Adobe Photoshop CS4 – Illustrated Unit G: Creating Special Effects

Adobe Photoshop CS4 – IllustratedAdobe Photoshop CS4 – Illustrated

Unit G: Creating Special EffectsUnit G: Creating Special Effects

ObjectivesObjectives

Use the Color blending mode

Use the Multiply blending mode

Add noise with the Overlay blending mode

Sharpen with the High Pass filter

Adobe Photoshop CS4 - Illustrated

ObjectivesObjectives

Apply the Lens Flare filter with Screen mode

Apply the Motion Blur filter

Apply non-destructive filters

Distort images


Creating Special EffectsCreating Special Effects

When learning and practicing in Photoshop it is usually done one thing at a time-however when working in Photoshop it is on a full-scale project with many things

Learning to look at the “big” picture is a great shift from just looking at one thing to an entire project

Artistic sense and decisions on what to do to create an effect goes hand in hand with the tools provided in Photoshop


Using the Color Blending ModeUsing the Color Blending Mode

Blending modes are mathematical algorithms that define how pixels affect pixels beneath them to create a special effect

Blending modes can be applied throughout many Photoshop features but they are most prominent on the Layers panel and for options with specific tools such as the Brush tool



The base color is the color of the original pixel

The blend color is the color being applied

The result color is the color produced by blending the base and blend colors

The Color blending mode is useful for colorizing monochromatic images it applies the hue of the blend pixel to the base

pixel and automatically affects the saturation of the base pixel so that the base pixel beneath it takes on the color of the blend pixel



Color blending mode does not in any way affect the brightness value of base pixels-only the hue and saturation

The Colorize option in the Hue/Saturation Adjustments panel is necessary to colorize a black-and-white image; the sliders in the Hue/Saturation have no affect on a pixel with the saturation value of “0”




Solid color blended over the image

Solid color blended over the image

Painting in a layer set to Color mode

Painting in a layer set to Color mode

Colorized imageColorized image

Using the Multiply Blending ModeUsing the Multiply Blending Mode

Multiply mode is probably the most common blending mode it makes the blend pixels transparent and the

base art is seen through that color

Multiply mode is always used when creating shadows and drop shadows shadows in nature are always transparent

Two important things to remember when black is multiplied it is always black when white is multiplied it becomes invisible



Blending modes on the Layers panel are grouped in six sections-the grouping is intentional and specific

The blending modes are grouped on similarities

Color Burn and Linear Burn are two effective blending modes that are similar to the Multiple blending mode but produce effects that are subtly different Color Burn increases the contrast Linear Burn creates a multiply effect by decreasing

brightnessAdobe Photoshop CS4 - Illustrated



Understanding the Multiply blending mode

Understanding the Multiply blending mode

Multiplying a solid colorMultiplying a solid color

Adding Noise with the Adding Noise with the Overlay Blending ModeOverlay Blending Mode

Noise is used to describe a blanket of high-contrast pixels that produce a grainy effect over an image

Sometime noise is a problem and if seen it has been termed “grain” in low-quality images online or images downloaded to a cell phone

On the other hand, adding noise to an image is a technique often used to “finish” a design a layer of noise over an image can add a

heightened sense of sharpness and focusAdobe Photoshop CS4 - Illustrated


Noise is especially effective with multiple images used in a montage the challenge in a montage is to make it appear

to be one piece of artwork and not a composition-a layer of noise adds a consistent layer across the artwork making it appear as one image

There is more than one method to add noise; Photoshop creates noise from existing pixels or noise can be added to an image using the

overlay technique (which is not editable)




Viewing results of the Noise filter

Viewing results of the Noise filter

Understanding the Overlay blending mode

Understanding the Overlay blending mode

Shadow

No Change

Highlights

Sharpening with the Sharpening with the High Pass FilterHigh Pass Filter

Sharpness, in Photoshop, corresponds to edges

Edges are any areas in an image where highly contrasting pixels meet

High Pass is a filter that is very effective at finding and isolating edges uses a mathematical algorithm to identify where

in the image pixels of high contrast abut fills the layer with solid gray except in the edge

areas to isolate the edges

Edges are mostly involved in blurring and sharpening an image



When an edge is blurred, Photoshop reduces the contrast where edge pixels meetTo sharpen an edge, Photoshop locates the edges and increases the contrast; providing a heightened focus to the image

