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Fun ways to play with Photoshop

Want to learn how to create your own word shadowing technique? Here it is in four easy steps: 1. Open a new document. (The size I used is 500x100) Now type some text, doesn't really matter what. (I used Arial Black 36pt) 2. Now hit CTRL A(=select all), CTRL C(=copy) and then CTRL V(=paste). You have now copied the layer. Move the new layer exactly above the original text layer. Hit CTRL T(=transform) and click the right mouse button, select "flip vertical". Now move the layer down by dragging it or using the arrow keys. 3. Hit CTRL T again and now select "Perspective". Move the lower right box to the right. 4. Now simply go to the layers window and lower the opacity of the "reflection layer" to whatever you want. (I used 25%)
A fun way to add texture to your photo is by adding lines overlapping the picture. This will create a cool effect often seen in photo albums and slide shows. You can one of the most interesting sites out there. Grids can be used in headers, pictures anything you want really. The first thing you would do is: 1. Open Photoshop. Open an image to apply line effect. 2. Desaturate the image by Image > Adjustments > Desaturate 3. Create New file with 1 pixel width, 2 pixel height and transparent background. 4. Keep Black as a foreground color. Fill the top 1 X 1 pixel of transparent background using Pencil Tool. 5. Select All using CTRL A 6. Create a pattern by Edit > Define Pattern. Name the pattern. 7. Close the Pattern file and go back to image file. 8. Edit > Fill (Choose "Pattern" from "Use" drop down menu and again in "Custom Pattern" you will find newly created pattern) 9. Select newly created pattern and fill the image.
When you are creating a blog or something and you want to have some fun with smoke or lights. This is the way to create smoke: 1. Step one, open a new image, it doesn't really matter what size but be sure to set your background color to black. (this effect generally looks its best on a black background.) Make a new layer and select the "Polygonal lasso tool" and create an abstract shape that looks similar to the example below.(It doesn't really matter what color you use here either, but just don't make it too dark, and feel free to experiment.) 2. Now we can start our highlights of our smoke. Select the "Dodge" tool and make the brush size around "50" and the "Range" to "highlights." Now use this tool around the edges and corners of your shape. Next, select the "Burn tool" and use it in the middle and wherever you see fit. 3. Here we can make it look like smoke now. Go to "filter"/"Distort"/"Wave." And make the settings as follows: - Generators "5"- Wavelength "10"/"120"- Amplitude "5"/"35"- Scale at "100%" for both. 4. Right after you have used the "wave" filter you can go to "Edit"/"Fade-Wave" and set the opacity to "50%." Now repeat this distortion and fade method many times, or until you think it looks best. 5. To make this effect look even better you may have to "distort", resize, and change the blending modes when fading a bit. Finally, to make it different colors instead of the same throughout. make a new layer and use the "brush" tool all over the place using different colors. Then set that layers "blending mode" to "Overlay." And there you have it, a simple yet effective smoke method!
Want to learn how to create some interfaces? Creating interfaces for your can be pretty easy. Some people like to make their sites look cool by making lcds screens and adding shading techniques. Here is a step by step process for creating a lcd screen: 1. Create a new layer and select the polygonal marquee tool. Make a shape similar to the one shown here (around 180 pixels high). Go to select > modify > smooth, enter '25' and press ok. 2. Set your foreground color to #D0D2C7 and fill the selection. 3. Open the layer styles dialog for your layer and go to 'inner glow'. Use the following settings: Blend mode: normal: opacity: 22%: Size: 18px You can leave the rest of the settings as default. Go to 'inner shadow' and set the inner opacity to 44%, size: 7, and distance: 8. Then Click 'ok'. 4. Create a new layer. Select the Elliptical Marquee tool and set the mode to 'intersect'. Draw a circle over your already selected shape, so you get something similar to what is shown on the left. Fill the selection with #FFFFFF and set the blend mode to overlay and the opacity to 40%. Press ctrl D. 5. Hold down ctrl and click the layer 1 in the layers palette (the one which includes the green shape) to select the outer perimeter. Make sure your foreground color is set to #ffffff. Create a new layer above the green shape. Go to select > modify > contract and enter a value of '5'. Then smooth the selection with a value of '5'. Fill the selection with #FFFFFF. Contract the selection by '5' again, and delete the selected area. 6. Set the layer's blend mode to overlay and opacity to 35%. 7. Create a new layer above the background, and fill it with a gradient. 8. Select the top half of that layer, then create a new layer. Select the gradient tool and set it to "foreground to transparent". Click and drag from the center up to create a white gradient. 9. Hold down Ctrl and click the layer in the palette, which has the green shape on it. Create a new layer under it, and expand the selection by 5. Set your foreground color to a dark grey, then make a gradient directing downwards 10. Set the foreground color to white, and make a gradient directing upwards from the bottom. Open the layer styles dialog box for layer 1, check 'outer glow', and use the following settings: Blend mode: normal: Opacity: 57%: size: 7 pix Leave the rest of the options as default and you're done!
