Tabla de contenidos para No. 166 en Photoshop Creative

Masking is considered by many a utility for graphic illustration only, but the fact is that the clever use of masks can also help you turn a good photo into a great one. This issue, we show you all about how you can fix any type of photo, whether it’s an intimate portrait or a sprawling landscape shot, with the help of masks. Our team of resident experts takes you through everything from subtle edits to dramatic, creative alterations, each to suit the project at hand. Our range of tutorials means you’ll find something for your specific taste, whether that’s creating a realistic photo composition, working with typography or getting creative on your mobile device. And if reviews, galleries and interviews are what gets your creative juices flowing, we’ve got…

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. Axana Zasorina most-design.ru I paint using default Photoshop brushes and a few brushes that I made myself specifically for my work. My favourite tool is the Mixer Brush, as I can express more depth and uniqueness in my portraits. Katya Austin www.katya.design I’ve been having fun trying to blend animation and illustration. I drew each frame of this campfire illustration by hand on my iPad, then finished up the piece using the Photoshop frame animation feature. Constantine Sazonov ozby.pro This image was composed from several different…

JOHN ROSS Camera Raw has many tools to creatively edit your photos, with colour, toning and brightness tools for your work. Combined with masks, you can be really precise with edits, as you’ll see on page 18. SIMON SKELLON I love the flexibility that layer masks and adjustments give while being able to apply blend modes onto a landscape. A subtle gradient along the edge of the moon (p15) helps to blend it in. MARK WHITE Whether I’m creating a composition or a digital painting from a picture, I always find time to edit my photos. The techniques on page 14 that use adjustments to edit are standard tricks that I use in every project to get portraits to really pop.…

Shoot in RAW Shoot landscapes in RAW format instead of JPEG. This gives maximum flexibility during the editing stages in Photoshop and you’ll notice the difference especially when it comes to shadow and highlight recovery. Use ND filters Neutral density filters, or NDs’ for short, create smoother water and moodier clouds. Although possible to recreate this in Photoshop, having the effect there from the beginning will get you off on the right foot. Bracket for HDR Don’t just capture one exposure, make sure you take multiple shots at different exposures. Combining these exposures in Photoshop will give you an HDR effect with detail bursting from every corner. Take a tripod It’s an extra thing to carry but is essential for those really long exposures. A tripod will not only help…

DEFAULT WHITE MASKS By default, creating an adjustment layer also automatically creates a white mask. This means that whatever adjustment layer settings you create will affect your entire image, so do tread carefully. BLACK AND WHITE It’s easy to get confused with all the functionalities of masking, so remember this key tip: black conceals while white reveals. Keep that in mind and you’re good to go! MASKING REGULAR LAYERS On a regular pixel layer, going to Layer> Layer Mask does the same thing. Choose Hide All or Reveal All to add a black or white mask, then paint as needed. CREATE BLACK MASKS Click on that white mask and go to Edit> Fill with Contents: Black. Select OK – you now have a black mask that successfully conceals all of…

Sometimes you want order. Other times, chaos is the only thing that you crave. What’s a conflicted artist to do? Well why not satisfy both urges in one Jekyll-and-Hyde image? Start with a model and perform some no-frills retouching to make her look her best. Then use masks, shapes and blend modes to go bananas on one half, resulting in a creative image that’s ‘two’ good to be true! You’ll perform retouching separately on the model PSD, making it more easily available for future editing and for importing into other projects. Retouching tasks include spot healing, light brushing, digital teeth bleaching and subtle lip and eye enhancing. To help smooth things out, you’ll call upon Surface Blur. This helpful filter will preserve edges as it reduces noise, keeping major features…

In the tutorial, you brush on colour above the original model layer to smooth matters over. As instructed, this is achieved by adding a blank layer, using the Eyedropper Tool to sample an existing colour and then painting lightly to apply a sort of digital make-up. Follow the side stepper for an alternative method that uses Solid Color fill layers. You can brush the colour on/ off like a layer-masked layer. If you’re in ‘masking mode,’ this technique helps you stay in the zone (using black and white). You can also change the colour quickly by double-clicking the layer thumbnail. Create another Color Fill layer for each colour. Perhaps the disadvantage is you may end up with more layers to manage. But it can certainly be worth it to have…

