Name: *YagaK
Tools of the Trade: Photoshop CS2, Adobe InDesign CS2, Canon A620, Nikon d70, Yashica Mat, Lifetec tablet, imagination
Likes to use: My own photos mixed with some stock photos, lots of different textures, filters and brushes made either by me or from stocks.
Examples of her work:



*YagaK’s tips and tricks:

1.- Stock:
I spend a lot of time looking for photos with similar lightning, colours, atmosphere, so that when I join them together they will fit to each other.

2.- Desaturation:
I always slightly desaturate photos before I work with colour.

3.- Sharpening:
I almost always slightly sharpen pictures at the very beginning of work.

4.- Homemade Filters:
I make some filters out of textures just by blurring them, applying masks and changing the fill and opacity.

5.- Coloring:
Since most of my images are usually one-colour dominant I try to find as many ways possible to make the colour look good. To do that I look for good textures, filters and colour adjustments. It usually takes me a while to decide the final colour version.

6.- Additional Elements:
For some images, if there is an element like a small figure, light from a lantern, fog I usually use my tablet and just draw that element.

7.- Clouds:
For my clouds I always use the contrast tool as well as reduce noise tool, sometimes gradient map. I want them to look as realistic as possible.

8.- Darkening the image/Creating Fog:
Sometimes a good tool for slight darkening the image or making a fog is a simple gradient along with gaussian blur.

9.- Pale Skin:
A great and simple way to make skin look pale is sponge tool along with dodge tool.

10. Finishing Touches:
I spend A LOT of time with the final touches, especially with adjusting the light on the image. To do that I usually use dodge and burn tool, lightning effects (different depending on the image), gradient tool as well as textures.


*YagaK’s 3 favourite tutorials:

I use tutorials from many different sites as well as from books. Don't really have favourite ones When I need to know something, I just look for it.


<sub>Please keep in mind that these tips and tricks are never meant as the only way to do something – they are the way the artist does things. They are meant to guide you or give you ideas what can be done and should be taken as such.

If you have any suggestions for deviants you’d like to see sharing their tips and tricks, feel free to write me a note. Just keep in mind that this article is mainly focused on photomanipulators.

Lastly, I would like to thank *YagaK for sharing her tips and tricks
and you for reading them
^kuschelirmel

Previous Issues:
~ #1 Aegis-Strife
~ #2 Tsheva

Up next: =MelGama</sub>