The Overlay/High Pass technique overlays an image on top of itself, but only at the edges the filter fills the layer with 50% gray which is

transparent when overlayed, and the only areas that aren’t filled with gray are the edge areas




Viewing the sharpened image

Viewing the sharpened image

Applying the High Pass filterApplying the High Pass filter

Applying the Lens Flare Filter Applying the Lens Flare Filter with Screen Modewith Screen Mode

A lens flare is a bright spot often captured in the glass of a camera lens

Photoshop offers a Lens Flare filter which is useful for adding glints or bight spots to artwork

The Lens Flare filter needs to be applied to already existing pixels as it can not be created in an empty layer if wanting the lens flare itself as part of artwork,

fill a layer with black, apply the Lens Flare filter, then use the Screen blending mode to make the black areas transparent, leaving just the flare


Applying the Lens Flare Filter Applying the Lens Flare Filter with Screen Modewith Screen Mode


The final effectThe final effect

Scaling down the size of the flare

Scaling down the size of the flare

Positioning the screened lens flare

Positioning the screened lens flare

Applying the Motion Blur FilterApplying the Motion Blur Filter

The Motion Blur filter dialog box allows a distance and an angle for blurring pixels to be specified

The result is a blur that can be used to create the appearance of motion for both artwork and text


Applying the Motion Blur FilterApplying the Motion Blur Filter


Viewing two motion blurs applied

Viewing two motion blurs applied

Viewing one motion blur applied

Viewing one motion blur applied

Applying Non-Destructive FiltersApplying Non-Destructive Filters

Non-Destructive adjustments are not applied directly to the artwork; the adjustment exists on a separate layer that can be shown, hidden, edited, or deleted the original artwork is not altered

Photoshop offers the ability to crate non-destructive filter layers, allowing the creation of filters on a layer than can be shown, hidden, edited, or deleted these so-called “smart filters” come with a layer

mask and can be altered with an opacity adjustment or with a blending mode



Non-Destructive filters are great as they are created with a mask, called a filter mask that functions just like a layer mask if multiple filters are applied, there is still just one

mask available and that mask will hide or show all of the applied filters

Smart filters can be removed from layered artwork at any time by hiding the filter or to permanently delete, drag it to the Delete layer button on the Layers panel




Viewing the filter applied with 80% opacity

Viewing the filter applied with 80% opacity

The Grain filter as a layer on the Layers

panel

The Grain filter as a layer on the Layers

panel

Distorting ImagesDistorting Images

Images are distorted for artistic as well as practical effects such as creating a sense of three-dimensional artwork

The Distort command is Photoshop is another type of transformation, just like scaling or rotating



In addition to the Distort transformation, transforming can also be accomplished using the Skew, Perspective, (and Warp) commands Skew transforms art as though it was positioned

on an angle Perspective transforms art with a forced

perspective toward an unspecified vanishing point




Distorting the artwork by moving the handles

Distorting the artwork by moving the handles

Viewing the final distorted artwork

Viewing the final distorted artwork

SummarySummary

Learning to look at the “big” picture in Photoshop is a great shift from looking at one thing to an entire project

Artistic sense and decisions on what to do to create an effect goes hand in hand with the tools provided in Photoshop

Blending modes can be applied throughout many Photoshop features but they are most prominent on the Layers panel and for options with specific tools such as the Brush tool


SummarySummary

Noise is especially effective when applied with multiple images

Color Burn and Linear Burn are two effective blending modes

Non-Destructive filters are created with a filter mask that functions just like a layer mask

Images are distorted for artistic as well as practical effects such as creating a sense of three-dimensional artwork


Documents

Adobe Photoshop CS4 – Illustrated Unit G: Creating Special Effects