Preparing screencaps for a picspam
Programm: PS CS2
Difficulty: easy
Translatable: yes (uses photo filter, but I guess you can leave that layer out)
psd: no
We'll be going from
to 
.
Before we get started:
Firstly, a disclaimer of sorts: I'm still a learning when it comes to PS, and I'm reading TONS of tutorials myself. Whenever I really like one, I either save or bookmark it and add the creator's name to my resources. And, err, that happens a lot. Since I usually don't use all the steps from tutorials at once, but only, you know, a selective color setting, a color combination for a gradient or a certain trick, I don't keep track of what exactly I adopted from where. I know, however, that at least two steps of this tutorial are, uhm, strongly inspired by single steps from someone else's tutorials. So, if you recognize something you posted in a tutorial of your own, please drop me a note, so that I can give credit for it.
Secondly, might be important if you want to recreate this to practice: The numbers of the layers don't equal the order in which I added them since I don't edit my pics straight from button to top. I start out with a few usual steps, then hopp upside down, add something there and delete something there, go back and forth and back again. Just, you know, experimenting. Trial and error. So, if you want to recreate it, do it in the order explained in part II. Part I is just an overview of all layers with the exact settings.
And remember, you'll have to play with the settings and opacities for your own image. This is meant to be a guideline, not a recipe.
Allright then . . . The base is this SPN screencap (by me):
I edited it in it's original size and cropped later (the pics are thumbnails, click for original size). The coloring will most likely only work on SPN caps or for other shows which's caps are as dark and washed out. And remember, you'll have to play with the settings and opacities for your own image.
I. THE LAYER PALETTE
layer 0 (background):
The base set to normal.
layer 1:
New adjustment layer "Photo Filter",
warming (85), density 14 %,
at 100% opacity.
layer 2:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #ffffff,
colorstop for the background #72534a,
set to soft light,
at 42% opacity.
layer 3:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #f3e5db,
colorstop for the background #f6f6f6,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 4:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #d8d8da,
colorstop for the background #fdfdfd,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 5:
New adjustment layer "Hue/Saturation",
saturation: +16,
at 100% opacity.
layer 6:
New adjustment layer "Brightness/Contrast",
brightness: +10,
contrast: +5,
at 100% opacity.
layer 7:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #fae1b1,
colorstop for the background #501607,
set to multiply,
at 12% opacity.
layer 8:
New adjustment layer "Curves",
RGB: input 12/output 2 and input 115/output 128 and input 240/output 253
at 100% opacity.
layer 9:
New blank layer with a big lightblob,
made with a standard softbrush, 20% opacity, #ffffff,
at 100% opacity.
layer 10:
New blank layer with a big lightblob,
made with a standard softbrush, 20% opacity, #ffffff,
set to soft light,
at 77% opacity.
layer 11:
New adjustment layer "Color Balance",
shadows: Magenta/Green +4 and Yellow/Blue -1,
highlights: Magenta/Green +2 and Yellow/Blue -1,
at 100% opacity.
layer 12:
Duplicated base,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 13:
Duplicated base,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 14:
New color fill layer #efefef,
set to color burn,
at 100% opacity.
layer 15:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #d8d8da,
colorstop for the background #fdfdfd,
at 5% opacity.
layer 16:
New adjustment layer "Brightness/Contrast",
brightness: +11,
contrast: +8,
at 100% opacity.
layer 17:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #000000,
colorstop for the background #683617,
at 20% opacity.
layer 18:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
set to soft light,
at 92% opacity.
layer 19:
New color fill layer #f6f6f6,
set to color burn,
at 100% opacity.
layer 20:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
set to multiply,
at 19% opacity.
layer 21:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
run Image >> Adjustments >> Shadow/Exposure,
at 7% opacity.
II. THE STEPS
The first thing I do with almost every screencap is to use an action I have saved as a kind very basic first coloring. Others may use screen layers, but I prefer this way of lighting the image up a little and lifting a bit of the, uh, curtain screencaps often have. The action adds a light beige gradient map set to soft light (layer 3), a light grey gradient map to soft light (layer 4) and 2 duplicates of the base set to soft light (layer 12 + 13). The gradients do the lighting-up, and the soft light-bases even out that effect out while also giving some contrast.
My next step is usually to turn up the saturation (layer 5) and play with brightness and contrast (layer 6). Both layers are added below the two duplicated bases.
Most of the time, I don't use brightness and contrast to light the image up much, though, because the result is not smooth enough for my liking. To get that job done, I add a gradient map with a light purple, brown or pink as the foreground color and white as the background color set to soft light (layer 2) directly above the base. I'd recommend to never use these at full opacity, they'd mess with the colors quite a bit. But at a middle or low opacity, they work fine for me.