Fine-tune settings 01 The most obvious way to control an adjustment is through its settings. The great thing about adjustment layers is they’re non-destructive, enabling you to tweak to your heart’s content. Use layer mask 02 Adjustment layers come ready with their own layer masks. Paint with black to hide/reduce areas. Use a soft-edged brush and/or lower brush Opacity setting to finesse. Reduce the effect 03 Sometimes you want to lower the adjustment’s influence quickly and uniformly. You can try reducing the adjustment layer’s Opacity. Use in combination with masking for nice control. Group mask (Photoshop/CC) 04 If you have an array of adjustments that require similar toning down, group them and mask the group. You can also lower the group’s Opacity for quick, wholesale reduction.…

Autumnal tones 01 Use gradient maps set from deep browns, right through to reds and yellows to create an autumnal effect with your text. Mask it over the leaves in order to apply it. Aqua finishes 02 Apply a gradient map that spans from navy to light aquamarine, with plenty of blues in the middle, and then mask over the leaves for an almost sea-like quality. Blossom feel 03 Using deep purple right through to the lightest pink colours can give the impression of cherry blossom with your leaves. Darker effect 04 Recolour the background a dark blue and the letters a light grey, before setting an almost sunset gradient map for the leaves; this will basically invert the effect.…

In issue 164, we gave readers a unique challenge to create a film poster for the new Tomb Raider movie. The winning artist won the opportunity to have their artwork featured in a giant mural in London, being displayed in ODEON cinemas, and a $2,000 prize. Moses Ruperto was a worthy winner, with this beautiful entry. “Prior to production, I researched as much film promotion as possible,” he says. “Once I gathered a sufficient amount of notes regarding film posters, I was ready to begin. “Keeping in mind that the artwork had potential to be showcased as a mural, I focused on creating something that wasn’t visually overwhelming,” says Moses. “Choosing a colour palette of just black and red was done to draw attention to the main subject. While the…

Blend the volcano 01 After linking the adjustment layers, use a Soft Round brush at 70% Opacity and then make a mask (step 3) around the volcano’s sky, blending it with the scene. Add more fog 02 Duplicate the Smoke_01 group and place it above all the layers. Click on the folder, select Add Layer Mask, pick the Brush tool and erase the mountain part, leaving only the fog. Add explosions 03 Add ‘lava_03_smoke_top.jpg’, place it on the left-hand side of the scene, change the blend mode to Screen and make a mask (step 3) to erase the unnecessary parts. Create shadows 04 Create a new layer, Foreground colour to black, pick the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), make a circle and paint it (Alt+Del). Apply Gaussian Blur (20px) and Motion…

Publisher Phaidon Price £19.95 / $29.95 US Author Phaidon Editors, with essays by Julian Bell and Liz Rideal Release Date Out Now As the old adage goes, ‘never judge a book by its cover’. But what if the cover is your own face peering back at you? That’s what you’ll find with the new edition of 500 Self Portraits. It’s a somewhat garish introduction to the book and its topic – a reflective foil cover means that it’s a warped, puckered version of your own face looming behind the title. Page after luxurious page, 500 Self Portraits exhaustively explores, you guessed it, 500 of the most famous self-portraits in the world. From 2350 BCE to 2017, you’ll uncover a wealth of artwork of varying time, alternating style and differing levels…

Atmosphere 01 Gives a dreamy look to photos. It works best with natural shots, and can dull the tones without cooling the saturation too much. Infrared 02 Alters the hues rather than the saturation and lightness. Useful for a stylised look and can be toned down using the slider. Japan 03 Best for bright shots. In this mostly white image, the Japan filter recolours some darker shades without dulling the light. Modern Film 04 Lightens shadows and cohesion over brighter elements. A good choice for someone looking for a modern cinematic option. Vintage 05 Almost Lomography-like in their colour, and there are a fair few options to make your image look a little older and worn.…

Artistic 01 This preset is good for limiting colour and saturation, with any saturated colour shining through the rest a little more. Darkening 02 Reduces the brightness of an image. Of course, this can be done in Photoshop, but it only requires a click in AKVIS MakeUp. Expressive 03 If you’re looking for an HDR-style image, the Expressive preset provides you with a subtle, all-over finish to your artwork. Landscape Sunset 04 Brings a warm glow to your image. It’s bright, saturated and much like a gradient map. Natural Look 05 A decent fix to smooth and soften your photo. It’s a good option to apply before you start editing fully in Photoshop.…

ursulajodlowska.deviantart.com My name is Urszula Jodłowska. I’m a digital artist from Poland. My adventure with digital art began five years ago, and it quickly became my passion. I’m entirely self-taught, and I love to paint digitally, create caricatures, retouch and photomanipulation. My inspiration mostly comes from books. Urszula’s tip Layering different blurred effects can create a dreamy finish. Working with colour and saturation can also enhance this effect further. NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 21 JUNE 2018…

