Burst effect

[Rhonda Gray]

I am trying to take a newspaper and give it a burst effect in the middle of the page. I want it to look like someone is bursting through the page with pieces of paper being ripped. Doese anyone know how to do this

[dave milbut]

alien skin's xenofex 2 has a rip out filter... see it here:

<http://www.alienskin.com/xx2/xx2_filters.html>

[Rhonda Gray]

Thank you so much. I went to this site and the rip out filter is nice but it's not exactly what I want. I am looking for a more realistic rip out. I am taking a newspaper and ripping the center and placing a boy running through it. I want it to look like he just burst through the page. Got any other ideas that may help.

[Phosphor]

PHOTOshop. It's called that for a reason.

Take a real newspaper. Rip it the way you want it. Soak the paper in a water/cornstarch solution. Let it begin to dry on a flat surface. As it's nearing full dryness, lift up the "bursted" rips and dry them with a hair dryer so they form and stay they way you like them. Take a PHOTO. Composite into your image.

I know this sounds a little flippant, but sometimes the best solution to a PHOTOshop puzzle involves using a real PHOTO. If you experiment and do it right, it'll look WAY better than a digitally created mock-up.

[dave milbut]

heh! great idea phos! also a good idea helen. apply the torn paper tut in the book to the effect produced by the AS rip out filter.

[Bill Bichteman]

I think Phospor makes a good point. I often find that a good digital camera is the best, quickest way to achieve the image I'm trying to fake!