Next comes a light grey color fill layer set to color burn (layer 14), to give the image more contrast. It is added on top of the two duplicated bases.
Then, I made a merged copy and pasted it on top of the layers palette (layer 18). Set to soft light, it gives the image more contrast and color. At this point, the effect might seem a bit "too much", but that gets evened out.
To do that, even it out, first thing I did was to add yet another gradient map below the merged copy. It's actually one from the basic action, but set to normal and on a low opacity (layer 15).
A bit of an improvement, but not quite doing the trick. So, let's add a brightness/contrast layer (layer 16) above that one.
Better, but still not what I wanted; a tad too bright and harsh. Therefore, backpaddling: I made the image darker so that I can start lighting it up all over again. Yeah, I'm complicated like that. :P To do that, I added a gradient map below the two duplicated bases (layer 7).
And then, lighting it up again, with a standard curves layer I have saved. It brightens the image up while at the same time giving subtle contrast (layer 8).
At that point, I decided the coloring of the image is too cold, had too much blue. To correct that, I did two things: 1. add a warm photo filter (layer 1) directly above the base and 2. correct the colors using a color balance layer (layer 11), below the two dublicated bases.
Next, a second grey color fill on top of the layers palette to add more contrast (layer 19).
But then, I decided the image was a bit too bright yet again, and thought, let's add a dark brown to black gradient map (layer 17) below the first merged copy.
That left me thinking that the image is too dark in the area of Dean's face. Since I was mostly ok with the coloring of the rest of the image, I used two light blobs with a low opacity of the brush to change only that part of it (layer 9 + 10). Both blobs were added on new layers below the color balance layer.
Almost happy with the result. ;) To finish things up, I copy-merged and pasted the copy twice, on top of the layers palette. I set the first copy to multiply and ran the second one trough Image >> Adjustments >> Shadow/Exposure - I didn't make notes of the settings, but I mostly cut back on the defaults here and there - and lowered the opacity (layer 21).
The final step: Flattening the image, cropping the image, expanding the canvas with black borders and adding another grey color fill layer set to color burn, like layer 14 or 19.
And that's our result:
Why yes, that probably IS a rather complicated way to do this stuff, but it's my way. ;) And as for any rules, well, there are none. But if you copy exactly, credit would be nice.
Please direct any questions HERE.
Difficulty: easy
Translatable: yes (uses photo filter, but I guess you can leave that layer out)
psd: no
We'll be going from
to .Before we get started:
Firstly, a disclaimer of sorts: I'm still a learning when it comes to PS, and I'm reading TONS of tutorials myself. Whenever I really like one, I either save or bookmark it and add the creator's name to my resources. And, err, that happens a lot. Since I usually don't use all the steps from tutorials at once, but only, you know, a selective color setting, a color combination for a gradient or a certain trick, I don't keep track of what exactly I adopted from where. I know, however, that at least two steps of this tutorial are, uhm, strongly inspired by single steps from someone else's tutorials. So, if you recognize something you posted in a tutorial of your own, please drop me a note, so that I can give credit for it.
Secondly, might be important if you want to recreate this to practice: The numbers of the layers don't equal the order in which I added them since I don't edit my pics straight from button to top. I start out with a few usual steps, then hopp upside down, add something there and delete something there, go back and forth and back again. Just, you know, experimenting. Trial and error. So, if you want to recreate it, do it in the order explained in part II. Part I is just an overview of all layers with the exact settings.
And remember, you'll have to play with the settings and opacities for your own image. This is meant to be a guideline, not a recipe.
Allright then . . . The base is this SPN screencap (by me):
I edited it in it's original size and cropped later (the pics are thumbnails, click for original size). The coloring will most likely only work on SPN caps or for other shows which's caps are as dark and washed out. And remember, you'll have to play with the settings and opacities for your own image.
I. THE LAYER PALETTE
layer 0 (background):
The base set to normal.
layer 1:
New adjustment layer "Photo Filter",
warming (85), density 14 %,
at 100% opacity.
layer 2:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #ffffff,
colorstop for the background #72534a,
set to soft light,
at 42% opacity.
layer 3:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #f3e5db,
colorstop for the background #f6f6f6,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 4:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #d8d8da,
colorstop for the background #fdfdfd,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 5:
New adjustment layer "Hue/Saturation",
saturation: +16,
at 100% opacity.
layer 6:
New adjustment layer "Brightness/Contrast",
brightness: +10,
contrast: +5,
at 100% opacity.
layer 7:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #fae1b1,
colorstop for the background #501607,
set to multiply,
at 12% opacity.
layer 8:
New adjustment layer "Curves",
RGB: input 12/output 2 and input 115/output 128 and input 240/output 253
at 100% opacity.
