Creating a Mac-Type Background in Photoshop

Step 1:

We begin with a blank canvas and then draw a subtle gradient across it. (I’m using a 1280x1024 canvas here.) Don’t be fooled by the black border, incidentally, that’s just Photoshop. So anyhow, I’ve chosen two orange colors that are similar to each other to make a very subtle gradient indeed.

Step 2:

Add a NEW LAYER Now take your Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) and draw in a rough triangular selection as shown. Then take a really fat soft brush (size 300 or so) and draw some faded-in white with the edge of it, again as shown. Be careful not to make it too strong.

Step 3:

Set your white from step 2 to Overlay. NEW LAYER Now again, take your Polygonal Lasso Tool and do a similar triangle but back and against it (like shown). This time add some black. I actually used a gradient fill here using black and nothing. You can get this type of gradient by selecting your gradient tool then dropping down and choosing the second one along:

Step 4:

Set your black layer to Overlay at 34%. NEW LAYER Now use the Pen Tool and draw a nice-looking curve. The secret to nice curves with the Pen Tool is dragging the handle a long way. Join the path back up so it is one continuous blob, then right click and select Make Selection

Step 5:

You should now have a selection of a nice curve (as shown). Once again use the Gradient Tool, this time with white fading to nothing and add some white. Set this layer to Overlay and you should have something similar to what is shown.

Step 6:

NEW LAYER And again grab the Pen Tool and this time make a new even more interesting shape. You can see the shape I created on the left… Close the shape back in on itself so it is one continuous path and again right click and choose Make Selection.

Step 7:

Now with your selection, grab that fat soft brush again (size 300) and add some black just at the top on one side (as shown). Don’t let go of your selection as you'll need it for the next few steps.

Step 8:

NEW LAYER Now choose a selection tool (doesn’t matter which one) and hit the Down arrow key 10 times. You need to have a selection tool on to move your selection around or Photoshop will try to move some of your artwork (since you are on a new layer, it will give you an error). So make sure you’ve chosen a Polygonal Lasso Tool or one of the others. Now press Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse your selection. Then with your soft brush (size 300) paint some black down the bottom as shown. When you’re done set the layer to Overlay and fade it back to 60%.

Step 9:

NEW LAYER Now press Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse your selection again (back to the original) and this time paint some nice white as shown. Note that because we moved our selection down back in Step 8, this won’t quite align with the black.

Step 10:

NEW LAYER Now grab your Gradient Tool, choose white to nothing and set it to Radial Gradient. Then add a white light at the top left as shown. Set this layer to Overlay.

Step 11:

Now at the moment, the colors aren’t looking quite right. If I were really energetic, I’d go back to the beginning and start again with a different set of oranges. But instead we’re going to do a quick adjustment. NEW LAYER On the new layer, add a fill of a good orange similar to the one shown. Set the blending mode to Color and set the Opacity to 55%. This should adjust nicely.

Step 12:

Now that’s looking a bit better. NEW LAYER Now once again, use the usual method of using the pen tool to draw a nice curved selection (as shown) and then right click and choose Make Selection.

Step 13:

Use the White – Nothing gradient and add a smooth white transition from left to right as shown. And set the layer to Overlay.

Step 14:

NEW LAYER As you can see, we’re getting close. Now create one final curved selection down in the bottom left add a white gradient fading to nothing (our favorite tool as you can see) and switch to Overlay.

Step 15:

For the final touches, I added a tinge of black overlayed bottom right and a bit more white overlayed on the top left. But these are inconsequential changes. You might want to go through and polish yours up a little too at this point because other than that you’re done! You'll find the Photoshop PSD file for this tutorial available up above on the right. Enjoy!

Sample PSD

Download the PSD for this tutorial

fire hair

With some simple brushing techniques, and a bit of color tweaking, you can spice up your photos with this flaming hair tutorial. This effect relies on a good photo. You're going to a shot of some long hair, preferably flowing in the wind or tossed in the air. Blonde hair is going to work best, so if your model has darker locks, try changing it to blonde in Photoshop.

The majority of the work in this involves brushing the hair with the Smudge Tool. Use a grungy brush, with a small diameter and 50% strength to start. Begin towards the head and brush outwards, creating organic flowing movements.

Follow the hair's natural direction as shown in the illustration below (notice the wavy black strokes). Once you've touched every strand, duplicate your layer and use a larger diameter brush to go over the hair again. Be careful not to touch the ears or skin.

When your satisfied with your wispy hair, use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the hair -- you don't need to be exact here. Now Feather your selection by 15 pixels. With your hair selected, bump up the brightness by +9, and the contrast by +41. These settings will vary depending on your image -- we're just trying to intensify the hair. Now comes the color correction. Make the hair glow by adding yellow shadows and highlights. Play with the settings until you've got your fire. All of this fire will create heat, so take the Blur Tool and add some blurry spots to the edges of the face and neck. For some final enhancements, use the brush tool with a bright yellow and feather in a few hot spots on a new layer. Blur this layer and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.

That should do it. Add an overall yellow hue to your final image and put on your shades!

