Table of contents for No. 151 in Photoshop Creative

We’re leading with layer masks this issue, and a great feature that starts on page 18. In it you’ll learn how to stretch the boundaries of your editing abilities by using this handy tool. When combined with other commands such as blend modes, filters and brushes, you can get some really amazing, versatile effects in no time at all. This issue is also packed full of tutorials on how to make hilarious caricatures, create professional blend effects, mirror, distort and combine shapes to create wonderful illustrations and more. We also take a trip to the wild side with guides to how you can use Photoshop’s tools to create vibrant surrealist art, and show you how you can design your very own children’s books. Plus there’s all the usual reviews, Elements…

Claudio Tosi www.photoshopcreative. co.uk/user/MirrorWalkers Image of the issue The original sketch was drawn by hand, replicated on a Wacom tablet. The aim was to enhance the beauty of a traditional sketch using digital tools. For drawing and digital painting I use brushes and pastel textures on shadows and depth. Raphael Andrade www.photoshopcreative. co.uk/user/Raphaell In this composition, I used natural elements using layers and other effects, then merged clouds and water to create the surreal aquarium. Adjustment layers were used to blend the image together when it was all finished. Saurabh Shivalkar www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/rawnbrokar I’ve always been fond of colours and textures, and this artwork is an example of that. This was created in Photoshop, with eight different textures and 16 leaves. All these images were blended with brushes. Kevin Baxter www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Onefourall…

Morning exercises 06:45 The time I set my alarm for, every day, with the intention of waking up to either go for a run, do a HIIT session or practice some yoga. Time to get up 07:45 The time I actually get up and rush around to get ready for the working day. Checklists 09:00 I choose my motivational playlist and write my to-do list for the day whilst checking that yesterday’s list was completed. It’s also a good time for me to check any emails. Briefing the team 09:30 Check in with the team to ensure everyone knows what they are doing and any queries are answered. I’ll usually spend the morning writing creative briefs, managing the schedules and liaising with clients. Final look 15:00 This is when I’d…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative FILTERS Most filters can be applied as Smart Filters. Use their handy filter masks to hide or reduce the effect in areas. BRUSHES You’ll usually grab a standard, round brush to work with masks. Try experimenting with artistic and special brushes. LAYERS Layer masks naturally work with layers. Use the masks to hide parts of a layer or make translucent areas. Adjustment layers come with built-in masks. BLEND MODES Blending images and textures is facilitated with blend modes. Use layer masks on the blend layers to hide any portions that don’t mix politely. Layer masks are one of the great features in Photoshop. They enable you to hide parts of a layer by adding black to the mask. You can also…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to use adjustment layers and masks to make lighting look realistic Time taken 8-10hours Expert Ricardo Guimaraes “My greatest joy is creating an image out of several others, and integrating them all to create a cohesive whole that looks real. “I’m a matte painter and concept designer, and have worked for the entertainment industry for more than 10 years. I am currently an academic specialist at Michigan State University, where I teach concept design courses.” When creating a surreal image like this, one of the most important aspects is to make the image look realistic and believable, by properly manipulating the lighting of the scene and the atmosphere. Another key aspect is how to…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to professionally manipulate colour and tone for more attractive images Time taken 1 hour Expert John Ross “Sometimes the best way to use colour is to restrain it. We will teach you how to control colour and tone to create vibrant yet believable images. “With 20 years’ experience in the field, I educate photographers and retouchers by expanding their knowledge through my website www.TheArtofRetouching.com. I also carry out comprehensive live classes. Why do some images look bright and vivid, while some look dull and bland? Colour perception varies from person to person, but with the right tools in Photoshop, you can manipulate colours to make your image pop. Because a viewer’s eye will automatically…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to create a silly caricature using the various Liquify filter tools Time taken 1 hour Expert Andre Villanueva “I love Liquify! When it was first introduced, I underestimated it and relegated it to the gimmick bin. But it has proven itself to be a useful tool for a wide range of tasks, from minor tweaks to major distortions. “I discovered Photoshop when studying web design. I’m now art director for a tech company, soothing my inner instructor by sharing techniques with readers.” Bulging eyes and nose; warped head and pulled chin; squashed and stretched body. Oh, the fun you can have with caricatures! They are a cartoonish way to depict a person and though…