layer 9:
New blank layer with a big lightblob,
made with a standard softbrush, 20% opacity, #ffffff,
at 100% opacity.
layer 10:
New blank layer with a big lightblob,
made with a standard softbrush, 20% opacity, #ffffff,
set to soft light,
at 77% opacity.
layer 11:
New adjustment layer "Color Balance",
shadows: Magenta/Green +4 and Yellow/Blue -1,
highlights: Magenta/Green +2 and Yellow/Blue -1,
at 100% opacity.
layer 12:
Duplicated base,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 13:
Duplicated base,
set to soft light,
at 100% opacity.
layer 14:
New color fill layer #efefef,
set to color burn,
at 100% opacity.
layer 15:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #d8d8da,
colorstop for the background #fdfdfd,
at 5% opacity.
layer 16:
New adjustment layer "Brightness/Contrast",
brightness: +11,
contrast: +8,
at 100% opacity.
layer 17:
New adjustment layer "Gradient Map",
colorstop for the foreground #000000,
colorstop for the background #683617,
at 20% opacity.
layer 18:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
set to soft light,
at 92% opacity.
layer 19:
New color fill layer #f6f6f6,
set to color burn,
at 100% opacity.
layer 20:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
set to multiply,
at 19% opacity.
layer 21:
Copy merged and paste the copy,
run Image >> Adjustments >> Shadow/Exposure,
at 7% opacity.
II. THE STEPS
The first thing I do with almost every screencap is to use an action I have saved as a kind very basic first coloring. Others may use screen layers, but I prefer this way of lighting the image up a little and lifting a bit of the, uh, curtain screencaps often have. The action adds a light beige gradient map set to soft light (layer 3), a light grey gradient map to soft light (layer 4) and 2 duplicates of the base set to soft light (layer 12 + 13). The gradients do the lighting-up, and the soft light-bases even out that effect out while also giving some contrast.
My next step is usually to turn up the saturation (layer 5) and play with brightness and contrast (layer 6). Both layers are added below the two duplicated bases.
Most of the time, I don't use brightness and contrast to light the image up much, though, because the result is not smooth enough for my liking. To get that job done, I add a gradient map with a light purple, brown or pink as the foreground color and white as the background color set to soft light (layer 2) directly above the base. I'd recommend to never use these at full opacity, they'd mess with the colors quite a bit. But at a middle or low opacity, they work fine for me.
Next comes a light grey color fill layer set to color burn (layer 14), to give the image more contrast. It is added on top of the two duplicated bases.
Then, I made a merged copy and pasted it on top of the layers palette (layer 18). Set to soft light, it gives the image more contrast and color. At this point, the effect might seem a bit "too much", but that gets evened out.
To do that, even it out, first thing I did was to add yet another gradient map below the merged copy. It's actually one from the basic action, but set to normal and on a low opacity (layer 15).
A bit of an improvement, but not quite doing the trick. So, let's add a brightness/contrast layer (layer 16) above that one.
Better, but still not what I wanted; a tad too bright and harsh. Therefore, backpaddling: I made the image darker so that I can start lighting it up all over again. Yeah, I'm complicated like that. :P To do that, I added a gradient map below the two duplicated bases (layer 7).
And then, lighting it up again, with a standard curves layer I have saved. It brightens the image up while at the same time giving subtle contrast (layer 8).
At that point, I decided the coloring of the image is too cold, had too much blue. To correct that, I did two things: 1. add a warm photo filter (layer 1) directly above the base and 2. correct the colors using a color balance layer (layer 11), below the two dublicated bases.
Next, a second grey color fill on top of the layers palette to add more contrast (layer 19).
But then, I decided the image was a bit too bright yet again, and thought, let's add a dark brown to black gradient map (layer 17) below the first merged copy.
That left me thinking that the image is too dark in the area of Dean's face. Since I was mostly ok with the coloring of the rest of the image, I used two light blobs with a low opacity of the brush to change only that part of it (layer 9 + 10). Both blobs were added on new layers below the color balance layer.
Almost happy with the result. ;) To finish things up, I copy-merged and pasted the copy twice, on top of the layers palette. I set the first copy to multiply and ran the second one trough Image >> Adjustments >> Shadow/Exposure - I didn't make notes of the settings, but I mostly cut back on the defaults here and there - and lowered the opacity (layer 21).
The final step: Flattening the image, cropping the image, expanding the canvas with black borders and adding another grey color fill layer set to color burn, like layer 14 or 19.
And that's our result:
Why yes, that probably IS a rather complicated way to do this stuff, but it's my way. ;) And as for any rules, well, there are none. But if you copy exactly, credit would be nice.
Please direct any questions HERE.