Insight Exaggerating Movement with Corel Painter’s Zoom Blur Effect By Cher Threinen-Pendarvis Dateline: October 19, 2005 Version: Corel Painter IX
	With the Zoom Blur feature in Painter, you can achieve a feeling of speed that rivals the results you get when panning with a zoom lens. Begin by opening your photo. To posterize the image for a bright, graphic look, choose Effects > Tonal Control > Posterize. In the dialog box choose between Levels 6–8.
	Now choose Select > All (Command/Ctrl-A). Choose the Layer Adjuster and Option/Alt-click on the image to create a layer with an exact copy of the original image.
	Select the layer by clicking on its name in the Layers palette and choose Effects > Focus > Zoom Blur. To get a moderate blur on the 1600-pixels wide image, set the Amount to 12%. Now set the focal point of the zoom by clicking in the image (not in the Preview window). I clicked on the skateboarder’s forehead. If you’d like to create a more distorted effect of zooming in, check the Zoom In box. Click OK.
	To enhance the focal point of the image, paint areas of a layer mask to reveal the underlying image such as the head, hands, and portions of the feet. Select the layer in the Layers palette and add a layer mask by clicking the Create Layer Mask icon on the Layers palette. Click the layer mask thumbnail. In the Brush Selector Bar, choose a Fine Tip Soft Air variant of Airbrushes and choose black in the Color Picker. (To view the layer imagery while editing the layer mask, keep the layer mask’s visibility in the Channels palette.) Paint into the layer mask on the head, hands, and feet to reveal the unblurred, posterized image on the Canvas.
	The final image is shown at left (click to enlarge).

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Cher Threinen-Pendarvis is an award-winning artist, author, and educator based in San Diego. She is principal of the consulting firm Cher Threinen Design and has authored “Photoshop and Painter Artist Tablet Book, Creative Techniques in Digital Painting,” and “The Painter IX Wow! Book.” Order her books at peachpit.com.