Community Expert

Something for the Weekend – Part 264 – ‘Where there’s smoke…’

Forum|Forum|22 days ago
July 31, 2026
228 replies
1190 views

Thanks to all who took part in our previous ‘Fixer Upper’ challenge. As always, there were many interpretations of the image and the brief.

This week, we start out with a simple object. This Victorian pipe can be found in Adobe 3D assets. I made the wrap-around wood materials using Adobe Substance 3D Designer and then added them to the surface using Adobe Substance 3D Painter, before rendering in Blender 3D.
So, now we have our starting image. What can you make with it?

The “rules”:

Use the starter image as at least part of your own image entry.
Anything goes, as long as it meets the forum rules on decency, copyright, etc.
Anyone, and everyone, is welcome to have a go, whether you are a complete beginner or a Photoshop expert. This is not just for our forum “regulars”.
The challenge is not limited to Photoshop. Any Adobe software can be used.
There are no prizes apart from the chance to practice, show off your skills, or bring a bit of humour and fun. Don't be shy, join in and have a go!
The starter image is made available for you to use in this forum challenge only.

To download the starter image, click it then, when the image opens in its own window, right click and choose “Save Image As/Save Target As” (or similar depending on your browser).

When posting back your image, please use the reply button in this first post and use the 'Insert Photos' icon at the bottom of the reply box. If posting a comment on someone else’s entry, then please use the reply button next to their image post.

Have fun!

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davescm

Author

Community Expert

Thanks to everyone who posted images in this challenge. The new challenge is now up and running here :

Dave

C

courageous_Twinkle3aa1

Participant

good work

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

I got this idea a week ago after seeing Aaron Nace come up with a clever way to use Free Transform > Warp > Cylinder on Phlearn. Obvious when you see it, but I’ve never thought of it, and nor has anyone else that I can think of. With the text wrapped around an object, it was just asking to be animated, but I have been away and only got back home today.

It took three goes starting with Via, which messed up the text. Google told me that the native Firefly video model was best at animating text, so I wasted 250 credits finding it was hopeless. Third try was Via Fast and only 40 credits. It was the best text animation but the avatar movement is annoying as heck. I tried again toning down that movement, which worked, but the text went to pot. So I am going with the annoying movement for now.

I ran it though handbrake as usual taking it down to 15fps before exporting to GIF, but it was choppy. With all the white and limited cartoon colour range, I was able export out to 4.3Mb with 128 colours — which make no difference in this case.

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

BTW When you make these looping videos with Firefly, it has always added an extra three of four frames IME. The easiest way to trim is to mark a central point with a guide at frame 1. Then go to the last frame and step back till the guide aligns and cut one frame before that.

Y

youthful_Smileaaed

Participant

Love seeing how differently everyone interpreted the “where there’s smoke” theme. The variety of styles from realistic pipe designs to surreal and humorous artwork really shows how much room there is for creativity in a simple prompt. Some of the AI-generated concepts are especially fun and unexpected!

Warren Heaton

Community Expert

Where there’s smoke, there’s 3d model generations, maybe.

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

I love the layout and progression Warren but I was expecting the last pipe tone a hookah.

Christelle RD

Community Expert

Just like my first post, this one has a retro vibe too, but it's even funnier.
Inspired by the Cross Product Challenge

O

Oh.N8

This is fun. I love the bowtie and ocular glass.

Christelle RD

Community Expert

Thanks Nate!

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Click to get closer, Click again to get closer still

What are you making?

Participant

oh wow such a amazing image 😅

EuanWilliamson

Community Expert

Ok, I’ve fixed my hearing :-)

Best regards, Euan.

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

A clever idea Euan. Could you have asked Gemini to expand the pipe’s bowl to be more trumpet like?

O

Oh.N8

Used Chat GPT to create the image.
Brought it into PS to clean it and bring out the colours.

Detective Jell.mp4

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

That is such a cool image Nate. If I was picky I’d tone down the bright area at the top of the image so that your focus remained on the PMOW. I love it.