Sky Writing

On Fri, 4 May 2007 08:33:42 -0400, "Michael Bartos" wrote:

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect,

Not exactly the same, but:

http://www.ransen.com/Repligator/Sky-Writing-Filter.htm

Easy to use graphics effects:
http://www.ransen.com/

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

what’s wrong with that tutorial??
it is 100% correct way to it

make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line!!! or make a selection and turn your lines to a path first
then click stroke path in the bottom of path palette

if you have the brush set as she describes it’s simple

re-open janee’s page and do each step in order as described

the plug in mentioned above looks nothing like sky writing sorry Owen, so far I remain unimpressed with anything on your site

Hi KatWoman,

Thanks for answering my query. I still don’t have it quite right and would like you to be very precise in your instructions. In 2."Write your message, " I have the free form pen tool selected as the tool to use. When I write a word–my name for example–with the free form pen tool , upon releasing the mouse, there is a fill in with the foreground color. You say, in your message, "make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line," does that mean the free form pen tool, too or something else. What is "the line?" You say, also, "make a selection and turn your lines to a path first then click stoke path in the bottom of the path palette." Make a selection with what? Do favor and just give me precise instructions for every setting in 2. Sorry to be such a pain but I’d like to get this right.

-Michael Bartos

—– Original Message —–
From: "KatWoman"
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.photoshop
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 1:22 PM
Subject: Re: Sky Writing

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

what’s wrong with that tutorial??
it is 100% correct way to it

make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line!!! or make a selection and turn your lines to a path first
then click stroke path in the bottom of path palette

if you have the brush set as she describes it’s simple

re-open janee’s page and do each step in order as described
the plug in mentioned above looks nothing like sky writing sorry Owen, so far I remain unimpressed with anything on your site

"KatWoman" wrote in message

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

what’s wrong with that tutorial??
it is 100% correct way to it

make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line!!! or make a selection and turn your lines to a path first
then click stroke path in the bottom of path palette

if you have the brush set as she describes it’s simple

re-open janee’s page and do each step in order as described
the plug in mentioned above looks nothing like sky writing sorry Owen, so far I remain unimpressed with anything on your site

Michael Bartos wrote:

Hi KatWoman,

Thanks for answering my query. I still don’t have it quite right and would like you to be very precise in your instructions. In 2."Write your message, " I have the free form pen tool selected as the tool to use. When I write a word–my name for example–with the free form pen tool , upon releasing the mouse, there is a fill in with the foreground color. You say, in your message, "make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line," does that mean the free form pen tool, too or something else. What is "the line?"

When you select the Freeform Pen tool look on the toolbar next to the Pen icon. You will see three icons. Hover the cursor over each and they will be revealed as "shape layers" paths" and "fill pixels". Make sure the one selected is "paths" otherwise you will get the effect you describe.

You say,
also, "make a selection and turn your lines to a path first then click stoke path in the bottom of the path palette." Make a selection with what? Do favor and just give me precise instructions for every setting in 2. Sorry to be such a pain but I’d like to get this right. -Michael Bartos

Thanks Ragnar! That’s what I needed to get it to work.

-Michael Bartos

"Ragnar" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

Hi KatWoman,

Thanks for answering my query. I still don’t have it quite right and would like you to be very precise in your instructions. In 2."Write your message, " I have the free form pen tool selected as the tool to use. When I write a word–my name for example–with the free form pen tool , upon releasing the mouse, there is a fill in with the foreground color. You say, in your message, "make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line," does that mean the free form pen tool, too or something else. What is "the line?"

When you select the Freeform Pen tool look on the toolbar next to the Pen icon. You will see three icons. Hover the cursor over each and they will be revealed as "shape layers" paths" and "fill pixels". Make sure the one selected is "paths" otherwise you will get the effect you describe.

You say,
also, "make a selection and turn your lines to a path first then click stoke path in the bottom of the path palette." Make a selection with what? Do favor and just give me precise instructions for every setting in 2. Sorry to be such a pain but I’d like to get this right. -Michael Bartos

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Thanks Ragnar! That’s what I needed to get it to work.

