Table of contents for No. 165 in Photoshop Creative

Blend modes are a massively useful feature of any Photoshop project, but being the creatures of habit we are, we all probably have three or four we tend to stick to for the most part. This issue, however, you can confidently strike out on a quest to add to your favourites, because we’ll be showing you how to master every. single. one. of them. All 27 can offer something special to a project, so use this issue to experiment like never before! In addition, we’ve got tutorials spanning the spectrum from a digital/real-life paper-collage crossover and how to make the most of Smart Objects, to a healing tools photo masterclass. Also, make sure to check out our expert reviews, insightful interviews and beautiful galleries. We hope you enjoy the issue.…

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. Višnja Mihatov Barić www.instagram.com/teetonka_illustrations The process of creating each of my illustrations is really simple. Sketching is really important. When I’m satisfied with the final drawing, I scan it and then edit it in Adobe Photoshop. I usually start with adjusting the Levels and contrast. Oleh Dihtiarov www.instagram.com/flyagulaka/ I’m not especially attached to any drawing style, I just experiment all the time, and it turns out spontaneously. Photoshop is a cool program; personally I use a few brushes and layers. This is dedicated to drummer Masha…

Every Photoshop user benefits from blend modes. Digital artists employ them for a better mix in their artwork, photomanipulators switch blend modes for realism and retouchers can add a new layer with a different blend mode for a subtle rework of a portrait. With this in mind, there’s no reason to sit this feature out! Over the next few pages, we’re going to show you how you can use every single one of these 27 ingenious little options: we know you’ve only ever stumbled across some of the blend modes by mistake once or twice, but that’s not going to stop us from using them in these projects. Not all blend modes were created equal, but all of them have their uses. Yes, even that one you’re thinking of. Let’s…

Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Use Photoshop brushes, layer masks, clipping masks and blending modes Time taken 4 hours Expert Sarah Maynard This tutorial outlines my usual process for drawing characters. Don’t be put off if you have trouble, I erase and redraw the same lines multiple times to get it right. I’m a freelance web designer and illustrator. I started drawing in Photoshop 15 years ago when I got my first tablet, and I haven’t stopped since. Photoshop isn’t all about photos! It’s a powerful tool for digital artists too, and with the help of a drawing tablet, you can draw just as easily as on paper (plus you get an undo button and no messy hands). This tutorial will guide you through how to sketch, line, colour…

Clone Source 01 Use Window> Clone Source to give yourself more healing and cloning options. You can use mirror horizontal and vertical, as well as rotate at any angle. Cross gradients 02 When working with gradients, sometimes the Healing Brush becomes confused, and you just can’t get it to blend right. When in doubt, try the Patch Tool for a different approach. Blank layers 03 Always perform your corrections on a new blank layer. This helps you undo adjustments with ease. When working this way, make sure to set Sample to Current & Below from the options bar. Untouched Background layer 04 Make it so that when you hide your Background layer, you’ll see all the changes made on the blank layer. Notice that you haven’t affected your original image…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Create a geometric portrait with shapes, masks and blend modes Time taken 2.5 hours Expert Andre Villanueva I love colour but am lazy when it comes to creating and sticking to a palette. Of course, this has gotten me in trouble with exacting art directors… One of my favourite exercises involves just randomly stacking and masking colourful images, and then making use of blend modes and masks to chance upon some gorgeous convergences of colour. Need to inject some interest into your latest promotional image? Enamoured with shapes and colour? Check out this multi-layered treatment that is just the thing for elevating a portrait from a ‘might-look’ to a ‘must-see’ proposition. The shapes used will…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Build a composition with basic 3D and thorough blending techniques Time taken 7 hours Expert Mark White This image doesn’t look like well over 600 layers, but I guess those smaller spheres look deceptive! This is a project that I enjoyed doing in blocks of a couple of hours, as I always came back to it with fresh eyes. As Techniques Editor on Photoshop Creative, I’ve learned all kinds of tips to help with even the most impressive-looking pictures. People often assume 3D is the most difficult part of Photoshop to get to grips with. And who’s to say they’re wrong? The 3D workspace is certainly a completely different beast to the rest of Photoshop;…

GET IN TOUCH Send us your images now for the chance to appear in future galleries Create your own gallery online PhotoshopCreative.co.uk Upload your images to Facebook Search PhotoshopCreative Tweet us your creative artwork @PshopCreative Alternatively, you can email: markwhite03@futurenet.com Patrik Gama photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/patrikgama I created the shadow in this image by changing the Color Overlay to black and reducing the layer’s Opacity. For a final touch, I added a Gaussian Blur and Motion Blur filter to the shadow. Elissandro Pinto photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Elissandro This image was created by combining a number of elements including the sky, the hands and the figure in the foreground of the picture. A reflection was created using Distort filters once everything was in place. Ann Wehner photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/Anjel This piece was partly created on my iPad Pro using…

