i know it is a matter of p[hotoshop, but what picture do you use as a starter to cut and paste?

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I'm with you here. Explosions are super tricky. I'm not one with experience to make credible comments, but the trend seems to be mostly cut and paste or custom Pshop graphics. This usually clashes visually with the artists' beautiful pictures. There must be more techniques to produce gunfire and explosions so they look tasteful and realistic to blend with surrounding images. Pshop magic can produce jet burners/ exhaust very nicely.

(off topic)
I like this comic style (Taurus striking the Trooper) action graphic in the last frame...

http://generalsjoes.com/dioramas/mi...sdepilogue2.htm



Agreed. Explosions are tuff.

Explosions can be tricky, and Photoshop really is the key. What I've done over the year is searched out images online of real life explosions, the larger the better. Then I simply (or not so simply) cut out the explosion itself and paste it on a transparent background within Photoshop, saving it as a .PSD file. Then I can just slap the explosion on whatever picture I choose.

Of course since you're dealing with flame, it's important to mix in some motion blurs and to use the "airbrush" eraser for softer edges on the explosion flames themselves, and each picture ends up using different techniques. Because of this it's tough to give a real straight tutorial on making explosions...

Justin

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