Table of contents for No. 159 in Photoshop Creative

This issue, we’re very excited to bring you an in-depth feature on blend modes and the many ways we can use them to make our art look the best it can. You’ll notice some new touches, that may look like small additions, but hopefully give you a richer insight into how you can make Photoshop work to your advantage. This includes even more direct insight from our great range of experts, and a layer stack on selected artworks to show you exactly how some of the artworks in our feature are composed. This issue also comes with its usual variety of tutorials, such as how to create a fully fleshed out comic character (p28), how to turn a sardine can into a fully fitted – if a little snug –…

Nova Villanueva https://www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/s899 Image of the issue The artwork was inspired by Argentina’s boating ports. I started on one layer drawing the boats, then added highlights and shadows on a Soft Light layer. An Overlay layer was created at the end to unify the image with fog. Leonardo Lima https://www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Landras I made this with the idea that many people are unaware of the true brightness of the moon. On the moon I put internal and external brightness and used the Pen Tool to create cables. I added several scratches on the floor of the scene, too. AnnWehner https://www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Anjel This image was created with a start image of a subject and a nebula. Blend modes were important in bringing this image together, and the finishing touches consisted of adding Curves, Vibrance…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to use gradient maps, adjustment layers, masks and Dodge and Burn Time taken 1 hour Expert Sarah Cousens It amazes me how much you can change the look of a photo with just a handful of Photoshop layers and some experimentation. I really like the classic film noir look applied to this image. I am a designer and illustrator and have been using Photoshop ever since forming my own design and illustration company, Cool Surface Ltd, 10 years ago. It may seem that turning a colour photo into black and white is a simple affair. And it can be; simply hit Cmd/Ctrl+U and an image is instantly desaturated. But this alone is never going…

Bright colours 01 Make sure your character stands out from the background! Colours that vary from the setting are the first step, especially if they’re vivid and bright. Increase contrast 02 Pay close attention to the colour contrast on your character. Create a clipping mask layer, set to opacity, and airbrush on some light. In the spotlight 03 Make sure the light direction is pointing towards them. If it isn’t, create an Overlay layer and add a white gradient. Make sure the face is highlighted. Little touches 04 If this still isn’t enough, employ this commonly used comic trick: select the background colour with the Eye Dropper tool, and use the brush to draw around the character lines.…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Smooth skin, improve colour selectively and tint your portraits Time taken 2 hours Expert Simon Skellon This vintage portrait style is always a fun one to apply to your images. It is also a good reminder that sometimes it is the simplest technique that can make the biggest difference to a photo. I’ve been working with Photoshop for as long as I can remember, but my techniques are constantly changing as I learn new tools and try out new effects. Let’s hark back to the days of classic portrait images when, around the mid-20th century, a style of photography grew in popularity. Commonly known as ‘pin-up portraits’, this genre became an artform in itself for…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to create a colourful portrait primarily with the Brush and Pen Time taken 2 hours Expert Mark White For me, colour is the most important aspect of any picture I create. It can turn an average piece into something a lot more interesting to look at, so it’s worth spending an extra ten minutes agonising over how it looks. As Senior Staff Writer on Photoshop Creative, I’ve learned all kinds of quick tips to help with even the most impressive-looking pictures. The Brush and Pen tools are key elements of Photoshop these days: what started as a retouching program for your photos has evolved into the ultimate beast for digital art. And as Photoshop…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Time taken 8-10hours Expert Costis Papatheodorou I love drawing digital paintings, portraits and caricatures. In order to draw digitally you don’t have to get lost in many different techniques and brushes. A simple brush can help you explore your creativity and sharpen your skills. I am a professional freelance illustrator who has used Photoshop as my main tool for the last 15 years, either to draw images or to edit them. Drawing a caricature is always a challenging and fun process. You may use any brush you like, but it’s best to stick with a simple round one first, in order to learn the basics and evolve your current skills. Once you’ve achieved that, you can then progress to more…

