Fun ways to play with Photoshop
by: DavidPeters |
Total views: 4 |
Word Count: 1652 |
View PDF | Print View
Share This Article
There are some pretty cool things you can do with Photoshop that can changed your view of text for a while. One interesting one is having some normal text and adding a few shades to make it fun and more interesting. It is in two easy steps: 1. First, create an image about 300 x 100 pixels, and 72 pixels/inch. Select a foreground color of #CACACA, and fill the image, to make the background this color. When you've filled the background, then select your text tool, and add the text you want to add, make the color of the text close to #3F3F3F A darker grey. 2. OK, now we can add the shadow. It is as easy as adding a layer effect and can come in very useful for other things too. Go to Blending Options (Right-click on text layer).You will get a menu with structure, elements and quality. In the structure menu you would select 100% opacity, 0% noise, and the solid not gradient option. For the elements you would want the technique to be softer, the spread 2% and the size 8pixels. For quality you want 55% range and 0% jitter. You can always play around a little with these, if it does not suit. (The color used for the shadow is #8A8A8A) So once you have that, just click OK, and you should get your final result. It's as easy as that!
Let's get really creative, using different designs on pictures can make your photo look really cool. It is really easy to do. Follow these step by step instructions: 1. Open Photoshop. Open an image to apply patchwork grid effect. 2. Create a new layer in the layer palette and fill it with white color. Keep the layer selected. 3. Filter > Texture > Patchwork Square Size - 1 Relief - 0 4. Change the layer blending mode to Color Burn and Opacity to 70% These techniques can be used for whatever reason you want it to be for. These pictures can be used on websites or just in simple documents or just to look cool. Use your creativity in Photoshop and find different cool ways to make new fun pictures to look at.
Having fun with graphics is one of the best things to do if you enjoy playing with numbers and fading things in and out of focus. It is easy enough to do, creating a lightning bolt should be like this: start by creating a new image and then right away create a new layer. Also set the background color as black, (the image size I used here is 350X500). Now make a selection one pixel wide and make it cover the whole length. Fill this selection in with white. Next you have to go to Filter > Distort > Wave. The settings are as follows, [Generators - 5], [Wavelenth - 225/299], [Amplitude - 5/35], and [Scale - 100/100]. Now you have a wavey line, Apply an outer glow and transform and duplicate it a bit (Or experiment, I am just giving you an idea of how this is done.) I made the light balls with the gradient tool set to "radial." You can now start to add detail, smaller particles and some dodges. This effect is easy, but it really depends on how much time you want to spend doing it. It really starts to look good on 3D explosions in abstracts. I went ahead doing a little more detail using the same techniques and styles.
Interfaces are around us everyday, they look different for some really fun sites. Some find that is really entertaining is creating a skin for a media player, you can make them look really cool with different fun colors. They can be metallic, hunter like anything you want really. First you want to start with the base: 1. The Base With a new file in blank, make a new layer and in this, create an oval and fill it with black. Center it, and add the soft metal style. 2. Internal shape Make a selection of the oval, reduce it 15 pts. Now take out some parts, making the image more interesting. Copy the entire layer, and paste this into a new alpha layer. 3. Blur In the alpha layer, apply a Gaussian blur of 15 px 4. Levels Then hit Ctrl L, and in the levels box, use the settings I show here in the image. Copy the alpha channel, and paste the image into a new layer ( standard layer). 5. Round corners The trick with the alpha results in an image with some rounded corners, very nice and with this style, better! Well, we need to select the shape again (Ctrl mouse click) contract the selection a bit and create a new shape in a new layer. 6. New shape In the new layer, we need to fill the selection and apply the same style of the "base" but only changing the direction of the gradient fill to inverse. This change increases the effect of bevel here. 7. Screen Now, in a new layer we draw a shape for our screen and make it more rounded using the "alpha trick". Again, I fill this one with a gradient, inverse to make more effect. 8. Color screen One more layer to create the screen: A gradient (I like this green tones) and an inner shadow. I've added here some little lines to give the "scan effect". 9. Screen details And the rest of the screen details: The text, some lines for the volume and equalizer... Whatever you want. We are almost done... 10. Details Well... Now, the rest are add some details like buttons, screws and stuff like that... And of course, a logo if you want. Remember the use of the "alpha trick" and the styles that give the cool final effects.
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.
Want to do something cool? Turn mere chicken scratches into a commonly seen airbrushing techniques, here's how to do it: Set a pen tool as above and scribble across the canvas until you have a similar lock to the one below. Apply the Filter > Distort > Wave effect with the standard settings. Then Edit > Fade Wave. Repeat another two times but don't fade the wave on the last round it should look something like this. Apply the Filter > Blur > Radical Blur Zoom 50%. Click Edit > Fade Radical Blur > 75%.Set the eraser as above and brush lightly across the canvas until you have a similar look to the one below. Next Apply a Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur set the radius so you get the required detail of airbrushing Apply > edit > Transform > Distort to create the required shape.
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
Share This Article
Rating: Not yet rated Next Article - Get Targeted Traffic and Previous Article - Think You're A Small Business? Define It.
About the Author
Interesting content in this article? Find out more about learning photoshop fast and receive a free report just for you.
Comments
No comments posted.Add Comment
Popular Articles about: Internet
1: desperate buyers only-my secret marketing treasure chest2: Free Online Dating v1.0 - Communications::Chat & Instant Messaging Software
3: Why You Should Be Using an Online Backup Service
4: Businessmarketingagency - Affiliate Internet Marketing
5: Effective SEO Comes Cheap
6: Google's Adwords Made Easy... and it is FREE
7: Knowing All About Sports Memorabilia Auctions
8: Low cost advanced website traffic tactics for everyone
9: Driving Traffic into Your Landing Page
10: Are all Resell Rights products the same in terms and conditions?
11: Writing Articles as an Affordable Internet Marketing Method
12: Mentorship Guide in Network Marketing
13: How to be a Work-at-Home Mom (WAHM) and Successfully Build a Real Business on the Net.
14: Three Traffic Tactics that won't Cost You a Cent
15: 12 Ways To Create An Order-Pulling Niche
16: How do I compete with other Resellers who own the same product?
17: Higher education online: Step into a new era.
18: Build a Website That Works
19: Connect With Someone Again by Using Email Address Directory
20: Small Business Web Site Hosting
21: Free Membership at WeTrust.org Safe Search and Directory
22: Why Should You Use a Blog to Promote Your Online MLM Business?
23: Dedicated Server for Serious Online Business
24: Broadband Providers : Only For The Fast and Furious
25: Find Great Part Time Jobs for Students
26: Data Center Automation Offers Big Returns
27: Run book automation - Helping Your IT Organization Succeed
28: Choosing the right Domain Name
29: Updating Data Center Environments for Today's Evolving ITIL Management
30: An Invisible Alternative to Glasses