Curvemeister Forum

Example 3: Pumpkins

This is a interesting image, but the pumpkins lack colour and the texture can be improved.

HSB mode:
Moved the saturation as in screenshot until the colour and texture was appealing.
I noticed if I moved the black, lower left corner of the saturation curve too far to the right, the paler patches on the pumpkins would look like mould. I therefore moved it very little, but set a point to reduce the very vivid colour.
In the brightness curve I moved the points to give the impression of sidelight coming particularly from the left to balance the picture, as the top right corner has quite a lighter spot of pale blue and cropping is not an option.

kessi

I fear you have gone too far...the pumpkins look flat and over saturated...

The object of the game is to emphasize the shape; the areas you want to look at are the shadows and the change in the brightness as you drop around the shape of the pumpkin into the shadow. 

One way to find the areas you want to adjust on the brightness and saturation curves is to place the mouse on the image in the areas you want to change and right click.  Select the "mark" command and then adjust that part of the curve to form the shapes more. 

Greg

EEEEEk, looking at them now, they do look rather artificial. Back to the drawing board for me.

kessi

This is my second attempt at the pumpkins.
kessi :-

Much Better...
Good work..

Greg

Thanks, Greg.
I think I was a bit too enthusiastic in the beginning. I am also starting to understand the tools better.

kessi

Glad this is getting easier....

It took me two trips through the original class to get enough practice to think I might be crappy at using the tools.  Every time I teach the class I learn something new...

Just keep plugging away and it'll get even easier....

Greg

Closer to reality than mine.See how that red-magenta is lurking beneath the surface waiting to take over.GregM

I think Orange is one of those colors like skin tones where small adjustments can really cause trouble if you miss....
The red / magenta is certainly part of that...

Greg