Photoshop tips and tricks.

[Dreamrage]

I thought it would be a good idea to start this thread where other designers and artists like myself could share tips and how to's. That way we could all learn from each other and help anyone else reading this thread.

I'll go first:

My art focuses mainly on photo manipulation. Where you take multiple stock photos and create one image from it using effects. A lot of the times it means that I need to add shadows to the models to enhance the reality of the image.

What I usually do is this: (its easy enough if you know your way around photoshop)

• Plan out your light source, and figure out where your shadows will lie.
• Duplicate the image you want to add a shadow to and put the duplicated image underneath the original layer.
• Using the transform tool (press cntrl and T), hold your control key in, and you will be able to manipulate the different points in the image individually and "mold" the shadow to fit on the background. Press enter to complete the transformation.
• Once again, press and hold the control key and click on the shadow layer's thumbnail. It will create a selection around the image. Fill this selection with black. hold control and press D to deselect.
• Look for the filters tab and look for Blur, click on gaussian blur and apply a blur of about 5 to 15, depending on your image. Work with the slider until you are happy with the blur.
• Go to the shadow layer and change its opacity to around 65 and its fill to around 55

And that should do it. It will give you a shadow like the one in my artwork here: http://adreamrage.deviantart.com/gal...63488#/d30ir7s

See the dark areas beneath her feet? That is where I placed the shadow. I also added a little light to her to enhance the image and to show where they light source was coming from.

[logoonlinepros]

Really its a great tips share which can able to learn something new from this thread.
I will try to use this tips on my next design work projects.

[Dreamrage]

You're welcome. I am thinking about adding a few more tips and tricks, so I will be sure to keep this thread updated.

[JoeWaltson]

nice. great tips.
thanks to share

[Dreamrage]

Thank you. If you try the technique, I would like to see your results.

[JoeWaltson]

sure i will.
but believe me your technique is too easy way.

[Dreamrage]

It's meant to be easy that way anyone can learn how to do it.

I started out with photoshop about wow 6 years ago (if not longer), I tried using Gimp, Paint.Net and a few other applications, but still came back to good old PS.

The first thing I did after sitting in front of my PC on photoshop, playing with every tool I could lay my hands on, I started researching. 6 years later, I may be part of one of the biggest art sites on the net, but I still research, daily. I look for tips and ways to make other interesting effects in my art. When I am confident enough, I work on the technique and find an easier, quicker way to do it. With my work the way it is now, I don't always have the time to go the long way round. (like with my avatar). SO having a few shortcuts helps me along the way.

[jennydesouza]

I think for photo shop there are no sticky tips..It is just like normal editor. You can edit image as you want. And furthermore..It always saves your original image in orginal folder. So no worry to use it.

[Dreamrage]

There I cannot agree with you unfortunately

When I started out, Photoshop was scary. I didn't know what all the tools were for, which is why I played around with them. With the advances made in PS over the years, believe me, its always good to have a few ideas and tips handy, especially for your basic editing needs.

Let's say, for instance, you have just come back from holiday. You took loads of photographs, and you want to edit them using PS. which would work out better for you, slugging it out, photo after photo using the same set of image adjustments on every photo? Or would you set up a simple set of actions and have PS do the rest for you, at a faster speed?

Yes, Photoshop may be a photo editor, but its true power is in the way it edits the photos. It's also an important tool for digital artists, because we composite, paint, and even create 3D models to supplement our art.

I am comfortable doing both, but if I had to spend an hour trying to perfect a shadow similar to the one in my thread, I would never get any art work done. So having simple shortcuts, or sticky tips, for shadows, lighting, vibrancy, and any other editing you would normally do, is much better than having to do everything the long and somewhat harder way.

[saicou]

very useful tips, thank you! I love it

[JoeWaltson]

if you have a creative mind & your inspiration is excellent than automatically you can design anything.
design mean inspiration and creativity.

[Dreamrage]

Originally Posted by JoeWaltson

if you have a creative mind & your inspiration is excellent than automatically you can design anything.
design mean inspiration and creativity.

True, but I also firmly believe that anyone, whether creative or not can successfully design anything. If you have the right tools and resources, the sky is the limit.

[jennydesouza]

Ya that true, If you are professional user..Than you need tips..But just for effective use.. But if you once use it..than it is not much more difficult to use.

[Dreamrage]

My next tip, is about adding light, not shadow

If you're working on a dark piece, like my avatar for instance, or a night scene with moonlight, this tip can really help you add a touch of fantasy to your image.

To create the moonlight in Photoshop, create a new layer over your image, and call it light. Depending where your light source is, or if you're using the moon, position the light from where the moon is situated. Take your pen tool, and create a lopsided rectangle, the thin point beginning at the light source, having the thicker base at the point in the image you want to illuminate.
The image hows how I created the moonbeam from start to finish.

With the selection made (by right clicking on the selection with the pen tool, (image two), and clicking on make selection) You then fill the selection with white.

Press control and D to deselect the selection. From there, you lower the opacity from 100 to either 40 or 50%, depending on your own preference.
Then apply a Gaussian Blur to the beam of around 3 or 4. It should give you a thin beam with soft edges and with the lowered opacity, the light will be transparent.

What you can then do, is duplicate the light layer, and it should make the light a little brighter, without messing too much with the transparency.
Move the second layer around a bit so that some of the overlapping areas are lighter at the sides then in the middle. You can use the transform tool to do this. This helps make the beam look more natural as well. Merge the two layers and there you have it. In the last image on the page I uploaded, you can see that I have criss crossed the two beams slightly, to show you the opacity levels.

All you then need to do is take your dodge tool, and using a soft brush and setting the burn tool to around 10 - 20 percent, slowly lighten the areas under the beam to make it look realistic. To give the moonbeam some added mystique, you can add a few dust motes or mall sparkles, which you can do by using brushes that are readily available online for Photoshop.



Have fun. I'd love to see what you have created.

[Dreamrage]

Originally Posted by jennydesouza

Ya that true, If you are professional user..Than you need tips..But just for effective use.. But if you once use it..than it is not much more difficult to use.

That's true, it's not. many times people think that its hard to learn to use PS, and I think that's where the problem lies. Even if you only use it for basic editing. Like I said before even I was scared of it.

[jennydesouza]

Ohhh...okay...I never feel like this..because i like these type of software much more...So i sort out my problem in just minutes.

[Dreamrage]

Originally Posted by jennydesouza

Ohhh...okay...I never feel like this..because i like these type of software much more...So i sort out my problem in just minutes.

True, and that's the best part of PS IMO. What makes me passionate about everything you can do with it is not because I am an artist or designer though.

It's just an indescribable feeling when you take a blank "canvas" and create something, or if you test out a new tip or technique, the feeling of accomplishment is by far the best thing I have ever experienced. Which makes things generally exciting at home My reactions are always comical

[patric]

Thanks for shareing great tips

[removed]

[Dreamrage]

Originally Posted by patric

Thanks for shareing great tips

Hi there Patric, welcome to the community. Why not take a moment and introduce yourself to the rest of the gang in the introductions section I look forward to talking to you in the forum.

If you have any tips, please share it with us. I love learning new things every day.

[suraj78]

Simple but nice tips, hope you will add more in this tread.