Background Design *Project Over*

[sparkie]

Greetings! (Admin code added by Palmer - 76503442)

I'm looking for someone to design a nice beach-themed background for a web page. The waves should come up from the bottom of the page. I'd like for it to look realistic rather than cartoonish.. perhaps with a piece of driftwood sticking out of the water near the bottom.
The background should tile nicely and look sandy and beachy. Like a deserted island :)

Go for it!

[Palmer]

What size graphic are you wanting and how do you mean tile? Do you have any examples of a tiling background like what you're looking for?

Thanks,
Palmer

[sparkie]

I would guess around 780x600 or so?
An example.. put this as the body background and you'll see what I mean :)

[Dan]

Is this like what your looking for -

[sparkie]

Not bad.. but it needs to look more realistic.. like actual water and sand. You can use the attachment I posted above, if you want.

Thanks!! :)

[beetle]

Answer these questions and I'm sure I can come up with something, I have experience making photo-realistic tiling images.

1) Is this strictly a horizontally tiling image? If so, it will tile along the bottom, correct?
2) From what perspective are we looking at this "beach"? From overhead like Dan's pic? Or as if we were standing on the beach looking out at the water?
3) If yes to #1, what does the rest of the background look like? A solid color? Another tiling image (of water, sky or sand, depending on #2) or is there no background as this tiling image will be capped/bordered by content?

I'd rather get these details out of the way than post examples until it's what you want.

[Palmer]

Hello Miss Sherice, I guess this would actually be 3 backgrounds, the top, middle and bottom. Let me know if this is what you're wanting. :)

Palmer

<img src='http://www.yourwebbuddy.com/misc/bg.jpg[/img]

[sparkie]

OOoh Palmer you were right about making something pretty for me. That's almost exactly what I had in mind..'cept the waves should be at the bottom..and they should look more foamy like water.

beetle, to answer your questions:

1) Yes, it is a horizontal tiling image, with the sand at top, and the waves/driftwood at the bottom.

2) You're looking at it from overhead..Dan has the position of the waves/sand as it should be.

3) Most of the page would be sand. The bottom part would be the waves/driftwood.

[Palmer]

Originally posted by Sparkie@Jan 31 2003, 09:09 AM
OOoh Palmer you were right about making something pretty for me. That's almost exactly what I had in mind..'cept the waves should be at the bottom..and they should look more foamy like water.


That's the sky at the top :lol: Maybe I should of put a bird up there. :ermm: I'll make an update later today.

Palmer

[beetle]

How's this?

http://www.peterbailey.net/clients/do/sparkie/

I'm so-so on the pic of driftwood I found, but I think you get the idea.

[Palmer]

Show off! :rolleyes: ;) Maybe I need to reconsider that invitation. Nice work Peter. :)

Palmer
Man and I was counting on that $25 bucks... grumble grumble grumble... punk kids disrespecting their elders... why I remember the day...

[synax]

Originally posted by beetle@Jan 31 2003, 10:51 AM
How's this?

http://www.peterbailey.net/clients/do/sparkie/

I'm so-so on the pic of driftwood I found, but I think you get the idea.
Very nice work.

-Jon

[Liz]

Gotta third that - very very nice Peter. Outstanding job.

[beetle]

Hehe, you guys (or gals) crack me up. Thanks, though. :D

You'd probably be surprised to see the source photo

<img src='http://www.costaricabureau.com/images/beacha.jpg[/img]

What can I say, I'm a photoshop geek :geek:

[Palmer]

You just kind of used that as a guide to go by or is there some kind of photoshop trick that turns photos into backgrounds that look like art :huh: ?

[beetle]

Well....

Here's the rough steps I went through Rotated image upside down so that water/sand line was horizontal
Made a couple copies and spread them out for width
Rubber Stamped the heck out of it
Applied some selected Filters to randomize the wave patterns
Applied Liquefy filter (it's a Filter in PS7, under the Image menu in PS6) to add curves to the surf line and waves
Applied Levels and Hue/Saturation layers to the sand for color and contrast corrections
Added a bit of noise to the sand to bring out the texture
Proceeded to make a horizontally tiling pattern from a flattened version of the above layers (sorry, can't give all my secrets away! :P )So, in essence, everything you see IS from the photograph, just moved and squished, etc. Any tiled image will look somewhat fake because well, patterns like that (2d grids) don't occur in nature :D

You can make fully tiling (both axes) patterns automatically in PS7 with the Pattern Maker Filter, however.

[Palmer]

Wow, now I'm even more impressed and humbled as well :(

Cool picture, nice work, now go enter that Geekscripts.com logo contest :P

Palmer

[Palmer]

Sparkster, do you still want me to post an update? :D

[sparkie]

Woooooooooow...*bows down to the master*

That is such a beautiful background Peter!

I guess I can unanimously declare you the winner of this contest..since I really need this background soon.. Congratulations :)

(PS: Palmer.. hehehe, OOPS. sorry about the sky bit. hahahaha. Open mouth, insert foot). :D

[Palmer]

*sniff* *sniff* :crying: Congratulations Peter

So does this mean you don't want me to post an update? :P

Peter, I'll contact you to get your paypal email address.

Palmer

[beetle]

:woot: w00t! :woot:

Sorry Palmer :innocent:

Sparkie, do I need to deliver anything to you, or will you just grab it from that page?

Palmer, my Paypal email is the same email that I registered here with.

[Palmer]

You've got cash! ;)

Congrats!

[Percept]

Wow , that's an amazing bg Beetle , congrats !

[beetle]

Thanks!

Hey Sparkie, make sure to let me know here or by PM where you are gonna use that B)

[sparkie]

Eep! Yes, errrm. Can you send it to sherice at mascotartist.com :)

Thanks!!!!