Here's my attempt.

I didn't have a whole heap of time to work on this. But I'm happy with it. Nice and sleepy

---

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

--Matt

Show us some love, vote for ya favourite

---

Get yo'self an avatar.

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

--Matt

I like matts, because I could not see the differences at first which means it is a better PS job.

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

Sorry, in both versions the before and after look very close to the original.
Adding a new reflection, changing the wheels, or adding a few decals is very easy and it leaves me wanting more.
I can't really say I like one more than the other because they look incomplete.

---

Take a closer look.

Chris has flared the guards, filled the rear bar, changed the tail lights, changed the mirrors, added a new seat, changed the windows, changed the exhaust, lowered it, given it rediculous offset, changed the paint color. There's actually quite a bit of work there that you didn't mention.

Mine is lowered, has wider tyres with offset, all of the panels have been fattened up at the bottom, I painted the rims, changed the rear, debadged it, tinted the windows, given it a two tone paint job, changed the exhaust to a larger twin tip.

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

--Matt

Yes, I could have mentioned all the changes, to be fair, but what would be the point? With your skill you could have given it legs, wings, or helicopter parts. Changing the color was a start, but that's the point if it's the same shade! You could have stylized it in any way possible. "Criticism and comments are more than welcome," is what the op wrote, so I'm only trying to convey my first impression truthfully.

---

Well hiding behind an anonymous post makes it easier to say what you don't like, but what about the good points? It's not as simple as just putting a tail light in here, and changing windows there. The fact that you point out it looks so similar despite the changes would support the fact that both have done a great job in modifying the image without actually appearing to have done so. And as an aside, to Matt and Jamie, I really don't like this anonymous posting thing - it harbours negativitiy, and in my opinion, if you aren't comfortable giving your opinion on something with your name attached then you shouldn't post at all. To me it encourages trolling (but thats just me). Anywho keep it up I'll keep track on stage 2 of photoshop battle royale

---

[Link to jasminekurda.carbonmade.com]

No, I don't feel comfortable telling people I don't like their art, so I like the anonymous feature. However, if you ask for criticism it shouldn't be considered trolling if someone actually gives it to you. I suppose you weren't calling me a troll.



Making objects and color correcting is fast work in photoshop; these looks unfinished and leave me wanting more. And as far as negative criticism goes, that's not so bad.

---

Just so you know, there's at least 8 hrs work in mine. Not sure how long Chris spent on his though. I am a fan of subtle photoshopping, so I spend a long time getting the details right and making the changes look real.

I am also a fan of modifying cars in the real world and I'm very particular in what I would and would not do to a car. I can not stand over the top body kits, huge exhausts and attention seeking paint jobs. I'd prefer my car to go unnoticed, especially by the fuzz.

All of this is reflected in the way I chose to photoshop in this instance. I turned the car into something that I would want to own, and I achieved my goal.

If you have some specific point where you think I have let the image down, please tell me about it. But just saying it looks unfinished is not helpful if you don't explain why.

Edit: just counted 65 layers most with hand painted alpha maps, to give you an idea.

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

--Matt

Well, I'm happy you like it.

---

I agree that there is nothing wrong with criticism that is how we learn. You may wish to consider a more constructive approach next time.

That is the end of this flame war. If it continues action will be taken.

---

Please support us and post a [Link to www.digitalartsfront.com] on your website.

There's a flame war here? You misread the tone of my posts, I believe.
Yes, I suppose I could work on a list of examples to better define what I mean.

---

I like VarnishedOtter's image more. But it's not because of the PS work, it's just because he made it the way I would do it. I never liked those fancy tuned need for speed styled cars. My opinion is that the simpler it is, the better it looks like.

---

"Criticizing is easy, art is difficult."

I honestly have to agree somewhat with mr anonymous, these pictures seem...simple. It is strange as I am not looking at this photo in terms of photoshop, but what would you do to it in real life. I think more work should have been done to the cars, maybe some more drastic body work, chop the roof, change the spoiler, give a new body kit, just things like that to add to the style of the car.

Everyone is saying that it is harder to tell the difference from the original so it must be a good photoshop job. This method of thinking annoys me, if the image looks natural, like nothing has been done to it, yes it is a good photoshop job (which otters does very well). Looking like the original or not should no-way be a measure of photoshop skill, because why would you put so much effort into it to make it look like the original You want it to look different to the original, but look natural in its own right.

But Otter did say he didn't have a lot of time to work on it, so I guess making a simple but clean image would have been the way I would have gone with limited time. He did a very good job at making the car look natural and like something you would imagine someone would do to the car in real-life.

Pirates image has more obvious changes to it, but they come off kinda tacky, though be it funny. Maybe a little more time refining the image, making the new elements you place in stand out less and more natural. I do like some of the little touches you've done, like the moving of the number plate, the lights on the plate, the window down, the stickers on bottom/back of the car, the slight change to the front of the car.

I think otters wins though, just because of the more natural look of the car, it seems to more uni-formed as a design concept.

even though pirates shows a lot of potential, maybe next time he could think more about his design concept for the car, instead of (what looks like) haphazardly throwing stuff on the image.

---

It is ok, I wouldn't talk to me either...

Now that Ive read all these posts I think I finally understand what this challenge was all about. I was initially confused and my first thoughts were along the lines of anonymous and acaroid's but reading varnished's response I get that this is kind of half photoshop challenge and half car enthusiast outlet.
What I was expecting to see was some obvious but photorealistic additions, monster truck tires or a convertible roof but I totally get that within the bounds of doing something actually possible in the real world then these images are very succesfull. If I was to pick a favourite on those grounds I'd go for varnished's image, theres alot going on but its totally invisible, which is to say you wouldnt think that it had been touched up if seen independently.

for the record though [in my opinion] from a "digital art" point of view I would rather see some more excessive changes focusing on the final image as an interesting art work rather than the car itself. eg. super high suspension, totally new 70's paint job, the time machine from back to future, that type of thing.

---

what Matty says is true, the way he likes his cars is very different to mine. Over the past few years ive taken to the 'flush' style of tuning cars, hence the ridiculous camber, flared guards and dished wheels... Its a fairly niche group of tuners on the world scene but its right around the globe and i love it.

Its not a lot of people's taste due to the un-driveability of the vehicle, obvious attention seeking from authorities and other aspects, but that's why PS tuning is so appealing.

Thankyou all of the comments so far, and I agree that Matty's knowledge of PS and the details he would pick up on would be far advanced compared to mine. Brief history goes that i taught myself PS from scratch during Multimedia at school, purely for the Chopping of cars, and have only really used it on a basic level to create photo-real images. So I understand that you 'veteran' users of the program see the flaws in my blending and all that, and that's good. Should help me to really up my skills in the future.

If anyone wants to do a similar challenge with me, feel free to PM me or reply on here with an idea, I'm a bum and need something to do all week

~DP~

---