You might not give that much thought to the blending modes in Photoshop. You probably have a set few that you use regularly for certain tasks to give a specific result. But the blending modes are actually incredibly powerful when used correctly, and there are many different combinations of layers that can give very different results. In this feature, we’ll break down the blending modes and explore some new ways of working with them. Some blending modes are used a lot more than others, as they give proven results. “When creating my artwork, I normally have a good idea in advance of the look I want to achieve, and this includes which blending modes I’m going to have to use to achieve that look,” explains Tim Barber (www.behance.net/timcreate215d). “There are…

While they do sometimes offer a one-click solution, blending modes are best used in combination with other tools in Photoshop to get exactly the look you are after. Artist/photographer Ata Alishahi (www.atadesigner.com) uses blending modes in every work he produces in Photoshop, and loves to experiment with the Fill and Opacity options to get the results he is after. He is also a fan of using other tools in Photoshop to improve the raw blending that the mode produces: “There are several other tools that can be used to make blending perfect. For example, sometimes one part of the layer won’t blend perfectly and in this case I will use the Eraser tool to fix that. I select a very soft brush to fade or delete parts of a layer…

Useful edits 01 Puppet Warp After placing ‘Dinosaur1.png’, go to Layer>Rasterize>Smart Object. Duplicate, go to Edit>Puppet Warp. Add points along neck and back to edit. 02 Create shadows With Dinosaur layer active, go to Layer>Layer Style>Drop Shadow and tweak settings. Go to Layer>Layer Style>Create a Layer. Use the Free Transform tool to adjust the shadow. 03 Blend modes After placing the ‘Rock’, create a new layer on top. Change blend mode to Color. Clip layers (Cmd/Ctrl+Opt/ Alt+G) and paint it with a greenish colour. 04 Control the opacity Use the layer masks to control the level of transparency of a layer. Grab a soft brush and reduce its Opacity setting to gradually blend the images.…

Mockups Check out the 10 Men's Wicking shirt mockups worth $37 Textures Use these seamless metal textures in your projects Tutorial files The assets and start photos you need to follow our tutorials On the FileSilo this issue… • 10 Men's Wicking shirt mockups worth $37 • 16 iPhone 5C mockups worth $12 • 54 4D actions worth $13 • 20 grunge textures by Jacobson Design Shop worth $20 • 12 starry night textures by Fire Spark Studios worth $15 • 25 seamless watercolour patterns worth $10 • 10 wood panel textures worth $4 • 10 seamless metal textures worth $4 • Plus all the files to follow the tutorials! Log in to www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Register to get instant access to this pack of must-have creative resources, how-to videos and tutorial…

We challenged you with these In issue 149, we challenged you to get creative with these four images. You were allowed to use any or all of the pictures, and whatever other resources you chose. Here’s what you created. Challenge entries The best entries and overall challenge winner 1 Simon Ray Stereophonique I used the wheel of the bike to make headphones. The Arc de Triomphe provided the headband over the top. I’ve only used the four images provided in creating this. 2 Bob Parsi Puzzle Solved! I went with a puzzle theme. I used all elements provided. I used a lot of layer adjustments, blending, masking, blurring and much more. 3 Mario Unger Marathon I used some standard editing techniques. The final painterly look was made with Reduce Noise…

1. Place images inside objects This is a great function and we use it a lot on web projects. In your Layers panel, hold Alt and left-click your mouse between the image and the object you want to place it inside of. You can even adjust the size and positioning of your image after you’ve placed it inside. 2. Import vectors as Smart Objects When importing a vector from Illustrator into a Photoshop artboard, paste as a Smart Object so you can edit the vector in Illustrator, which will in turn update the object in your artboard. 3. Easier guide placement Setting up guides manually can be pretty time-consuming, but using the GuideGuide plug-in (http://guideguide.me) allows us to painlessly set up guides in no time at all. 4. Power of…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Create a surreal image using masks, blend modes and adjustment layers Time taken 5 hours Expert Rodrigo Marinelli “The surreal style is one of my favourites because it encourages me to try new combinations of objects that help me discover new ways to use some tools, or how to compose a scene in a totally different way. “I’m an art director and have 12 years of experience in advertising agencies. I learned and am still learning to use Photoshop through following tutorials.” Before you start to create any image, always try to search for some references; this will help you decide on colour tone, shadows and highlights, but it will also help you keep to…

