http://www.on1.com/products/effects9free/

looks good>?

Nice find!!

thank you

I've been using Perfect Effect for years now. Love it.

 Pleasure PropPose001

BooksbyDavid, yes I knew that, and so was keeping an eye on it (not to get it for free but I signed up for their newsletter.

I had a brief play, looks like a fine bit of kit.

What would you say was it's most useful feature for an illustrator? - eg the sketch filter did a good job. 

cheers! 

Hey, headwax. I'd say Perfect Effects strength is being able to combine the different effects, adjusting each effect to get the look you're going for. I usually go through a few favorites and combine them for my overall look. Sometimes I have a stack of 10 or 12 layers before I finally hit apply. Even after that, I sometimes go back in with the completed images and run it through some of the filters again. I usually end up with 2 or 3 finished images that I like. The torture is decided which one is the one I'll use.

Another good thing is that when you get the look you're going for, you can save the whole set as a new filter, then you're able to apply that one new filter instead of having to go through the whole process each time.

 thanks for That!!!! BooksbyDavid :)

really glad I asked!

yes, digital art is about being spoilt for choice, hmmm, 

The Portrait of  the Artist as a Filter is what James Joyce should have written  

Not a digital filter, but as the person who decides what to keep and what not to, regardless of the medium.

I haven't looked but can you/do you ever use  object index pass render in perfect effects to generate a mask (ie help select parts of image) ....  ?

 thanks for That!!!! BooksbyDavid :)

really glad I asked!

yes, digital art is about being spoilt for choice, hmmm, 

The Portrait of  the Artist as a Filter is what James Joyce should have written  

Not a digital filter, but as the person who decides what to keep and what not to, regardless of the medium.

Do you ever use  object index pass render in perfect effects to generate a mask (ie help select parts of image) ....  ?

No, I haven't. Sounds interesting.

thanks! just looking for lazy ways ")

Heh, heh. Lazy ways are my favorite ways. :)