size of gashes)
Ok, so I ctrl-click the gashes layer, which selects the gashes themselves, then I add a new layer below the gashes layer.
What selection am I expanding by 2 px? The original gashes or the new blank layer?
 
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