That’s a dot Choose from eight dot grid Photoshop actions to enhance your art. A bit wooden If you need a rustic texture, these wood panels will do the trick. Pink it up These 14 pink filters will give your images that extra flair. On the FileSilo this issue… • 8 Dot grid Photoshop actions • 10 Hi-res wood panel textures • 14 Pink Photoshop filters • Ink set of 280 elements • A total of 312 premium resources plus all our tutorial files Log in to www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Register to get instant access to this pack of must-have resources, videos and tutorial assets The home of great downloads – exclusive to your favourite magazines from Future Publishing Secure and safe online access, from anywhere Free access for every reader, print…

Raqee S Najmuldeen photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Abulrook I looked at this spiral staircase and found something like a wave. I used the silhouette of the surfer and some Photoshop brushes for clouds, then I positioned the elements, cropped, changed the colours and added texture in order to create this double image scene. Robert Schlenker photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/RSchlenker This image was created in Photoshop with a little help from Vue Infinite 3D when it came to creating the terrain. The rockets, lights and the dust were all added later in postproduction. Estelle Chomienne photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Stellart I worked with three basic brushes: the blurred rounded, the clear rounded and the square charcoal. With these three brushes, I could work with different styles of lines in Normal or Overlay blend mode, and create [an effect that looked] like a…

Adjustments are great for tweaking the colour, tone and contrast in your images, but by combining them with masks, you can pinpoint these edits in your subjects. We’ve mainly used Curves and new layers, but you can use masks to try anything in your edit. Add a Fill Color layer and mask it over the lips to change their colour. Add a Gradient Map for a more drastic hair change or just use the Photo Filter to mask in a warmer tone for the face. EYE COLOUR Create a Curves adjustment like the one shown. Invert the mask (Cmd/Ctrl+I) and use a small, soft, white brush to recolour the irises. FACE LIGHTING Merge all layers (Cmd/Ctrl+Alt/ Opt+Shift+E) twice; set one to Screen, one to Multiply. Hit mask, Invert (Cmd/Ctrl+I) and…

“Hold Shift when you draw upward and downward to get a perfectly straight line” Using big, bright colours and paintstroke brushes can really make an ordinary image pop. Simply create a new layer above your subject layer and select shades from the image to make them feel natural. Hold Shift when you draw upward and downward to get them in a perfectly straight line. WORK ON THE COLOURS Create a Soft Light layer. Use colours from the background, such as orange and deep blue, to unify the colour scheme of the whole image. BLEND IN A BACKGROUND Cut out your subject and use the Select and Mask Tool to refine the edge against the background you place. USE BRUSHES FOR DYNAMISM Use big paint brushes to create vertical lines that…

Every time you create a new image, it’s very important to set the colour tone to make it as appealing as possible. Depending on the mood you want to convey, these tones might be muted or, as in this case, lovely and vibrant. Using Photoshop’s tools to explore the natural colours of the picture you’re working on can produce a fantastic result, as we will reveal in this tutorial. In it, we will walk you through the steps to creating a photorealistic scene using photographic effects. Since the aim is to create an image that appears as real as possible, we’re going to make it a bit more challenging. We will create every detail, from the light in the sky to the reflection of the fruits in the glass. To…

Linking masks What is that chain link doing to the side of a layer mask? By default, a layer or group is linked to its layer mask. That means the layer and mask move together as you reposition with the Move Tool. They even stick together in other operations such as Free Transform rotation. If you want to unlink, click the chain link. Now you can move the layer or mask independently. This is perfect for this tutorial, where you can keep the half mask in place and shimmy the corresponding layer around. Click the chain again to relink.…

The process for creating a photomontage involves four basic steps. First, you need to define the background and the light source. Second, you have to place and mask the images. Third, add the shadows and highlights and finally, make adjustments to correct the colour or improve the image. But there is also an extra step – knowing the correct techniques to apply in each process, which is exactly what you are going to learn in the following steps. There are two primary techniques in this tutorial. The first is an introduction to the Calculations command. This command offers two additional blending modes – Add and Subtract. Each pixel in a channel has a brightness value; the Calculation command manipulates these values by mixing the pixels in two or more channels…