Water Drops

Step 1 - Part I : Creating the Layer Style 1

Create a new image any size with a "transparent" background. These water drops are going to be heavily based on Blending Options and Blending Modes.

Change the Blending Mode of the existing layer to "screen".

Step 2 - Part I : Creating the Layer Style 2

Open the Blending Options for the existing layer by right clicking the layer in the Layer Palette.

Apply the Blending Options showin in the images below.

Without closing the Blending Options window (if you closed the window just reopen it), click on the button that says "New Style". Rename the style "water" and press "Ok".

Close the Blending Options window. You have just created a Style.

Step 3 - Part II : Creating the Drop Shape

Open the image you wish to add water drops to. I will be using a white background with a pattern applied.

Create a new layer ( Layer > New > Layer... ).

Change the Foreground on the Layer Palette to Black ( Hex #000000 ).

Using the Brush Tool, draw on the new layer the shape you want your water drop to be. I set the Master Diameter to 13px, the Hardness to 100%, the Mode to Normal, the Opacity to 100%, and the Flow to 100%.

Step 4 - Part II : Applying the Layer Style

Look at the Styles window ( Windows > Styles ). You should see a preview of the style "water" you just created. Click on it.

Your black drop should now have the style applied to it. It should look more like water now.

By clicking on the style and applying it to your layer, you not only applied the Blending Options you set, but also the Blending Mode of "screen".

Step 5 - Part II : Applying the Spherize Filter

Make a selection only the water drop that you have drawn. To do this, click on the preview thumbnail, on the Layer Palette, of the layer with the water on it while pressing Ctrl.

Click on the background layer from the Layer Palette to activate it.

Apply a Spherize filter ( Filter > Distort > Spherize ), the Amount set to 100% and the Mode set to Normal, to your selection on the background layer.

You are done with your water drop! I would recommend against making water drops too large. Also, if you have multiple water drops, I would recommend spherizing the background for each one individually.

Step 6 - Optional : Ice Style

If you wish to make your water drops more icy, all you have to do is add more Blending Options.

Open the Blending Options for the water drops again and add the options shown in the images below.

Without closing the Blending Options window (if you closed the window just reopen it), click on the button that says "New Style". Rename the style "Ice" and press "Ok".

Apply this style just as you applied the water style. To the sides are two images showing the difference between the Water style and the Ice style.The Water style is on the left while the Ice is on the right

Think about Photo-retouching time

A software like Photoshop could be very, very helpfully to refine scenes: stop to make 3d images directly with your 3d studio max or Maya... think your render as a first part. The second one will be the photo retouch!

To save your time think to photo retouch especially frosted glasses. I'm showing to you my test:

My scene sample has same important elements to evaluate the method:

- A chair in front of the Glass

- A chair behind the Glass

- A colouder square

- A strong light

So we will verify if this method can solve any situation.

• How to use Photoshop Masks

Especially if we have an object behind the Glass the best solution is to use a mask.

But what's exactly the mask? How to use it?

The Masks are images, usually in white/black, that we use to say to photoshop (in this case!) what is visible and what is hidden. White = visible, Black = hidden.

Here two examples to understand perfectly how works a mask:

But... why do I have to use a mask?

Because it's very easy and fast obtain a mask if you have access to the 3d scene. You have just to put a black material to all the objects in the scene, just the glass will be white.

So render a second image: interno_mask.jpg

This is a mask image related to our scene sample:

Image name:
interno_mask.jpg

This will be the mask that we use to select and manmipulate easy our glass.

Now combine two images and obtain in photoshop something like the image below following this points:

1 - Open both the images

2 - Go to interno.jpg and double click on Background to convert it in layer

3 - Layer > Duplicate Layer

4 - Layer > Leyer Mask > Revel All

5 - Image > Apply Image,
In the rollout "source" choose interni_mask.jpg

Layer order could be this one in the left image.

• Combine the effects

Now we have two leyers, select the glass layer and play with fantasy! :)

Here I suggest same filter with relative parameters to obtain common glasses. I didn't work to perfect the images so much, my goal was obtain good results without many efforts.

I suggest to use this technic to save your time and to make many different proposition for your client in zero time!

• Glasses and filter parameters - Photoshop

I hope you like my tutorial.. and my Video on Ebay too!
Ciro Sannino

Making Skin Beautiful

Overview

This subject will be covered in steps as follows:

1. Removing or softening major flaws in the skin
2. Touching up undesired reflections and highlights
3. Apply a Gaussian blur to the skin to soften and blend it.
4. Spot sharpening

Note for MAC users: Substitute the Option key for the Alt key when specified in the tutorial.

Removing or softening flaws

There are many ways to remove flaws from the skin; however, I like to use the clone tool. I do not use the clone tool to remove and replace the skin but rather in a special way that will allow me to work slowly to hide the flaw or blemish on the skin. The beautiful young lady pictured here is typical of teenagers in that hormones may cause zits or other eruptions on their skin that are unsightly. As a photographer it is our job to lessen that and make the model look their best. You will note on the neck of this young lady a rather large skin eruption. This is not a normal mark and one that I am sure she wishes were not there.

