http://www.komaru.org/pics/sd-slice.jpg
http://www.komaru.org/pics/sd-slice2.jpg

i'm kind of torn...i can't decide on which version i prefer. opinions?

i like the bottom. the top appears too filtered for my tastes. you have opted for a very serious subject matter and simply presenting it is enough, without the added effects. i would personally remove/replace the background and put a very subtle border (not necessarily grunge) on it and leave it absent of any typography.

I agree with Dub. I also agree that the bg needs to be treated or removed to some degree.

If the subject is suicide then this person is problably in for a long wait and the cut would be made at a different angle. ;)

thanks for the advice. i'll play around with those comments.

and the subject is self-mutalation (cutting), not suicide, so the person isn't trying to die, otherwise i would have had the incision go lenght wise instead of radially and would have probably called it a way out.

hmm. maybe it will be a series...morbid as it is :)



http://www.komaru.org/pics/sd-slice3.jpg

http://www.komaru.org/pics/slash.jpg

except for the lack of blood flow those cuts look pretty good and the images are a bit disturbing which is what you are problably aiming for (these certainly arent intended for Mothers Day cards)

How about you take the mutilation thing a step further and go with 'Surgical Addiction" ;)

yeah...blood....i still need to figure out how i'm going to do that. i might go get some fake blood and do another picture and add it in...not really sure of a way to get realistic looking blood in photoshop. any tips on that area?

honestly its not my area. I havent much experience with the blood and mutilation type peices but I would assume you could use any relative similar weight or texture liquid and then just do some hue and color tweaking to get soem blood effects, although I am sure there are alot more steps to it, not to mention getting the lighting right etc.

if you cant get blood stock to clone, then my advice would be to make a layer with a dark red brush stroke where you want your blood.

then, apply the plastic wrap filter and duplicate that layer. you can now play with the blend modes, dodge and burn or even smudge tools.

this way doesnt invalidate using some stock for that extra realistic feel tough.

as for your pieces, i really like your last two :)

Oh! shit, I do not like looking at these photos, but by looking at that cut, there should be a shower of blood coming from the arm...plus thats a rusty wee knife eh!...watch out for infection !!!

Scotty seriously if you're killing yourself would you stop to think is my knife sanitary.

I agree with the images being disturbing. I also agree there would be a lot more blood than what is shown. Well the first one might not have as much blood as the second one. The first once should have a trickle of blood going down the arm. The second one should have almost a flood of blood from that cut. And remember to "KISS" the image... :)

yeah, the blood hasn't been added in yet, those are just the wounds. i was playing around with trying to make the blood in photoshop, but its not really turning out. a reference photo would probably be helpful. i'll probably try some syrup later today and some chocolate syrup (hey, if its good enough for hitchcock, right? ;) ) and if those dont' work i'll go splurge for some fake blood.

I know someone who has this problem and think you should add scars from previous cuts. Blood wouldn't spatter from this type of cut.

You could try glycerine with red food colouring in it, you want something that is quite viscous and not too thick.

Come to think of it I don't know if you would even see the "scar" as it would be covered as the blood wells up.

Scotty seriously if you're killing yourself would you stop to think is my knife sanitary.
Ed, this was meant to be a wee joke....I wasn't serious about the dirty knife!

yikes! im squerming in my seat, great job on these (defiantly glad you didnt go with the filtered one)

first attempt at blood and scars (good suggestion).
not too bad i don't think but i don't like how the wound is covered up. but if i make it more transparent or change the blending options, it doesn't look like blood anymore.

http://www.komaru.org/pics/sd-slice4.jpg

I think the bood needs to be brighter, if you think about when you cut yourself (accidentally) the blood is bright... at least mine is.

The scars looks pretty good compared to what I have seen in real life but would be from smaller, less deep cuts than the one you have. (Not saying you have to change them, just informing)

brighter color blood and some of the scars are from deeper cuts, because they won't all be deep, right?

http://www.komaru.org/pics/sd-slice5.jpg

side note, i looked up some self-mutilation pics...and holy crap those were disturbing. so were just scratches, but others...others...OMG. i guess i don't have an issue looking at this pic, because i know its not real...and i can look at my arm and see that there is no slice there, but those pics...i couldn't look at them.