Using elements like buckles with ribbons

[sinead]

Ok, I should probably know how to do this, but I'm just not sure how everyone does this. When you are using an element like a buckle with a ribbon, how do you make it look realistic? I have used the transparency brush to erase part of the image, but I'm not sure if this is the best way.

I'd like to make it look like the eyelet and ribbon here in Mrs. Schmuck's layout "Uh-oh." http://www.thedigichick.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/3265/limit/all

THanks for any advice you guys can give me! I'm still learning here and I just want my layouts to look as real (as paper-scrapped, I guess) as possible.

[YvetteSanders]

You're on the right track - use the transparency brush to erase the parts that would be hidden (or inside the eyelet in your example). It also looks to me like it narrows at the end where it goes in, try using the distortion brush(under effects) on shrink to get this effect. Then finish off with a little bit of the dodge & burn brush (under touchup, other photo repair) to darken the edges and lighten the center for realism.

Yvette

[sinead]

Thanks, Yvette! I found a pretty nifty tutorial at Digital Scrapbook Place that described the same things to me this afternoon. :)