Someone at worked asked for my help in creating a 2-color Stella logo effect like seen in the head shots here:
There is a quick and easy method that gets pretty close. This works best on images with lighter backgrounds so the subjects do not get colored into the background.
1. Adjust Brightness (so subjects are not washed out, or not too dark).
2. Blur (so there is not as much detail)
3. Reduce to 2 colors
In a little more detail, using this image at an example:
1. Adjust Brightness
Adjusting the brightness changes the amount of black (shaded) or white (unshaded) in the final picture. I also like to turn the contrast way up, because it gives me a good idea about which areas will be shaded, and which areas will not.
This is the step you have to play around with to get the right look — and it depends a lot on the lighting of the original picture.
In Paint Shop Pro, I set Brightness = 28, Contrast = 100.
2. Blur
The more you blur, the fewer details you will end up with. So if you are getting too many specks on the the face, you could try blurring more.
In Paint Shop Pro, I used a Gaussian Blur with radius = 2.00.
3. Reduce to 2 colors
The easiest way to do this is just make the image black and white. Afterwards you may want to soften the edges.
In Paint Shop Pro, use “Decreased color depth – 2 Colors” using the Nearest color reduction method. You will want to avoid using dithering or error diffusion in this step.
Then you can add color back in if you want to.
By the way, this effect is a great way to redeem some blurry camera shots (you can just skip step 2).
The idea came from the magazine “Taste of Home”. The first time I had this, I realized that no other Salad could be its equal. Perhaps even the various Asian salads at the dine-in restaurants I’ve tried. While this post was meant to be an homage to my favorite salad, it kind of turned into a recipe.
Ingredients:
Prepared chicken breast strips
Dole Asian Crunch Salad or these ingredients:
Chopped Lettuce (eg. Romaine, Iceberg)
Chopped Cabbage
Sliced Carrots
Snow Peas
Radishes (I remove these)
Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles
Sesame-Ginger Dressing
Almond Slivers
Mandarin Oranges (1 Can)
Craisins (Dried Cranberries)
Extra Chow Mein Noodles
Sesame Seeds
Preparing the Chicken
One Way:
Marinate 1 Boneless Breast for 1-12 hours in a Sesame-Ginger marinade (Lawry’s or Ken’s Steakhouse Brand)
Broil on high, 7 minutes on each side.
Slice.
Another Good Way:
Slice, then Marinate in Sesame-Ginger marinade.
Stir Fry in TBSP of Sesame Oil, with cilantro, green onions, minced garlic.
Assemble Salad
If you can’t find Dole’s Asian Crunch salad, just add the alternative ingredients together. The best reason to get Dole’s is because the Sesame Ginger dressing is pretty good. Put half the bag on a plate. Spread some chicken slices on. Top with Mandarin Oranges, Almond Slivers, Craisins, Sesame-Ginger dressing, and sesame seeds. Then put a bunch of Chow Mein Noodles. I always get extra ones, but the ones in the Dole Salad would suffice.
Savor all the flavors and textures.
I’ve also substituted Mandarin Oranges with Pineapple Chunks, and wasn’t disappointed.
Welcome to Chinese Restaurant.
Please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chopsticks
the traditional and typical of Chinese glonous history
and cultual.
Learn how to use your chopsticks.
Tuk under tnurnb
and hcld firmly
Add second chcostick
hold it as you hold
a pencil
Hold tirst chopstick
in original position
move the second
one up and down
Now you can pick
up anything:
Product of China