Tips and tricks Smart Filter mask 01 After adding the Spin Blur on the left wheel (step 13), grab a brush and paint the Smart Filter mask to hide the effect on the bumper and other parts. Select and Mask 02 The Select and Mask command (step 17) is a very powerful feature in Photoshop. Tweak the Smart Radius and the Refinement controls to create a perfect mask around the subject. Path Blur 03 In step 21, add more paths to create interesting motion effects. Click-and-drag to add points and then adjust the path shape. Tweak the speed to define the blur amount. Camera Raw 04 In step 22, after tweaking the settings adjust the perspective again (Shift+T), then go to Lens Correction and apply a subtle Vignette effect (set…

Choose light direction 01 Before shading, choose a light direction. This light source will determine where the shadows and lighting will be stronger. Use this light for the global light angle for layer styles. Prepare layer 02 Delete colour that expands outside the base. Cmd/Ctrl-click the layer mask for the base, invert selection and delete those pixels from the layer to emboss, eg the chain colour layer. Add layer style 03 Open the layer styles for the chain layer and add a Bevel and Emboss effect. Choose Inner Bevel and adjust until your layer has a suitable lighting and shading effect. Manual details layer 04 Add a new layer for shading and highlights. Accentuate the bevel with manual details, especially useful for metals when they have an extra sheen. Use…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesiloco.uk/photoshopcreative. Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Use Smart Objects to create a seamless repeating pattern quickly and easily Time taken 1 hour Expert Jenni Sanders When it comes to Photoshop, I always try to find the quickest way to make something. And Smart Objects are usually the answer! I love their versatility and endless applications. My first experience with photomanipulation was watching my dad clone out holidaymakers from our family photographs. From that moment I was hooked. Making your own repeating patterns in Photoshop has never been easier thanks to the power of Smart Objects. When you create a Smart Object inside an image, you can then duplicate it as many times as you want, just like a normal layer. But…

Perform initial masking 01 To enable masking on the model, select the layer and click the Add Layer Mask button in the Layers palette. Add black/shades of grey to the mask to hide/fade areas. Use clipping mask 02 Place ‘terrain.jpg’ above the model. Option/Alt-click between the layers. Mask another ‘terrain.jpg’ by placing above and Option/Alt-clicking between the two terrain layers. You can still move/adjust any of the layers. Group and mask 03 Select the layers, group them (Cmd/Ctrl+G), add a layer mask to the group. You can mask independently from the initial layer masking. Essentially, you’re masking in stages. Group/mask again 04 Place the group in another group, mask out shards with polygonal selections. If you ever need to go back or re-edit this masking stage, you can without upsetting…

La Boca has created artwork for publishing houses, awards ceremonies and even stadium rock gods Muse, but studio chief Scot Bendall achieved recognition a little closer to home when his team worked with Transport For London on a series of safety posters, to be displayed around the city. “It’s a tangible project I can point out to my mum,” says Scot, a Londoner himself, “[With these posters] she can finally begin to understand what I do for a living without a “proper” job!” We caught up with Scot to talk about his relationship with both Photoshop and London, and how these beautiful posters were designed. What was the brief for this project, Scot? Many of the safety messages, such as Mind The Gap, are already quite familiar to travellers in…

Start and end points 01 Start by drawing a rough sketch of the limb’s joints. This will give you positions to aim for while drawing. We’ll use the hip, the knee and the foot. First coil 02 Draw loose coils out from the hip to the knee. Draw around the shape of the thigh; start thick at the hip, tapering off toward the knee. Second coil 03 Next, draw from the knee to the foot. Just like last time, feel out the shape of the leg: thicker around the calf, tapering off around the ankle. Fill in the limbs 04 Finally, go back to your character sketch layer and draw in the foreshortened limbs, using the coils as guides. Repeat this technique for the second leg and you’re done!…

We challenged you... In Issue 163, we challenged you to get creative with the set theme of hope. You were allowed to create whatever you wanted, so long as it incorporated the theme somehow. This issue’s challenge... Think you can do better? Prove it! Next issue, the theme is music. We don’t mind how you incorporate it into your image, just be as creative as you possibly can! Head to www.photoshopcreative.co.ukand simply hit the Challenge link. Closing date: 5 June. THE PRIZE… Contour Design Unimouse This issue, we’re giving away a Contour Design Unimouse to one lucky winner of the challenge! This isn’t like your average mouse – it has far more functions and is perfect for any Photoshop user to multitask when designing. Trevor Budd The Perception of Hope…