On the tool bar on the left hand side of the workspace is the clone tool. Click on this tool. Now go to the mode setting at the top and select a soft brush that is near to or smaller than the blemish. Move to the right and click on mode, setting it to lighten. Move to the right and set the opacity to around 12% and the flow rate to 100% or less. You are now ready to begin hiding the blemish. Find a good patch of skin near the blemish, position your brush on it, hold down the ALT key and click your mouse once. Now begin to soften the blemish by doing a click and hold while going over and over the blemish. You will note that it begins to lighten. Continue until the blemish is gone. In the center of the blemish it is lighter than the surrounding skin. Set mode to darken, ALT click on the good skin and repeat the process above to darken this lighter area. The blemish is now gone as shown in the image. You might also note that I have lightened some of her permanent moles and fixed other light or dark areas using the same technique described above. I generally do not totally remove permanent moles on a models face.

Touching up undesirable highlights and reflections

The end of nose is a particularly onerous place for reflections and burned out highlights as you will note on the model above. Removing them is just as simple as removing a blemish. The difference is that you set the clone tool mode to darken. Select a patch of skin with the appropriate color and do an ALT click. Now go over the highlight until it looks good to you. Be careful not to go too far a field from the highlight itself as you can make the nose look flat in that area instead of rounded as it normally is. If you make a mistake, it is simple to go back a step in the history palette and redo that step. Don’t hesitate to switch between darken and lighten if need be. At this stage do not worry if everything is not perfect as the Gaussian blur will take care of minor imperfections in your work.

Apply a Gaussian blur to the skin to soften and blend it

Much of the information in this part of the tutorial was gleaned from Scott Kelby’s great book entitled The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, which I recommend highly to everyone new to Photoshop.

I will attempt to keep the "how to" part of this tutorial as detailed as possible so that those new to Photoshop will be able to follow along. This is an advanced technique so stay with me. First thing to do is to open the picture that you want to apply the Gaussian blur to. Create 2 additional layers of this image in the Layer’s pallet. An easy way to do this is to hold down the Ctrl key and click on the J key twice. You should now see three layers of the image. Hide layer 1 copy by clicking on the Eye icon next to it in the layers pallet. Highlight the middle layer by clicking on it and your layers pallet should now look like this:

In the drop down box on the Layer’s pallet change the blend mode from Normal to Darken. Next go to the menu at the top of the screen and click filter/blur/Gaussian blur and then apply a 35 pixel blur to the image. Don’t worry that your image looks bad at this stage.

On the Layers pallet, click on the little Eye icon beside the middle layer to hide this layer and then click on the top layer to make it active. Now change the blend mode from Darken to Lighten by clicking on Lighten in the drop down box. Next run a 50 pixel blur on this top layer (Filter/blur/Gaussian Blur).

After you have applied the blur, click on the middle layer to make it the active layer and then lower the opacity to 30%. Hide the background layer from view by clicking on the Eye icon beside it and then create a new layer by clicking on the New Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers pallet. This icon is on the bottom right just next to the little garbage can. When the new layer is created click and drag this layer to the top of the stack as shown.

Next, hold down the Alt Key and with your mouse go to the top and click (hold) on Layers and while holding the mouse button down go to the bottom and release the mouse button over Merge Visible as shown here.

This creates a flattened version of your document in the new layer. In the layers pallet, make the background layer visible with the Eye icon and hide the two middle layers by removing the Eye icon from them. Make sure the top layer is the active layer and then lower the opacity to 37%. This is a subjective adjustment and you should set it at the point that your image has the right amount of blur to suit your taste. All that is left now is the removal of the Gaussian blur from the hair, eyes, eyebrows, lips, jewelry, clothing and anything else that you don’t want blurred.

Click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layer pallet (third from the left). Insure that your foreground color is set to black. You can change the background/foreground easily by clicking on the small x while watching it change on the leftmost tool pallet. Select a soft edged brush from the tool pallet and paint over everything that you do not want blur on (eyes, mouth, hair, etc.). Generally this is everything except the skin. Change the size of the brush so that it is easy for you to do that without getting over into the skin. Your layers pallet will now look like this.

At this point you may flatten the layers and discard the unused layers (Layers/Flatten Image). If you feel a little touch up for the brightness of the image is needed, do that with levels or Brightness/Contrast.

Spot Sharpening

Select the spot sharpener from the tool pallet on the left hand side of your screen and quickly go over the eyes, mouth, and anything else that you want sharpened.

Applying a final sharpening is up to you but in any event do not over sharpen. Watch the eyelashes and hair especially so as not to create artifacts or halo's. Here is the final product:

Don't be intimidated by this tutorial, once you run through it a few times it is quite easy. One last caution, it is better to error on the side of too little blur than too much. It is easy to make the skin look plastic and unnatural. The goal is to accomplish the softening but yet not have it noticed. If you remove all traces of texture to the skin you will have failed for most types of portraits.