-Michael Bartos

"Ragnar" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

Hi KatWoman,

Thanks for answering my query. I still don’t have it quite right and would like you to be very precise in your instructions. In 2."Write your message, " I have the free form pen tool selected as the tool to use. When I write a word–my name for example–with the free form pen tool , upon releasing the mouse, there is a fill in with the foreground color. You say, in your message, "make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line," does that mean the free form pen tool, too or something else. What is "the line?"

When you select the Freeform Pen tool look on the toolbar next to the Pen icon. You will see three icons. Hover the cursor over each and they will be revealed as "shape layers" paths" and "fill pixels". Make sure the one selected is "paths" otherwise you will get the effect you describe.

You say,
also, "make a selection and turn your lines to a path first then click stoke path in the bottom of the path palette." Make a selection with what? Do favor and just give me precise instructions for every setting in 2. Sorry to be such a pain but I’d like to get this right. -Michael Bartos

ragnar is correct
Hallelujah!! glad you "got it"
it took me a very long time to even try figuring out the pen tools and it’s worth knowing

alternate method:
this method would work if you had used the regular line tool or pencil and drew with it
you can select the line’s pixels by select> color range or magic wand then turn that line into a path that can be stroked!

you can turn any selection into a path in the bottom of path palette hover mouse over the icons to see which is which
this is a cool feature and one I haven’t used much but was happy to discover

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.

3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

And thank you, too! I’m also going to experiment with some of your alternate suggestions.

-Michael

"KatWoman" wrote in message

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Thanks Ragnar! That’s what I needed to get it to work.

-Michael Bartos

"Ragnar" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

Hi KatWoman,

Thanks for answering my query. I still don’t have it quite right and would like you to be very precise in your instructions. In 2."Write your message, " I have the free form pen tool selected as the tool to use. When I write a word–my name for example–with the free form pen tool , upon releasing the mouse, there is a fill in with the foreground color. You say, in your message, "make sure you are using the path selection when you draw the line," does that mean the free form pen tool, too or something else. What is "the line?"

When you select the Freeform Pen tool look on the toolbar next to the Pen icon. You will see three icons. Hover the cursor over each and they will be revealed as "shape layers" paths" and "fill pixels". Make sure the one selected is "paths" otherwise you will get the effect you describe.

You say,
also, "make a selection and turn your lines to a path first then click stoke path in the bottom of the path palette." Make a selection with what? Do favor and just give me precise instructions for every setting in 2. Sorry to be such a pain but I’d like to get this right. -Michael Bartos

ragnar is correct
Hallelujah!! glad you "got it"
it took me a very long time to even try figuring out the pen tools and it’s worth knowing

alternate method:
this method would work if you had used the regular line tool or pencil and drew with it
you can select the line’s pixels by select> color range or magic wand then turn that line into a path that can be stroked!

you can turn any selection into a path in the bottom of path palette hover mouse over the icons to see which is which
this is a cool feature and one I haven’t used much but was happy to discover

Nice! I’m going to give this a shot, too.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg screenshot

just a quickie
had a photo of sky
made new layer >drew words with pencil tool
selected the word
changed selection to path
stroked path with brush tool
could have spent more time choosing the brush settings
got this on 3rd attempt of brush settings
turned off the layer I drew the words in pencil
dupe layer>motion blur>liquefy>mask part of it with gradient (could be better with tweaking too)

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Nice! I’m going to give this a shot, too.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

you can download a bigger size image here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kw-retouch/

and see some my other work]

"KatWoman" wrote in message

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg screenshot

just a quickie
had a photo of sky
made new layer >drew words with pencil tool
selected the word
changed selection to path
stroked path with brush tool
could have spent more time choosing the brush settings
got this on 3rd attempt of brush settings
turned off the layer I drew the words in pencil
dupe layer>motion blur>liquefy>mask part of it with gradient (could be better with tweaking too)

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Nice! I’m going to give this a shot, too.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

"KatWoman" wrote in message

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg

10 times better than Mr Ransom’s paid for version!!!
Do you think anyone actually buys the stuff on his site??

Quick question: How do you change the selection of the pencil tool to a path?

Thanks.