Most of us will have built a sandcastle or two in our lives. They are usually of the pretty basic bucket and spade variety, with a few decorative shells if you really want to push the boat out. More elaborate creations are usually reserved for the professional sculptors displaying their amazing works of art at sand sculpture festivals. However, in this tutorial we will be showing you how to recreate them digitally, transforming a stock photo into a sand sculpture. Using channels to make selections, then blending modes, adjustments and stock textures to create the sand effect, you’ll find out how to create a miniature sand sculpture in the palm of a hand. You will even learn how to make some small changes to a standard brush in order to…

My name is Moses Ruperto and I am a graphic designer/ illustrator with over 10 years of professional ex www erience . he xinlpros m timed ess com a and @ print p x design rosit . I received a BFA in 2007 at Briarcliffe College in Bethpage NY, and am expected to complete a Masters in Education at Queens College University in 2018. I offer services for everything that pertains to graphic design. Also, with a background in advanced drawing, I specialise in portraits and illustrations.…

We challenged you... In Issue 164, we challenged you to get creative with the set theme of Music. You were allowed to create whatever you wanted, so long as it incorporated the theme in some way. Silvio Bertonati Contrabass City This Contrabass City image was created with Photoshop CS5. The image was composited together with the help of layers, masks and blending, with adjustment layers being key in putting the finishing touches together. This issue’s challenge... Think you can do better? Prove it! Next issue, the theme is History. We don’t mind how you incorporate it into your image, just be as creative as you possibly can! Head to facebook.com/PhotoshopCreative and find the challenge in our Events tab. Closing date: 21/6/18. THE PRIZE… Contour Design ShuttlePRO v2 This issue, we’re…

When it comes to stepping up your landscape game, layer masks can make all the difference. Using masks, we can select and insert objects, such as the moon, and incorporate a new and more interesting sky using blend modes. The Free Transform command and a layer mask is the perfect combination for a reflection over the water. THE MOON Add a 2px Gaussian Blur to the moon’s layer mask and fade out one edge of the moon for realism. THE SKY For the new sky, use a layer mask and a soft brush to blend it in with the horizon line. Mask out any details in the existing foreground for accuracy and apply the Overlay blend mode as well. REFLECTION Flip the image and use a mask to remove any…

Add more details Link adjustment layer 01 After you have completed the mask, to make the colour of the sky look more vibrant, link a Levels adjustment layer (step 1) and set it to 71, 1.00, 255. Add highlights 02 To add highlights to the cocktail image, open ‘white.psd’, place it inside the layer group with the mask in the shape of the cocktail and change the blend mode to Screen. Some shadows 03 Create a new layer, set the colour to black, pick the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), make a circle and paint it (Alt+Del). Apply Gaussian Blur (20px) and change the blend mode to Soft Light. Use blend modes 04 After you have completed the base_fruit shadow, to set the colour tone, duplicate it (Cmd/Ctrl+J), change the blend…

Sample colour 01 Ready to retouch? Open the portrait you want to edit. Use the Eyedropper Tool to sample a prevalent colour near the region(s) that you’re aiming to smooth. Add colour 02 Click the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ button in the Layers palette and choose Solid Color. The canvas gets filled with the colour. Click OK. Invert mask 03 With the layer’s mask selected, press Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert. White becomes black and the colour on the canvas disappears. Now you’re set to brush it on selectively. Brush on colour 04 Select the Brush Tool. Using a soft-edge brush at low opacity, paint white to apply the colour. Paint black to remove. Repeat the steps to add additional colour.…

Have time for a piece about time? Practice essential skills as you reflect upon the profound nature of time and the ultimate impermanence of being. Not only does the selection of stock fit with the theme, so do the techniques you’ll employ as you piece it together. Masks will be used carefully on objects and layers to create an ethereal feeling that’s in stride with the themes of time and mortality. Employing a soft-edged brush will be of paramount importance. Enlarging the brush diameter also helps when going for a spectral look, as the fading of the brush edges becomes more protracted. Though you have millions of colours at your disposal, you’ll be chromatically thrifty to better match the desired solemnity. Choosing fitting colour as well as appropriately toned images…

Customise type When you’re making edits on each of the letters in a typeface, ensure you’re making the same edits to each letter, to keep the font uniform. When using the Pen Tool to mask out a selection from a letter, for example, save the path so you can reuse it by double-clicking it and then naming it. Study other fonts and work out how you can improve the one that you’re using. Also remember that anything you choose to bring back can just be filled back in when you’re using masks.…

