Fun ways to play with Photoshop
October 6, 2008
Want to learn how to create your own word shadowing technique? Here it is in four easy steps: 1. Open a new document. (The size I used is 500×100) Now type some text, doesn’t really matter what. (I used Arial Black 36pt) 2. Now hit CTRL A(=select all), CTRL C(=copy) and then CTRL V(=paste). You have now copied the layer. Move the new layer exactly above the original text layer. Hit CTRL T(=transform) and click the right mouse button, select “flip vertical”. Now move the layer down by dragging it or using the arrow keys. 3. Hit CTRL T again and now select “Perspective”. Move the lower right box to the right. 4. Now simply go to the layers window and lower the opacity of the “reflection layer” to whatever you want. (I used 25%)
Want to learn how to create angled lines? Having fun with photoshop there are tons of different types of angles and grids. Pulling together resources and tutorials that are correct and easy to follow can be quite awesome looking. Check out this easy way to create angled lines over your picture: 1. Open Photoshop. Open an image to apply angled lines effect. 2. Create New file with 3 pixel width, 3 pixel height and transparent background. 3. Select some foreground color. Draw angled line using Pencil Tool. 4. Select All using CTRL A 5. Create a pattern by Edit > Define Pattern. Name the pattern. 6. Close the Pattern file and go back to image file. Create new layer. Keep it selected. 7. Edit > Fill (Choose “Pattern” from “Use” drop down menu and again in “Custom Pattern” you will find newly created pattern) 8. Select newly created pattern and fill the layer. Change the layer mode to “Multiply”
Often websites will use effects that will make their site look really fun. There are fire blasts, smoke, lightening and other cool effects that can make your site look quite professional or fun, whatever way you chose to have it. To create a quick and easy fire blast you can use the polygon lasso tool to select a shape like an elongated triangle. Then fill with white. Then you would Apply Filter > Distort > Radial Blur Zoom 100%. Next you would want to set the eraser as above and brush lightly around the edges of the shape until you have a triangle that has some missing parts around it, you don’t want to go to heavy with this tool, just enough to take off a bit of the outer edges. Finally Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur Radius 1.2. Now you have a full blown fire blast, you can really do whatever you want to your blast, make it red or yellow, but these are the initial steps to doing it.
Want to learn how to create some interfaces? Creating interfaces for your can be pretty easy. Some people like to make their sites look cool by making lcds screens and adding shading techniques. Here is a step by step process for creating a lcd screen: 1. Create a new layer and select the polygonal marquee tool. Make a shape similar to the one shown here (around 180 pixels high). Go to select > modify > smooth, enter ‘25′ and press ok. 2. Set your foreground color to #D0D2C7 and fill the selection. 3. Open the layer styles dialog for your layer and go to ‘inner glow’. Use the following settings: Blend mode: normal: opacity: 22%: Size: 18px You can leave the rest of the settings as default. Go to ‘inner shadow’ and set the inner opacity to 44%, size: 7, and distance: 8. Then Click ‘ok’. 4. Create a new layer. Select the Elliptical Marquee tool and set the mode to ‘intersect’. Draw a circle over your already selected shape, so you get something similar to what is shown on the left. Fill the selection with #FFFFFF and set the blend mode to overlay and the opacity to 40%. Press ctrl D. 5. Hold down ctrl and click the layer 1 in the layers palette (the one which includes the green shape) to select the outer perimeter. Make sure your foreground color is set to #ffffff. Create a new layer above the green shape. Go to select > modify > contract and enter a value of ‘5′. Then smooth the selection with a value of ‘5′. Fill the selection with #FFFFFF. Contract the selection by ‘5′ again, and delete the selected area. 6. Set the layer’s blend mode to overlay and opacity to 35%. 7. Create a new layer above the background, and fill it with a gradient. 8. Select the top half of that layer, then create a new layer. Select the gradient tool and set it to “foreground to transparent”. Click and drag from the center up to create a white gradient. 9. Hold down Ctrl and click the layer in the palette, which has the green shape on it. Create a new layer under it, and expand the selection by 5. Set your foreground color to a dark grey, then make a gradient directing downwards 10. Set the foreground color to white, and make a gradient directing upwards from the bottom. Open the layer styles dialog box for layer 1, check ‘outer glow’, and use the following settings: Blend mode: normal: Opacity: 57%: size: 7 pix Leave the rest of the options as default and you’re done!
Changing your photos can be just as time consuming as creating them, why don’t you have some fun doing it? For this step by step know how you will learn to shade your skies different colors. This is because in pictures the sky can look a little faded and fade the rest of the image. Sharpening your sky is pretty easy, start by opening the image that you want to edit. File > Open > Image name. Then go to Image > Adjust > Selective Color and apply the following settings: - Colors = Blues - Cyan = 0% - Magneta = 0% - Yellow = 0% - Black = 100% - Method = Relative (Change color settings to your liking if you want) Press OK. Now you should create a luminosity selection by hitting the Ctl Alt ~ . Then create a duplicate copy of the image (Ctl J) or Layer > New > Layer Via Copy. Now select the new layer and set the new layer’s Blending mode to color burn. In the new layer erase the parts that you don’t want darkened. It is this easy and now your entire picture was touched up, instead of looking faded out you can sharpen you photo.
Airbrushing techniques aren’t limited to just shifting light, you can actually create an image that is a great ball of light and then set images in front behind, creating more layers. Set the brush as above and brush across the area required for general volume lighting similar to that shown below. Apply Filter > Blur > Radial Blur Zoom 100%. The result should be similar to below. Using the above eraser settings. Lightly brush over the lighting like the image below. Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur radius 2.5. Using the above settings for the lasso tool while holding shift select from parts of the render as shown below. Now simply delete these unwanted areas from the volume light area.
Now for some really fun stuff, ever wondered how to create those really awesome images that people use on their sites all time, well here is a step by step way to do it. Layer 1 Create a normal gradient fill. Layer 2 Duplicate the gradient layer and apply filter > Render > Difference Clouds 5 times. Set the layer to soft light. Layer 3 Duplicate the gradient [layer 1] and set to multiply. Layer 4 Now on to the render, Apply Filter > Distort > Radial Blur Zoom 100%. Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100, Contrast -100. Layer 5 Another render copy. Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur: Radius 10. Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100, Contrast -100. Move the layer slightly to offset the shadow. Layer 5 Another Render copy. This time simply as standard, Normal. Layer 6 Duplicate layer 5 and set to screen.Layer 7, 8, 9 Create 3 areas of exploding pixie dust. For light background areas set the layer to overlay. For dark backgrounds keep on normal. Layer 10, 11, 12 Create 3 areas of simple airbrushing. Duplicate each to improve contrast. Layer 13, 14, 15 Create 3 areas of more detailed airbrushing. Layer 16, 17 Duplicate the Render Twice, slightly offsetting each. This adds much larger scale to the structures. Use the eraser to rub out the middle unwanted area. Layer 18 Duplicate the original gradient layer and carefully erase the central part, so that the image comes through from underneath but fades towards the edges. Layer 19 Create a hue/saturation layer colorize with saturation set at 0. Set the opacity to 80%. Layer 20 Create a color balance layer. Highlights: Yellow -66 Midtones: Blue 20, Red 35 Shadows: Blue 15 Layer 21 Create a levels layer: Red input levels: 0, 1.3, 255 Layer 22 Create a Brightness/Contrast layer: Brightness 15, Contrast 25
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