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davescm
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Oct 24, 2025 9:52 AM UTC
Question

Something for the Weekend - Part 252 - Double, Double Toil and Trouble!

Thanks to all who put forward their interpretations of last weeks Lemon and Lime starter image. There were some great ideas and great translation of those ideas into images.

During the two week period of this challenge, we have Halloween coming up. I got to thinking of Shakespeare's witches in Macbeth chanting 'Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble'. So, I've built a cauldron scene in Blender 3D using a fluid simulation for the fire and smoke, textured it in Adobe Substance Painter and finished the rendered image in Photoshop adding the moon surface from a NASA image.. What can you now do to bring it to life? For those that enjoy some realism, it poses challenges with the lighting, from the fire, and also the retention of the smoke and steam in front of any mid ground subjects. For other styles - just go for 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 humor 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, hover over the image and click on the circle with the arrows at the top right. 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 blue reply button in this first post and use the 'Insert Photos' icon at the top of the reply box. If posting a comment on someone else’s entry, then please use the grey reply button next to their image post.

 

Have fun!

 

Dave

121 replies

Semaphoric
Community Expert
Community Expert
Oct 29, 2025 1:41 AM UTC

Global Warming 😞

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N8.
Community Expert
Oct 29, 2025 8:07 AM UTC

things have gotten a bit warmer for sure. very creative.

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N8.
Community Expert
Oct 28, 2025 1:26 PM UTC

 

 A jellyfishoon on halloween

 

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Trevor.Dennis
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Oct 28, 2025 10:13 PM UTC

I think that must be the red-eyed monstor out of James' upload.  

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Leslie Moak Murray
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Oct 28, 2025 5:17 AM UTC

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davescm
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davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
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Oct 28, 2025 10:13 AM UTC

That did make me laugh, a modern day problem for those ancient witches! 🙂
Dave

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Leslie Moak Murray
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Oct 28, 2025 5:12 AM UTC

x

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Turtle.PSD
Inspiring
Oct 27, 2025 9:30 PM UTC

 

 

I used Gemini to make a background based on a sketch and a sentence. All I'm saying is that the standards are at an all time high for drawings being put on the fridge over here haha.
Animated inside the PS timeline window.

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Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Community Expert
Oct 28, 2025 10:01 AM UTC

Looking at this, I thought if the Space Shuttle is going to fly across the screen, it should at least take out a bunch of Starlink satellites, so I created this as the first frame and wasted 900 credits asking Firefly to make the shuttle crash into the satellites and make them explode into tiny pieces.  I'm not even going to share the result as it was beyond pants.  The lesson I learned here is to test your first frame and prompt at 540p with one of the lesser video models, and only waste 100 Premium credits.   Of well.  Serves me right for borrowing your idea @Turtle.PSD   BTW  The cauldron rocket motors are out of frame on the right. 😉 

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Turtle.PSD
Inspiring
Oct 28, 2025 9:28 PM UTC

Ha, I enjoy the Elon Odor hologram. I understand the feeling of "wasting credits" and frequently use Grok to negate the stress of credits and sometimes get really good results. But this was as good an excuse as any to use the shatter effect in After Effects.

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Jacob Bugge
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Community Expert
Oct 27, 2025 7:39 PM UTC

 

 

Click to get closer, Click again to get closer still

 

 

The final fire, first ever image

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davescm
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davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
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Oct 28, 2025 10:12 AM UTC

Don't get too close, the black hole cauldron will pull you in! 🙂
Dave

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daniellei4510
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Oct 27, 2025 7:06 PM UTC

Cold as a witch's *****, as my mother used to say.

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Adobe Community Expert | I have miles to go before I sleep, but I'm all done on this end.
davescm
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davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
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Oct 28, 2025 10:11 AM UTC

She'll soon warm up. It looks like we could melt iron in that heat. 🙂
Dave

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GeekyGirlRex7295714
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Oct 27, 2025 4:37 PM UTC

 

 

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Writer | Developer | Facilitator | Geek!
davescm
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davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
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Oct 28, 2025 10:09 AM UTC

Of all the characters in that scene, I think the frog with the sharp fangs looks the scariest. I bet the snake got a surprise! 🙂
Dave

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JR Boulay
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Community Expert
Oct 26, 2025 11:35 PM UTC

Non Obélix, tu sais bien que tu ne dois pas boire de potion magique car tu es tombé dedans quand tu étais petit.

No Obelix, you know that you must not drink magic potion because you fell into it when you were a small child.

 

(There is no AI in this image, I did it all by myself.)

 

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Trevor.Dennis
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Oct 27, 2025 3:39 AM UTC

Is this one based on a true story JR?

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JR Boulay
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Oct 27, 2025 9:55 AM UTC

It's a well known comics in Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix

 

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
War Unicorn
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Oct 26, 2025 11:07 PM UTC

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davescm
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davescmCommunity ExpertAuthor
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Oct 27, 2025 10:22 AM UTC

The horizontal lines give it an old TV screen look, James. The scary cat in teh foreground adds to your theme. 🙂

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