Build a character 01 Open Adobe Fuse (CC users only). Choose your character from the presets and customise the model by adding textures, clothes and props. Name it and save to your CC Library. Place in your project 02 Go to Windows> Library. Click and drag the model into the project, then go to Window> 3D. Double-click the ‘Tops_Skeleton’ feature and pick a pose. Poses 03 If you choose an animated pose, go to Window>Timeline. Scrub the frames in the timeline to find the best position. Rotate the image if necessary and adjust the lighting. Render 04 Go to 3D> Render 3D layer. Render your 3D model and save it. You can apply adjustment layers and masks just as with any other layer, and incorporate into your projects.…

MASTER THE PERSPECTIVE If you use your own photos, make sure to choose objects that fit the perspective and scale of the city and cat. TAKE PHOTOS YOURSELF The cat used in this picture was photographed specifically on her hind legs while playing. Add a personal touch by importing your own pets into the composition. For decades, cinema has been interested in the idea of giant animals taking over our cities, whether it’s King Kong or Godzilla . But what the residents of this particular city probably never expected to see on the horizon was this white, fluffy cat, pawing at helicopters and setting whole skyscrapers on fire. That’s the beauty of Photoshop Elements: creating the surreal from existing photos – even photos…

Publisher Cassell Price £20 Author Paul Lowe (General Editor) Release date Out now It’s likely you’ve already stumbled across the 1001 series, published by Cassell. From roads you must drive and plants you must grow, to several iterations devoted to telling you about the movies you must see, the series has catapulted to fame for its (relatively) succinct guides to the world’s most popular… well, everything. After several editions explaining the paintings you must see, the series creators have devoted a brand-new tome to some of the most spectacular photography in history. From the oldest surviving photograph, dating from 1826 and depicting a view from a window, to the day Trump won the US presidential election, 1001 Photographs You Must See Before You Die jam-packs in 999 other photographs that,…

Grunge brushes Choose from 115 grunge brushes for the right gritty effect. New overlays Use any of the 30 new Flare and Haze overlays to enrich your artwork. Go polygonal A pack of ten trendy polygonal textures to choose from. On the FileSilo this issue… • 10 Polygonal textures • 30 Flare and Haze overlays • White Neon action • 115 Grunge brushes • 100 Watercolour textures and styles • 40 Brick actions • A total of 296 resources Register to get instant access to this pack of must-have creative resources, how-to videos and tutorial assets Log in to www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Free for digital readers too! Read on your tablet, download on your computer The home of great downloads – exclusive to your favourite magazines from Future Publishing Secure and safe…

We challenged you In Issue 157, 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 Pamela Woerst Earth - And Everything In It Images were taken from Pixabay and Unsplash, such as the tree and mountains, and were used in addition to the four start images in order to create a panoramic planet-style composition. 2 Jim Ferran The Encounter The landscape and dinosaur that were provided were used in the final image. The witch was my own picture taken in France in July 2017 at a medieval fair. 3 Jonathan Schieffer Corrupted By The Mountain All images were…

Tool settings 01 Both Dodge and Burn share the same tool icon; click and hold to access them. Set the tool’s Exposure to 30-50% to build up the effect gradually. Dodge… 02 Use the Dodge tool over highlighted areas (the nose, top of the cheekbones, and top of the brow line) and also to brighten the white of the eyes. …and Burn 03 With the Burn tool, use a large brush size over the cheek, neck and ear, and then a small brush size to enhance the detailed shading around the nose and mouth. Final touches 04 You can revisit this layer at the end of the tutorial if you find you need to enhance it further, especially any shadows that have been made lighter during editing.…

Contrast is the key Practise working colour and value contrast into your work as often as you can. It’s the key for creating beautiful colour work. It’s easiest to apply contrast at the end of the painting process, using Levels and Brightness/Contrast, but you can only do so much to save a bland, flat colour palette. Note how we quickly applied a colour overlay during this tutorial before we made the final adjustments. If we hadn’t, the end result would have ended up looking unsaturated and unappealing.…

