Carbon Fiber Jeep

[Chsavage]

Ok so, I used a couple of the different methods for doing things that people taught me and created this. The picture is of my own jeep taken near my city's river just at sunrise. I extracted the subject from the background using the pen tool, taking the pointers people provided. I created that carbon fiber texture, made a large overlay if you will, and then used the texture mapping someone else taught me to apply it. I've only done minor polishing so far because I assumed critiques would help point me in a direction I need to go to make the image even better. So here is the culmination of what I've learned so far. Note: don't zoom in too close, you'll see all the defects haha.


This is me, realizing only after I've posted this that there are threads better suited for things like this. Bring forth the ban hammer.

 

[IamSam]

Hey Chase, this image is entirely too dark to tell what you've done here. Perhaps if you lighten it, we could see more details.

 

[chrisdesign]

This is a good approach Chsavage.
But your edited image is very dark. I opened up the blacks in Photoshop and I can see your carbon texture now. But you either didn't properly use the pen tool for extracting the car or you applied a too soft edge(maybe 3 pixel) to your selection. The result is a fuzzy outline of the car that just looks unclean.
All of this you already saw yourself by mentioning not to zoom into your image. Nevertheless you asked for critique. For this picture size and quality you should soften your selection not more than 0.2 pixel.

 

[IamSam]

Now that I can see some details in Chris' lighter version, I think the Carbon Fiber weave is too large.
Take a look at any of the Carbon Fiber hoods photographed at about the same distance as your Jeep, to see what I'm talking about.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...=10000...0...1.1.51.img..0.12.770.JNaIOCbNF9g

 

[chrisdesign]

A made a new pen tool selection and put the car on a new layer. Enlarged it 5 %. It looks a little bit cleaner.
Another thing for a good image: Straighten the horizon, (red line) and retouch electric wires.