Essentials Time taken 3-4 hours The artist Drew Bardana “I am an illustrator from Portland, Oregon, and create illustrations for newspapers, magazines and books. I enjoy drawing food, music and lifestyle images. To create my illustrations www.t epixelprosit , I use Photoshop s .com and @t hand pix - l drawn rosites elements such as graphite lines and painted textures. Combining both digital and traditional media is what makes my work unique.” To see more of Drew’s work, visit: www.drewbardana.com. Drew Bardana likes to challenge himself “by using different art materials or by building up my Photoshop layers in a different way. This keeps my mind fresh from start to finish.” When Drew creates illustrations in Photoshop like this one shown here, his favourite and most used tools include the…

01 USE BLENDING FOR CONTRAST MAX PRENTIS FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR  maxprentisvisual.tumblr.com/ I mainly use Multiply for my shadows at 50% Opacity, and Hard/Soft Light for my highlights. I use Screen with masking and the Gradient tool with a Color [mode]. 02 ALWAYS EXPERIMENT TIM BARBER DIGITAL ARTIST  www.behance.net/timcreate215d If you have areas that are underexposed, duplicate the image and use a Screen blending mode on the top layer, as this can be effective at brightening highlights. 03 USE PHOTOS AS TEXTURES ESTELLECHOMIENNE FREELANCE ARTIST & DESIGNER  stellartcorsica.deviantart.com Take any photo and turn it into a texture with blending modes. To see which one will work best, cycle through the modes using Shift+ and Shift- to go up and down. 04 INCREASE PHOTO SHARPNESS JOSHUA HURST DIGITAL DESIGNER  www.behance.net/joshuahurst My primary use…

For this artwork, freelance illustrator Max Prentis used four separate colour layers to build up the palette of the design, with different blending modes used to give the overall effect. Here, he talks us through the way he layered up the colours from his base sketch: “My base colour layer was at 50% Opacity with a 40% greyish-green Color blending layer over the top, I really wanted to restrict my colour palette, so this combination of layers really works well. I selected and progressively erased the Color blending layer in the fore-, mid- and backgrounds to give the idea of depth. I found a pastel purple Multiply layer on 50% Opacity over the top really complemented the piece and softened everything. It only erased the lights coming from the TVs.…

IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO ADD SOME FIREWORKS TO AN IMAGE? When it comes to photo editing, you don’t have to wait for a special occasion if you want to include fireworks in a scene. Their colour and brightness can help to bring life to any image you are working on, but it can be difficult to know exactly how to blend them into your picture to get the best out of them. We’ve supplied two images of fireworks on the FileSilo that were taken against black night skies. Ordinarily, this makes them perfect for using with the Screen blend mode, because Screen will make any dark colour in the layer invisible. In this case, though, have a try at using Color Dodge. You’ll find that this will magnify…

Jakub Skop has been creating matte paintings for years now, and has amassed a number of followers online thanks to his attention to detail, lighting and the way he uses colours in his work. We asked Jakub all about how he creates artwork, from the first sketch down to the finishing touches. How do you begin your artwork? The first and most basic step in every work of mine is a quick sketch. It helps me with the composition and lighting in the following steps. After that I collect several photos and divide them into different groups. Every detail is useful in the process. A stock adjustment on the canvas is the next step; in that part I’m experimenting with the form of the elements (mountains, buildings etc). Do you…

Creating the cave I took the Lasso tool and started creating the inner cave. My next move was to add textures and create the light source to start building the composition onto. Completing the foreground In this stage I tried to complete the foreground. I started to draw plants with my graphics tablet and added the outer glow with Screen mode layers. Place the character I placed the main character and also added some light flares with custom brushes that I’d made for this purpose. Adjustments The last thing was to use some adjustment layers to make the image sharper, to add shadows, highlights and bring everything together with the Color Match tool.…