Place frame 01 Go to File> Place Embedded and locate the frame file from the FileSilo. Resize it to fit over the image and move it to the top of the Layers panel. Apply texture and clip 02 Load the texture file, resize it to fit over the image and press Enter. Go to Layer> Create Clipping Mask, and reduce the opacity to 50%. Insert more elements 03 Load the stamp files and position them at the top. The large stamp can be used to hide the cut-out part of the shoe. Set the air mail stamp’s blend mode to Multiply to remove the white areas. Change colours 04 You can change the colour of the stamp by double-clicking its layer and adding a Color Overlay layer style. Set the…

AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL, DVD, BLU-RAY™, AND 4K ULTRA HD™ NOW Get ready for the ultimate adventure as Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg present the new and explosive addition to the Transformers family, Transformers: The Last Knight, which is available now on digital, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. To celebrate, we are teaming up with Paramount to host an exclusive fan art competition. Humans and Transformers are at war with each other, Optimus Prime is gone. The only key to saving our future lies buried deep in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock). There comes…

Background colour 01 Start with midtone colours on your background. From midtone colours you can create the brighter and darker values you need to start drawing. Flip Horizontal 02 When our eyes look at the same image for a long time, they miss things. Use the Flip Horizontal command as a way of spotting what needs fixing. Become better 03 Avoid using the Undo/Redo command all the time. Making the right decisions will make you a better artist. Set your History State to 400 and use it only when necessary. Experiment with temperature 04 If your artwork has a very warm or cold feeling once you’ve finished, you can always create a Color Balance adjustment layer to change that. Experiment to see what works!…

Separate files Creating a 3D scene isn’t complicated, but can take a long time to render. Instead of merging the Fuse models with the 3D scene, create a separate document to place the figures, adjust the pose and render the file. The file will be smaller and the rendering process faster. Save the file as PNG and place in the original composition. To adjust the angle, use the sardine can as a reference or copy the scene and place behind the models. Use the on-screen controllers to rotate and move the objects.…

Reduce the shake 01 The start image of the cat we’re using for this composition isn’t the clearest, but that’s okay, because Photoshop Elements has a Shake Reduction feature that’s ideal for correcting such issues. Head to Enhance> Shake Reduction, and use the slider to alter the sensitivity. Cut the cat out 02 Hit the mask icon, and using a black brush, trace around the outside of the cat until you’ve completely worked around the outline. Use a softer brush (Shift+[) around the super fluffy areas of fur. Place and shade 03 Cut around the edges of buildings with the Polygonal Lasso tool (L) and fill this in black on the mask of the cat layer. Clip a new layer (Alt/Opt-click) to the cat layer and with a 20% black,…

MINIMAL CONTROLS There are few controls on the body of the device. You’ll find the volume and rotation lock controls on the side. PEN POWER The Pro Pen 2 requires no batteries or charging. It sits comfortably on its own removable holder that plugs into the side of the device. SHARP DISPLAY The screen measures 15.6 inches with 94% Adobe RGB colour accuracy. There is also a smaller model available with a 13.3-inch screen. Price £2,749.99/ $2,999.95 US Web www.wacom.com The MobileStudio Pro is a multi-tasker’s dream. The pen computer lets you take your work on the go, and has the processing power to enable you to run multiple 2D, 3D and video-editing softwares at the same time. It’s the perfect choice for professional artists, photographers and designers, but with…

The path from traditional art to digital is one that is familiar to many Photoshop users and digital artists in general. Dexter Maurer certainly knows this trajectory well himself; the son of an artist, he honed his craft at art school before turning back to Photoshop for his work. And what a journey it’s been since then… How did your relationship with Photoshop begin? When I was a kid, I used to draw a lot in my spare time; my favourite heroes of cartoons, comics, video games, etc. I went to art school, and I used to colour my illustrations with colour pencils or paint, but it was after completing a lot of drawings I realised that I was playing too much with the same colour combinations, simply because I…