ABOUT THE STUDIO M J Faint Design Co www.mjfaintdesign.co/@MJFainty Marcus has previously worked on a number of international consumer publications. He now runs M J Faint Design Co in Bath, where he continues as an art editor for a film/TV magazine as well as producing illustrations, logos and infographics for a number of clients. My dad is a very creative guy, and that definitely rubbed off on me,” says Marcus Faint, who runs M J Faint Design Co. “I think the moment I realised I wanted to make design my career was while undertaking a magazine design module at university. That’s when I thought, this is something I could see myself doing day-in, day-out.” That’s also when Marcus discovered Photoshop, and since then he’s worked as a designer and art…

Set the tone Add lights 01 Create a new layer, set the Foreground colour to white, change the blend mode to Soft Light and paint on the house’s front as well as on the mountain’s top. Colours 02 Create a layer group with the mask in the shape of the kids’ layer (step 2). Set the Foreground colour to #3b3254, change the blend mode to Soft Light and paint it. Link adjustment layers 03 Select the layer 01 (Right group), link Brightness/Contrast (127, 0) and Levels (0, 1.00, 163) adjustment layers. Repeat with the layer 01 from Left group. More details 04 Link Brightness/Contrast (10, 20) and Curves. Create a new layer, paint it black, apply a lens flare effect (Filter> Render> Lens Flare) and change the blend mode to…

To have more freedom in the creation, I chose a surrealist style,” reveals Olivier Gros. “I worked with the mouse rather than a graphics tablet, because I didn’t have one, and I use Photoshop CS5, which is enough for this kind of exercise.” Despite Olivier’s lack of CC and a tablet, this image doesn’t feel limited by technology. “The main tools I used in Photoshop were the masks and adjustment layers, which were predominantly Levels and Hue/Saturation. I also used Puppet Warp, which was very handy for altering the legs of the birds and the ribbon.” Puppet Warp is something many artists turn to for control, and it’s a favourite of Olivier; “it is a practical tool and it complements fluidity in my work.” Despite how complex this image looks,…

On the FileSilo Download your free resources at www.filesilo.co.uk/photoshopcreative Essentials Works with What you’ll learn Use healing tools to make subtle and natural retouching adjustments Time taken 30 minutes Expert John Ross Removing blemishes should always be done subtly to keep your image from looking plastic and fake. In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to use healing tools professionally and naturally. With 20 years’ experience, I educate photographers and retouchers by expanding their knowledge through my website wwwTheArtofRetouching.com. Despite your best efforts to shoot the perfect photo, there will always be blemishes and skin corrections you will inevitably have to edit out during retouching. Still, you need to find the right balance between correcting glaring errors and leaving minor imperfections as they are. Be as subtle as you possibly…

Try different positions 01 It might take a few goes to get a good repeating position, so don’t get hung up on details like cut-off edges straight away. Avoid different pandas on opposite edges, though. Smart Object instances 02 When you’re happy, convert any cut-off pandas to Smart Objects, as mentioned in the tutorial, so that if you need to edit it, changes will be made on both instances. Link the layers 03 Once you have positioned the second instance to stop cutoffs, you may need to move it again. Select both instances of the panda, Ctrl/right-click and select Link Layers. Automatic tiling 04 Now your two linked layers will always remain the same distance apart! Moving one will move the other automatically, so they will always line up seamlessly…

Imagine yourself finding a gigantic polar bear in the forest – now imagine finding three. Well, you don’t have to imagine it if you can edit such a surreal piece as this together! The thing with surreal artwork is that the techniques you use to put the piece together are basically applicable to any kind of image. If you’re building a realistic night-time piece, then building the mist covered in this project will come in useful; likewise if you’re looking to cut out furry edges in other projects, there are plenty of skills to be learned from this polar bear piece. And you never know, you may well be presented with an opportunity where you really do need to composite a realistic scene that involves giant polar bears in the…

I am an adventurer in the art universe,” says Ahmed Nabil. “No adventurer knows where he or she is going or what is next, and this is the most interesting part of the life of artist.” Over the years, Ahmed has journeyed through photomanipulation, surreal art, and even created artwork used by Adobe’s website. We asked him all about his work and also what it is that he loves about Photoshop. Have you always been interested in art, Nabil? Most people have an artistic background starting from being a kid, and that includes me for sure; so yes, I’ve always been into art from the very beginning and I become more attracted to it every day! My background in art started when I was young, and as I got older…

www.hildemommen.com/ “I am a freelance digital / CG artist from Belgium. My career started in graphic design, but I’ve always had a great passion for photomanipulation. Whenever I’m not working, I like spending quality time with my two dogs. Nature and animals inspire me a lot, I always get a lot of ideas during the walks with my dogs.” Visit Hilde’s Photoshop Creative gallery at www.photoshopcreative.co.uk/user/HildeM MOUNTAIN VIEW I wanted to create a relaxing image with a beautiful view over the water and mountains to enjoy. It’s composited out of several photos to be combined to a new fantasy destination. Hilde’s tip Masking and using colour adjustments can help create a uniform look. Also use Overlay layers to help blend objects together. COKE X ADOBE X YOU This image was…