Marbled Paper: Can It Be Done in Filter Forge?

Please help! I need to create some marbled paper designs like those on the inside covers of old books. In particular, I want to add a raked or combed effect to images produced using Filter Forge filters, such as the Fractals added recently.

Piling effects into layers in Photoshop doesn’t do the trick, as the basic image itself has to be altered. With a completed fractal image, for example, I’ve had some success with both Distort>Shear and the Smudge Tool but I still don’t seem able to create the right effect. Waves etc are too crude and regular. I think what may be needed is a filter with an adjustable bump map, if there is such a thing.

I really don’t know how to create filters so I have to hand this over to you. If you check out http://content.lib.washington.edu/dpweb/patterns.html and in particular their examples of the Double Comb, French Curl (especially on Turkish) and Bouquet patterns, I’m sure you’ll recognise them and see the kind of thing I have in mind.

I’ve not found any standalone software or plug-ins that do a good job. Please, please, please, does anyone feel up to this challenge? Can anyone manage to “comb a fractal”?

http://www.filterforge.com/filters/5475.html ?

Thank you to Kraellin, KGtheway2B and Sphinx for your suggestions. Kraellin, I wasn't happy with what I built and liquified etc in Photoshop. Your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs will be very helpful to someone who understands how to create filters, but as you'll have seen from my first posting, that's not me. As a consequence, there's no filter I can offer in exchange for your or someone else's creating this one and uploading it for anyone to use. KGtheway2B, I'd tried the Marbled Paper filter in the past and wasn't very happy with my own efforts there, either. I've spent an afternoon and part of an evening with it again now, and for me the problem seems to be that I end up with a design that's either too regular, or too irregular. The attached file probably shows what I mean. Sphinx, you produced exactly what I was looking for. I wish I knew how you did it, but as a first-time poster on the Forum I hadn't realised I'm supposed to contribute something in return. I guess I'm just not up to everyone else's standard in filter creation and use. So, thanks everyone -- I appreciate the advice.

Those are both looking nice.
I'm working on one too, but may not bother uploading now.

Sphinx, a BIG thank you. I'll definitely learn from this but whether I'll ever be able to make my own version for the library is very much in question! Won't stop me trying, though. Kraellin, thanks for the teaching points: I can learn from all your suggestions, as they've helped me train my eye. meyendlesss, keep at it, as it'll be great to see other versions one day. Honestly, none of you can imagine how much your help has meant to me. Thanks so much.

Here's a shot of my progress with the double comb pattern...



I'll continue to work on this one, and I've also started a few more filters based on other patterns linked to above by Yu168.

Absolutely fantastic selection of Fractal Marble filters from ronjonnie -- FM 6 in particular is out-of-this-world. I see thanks are due, too, to Sphinx, voldemort, ThreeDee, and StevieJ. These filters and their clever authors/contributors deserve to be immortalised!