You know those images that bring some things into focus and shove others out? Well this is easily accomplished. These photo techniques can be used for anything really. Were going to start off by choosing a image. I used one of a piano. Feel free to download it and do the same as I did with it. Now press the "Quick Mask Mode" (Q) button. Double-click to choose color and opacity. Now grab the "Brush Tool" (B) and start coloring. You can either color what you want to select or what you don't want to select. Doesn't really matter at this stage. Go back to "Standard Mode" (Q , button left to the "Quick Mask Mode" button) and now you'll see that either the part you left blank (and thus didn't paint red) is selected. NOTE: If you colored the part you wanted to select you'll see that is that part is NOT selected. You'll have to press SHIFT CTRL i or Select > Inverse. Now go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and I used a 2,5 Pixel radius. (Experiment with it!) As an extra you can press CTRL U and set the "Lightness" to -15. And now you have a shaded picture.
Airbrushing can be really fun sometimes, you can create spectacular photos using shading, airbrushing and mixing these techniques. Here is an airbrush technique right here: Set the brush as above and brush across the canvas until you have a similar look to the one below. Apply the filter > Distort > Ripple Effect with the standard settings repeat a further four times. Apply the Filter > Blur > Radial Blur Zoom 50% click Edit > Fade Radial Blur > 75%. Set the eraser as above and brush lightly across the canvas until you have a similar look to the one below. Apply a Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the radius so you get the required detail of airbrushing Apply Edit > Transform > Distort to create the required shape depending on the blur applied it should come out something like below.
Now for some really fun stuff, ever wondered how to create those really awesome images that people use on their sites all time, well here is a step by step way to do it. Layer 1 Create a normal gradient fill. Layer 2 Duplicate the gradient layer and apply filter > Render > Difference Clouds 5 times. Set the layer to soft light. Layer 3 Duplicate the gradient [layer 1] and set to multiply. Layer 4 Now on to the render, Apply Filter > Distort > Radial Blur Zoom 100%. Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100, Contrast -100. Layer 5 Another render copy. Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur: Radius 10. Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100, Contrast -100. Move the layer slightly to offset the shadow. Layer 5 Another Render copy. This time simply as standard, Normal. Layer 6 Duplicate layer 5 and set to screen.Layer 7, 8, 9 Create 3 areas of exploding pixie dust. For light background areas set the layer to overlay. For dark backgrounds keep on normal. Layer 10, 11, 12 Create 3 areas of simple airbrushing. Duplicate each to improve contrast. Layer 13, 14, 15 Create 3 areas of more detailed airbrushing. Layer 16, 17 Duplicate the Render Twice, slightly offsetting each. This adds much larger scale to the structures. Use the eraser to rub out the middle unwanted area. Layer 18 Duplicate the original gradient layer and carefully erase the central part, so that the image comes through from underneath but fades towards the edges. Layer 19 Create a hue/saturation layer colorize with saturation set at 0. Set the opacity to 80%. Layer 20 Create a color balance layer. Highlights: Yellow -66 Midtones: Blue 20, Red 35 Shadows: Blue 15 Layer 21 Create a levels layer: Red input levels: 0, 1.3, 255 Layer 22 Create a Brightness/Contrast layer: Brightness 15, Contrast 25

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