Tips and tricks Custom brushes 01 Grab the Brush Tool and press F5 to open the Brushes panel. Choose a custom brush to add the sunburst effect and tiny details such as the waves under the ship. Shadows and highlights 02 Create a new layer, change the blending mode to Soft Light. Grab a soft brush and using dark and light colours, paint the shadows and highlights on the tentacles. Add more contrast 03 After finishing steps 2 through 4, duplicate the layer, change the blending mode to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 75% to increase the contrast even more. Matting 04 For step 15, double-click on the vessel thumbnail to open the Smart Object in a new window. Now go to Layer>Matting>Remove White Matte to defringe the edges.…

Adapting brushes 01 If you can’t find the right brush for the job, it’s easy to create your own. The sand brush used in step 14 was created from a simple square brush. Load brush sets 02 Open the Brush Preset Picker, click the cog icon at the top right. Click Square Brushes in the menu and choose Append. Now select the 6px Square Brush. Shape Dynamics 03 In the right-hand toolbar, click the Brush icon. Tick Shape Dynamics and enter Size Jitter: 62%, Minimum Diameter: 10%, Angle Jitter: 100%, Roundness Jitter: 68%, Minimum Roundness: 11%. Scattering 04 Tick Scattering and enter Scatter: 585%, Count: 4, Count Jitter: 37%. You now have a grain effect brush! Try experimenting with the settings for a slightly different finish.…

Rodrigo Marinelli I love to watch movies or documentaries about volcanoes; it’s amazing to see the fire and lava – so vibrant and intense that it’s impossible to take your eyes off the TV. That’s a moment when you realise nature is so perfect, fabulous and inspiring. Which is why I made this image, it’s the perfect opportunity to create a scene of what it would be like if we had the chance to observe many volcanoes erupting at the same time. I’m an art director and have 13 years of experience at advertising agencies. I learned and am still learning to use Photoshop through following tutorials.…

Shadow pass 01 With the Shadow pass on top of your render image, set blending mode to Soft Light. Split and pull in the black slider of underlying layer under the Blend If option. Layer ID passes 02 Using the separated reflector board pass layer, Cmd/Ctrl-click on the layer thumbnail to make a selection. Add a Levels adjustment layer and pull in the blacks and whites. Colour adjustments 03 Using a #6600cc purple Soft Round brush, softly brush over the bottom-right corner. Set layer blending mode to Soft Light to introduce a bit of purple into the orange areas. Photo Filter 04 Finally, to balance the colours in the image, add a Red Photo Filter at 100% Opacity, and a Cooling Filter (80) at 25% Opacity.…

Noise 01 The Type drop-down box on the left handles whether the gradient is solid or reliant on Noise. This trippy effect is difficult to control and decided by red, blue and green channels as opposed to picking specific colours. Opacity 02 Sometimes you want one side of your gradient to be more opaque than the other. Use the black colour spots above the visual strand to control transparency. Incidentally, there are midpoints for the transparency control, too. Presets 03 If you wish to use a gradient again in another project, save it as a preset in Elements. Use the Add to Presets button to do so and give it a name in the box just to the left of the button. You can find all the gradients in the…

Gradient filter 01 A great way to give a more precise edit to your image. Drag the gradient across the image and apply the sliders to use the feature. Layers 02 Use layers to pile up effects. Experiment with blend modes and layer opacity, and you can also mask using selections. Manager 03 This is where images are sorted. Add info, view info and data, sort by location, and see a map of where the image was taken. Perspective 04 The Perspective feature is just the thing when you want to align your pictures perfectly using angles already in a shot. Create 05 The Create tab is the missing link between editing and sharing pictures. Use it to create photo books, calendars and more.…

Katherine Lam only graduated in 2017 and says her portfolio isn’t very expansive, but that hasn’t stopped her from catching the attention of thousands of people online. Photoshop’s online Behance gallery, among others, has featured her work, too. But what are the secrets behind her muted, yet beautiful style of painting? We caught up to find out. How did you first get into art? My family enrolled me in an after-school drawing class when I was five where I drew fish and animals, but unfortunately I don’t think I learned anything. I started getting interested in art when I was 12. For a while it was mostly a hobby that I would do in my free time, but it later became the only thing I was willing to work hard…