Blending Tutorials For PS 7.0
A tutorial I made..
Basic Blending Tutorial
This will teach you how to blend in Photoshop 6 or higher. I thought I would contribute a bit? If there's already enough tutorial on blending, then feel free to delete this, I do not really mind.
Tutorial By: poetic_arts (livejournal)
Program(s): Adobe Photoshop 7.0 (I'm using 7.0 for this)
Level: Beginner / Easy
Version: 1.1 (Final)
Version 1.1
#1 Fixed grammar/spelling
#2 Proofreading (done)
#3 Remove excess HTML tag/codes
#4 Added Resource/Links
#5 Added "Misc"
#6 All links now opens in a new window! Except for LJ Users.
Shortcuts In Regards To This Tutorial:
Open a new canvas/file - Ctrl + N
Open a saved image/file - Ctrl + O
Hit Ctrl + Shift + Z to backtrack (undo)
Hit Ctrl + Z to Redo State Change (move forward from where you last undo)
Hit Ctrl + A to select all
Hit Ctrl + D to deselect any selection.
What You Should Know?
There's many way to make a blend, and this is my way of doing things, maybe from all these experiment, you can actually discover your own techniques (feel free to share) and from there branch out and have your own style of doing things?
--- Begin ---
I try to be as detail as I can. Where it says "(?)" means I am not sure, or it's either up to you.
01. Get To Know The Toolbar?
Shuffling Through Tools:
Hold down Shift + (insert shortcut cut here), example:
Shift + L (tap L to shuffle)
#1 Move Tool (Hit V on the keyboard)
#2 Eraser Tool (Hit E)
#3 Gradient Tool (Hit G) - You may want to use this tool at any point of the tutorial (?)
#4 Text Tool (Hit T)
#5 Foreground & Background (Hit X to switch between the two and vice-versa)
02. Canvas Size And Etc?
For this tutorial we're going with 440 x 250 (Width x Height) with a white background. Save these pictures: (Ctrl + N to open a new canvas).
Stock Photo / Save as Texture.jpg
Texture From Here (Link)
Keira-Knightley.Org
001 (Image > Link) Save as 001.jpg
002 (Image > Link) Save as 002.jpg
Click on the pictures/thumb to get a larger version.. I am not sure if linking it externally (?) like this is considered hot-linking, copy and paste in a new browser, or go directly to KK.Org and hit "Multimedia" / Pictures. In the...
Magazine Scans
Year 2004, Page 4
Year 2001
You may opted to use your own images.
03. Sizing Down Image
For Image 001
Right click on the title bar to pop down/up (Figure 1.0) a menu and choose "Image Size" this will bring up a "box" (Figure 1.1)
Figure 1.0
Figure 1.1
Type in 260 in the Width field. Leave the Height alone.
For Image 002
Apply the same steps as above, this time put in 500 in the Width field. And the Height should be 627 (automatically). That's it, you're done with Resizing, on to Positioning
04. Positioning
Texture.jpg
Open up "Texture.jpg" Ctrl + A (select all) > Ctrl + C (copy). Go over your opened canvas (440 x 250) hit Ctrl + V (paste), your texture should be in the middle, now hit V on the keyboard, and hit Ctrl + T for the "Free Transform Tool" at the top you should see a toolbox Figure (1.2)
Figure 1.2
Put in 90
001.jpg
Now to position the Keira's picture(s), likewise the same step applies. Open up "001.jpg" Ctrl + A (select all) > Ctrl + C (copy). Go over your opened canvas (440 x 250) hit Ctrl + V (paste), your 001.jpg should be in the middle.
Figure 1.3
002.jpg
Same step as "001.jpg", I got this (Figure 1.4), how about you? Experiment.
Figure 1.4
You're basically finish with positioning, now on to Blending.
05. Blending
You'll play around with Blending Modes, we will use namely Overlay here, set both Layer 001 and 002 (to rename a layer, double click on the layer itself) to "Overlay" (Figure 1.5)
Figure 1.5
You should get something like the above? Now let's take it a little further. You will need to activate the Mask Tool (Figure 1.6) on Layer 002
Why Activate Mask?
Because when you make a mistake, you can reverse it. Just remember..
White (FFFFFF) - Subtract
Black (000000) - Add
Figure 1.6
Apply Mask on Layer 001 too.
Now hit E and pick a brush, I picked the following (Figure 1.7)
Figure 1.7
Now erase where appropriate or as you see fit, there's no guide or anything, since it's a matter of preference and how you want it to look. Now if you follow my Tutorial all the way, you should see something like this (Figure 1.8)
Figure 1.8
This may or may not bother you, but alas it bothers me. Try erasing the Texture, and you'll get something bright/white, what I did is to clone it over (?) using the Clone Stamp Tool (Hit S)
How Do You Use It?
Be sure to hit S first on the keyboard, activate the Texture layer (by just clicking on it in the Layer Palette) and then while holding down "Alt", left click on anywhere (not just anywhere, preferably on an area that is not too "busy" and left click once and let go.
You've just chosen your source, you can now clone the texture as per normal (left click, like as if you're brushing over something, you can let go of the "Alt" key when cloning over (?).
Watered-Down Version:
01. Hold down Alt
02. Pick a source, (left click once)
03. Let go of Alt
04. You may begin cloning.
Holding down the "Alt" key is just to "pick out" a source.
I achieved this (Figure 1.9)
Figure 1.9
From here on out, you can play around, add pattern/effect make it into icons, here is what I did:
Figure 2.0
Merge (Flatten) everything together (Ctrl + Shift + E)
Finish!:
Icon:
Misc
Font/Drop Shadow:
01. Font used are Arial Black set at 10 Px, with Drop Shadow added.
02. To use "Drop Shadow" hit the F like icon on the Layer Palette (left of Mask Tool)
Adding Border:
01. Ctrl + A (select all)
02. Then open a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N) > Edit > Stroke (Position: Inside) - 3 - 5 Px
(Re)naming a Layer:
01. Just double click on the Layer (on the layer palette) that you wish to rename.
What Are The Benefits of Naming Your Layers?:
01. You won't get confused
02. For future References
03. A more organized Layer Palette
04. Try "Layer Sets" if you want to be more* organized, here's a few link
01. Layer Set > Link
02. Google's Result > Link
If you have any doubts, then comment ahead!
--- End ---
Resource/Links
Stock Xchange
Icon_Tutorial's Library (Memories)
Photoshop Cafe
Adobe Photoshop
Thanks To:
Icon_Tutorial's Members' Tutorial for some of the effects (like Exclusion)
KK.Org (Images)
Adobe PS 7.0
sleepall_day For telling me where's the stock located atvetur For the stock.
