Creating Wood

[deedeec102]

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

I was creating a collage with a picture of a table and wanted to find some wood to collage. After a long search, I finally decided to create my own. Here are the instructions to create your own wood using Paint.net and a Video that will show you how .  You can watch a video here: 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTcdqbGMwWU
1. Create a new image 8 wide by 14 inches tall. You can vary the image, you will just want to make sure it is taller than wide as you will be stretching the image width wise for the final image.
2. Fill in the background with black.

3. Use the gradient tool to create random bubbles on the background. Note the settings for the colors in the dialog. Note that the secondary color black is transparent.

4. From the File menu, select Effects>Render>Clouds to create more irregular shapes.

 

5. From the File menu, select Effects>Render>Bars to create the grain of the wood.

 

6. From the Adjustments menu, select Posterize to create the growth rings in the wood.

 

7. From the Effects menu, select Photo>High Pass to create the final wood effect.

 

8. From the Image Menu, select Canvas Size to resize the canvas so that you can stretch the image so that it will appear more like natural wood. You will want to stretch the current image about 4 times the current width for it to look nice. So if you followed the instructions so far, increase the width to 32 and stretch the existing image to the canvas size.

 

9. Now it is time to color the wood. From the Layers menu, select Add layer. Fill that layer with a color of your choice. Orange works for a standard wood color. It will completely fill the layer that is okay.

10. Adjust the layer properties, try the multiple, color burn, reflect and xor settings to see different effects.

 

11. Save your work! You are done! You now have your wood!

[DrewDale]

Interesting little tutorial

A variation;

[deedeec102]

DrewDale... where was that when I searched the forum for wood?  That would have saved me a lot of time... I would not have bothered... Oh well... WelshBlue I added the URL to the plugins... Cheers.

[DrewDale]

DrewDale... where was that when I searched the forum for wood?  That would have saved me a lot of time... I would not have bothered... Oh well... WelshBlue I added the URL to the plugins... Cheers.

What I mean is my image is what I made using your tutorial, I just added a variation to the end result

[deedeec102]

DrewDale hahaha!  I'm laughing:-)  Way cool!  So fast!  I was thinking it was already posted and what a bummer that I spent so much time figuring it out :-)  Very cool wood :-)

[Goonfella]

Nice tutorial dd. I like the idea  of posterizing to get the growth rings. Never would have thought of that. Here is my effort . Didn`t do very well with the inset text but I was mainly concentrating on the wood anyway - 

 

[deedeec102]

Goonfella... I like your wood with high contrast and light color it looks shiny... Perhaps next will be how to "carve" wood... That will be fun...

Edited December 10, 2012 by deedeec102

[nitenurse79]

As I originally posted, this tute will help.

heres one I made, thank you

[DrewDale]

 Very cool wood :-)

Thanks deedeec102, my original plan was to have the lettering carved instead of embossed, but As always with my work, nothing ever goes to plan

Once again, a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing

[sashwilko]

I Made this digital box based on your tutorial. Thank you for the initial spark

[deedeec102]

At night nurse, I like the color of your wood floor! Thanks:-)

Sasha, that gives al kinds of additional ideas thanks!

[jerkfight]

I mentioned your tutorial in mine, I think your tutorial does a really good job at creating tree rings. Great job

[deedeec102]

Thanks JerkFight for the compliment! Much appreciated!

Deborah:-)