Carbon-Fiber Tutorial...

[Jpec07]

Ok, I've noticed that alot of the people new to photoshopping lack the basic skill of creating a carbon-fiber simulation. Here is my method for this manipulation:
(please note that any copying directly from this tutorial will be reported, so I'd recommend against it...)

Step 1
Open the picture you want to add carbon-fiber to. This is the picture that I will be using in the tutorial:

Step 2
Now, select the part you want to remake out of carbon-fiber with the polygon lasso tool. I'm carbon-fiber-ing the hood of this car:

Step 3
Hit Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V to make a new layer. Then, desaturate that layer using Ctrl+Shift+U:

Step 4
Now, open a new picture, size 1024x768, and go to Edit>Fill>Pattern>Herringbone 2*. Then go to Filter>Distort>Twirl and make it a 50-degree turn as shown (it will be much larger):

*Herringbone 2 may be exchanged for another pattern. I find that it is the best one out there, but that is my opinion. Feel free to experiment as allowed.

Step 5
Now, copy and paste the Herringbone-filled and twirled 1024x768 image into your picture, and distort it until it fits in what I call the "Median Plane" of the part you are remaking in carbon-fiber (see picture if you don't get it):

Step 6
Go into the layers Pallet, hold Ctrl, and click on the desaturated-hood layer to select that layer’s edges in the carbon-fiber layer (cf layer must be highlighted as shown in the picture). Cut and paste this onto a new layer, and delete the old cf layer.

Step 7
Now, in the layer-blending modes, select “overlay” or “multiply” on the carbon-fiber layer. This should give you a good effect, but to make it look better, mess around with the brightness and contrast levels. Here’s how mine turned out:

 

[Super-Supra]

Thanks so much Jpec07!!

 

[Jpec07]

no problems

 

[StevieMo]

Here's a different method if anyone wants it.

Step 1 & 2

Follow Jpecs method.

Step 3

Copy and Paste the hood but DON'T desaturate it yet.

Step 4

Insert your carbon fibre pattern inbetween the background and the hood layer instead of above.

Step 5

Do the twirling and distorting just like Jpecs.

Step 6

Select the hood in the same manner and then hit Ctrl+i to invert it. Delete the CF layer that is selected.

Step 7

Lower the opacity of the layer above the CF(The hood layer) to whatever you think looks best. I usually set it to 80%

Step 8

Lower the saturation on the hood layer or just totally desaturate it.

Step 9

Go to Brightness/Contrast and make the hood layer as dark as necessary.

Thats just my method though.

 

[Jpec07]

yeh, but it's alot longer and gives a darker overall result...


Also, there seems to be a little confusion on the location of the Herringbone 2 pattern. Here is a picture of where to find it:

 

[Initial Racing]

Hey, thats the closest to real cf that I have seen here yet. Kudos.

 

[Initial Racing]

Hey, thats the closest to real cf that I have seen here yet. Kudos.

 

[Initial Racing]

*will a moderator please delete my extra posts*

Sorry about the extra posts people, this wasnt supposed to happen. The server wasnt working late ngiht last night and I kept refreshing the reply because it wouldnt send, I guess it did. How embarrassing.

 

[donbenni]

Nice one Jpec 👍 Good to see that's just the method that I follow too, so now I know I AM doing it right! I still have a problem with it though. If you look at real carbon fibre, the pattern is pretty much straight lines. They only curve when following the body work. But it's really hard to create that efffect on PS even with displacement maps. I'm still working on creating a totally realistic effect, but i'll post a tut when i'm done (if I ever finish )

 

[donbenni]

This is what I mean (this pic is real not mine)

 

[Jugend]

donbenni Nice one Jpec Good to see that's just the method that I follow too, so now I know I AM doing it right! I still have a problem with it though. If you look at real carbon fibre, the pattern is pretty much straight lines. They only curve when following the body work. But it's really hard to create that efffect on PS even with displacement maps. I'm still working on creating a totally realistic effect, but i'll post a tut when i'm done (if I ever finish )

I've been searching ps for a function where it is possible to manipulate a layer in 3D. Is that function the displacement maps?.

/D

 

[donbenni]

Well displacement maps allow you to make a texture (such as CF) seem to wrap around the body work. It's dependent on the light on the car. You only really need to use a displacement map when applying CF to a bonnet with harsh curves like the week 24 picture for instance. You can usually get away without using them. Search for a tut, it's too hard to explain

 

[Jpec07]

On step 4, you may be able to use the polarize filter set to "Polar to Rectangular" to get a better effect...

 

[rjensen11]

Nice tutorial, JPEC, but maybe you should get a different theame for XP... I dunno, unless you either
A) Like the default theme
or
B) Don't care what it looks like.

 

[Jpec07]

I would like a new theme for my desktop, but my userstatus isn't sufficient to change it to a custom one (I don't think). I don't really care anyways (blue is a nice color...)

 

[Super-Supra]

What?

 

[Jpec07]

he's talking about the blue frame on top of all the windows...

 

[Super-Supra]

Jpec07. Try I highly reccomend it.

 

[Jugend]

donbenni: Well displacement maps allow you to make a texture (such as CF) seem to wrap around the body work. It's dependent on the light on the car. You only really need to use a displacement map when applying CF to a bonnet with harsh curves like the week 24 picture for instance. You can usually get away without using them. Search for a tut, it's too hard to explain

Oh I see, It's not what I'm looking for but I will try that function anyway, I'm looking for a tool that will let you manipulate a layer in 3d e.g. make it spheric/conic and so on.. thnx anyway for the info

/D

 

[Jpec07]

I think you need a 3D-editor for that kind of thing (outa my budget and outa my league).

 

[donbenni]

Try going render/3d transform It's tough to use at first and is pretty limited actually in general, but you can manipulate using that. Spheres and cylinders come to mind

 

[KosmikFool]

Originally posted by Jpec07
I would like a new theme for my desktop, but my userstatus isn't sufficient to change it to a custom one (I don't think). I don't really care anyways (blue is a nice color...)

Right click>properties>appearance>go down to color scheme and choose

 

[Jpec07]

I like the blue one the best out of what they have there...

 

[Brian P]

Great tutorial there Jpec!!

I had a mess about with the S2000, I haven't shopped for ages.

 

[Someguyinfisher]

your hood just looks grey.

nate

 

[pat66]

jpec all work fine but when i select overlay hood is now blue, can u help?

 

[OmicroN]

When I do carbon fibire it looks more like this...

I use a completely different method of doing this, my way is pretty easy, about as easy as this one.

 

[Jpec07]

Originally posted by pat66
jpec all work fine but when i select overlay hood is now blue, can u help?

I think your problem lies in the fact that you may not have desaturated the hood before making the cf, which is easily fixed. Go into the layers pallet, right click on the cf layer, hit "select layer transparency", highlight the layer with the hood, and hit Ctrl+Shift+U...

 

[JDMpwr]

when i create the pattern in the new file...the herringbone is really large as compared to the picture uploaded. whats the deal with that?

 

[Jpec07]

Can you be a little more specific?