Remove elements Select an appropriate background image and remove unwanted material with the Clone Stamp tool. I had to remove a couple of distracting elements in the background. Cut out the watering can Using the Pen tool, I drew an outline of the watering can from a separate image, then isolated the selection and pasted on my background image. Repeat the second step I did the same as step 2 with the water layer, only this time setting the blending mode of the layer to Lighten. Adjustments I then added Selective Color, Curves and Hue/Saturation adjustment layers to the final composition to enhance the colours, clouds and brightness of the photo’s elements.…

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, created by some of the world’s most exciting artists and designers. Johnny Cardoso  http://johnnycardoso.tumblr.com/ I made this illustration for an indie rock/electro party in my city, and the idea was to create a cosmonaut rider in space. I used the Photoshop 3D tool to make the motorcycle; I downloaded a sample bike, and set the position before sketching above it. Retoka  http://retoka.com/ This work is made from a photograph. We cut the roads out to leave a smooth background, and then we played with multiple colour adjustments, curves and selective correction. LorisAlessandria http://www.lorisalessandria.com/ I was lucky…

TONE DOWN If a blend is nice but too overpowering, you can try reducing it. For a uniform reduction, lower the layer’s opacity. For a more selective approach, use a layer mask. GROUP BLENDS In Photoshop/CC, you can apply blend modes to groups. This is a timesaver if you have a series of layers that all need to be set to the same mode. RANDOM FUN Hit a creative wall with a layer? Spin the blend mode lottery wheel to try and hit unexpected glory! Press Shift-Plus and Shift-Minus to cycle through the blend modes. ADJUSTMENT BLENDS Did you know you can set adjustment/fill layers to various blend modes? Set Levels to Luminosity to prevent colour change. Try Overlay and Soft Light on gradient fill layers. What would Photoshop projects…

Essentials Time taken 15 hours The artist Tomáš Olekšák I’m a self-taught 25-year-old concept artist and illustrator in Bratislava, Slovakia. I’ve always been a huge fan of video games, movies and comic books, which was the main w . reason thepix why lp os I decided ess. om to @ have hepixelprosit a career in the video game industry. Currently I am a freelancer focused on projects for my clients and AAA game production. I’m always looking for new interesting work opportunities. Please see www.tomasoleksak.com “When I am working on my personal stuff I usually don’t start drawing until I have a good idea in my head,” says Tomáš Olekšák, a Slovakian artist who taught himself how to use Photoshop. “I use these projects to train my drawing technique and…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to combine layer styles, shapes and the Pen, while adding subtle lighting Time taken 1.5 hours Expert Moe Hezwani Text effects are always handy when creating marketing material. Using typography effectively on a flyer or a poster will get the job done a lot easier. I enjoy making my text stand out, and there is always plenty of room to be very creative. I’m a professional graphic designer/illustrator and Photoshop is the go-to platform for my designs. The relationship between typography and imagery is an important factor in creating effective graphic design. No matter how good an image is, its relationship with type can make or break a piece of artwork. If you want…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn How to use bitmap halftone, channel splitting, Paint Daubs, Poster Edges Time taken 1-3 hours Expert BÜRO UFHO The use of halftone patterns can add an interesting comic-book effect to your images. Being both an artist, under the moniker kittozutto, and graphic design studio, BÜRO UFHO, we have been using Photoshop for over 10 years. In 2015, we had the privilege to be invited by Adobe, together with 70 artists, to celebrate its 25th Anniversary of Photoshop. Blade Runner 2049 is a stunning visual feast with breathtaking scenes. Every wide shot is perfectly composed, with equally powerful colour schemes. Although there has been criticism of the story being a bit thin, it still manages to…

