Oh, to be a kid again. I ran across one of my favorite art projects from grade school while cleaning out my parent’s basement this weekend—the one where you scribble in crayon, paint over it in black tempera paint, and then scratch out a design to reveal the wild colors underneath—and was stunned not only by how simple and vibrant it remained, but also by how, so many years later, I can still remember how exciting it was to scratch away the dried tempera paint. The elementary school souvenir (which depicts my childhood cat, Finnegan) inspired my latest Photoshop project (click on the image to see it supersized). Here’s how you can do it, too…

Tools:

• Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or another pixel paint program

Make it:

1. Create a digital marbleized paper.
2. Add a new layer, and fill it with black.
3. Create another layer and place type using the horizontal or vertical mask type tool. Make sure you choose a bright color for the type so you can see it easily on top of the black layer.
4. Start scratchin’: Working in the black layer, use the eraser tool set to brush mode (with a 1-pixel brush) to erase the black within the boundaries of the type outline—this creates the scratch effect. The process can take a while, and I definitely cramped my hand, so take it in stages.
5. When you are happy with your work, stop. Turn off the outline type layer, and enjoy the effect.

If I were better at freehand drawing, I’d definitely try doing this with a picture instead of text. Maybe of another pet?

Kevin : DIY Projects
May 29th, 2007