Blurry edges....

[UnSharpened]

Greeting CAers,

I have been doing photo studies of landscape a lot, and mostly for the purpose of training myself to pick out the colour more accurately. Yet I found another issue occurs here is that my study tend to be blurry, especially in edges. These took about 15-30 mins. I know spending more time on them seems to be a solution, but somehow I don't think that's my case.
I use almost only the round hard-edge brush in Photoshop, with opacity 100%, flow 100%, opacity control set to pressure.
Any suggestion and and advice would be appreciated:D.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/matining/speed150508bcopy.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/matining/speed130508acopy.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/matining/speed140508acopy.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/matining/speed120508acopy.jpg

[ryuloulou]

I know spending more time on them seems to be a solution, but somehow I don't think that's my case. I am a bit dubitative about that.
If you want to improve, you HAVE to spend more time!
Anyway.

I love your colours, very well treated, very bautifull.
for your problem, as I am not in any case an environment artist, I should give this link (http://www.cfsl.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10291&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=) to you.
Hope you can read french :)

If not, I think the pictures talk for themselves.
It is not the same kind of subject, but I think Sparth is using the same kind of technique you are decribing.

[dose]

There are times when blurry edges are good. You just have to learn to know when to makes edges softer or harder, and then you need to develop the technique/control do make the image match your intentions.

Check out this great thread on edges:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51913

[panchosimpson]

Nice work, actually, I would say that some of your edges are TOO hard...at least here http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc33/matining/speed140508acopy.jpg where the rock meets the sky, to soften it you can mix an intermediate color between blue and orange and brush it on with low opacity. Like Tim says, soft edges are important.

Doing 1/2 hour studies isn't a bad thing, just balance it with longer studies, both will teach you different things, if you only did longer studies you might become too fussy and not respond quickly when you need to.

Don't keep the brush at 100% opacity all the time, I generally keep it lower, around 40, which give you a nice transparency and let's some of the underlayer show through (I have a solid color underneath) then I gradually increase the opacity as the process goes on....and add the most opaque lights with a brush at 100% opacity....basically it's an oil painting process.

If you're using a hard-edge brush, are you keeping hardness all the way up to 100%? If not do that, and achieve softness by mixing transitions and applying them transparently. Hope this helps

[Zazerzs]

I'll second Pancho, vary the level of opacity with your brush. And I also agree with around 40% as a base. I used to keep my brush at 100% for along time and wondered why my stuff always lacked something, change it up

[UnSharpened]

ryuloulou: Thanks man. I know that didn't sound right:P. Sometimes I just saw people post 10min or quick photo study, and are still able to achieve nice quality. I guess that makes me anxious about my progress. Anyway, thanks for the link, it's great to see the process thoroughly.
dose: How dare I forgot this thread....shame on me. Thanks for reminding me:P, gotta check out that.
panchosimpson: Objects like this which stand out from the background I often make a selection of it, then work within the selection. That's why it looks too hard, maybe I was too aware of the edges, which distracted me from looking the whole image. I always think low opacity is the reason which cause the blurriness, but thanks, I am going to try this out:P.
Zazerzs: Cheers mate. I am glad that someone has also question same as me:P. And I believe that you must have found the way to solve that, haven't you?