There’s nothing more inspiring than surfing the internet and seeing what other artists are creating, and we encourage you to do so. Here are some of our favourite pictures that caught our attention recently, from some of the world’s most exciting artists and designers. Marie Bergeron www.mariebergeron. com I start with research when creating art. Once I have everything I need, I start a rough sketch in Photoshop, as it gives me the right tools to create mesmerising images from brushes and textures, and I have full control of the options. Amr Elshamy www.hotamr.com I love the theme of science fiction, so with this image I tried to create and photograph a sci-fi scene using some toys and wood crafts. I used Photoshop, of course, to blend it together and…

ABOUT THE STUDIO Fiasco Design www.fiascodesign.co.uk @FiascoDesign Founded in 2010, award-winning Fiasco Design has built a reputation for producing creative, forward-thinking design work. The studio works within a broad range of disciplines including brand identity, websites, literature, campaigns, animation and many more. For Fiasco Design, simplicity isn’t just a word that gets mentioned occasionally and then forgotten about; it’s an understanding that resonates much deeper. The studio’s creative director, Ben Steers, explains a bit more about how the idea of ‘keeping it simple’ runs throughout how the studio operates: “Keeping things simple is as much to do with how we work as it is our output. Simple doesn’t mean quick or cheap, it means carefully considering our processes and design decisions. If we can find a way to streamline, or…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to use shape options to completely transform a photo Time taken 1 hour Expert Moe Hezwani “I can combine, distort and manipulate Photoshop’s shapes, or I can make my own using the Pen tool. I love building up a piece of artwork using shapes. “I’m a professional graphic designer/illustrator, and Photoshop is my go-to platform for my designs. I enjoy playing with Photoshop to mix photography and illustration in order to build a piece of artwork.” Completely transform a mundane photograph with the help of Photoshop’s shape layers. Every time you create a new shape in Photoshop, by default, it assumes you want it in a separate layer. However, you can also combine two…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Create and use adjustment masks combined with brushes Time taken 30 minutes Expert Vicki-Lea Boulter “The idea behind this image is to take your pet portraits one step further by editing in an artistic style. “I am a creative portrait photographer from Devon. I make images mostly of women and children that express their personalities through artistic storytelling. I use Photoshop to layer my art, photographs and other mediums, fusing several ideas to form one concept.” During this tutorial we will show you how to use layers, brushes and your creative imagination to make an artistic portrait of your furry friends. The image we are using is of a dog, but this style looks great…

About the artist Butcher Billy www.behance.net/ butcherbilly t: @billythebutcher Butcher Billy takes what is considered pop culture from a variety of sources – music, comics, movies, games, etc – and mashes them all together to come up with something that draws on nostalgia, while at the same time, provides the audience with a fresh take on a familiar scene. Name of the project Black Mirror posters Pop culture has long been a muse for so many artists, and Brazil-based Butcher Billy has made a name for himself on the internet by taking well-known icons and placing them into some unlikely, and often famous, scenes. With hit Netflix show Black Mirror though, Billy took the entire series to an unfamiliar place. The show is comprised of unrelated standalone stories, all with…

01 Bring in the stock Select a stock image of glowing light to suit your design. Create a new layer above all other layers and place your stock image onto that layer (File>Place>Select Image). 02 Create the right shape Duplicate the stock image layer two times(Cmd/Ctrl+J). Then resize and position the layers using the Transform tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T) as needed, in this case forming the shape of the door that the glow will appear behind. 03 Set the mode Once correctly positioned, click on each layer holding Cmd/Ctrl to select them, then use Cmd/Ctrl+E to Merge into one layer. Finally, set this merged layer to the Screen blending mode to remove the black background and leave just the glow behind. 04 Final adjustments Now you can use the adjustment layers to…

QUICK SELECTION TOOL Grab the Quick Selection tool, define the brush size and drag over the subject to select it. ADJUSTMENT LAYERS Use the Levels adjustment layer to make tonal corrections and Brightness/ Contrast to tweak the pixel intensity and brightness. On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative You will be surprised at how much you can do in Photoshop Elements. Here we’re going to create a surreal composition using a wide range of tools and commands. You’ll start by using the Quick Selection tool to select a subject and then apply the Refine Edge command to modify the selection and create a mask. Then you will learn how to mask out the head and create a plain surface using a very simple technique. Next, you’ll use a clipping…