In this project, you will use an image from an historically-important artist and manipulate it with filters, restored states with the History Palette, and other effects ( including layers, if you choose to use them ), to create an interesting and aesthetically-pleasing variation of the original. ( You'll choose an image from a collection that I will distribute in class ).

The purpose of this project is to have you modify an image in subtle ways with various digital effects, and to familiarize you with Photoshop's filters. You should also be thinking of ways to apply some of the principles learned in your readings on design and color theory, to an actual work. The selection of images is restrictive so that we may view as a class, the unique ways each student uses the same set of tools on the same images, to produce different and uniquely individual results.

As you try out a filter, note that each filter's dialog box offers various parameters. Experiment - try varying some of these attributes to create a completely different effect. Don't feel you have to apply a filter as-is; that's what the sliders are there for - to allow you to experiment.

Also, see how the filters can create a more subtle effect by fading them. As soon as a filter is applied, you can immediately go to the Fade Filter command, the fourth item in the Edit Menu. Usually, fading a filter creates a more interesting and subtle effect than using a filter "out-of-the-box".

When you apply the Fade effect, remember that you're not confined to just bringing down its strength with the slider. You can also choose a Blending Mode, from the "Mode" box beneath the slider, to create some interesting color effects.

One filter that can create the impression of layers is the Polar Coordinates filter, from the Distort filters menu. Run this filter in the Polar to Rectangular mode ( second choice ), then apply a Fade effect of 45 - 60%. Now, it appears you've created a layer, but it was only a filter. You've seen the tutorial / demo with filters and experimented with them a bit. Now, you will be able to really explore what they can do.

A suggestion for working: one great way to try out filters is to make many copies of the original background by dragging the background to the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette. You will then have multiple copies of the background.

Hide all of the top layers using the Hide/Show Layers icon ( the eye, left column in the Layers Palette ), and start with Layer 1. Apply a filter to it. Then click the eye for Layer 2 to reveal that layer. Apply a different filter to that layer. Then do the same for Layer 3, applying yet another layer.

Now you can use the Layers Palette's Opacity Slider to bring down the Opacity of each of the layers, so that you can see through each layer a bit. The filters that you placed on each individual layer will now be combined.

Of course, you can also use the Blending Mode box in the Layers Palette to experiment with color effects. Note that you can rename the layers to correspond to the effects you've applied. So if you applied the Polar Coordinates filter to Layer 1, you can re-name "Layer 1", to "Polar Coordinates". This is a great way to keep track of what you've done, and also as a tool to remember what a particular filter does.

You can also try painting over part of an image or applying an effect, texture, pattern to it, then taking a Snapshot in the History Palette, then restoring that part with the History Brush by going back to a previous state. You can build up some interesting textures in this manner.

An effective way to get back to previous states while experimenting with filters, is to:

1. Select the entire background,
2. paste it in as a new layer,
3. apply a filter to the new layer,
4. merge the layers,
5. then save it as a Snapshot in the History Palette.

Then....

1. Paste in the original background again on top,
2. apply a new filter,
3. merge the layers again,
4. save as a Snapshot again, and so on.
5. Then, use the History Brush with any of the Snapshots to revert to a previous state.

Of course, you can lower the brush opacity to bring back the previous state only in a partial manner, making it that much more interesting

You can work with just one of the images, or try pasting in another of the images as a layer.

You're aiming for an aesthetic consistency here, so try to make new colors added, coexist with original ones. Try to retain some of the spirit of the original image while digitizing it.

When finished, save this project as " yourname_artist ", where yourname = your last name.