Michael

"KatWoman" wrote in message

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg screenshot

just a quickie
had a photo of sky
made new layer >drew words with pencil tool
selected the word
changed selection to path
stroked path with brush tool
could have spent more time choosing the brush settings
got this on 3rd attempt of brush settings
turned off the layer I drew the words in pencil
dupe layer>motion blur>liquefy>mask part of it with gradient (could be better with tweaking too)

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Nice! I’m going to give this a shot, too.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

Sam,

Thanks for your help. Quick question: If in step 2 you choose white for a background color and you want white text–this is a cloud, after all, it is difficult to see what you are doing with the text. In 7, do you mean background layer as invisible? Now, also, in step 3, if you are using a text tool, you are creating a new layer. What do you do with the layer you created in step 2?

Thanks.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

Michael Bartos wrote:

Sam,

Thanks for your help. Quick question: If in step 2 you choose white for a background color and you want white text–this is a cloud,

You’re right. I made a boo boo. You need to set the foreground colour to white at this point.

after all, it is difficult to see what you are doing with the text. In 7, do you mean background layer as invisible?

Yes, just click the wee eye beside the background layer in the layers pallette.

Now, also, in step
3, if you are using a text tool, you are creating a new layer. What do you do with the layer you created in step 2?

Again, you’re right. Text will create a new layer, so there’s no need to create this extra layer.
However, if you did create this layer, don’t worry. Just ignore the "set up a mew layer" part in stage 7. Effectively this is your new layer. Hope that makes some sort of sense.

Thanks.

LOL. I was never particularly good at writing tutorials.

"Harry Limey" wrote in message

"KatWoman" wrote in message

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg

10 times better than Mr Ransom’s paid for version!!!
Do you think anyone actually buys the stuff on his site??

oooh I hope not
you can do so many more interesting things without it
I never even knew what plug ins were
so for a long time I just persevered on my own, trying different tools I am glad I learned that way
it is very creative and rewarding to make discoveries within the program and some mistakes I liked I kept as "techniques"

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Quick question: How do you change the selection of the pencil tool to a path?

Thanks.

Michael

I made the pencil lines in white on a transparent layer (it could be any color)
above the photo layer

I turned off the background photo with the eye
used select color range from menu
click white area with the dropper
move slider to get all the white

in the bottom of paths palette>>>click icon for "change selection to a path"

note in finshed version the white pencil writing I used to make the path is turned off
I would normally throw it out but left it in for the screenshot

if you download a larger version from flickr it will be easier to see I labeled each layer, to what I did

"KatWoman" wrote in message

OK I had to try it today when I had time

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/486872910_34f55281d5.jpg screenshot

just a quickie
had a photo of sky
made new layer >drew words with pencil tool
selected the word
changed selection to path
stroked path with brush tool
could have spent more time choosing the brush settings
got this on 3rd attempt of brush settings
turned off the layer I drew the words in pencil
dupe layer>motion blur>liquefy>mask part of it with gradient (could be better with tweaking too)

"Michael Bartos" wrote in message

Nice! I’m going to give this a shot, too.

-Michael

"Fat Sam" wrote in message

Michael Bartos wrote:

I’d like to do a graphic with text in it in which the text looks like sky writing. Below is a tutorial which I can’t get to work–either a step is missing or there is a mistake in the tutorial.

If anyone has some suggestions or knows a way to create this effect, I would be very grateful. I am running Photoshop 7 on my computer.
Many thanks.

Michael Bartos

http://graphicssoft.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ /Ya&sdn=graphicssoft&cdn=compute&tm=44&gps=6 0_4_1276_628&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt =1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.myjanee.com/tuts/trail/trai l.htm

I just followed that tutorial and was deeply dissatisfied with the results it gave me.
Here’s how I’d do it.

1. Set up a dark to light blue gradient for the sky.

2. Set up a new layer, and choose white for your backgrround colour.
3. Now, on the new layer, either write your message freehand using a brush tool or else use a nice freehand style font

4. Now rasterise the layer containing the message.

5. Apply a gaussian blur to the message layer. Enough to make it fluffy, but not so much that the message is lost.

6. Set the layer blend mode to Dissolve. The message should go all speckly. This introduces a randomised element.

7. mark the background as invisible, set up a new layer and then with the new layer and the message layer visible, use the layer>merge visible function to rasterise the speckling.

8. Make the background visible again, and apply Gaussian Blur to the message layer again to make it look like smoke.

Job Done.

That’s how I made this 5-minute mock-up.
http://www.norfolklupusgroup.co.uk/misc/skywrite.jpg

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