About the artist José Bernabé www.behance.net/josebernabe I’m a Spanish designer and digital artist based in the city of Amsterdam. I’m always in continuous exploration, finding visual solutions for commercial and artistic projects. From lettering to illustration, from logo design to image manipulation, I’ve been involved in projects for Nike, Adobe, Nickelodeon, Steel Series, Gategroup, BMW, PostNL, Citroën, Etos, Opel, ING, Jamin, Peugeot and Nutricia. My work has been published by Inspiration Now, Taxi, Fubiz, Adobe, Fahrenheit Magazine, Betype, TrendHunter and Abduzeedo, among others. Name of the project Life Tracks Music is an inspiration to so many artists, but it’s not often that a painter creates art specifically and explicitly about certain songs. That didn’t stop José Bernabé though, a Spanish artist who’s been celebrated on online art communities for his…

Spring 01 Trying to make your pictures look spring-like can be difficult; it doesn’t have the distinctive orange glow of autumn. But by increasing saturation, adding a warm photo filter and a green photo filter, you can brighten up pictures. Summer 02 A blue sky and some sun often defines summery photos. Create a new layer and brush in yellow for the sun, before giving a Hue/Saturation boost to the image to make it brighter. Then use the Summer option in Quick mode. Winter 03 There are two options in Quick mode for creating a wintery picture: Snow and Winter. Make sure to apply a cold coloured filter to the photo before applying the seasonal look, and reduce the Saturation of your image to -50.…

Add more detail Brushes are a simple feature, but they’re still capable of incredibly powerful edits if you know how to use them. Select a small, 80% hard brush on a new layer above the cat. Set the brush to 50% opacity and experiment with selecting colours from the cat’s fur before applying them in a wider sense to other parts of its fur. By using this technique, you can add more definition to the fur, around the eyes and under the chin. Create more of a stereotypically shaped paw with this technique, and with darker shades, create defined fur around the neck and legs.…

REAR (STAND) On the back of the device are two legs that flip out to make a stand with a viewing angle of 20°. TOUCH BAR In the top-right corner of the display are five touch buttons, including the keyboard. PRO PEN 2 The Pro Pen 2 is a joy to use, giving an experience akin to pen on paper. DISPLAY The Cintiq Pro 16 offers the same display specs as the MobileStudio Pro 16, with up to 4K resolution. Price £1,399.99 / $1,499.95 US Web www.wacom.com The lightweight design of the Cintiq Pro creative pen display is really lovely to handle. The glare free screen scores 282ppi without the thick glass causing any problems with the stylus parallax. The tablet also boasts the same display specifications as the MobileStudio…

Publisher Phaidon Price £24.95 / $39.95 Author Nicholas Bonner Release date Out now Straight out of the super-secretive state of North Korea comes Nicholas Bonner’s compilation of everyday designs, from sweet wrappers and cigarette boxes to postcards and invitations. The book itself is absolutely beautiful – its bright pink cover is emblazoned with a gold foil, in its simplicity setting you up for what’s in store. Every page inside is premium, with large visuals, matte paper and short succinct captions to help keep your eyes roving over every image. Not one single, everyday object has been overlooked – from watercolour boxes and envelopes to books and comics, Bonner gives you an intimate insight into the visuals of daily life in North Korea – and what you discover is truly incredible.…

For many, the principle of Photoshop is to create something surreal and removed from the real world. This is exactly how Tom Cornish sees the software, as he creates dreamlike compositions from photos he’s taken. “Until recently photography was only a hobby, taking second place to a science PhD,” says Tom, “but now that’s finished I have more time to concentrate on creative projects.” How do you usually begin an image? I usually start with a sketchbook that I’ve filled with blank boxes, set a timer for an hour and sketch as many ideas as I can, drawing from inspiration I’ve recently seen. I’ll then choose one of these as an idea to photograph. Occasionally though, I’m lucky enough to be out and about with my camera and an idea…