Photoshop. Photoshop: its painting toolset. Martin Constable April 27, RMIT Vietnam

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1 Photoshop Photoshop: its painting toolset Martin Constable April 27, 2017 RMIT Vietnam

2 Introduction Introduction The Brush Procedural Painting Blend Modes Other 1

3 The common newbie s mistake is to treat painting in Photoshop (PS) like its traditional analogue-world equivalent (i.e. oil painting). Though digital painting has much in common with traditional painting, it also offers powerful tools that are unique to the digital realm. 2

4 The Brush Introduction The Brush Brush Pallet Contextual Menu Brush Parameters Pallet The Options Bar Flow and Transparency Defining a New Brush Tip Procedural Painting Blend Modes Other 3

5 We all know what brushes are, don t we? Actually, a digital brush is very different to an analogue brush. It is important to recognise those differences. 4

6 Brush Pallet There are two brush pallets: Brush pallet (which defines the many variables of a brush) and Brush Preset pallet (where collections of these variables are stored). The Brush pallet is where all the action is. The Brush Preset pallet The hot action of the Brush pallet 5

7 The Brush pallet has two main sections: Brush Tip Shape, and the brush parameters. Brush Tip Shape section of the Brush pallet Brush parameters section of the Brush pallet 6

8 In Brush Tip Shape, the stamp is chosen, and its spacing value is defined. Usually a value of 25% should suffice. Hardness and Size are also defined here, but these are easily defined via the contextual menu... Brush Tip Shape of the Brush pallet 7

9 A digital brush is a single stamp that is repeated across the path of the stroke. Below is shown the effect that varying the Spacing value of the brush has on this repeat. A high Spacing value produces a lumpy brush, but too low can slow the brush down. Various spacing values of the stamp 8

10 Contextual Menu The Brush Tool s Contextual Menu defines easily the hardness and softness of the brush. You are likely to be changing this continually whilst you paint. The Brush Tool s Contextual Menu 9

11 Brush Parameters Pallet Groups of parameters can be switched on and off in the parameters. Under the intensity slider, the Control drop-down menu offers useful controls that can significantly control the behaviour of a brush... Various 10

12 ...for example, the direction of the brush stamp can be controlled via the Direction parameter of Shape Dynamics/Angle Jitter. Good for painting leaves on trees. Before Direction parameter set to Direction After Direction parameter set to Direction Same as preceding, but brush mark made in opposite direction (counter clockwise) 11

13 The parameter groups are: Shape Dynamics: for changing the size, shape etc of the brush stamp (very useful) Scattering: for moving the stamp away from the brush stroke (very useful) Texture: for adding texture to the brush (not very useful... IMHO a poorly implemented function) Dual Brush: for overlaying one brush over another (not very useful) Color Dynamics: for varying the color of the brush (very useful... top tip: use the Apply Per Tip function) Transfer: for for varying the flow and transparency of the brush (very useful) 12

14 The parameter groups are: Brush Pose: for varying the angle of the brush (useless) 1 Noise: for adding a bit of noise to the brush (useless) Wet Edges: for emulating the wet edges of a water color brush (useless) Build Up: if switched on, PS will interpret number keys as changes in flow, otherwise as transparency (very useful, keep on) Smoothing: smoothes out a brush slightly, at the cost of slowing it down a bit (very useful) Protect texture: scales any texture of the brush (useless) 1 I can elaborate upon these opinions in class 13

15 The Options Bar The contextual values of the Options bar summons the (A) Brush Pallets and defines its (B) blend mode, (C) opacity, (D) flow. (E) performs exactly the same function at the Build Up of the Brushes Pallet. The contextual values of the Options bar 14

Please learn to use Flow rather than Transparency.

