Hello Artists.
Can someone tell me what the technique is which is used in a lot of the images in the EotE Core Book which has a blotchy appearance allowing the image to be graduated into the page?
I'm trying to replicate for some homebrew rules, but I can't work out what its called.
I'm no artist, but isn't that just a creative use of the feather function? Or something along those lines?
If you are referring to the samples on pg. 8, 14, 22, and 30 (to name a few) I would create it by creating a layer mask using an art brush. Masking either the artwork area, or the page texture, and revealing/hiding the other.
You might be able to get a similar effect by using the cloud filter, apply some noise, adjust the levels and then loosely adjust with a big, soft brush to get the correct shape.
A bit difficult to explain in words... but, fairly straight-forward, otherwise.
(Hope that helps.)
It does - many thanks.
Wow, I was just researching this as well.
So for the non-technical Jedi Hamlet am I understanding this correctly?
Create new layer with an alpha channel.
Use a paint brush to make random looking funky strokes on the edge of the picture.
Use mask to create the correct shape from the new layer.
Apply mask to original layer.
But how do you get the transparency to work best? Every time I try I end up with only the same color being eliminated as my foreground. I am sure I am missing something.
Edit - After a bit more of the aforementioned research, it turns out I was using Layer Masks wrong. Go figure. 
Excellent work GM Hooly. I'll have to read that in more detail later.
One suggestion: build up the 'blotches' a bit more so there's not quite as strong/sharp a transition, especially at the midpoint of the fade/blotch.
@FangGrip: You beat me to saying that you have to 'paint' in the mask channel, and not the layer itself.
Looks great GMHooly.
@JediHamlet - That part I got, but I kept trying to use fill (color erase) to get rid of that part of it after I merged the layers. Using the Mask Layer correctly looks like it will be so much simpler.
What can I say, I am a hack amateur with graphic arts.