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The process of Antiquing


Helio

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This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

In this tutorial we will make a photo look antique. I converted this for PDN from a PS tutorial.

NOTE: You will need the Color Balance plug-in for this tutorial.

This is what you'll end with:

Antiquing101-11.jpg~original

Alright. This is the image that I'm starting with.

Antiquing101.jpg~original

Now, at the time period that we want to convert this photo to, many of the photos were cropped to squares. So that's just what we're going to do! (This step is optional.)

Using the selection tool, hold the shift key down while clicking and dragging to the size and position you want. Then, crop to selection (Ctrl-Shift-x.)

Now, make the image Sepia (Ctrl-Shift-p.)

Now is the time to use the Color Balance plug-in. I adjusted the image 10 points toward yellow.

Then, duplicate the layer (Ctrl-Shift-d.) Unfocus blur at a setting of 2 on your new layer.

This is what it should look like so far:

Antiquing101-1.jpg~original

Now, we're going to make a transparent radial gradient. Select the gradient tool, then the radial type gradient, and make sure that it is set to make a transparent gradient.

Antiquing101-2-1.png~original

Then left click and drag where you want the image to be more focused.

Now, duplicate the background layer. Add Noise to it at a setting that you like. I put mine at 40 because I want it to look really aged.

This is what the image and your layers window should look like at this

point:

Antiquing101-4-1.png~original

Open the Layer Properties window (f4.) Set the Noise layer blend mode to lighten.

Now it needs a vignette. Flatten the image. Then, add a new layer. Make a box around the edges in your new layer with the brush size set to around 20 pixels. Then Gaussian blur it so it has a very smooth, transparent look. I use a setting of 70.

Antiquing101-5.jpg~original

Now we need to add some scratches. Add another layer, and add some white lines using the brush tool at a size of 1 to your new layer (You could also use a brush size of 2 to add really large scratches.) Open the layer properties window the new layer and adjust the opacity to however much you want the scratches to show. I use a setting of 45.

Now is the time if you want to adjust the contrast of the picture to make it look even older. I choose increase the contrast of mine.

Antiquing101-7.jpg~original

Flatten the image. You can leave it just the way you have it, now. Or, you could add a paper border to it!

Open the Canvas Size window under the image tab (Or Ctrl-Shift-r.) Time to do some math. I want an extra 15 pixels on either side of my photo, so making sure that Maintain Aspect Ratio is checked, I add 30 to the width of my canvas size. You shouldn't have to add anything to the height, it will add to it automatically.

Antiquing101-6.jpg~original

Using the magic wand, select and delete the extra white that it added. We want it to be transparent. Add a new layer, move it beneath the picture layer, and render some clouds (default settings) on it with a light tan as your primary color and a slightly darker tan as your secondary color. Using the selection tool on the top layer, select almost all of the picture only excluding the very edge. It should look something like this:

Antiquing101-8.jpg~original

Invert the selection (Ctrl-i) and use Frosted glass at a setting of 1. Then Median blur with the Radial slider at 1 and default Percentile. Deselect (Ctrl-d.) This is how it should look.

Antiquing101-9.jpg~original

Now we are going to repeat the last few steps. Increase the canvas size (any size you want, just larger than 20 pixels.) Delete the extra white. And repeat Frosted Glass this time at a setting of 3. Then repeat the Median blur.

Done!

Antiquing101-10.jpg~original

Add a background:

Antiquing101-11.jpg~original

And another one I made:

RobinAntique.png~original

Please post all results, questions and comments!

Edited to correct image links.

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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Sorry, I was just re-adding them. I decided to make the tut. an album on my PhotoBucket account, which breaks the previous links. They're back up now!

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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Just found the tutorial. Thanks so much!!

One small problem though (very likely because I'm missing something here) from the part of using the frosted glass effect and on, I don't seem to get the same look on my edges. They simply don't change!

Help?

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Well, did you invert the selection? The effect will only work on selected areas.

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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Nice work!

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very nice! Splendid work.

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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To make a vignette, select the rectangle tool. Make sure it is set at the top to make an outline, then, increase the brush size to the thickness you would like. Click and drag near to the edge to make a border around the picture (make sure you do so on a new layer.) Then Gaussian Blur it to the amount that you like. ;)

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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flower2.png

Hiya, this is my result. Haha, not very perfect. I cant really do the last part, which is repeating the process for the frost and blur. Do i need to hve another layer of cloud to be able to do it? sorry, i am newbie in this software.

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You don't seem to have any clouds in your image.

You should try to increase the contrast a bit.

You should make it more yellowish... I didn't use the plugin, I just used the Adjustments -> Curves -> RGB technique, and slightly raised red and green... It really gives it a more "antique" look...

pdnsig.gif
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m4rshm3llow: Yes. After increasing the canvas size, you will see a white border (or whatever your secondary color is) surrounding the image. Select it with the magic wand, and delete it. Then on a new layer, render some clouds.

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

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m4rshm3llow: Yes. After increasing the canvas size, you will see a white border (or whatever your secondary color is) surrounding the image. Select it with the magic wand, and delete it. Then on a new layer, render some clouds.

That's the part I missed, too... :cry:

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You don't seem to have any clouds in your image.

You should try to increase the contrast a bit.

You should make it more yellowish... I didn't use the plugin, I just used the Adjustments -> Curves -> RGB technique, and slightly raised red and green... It really gives it a more "antique" look...

Okie, i made it more yellowish and do the contrast. Thanks a lot for helping ^_^here is ther result:

CM0.png

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