16 Flow and Transparency The Transparency value is easy enough to understand. The Flow value refers to the speed of the stamps. Please learn to use Flow rather than Transparency. Low opacity value, max flow (no build up of density) Low flow value, max opacity (build up of density) 15

17 Defining a New Brush Tip New brush tip shapes can be defined by first making a black shape in PS, and making a rectangular selection around it, then Edit/Define Brush Preset. A new brush tip shape being defined by a rectangular selection 16

18 The new brush shape in the pallet! 17

19 Here leaves have been added to a tree using a leave shapes brush. Key parameters include: Shape Dynamics and Color Dynamics (full details upon request). A tree......with leaves! 18

20 (Or you could just use the new Trees filter) 19

21 Procedural Painting Introduction The Brush Procedural Painting Fade Gradient Tool Filters Blend Modes Other 20

22 Procedural painting describes digital painting that does not directly involve the brush tool. In Illustrator images are also made using procedures. 21

23 Fade Using Edit/Fade the last action can be faded. This is particularly useful for changing the density of brush marks by slight values. I would place this amongst the top ten commands for painting. The Fade command 22

24 The Mode menu offers further effects, which I will demonstrate in class. The Mode menu of the Fade command 23

25 Gradient Tool The gradients of the Gradient tool can be edited in various ways. The most important parameters are its colours (B), shape (C), mode (D) and direction (E). The editable parameters of the Gradient tool 24

26 The gradient editor is the means by which the colours of a gradient is edited. Here I have made a reflective gradient, which I shall be using for the examples on the following slide. The gradient editor 25

27 All these forms have been made using the gradient editor, in conjunction with the Marquee Tool, Quick Mask, Guides and Stroke. 26

28 Filters As I have frequently said, the most useful filters are the most boring ones (e.g. Gaussian Blur, Clouds etc). However, used in combination with other things, interesting results can be obtained. 27

29 Here an Emboss has been added to Clouds. 28

30 Here, Polar Coordinates has been applied to a rainbow gradient. 29

31 This simple flare has been made with the Brush Tool and a radial Blur. 30

32 This star field was made using Noise, Gaussian Blur, Levels and the Magic Wand... 31

33 Filters...and some sparkle added with Motion Blur 32

34 Some lightening made using Difference Clouds and Levels. 33

35 Here the distortion of the reflection in the water has been made with Distort. 34

36 These dumb curtains have been made with Clouds and Transform. 35

37 Blend Modes Introduction The Brush Procedural Painting Blend Modes Blend Modes everywhere Using Blend Modes Other 36

38 Blend Modes are an integral part of any painting process. If you do not learn this, you will never be a good digital painter. 37

39 Blend Modes everywhere Blend modes can be found in many places... Blend modes in the layer stack Blend modes in the Brush Tool Blend modes in the Gradiant Tool 38

40 Using Blend Modes Textures can be added to forms using the Overlay and Soft Light blend mode. 39

41 Lights can be added to forms using the Multiply, Screen and Color Dodge blend modes. 40

42 Here a simple 3D bent wire has been made using Screen blend mode, Gaussian Blur and Levels. 41

43 Here a simple gradient is applied via Difference blend mode. 42

44 The preceding texture is applied over itself via Difference blend mode and shifted a bit using the Move tool. 43

45 Other Introduction The Brush Procedural Painting Blend Modes Other Distribute Horizontal Centres Pattern Fill 3D environment 44

46 Once you start playing with it, you will find that PS offers hundreds of ways in which commands, tools, filters etc can be used to funk up you image. The following are a few examples... 45

47 Distribute Horizontal Centres This fence has been mostly made with the Distribute Horizontal Centres parameter of the Move tool. 46

48 Pattern Fill Here the Pattern Fill parameter of the Paint Bucket tool was used, along with a process very similar to that which I used to make the bent wire. 47

49 3D environment Photoshop s 3D environment is very powerful, but awkward to use. Generally, you would be better off learning a real 3D app, Like Modo or 3D Max... A terrain made using the 3D environment (a Clouds filter plus 3D/New Mesh From Layer/Depth Map to/plane 48

50 ...However, when digital painting it is sometimes faster not to have to fire up a new app. A simple sphere ( 3D/New Mesh From Layer/Mesh Preset/Sphere ), plus an environment map used for the reflections. 49

51 - THE END - 49

Photoshop. Photoshop: its history and its compositing toolset. Martin Constable April 29, RMIT Vietnam

Photoshop. Photoshop: its history and its compositing toolset. Martin Constable April 29, RMIT Vietnam Photoshop Photoshop: its history and its compositing toolset Martin Constable April 29, 2017 RMIT Vietnam Introduction Introduction Some History The Compositor s Workspace Key Compositing Skills 1 Some