Exploring Photoshop Tutorial Objective: In this tutorial we will create a poster composed of three distinct elements: a Bokeh, an image and title text. The Bokeh is an effect which is sometimes seen in photography, mostly around light sources. In photography, this effect helps the observer focus on the object while making the background visually appealing. A printout of the final product is available as a model to guide your work. 1. Create a 1600 x 1200 pixels canvas. 2. Create a new layer and name it Brush Sample. Creating a Bokeh Brush Select File New [The New dialog box appears.] Name the new file Bokeh. Change the unit of measure to pixels. Change the width to 1600 and height to 1200. Click OK. [A blank canvas appears.] Select Layer New Layer [The New Layer dialog box appears.] Type Brush Sample in the Name field, and then click OK. [The Brush Samples layer appears in the Layer tab, above the Background layer.] 3. Hide the background layer. Click on the Layer Visibility icon (eye) to the left of the Background layer. [The Background layer is hidden and only the Brush Sample layer displays on the canvas.] 4. Reset the foreground color palette to black. 5. Draw a circle on the Brush Sample canvas, and then fill the circle with gray (60%). 6. Use Blending Options to apply a thick, dark border around the circle on the canvas. Click the Switch Foreground and Background Colors button on the toolbox until black is the foreground color. Note: this may already be set to black. Select the Ellipse tool from the toolbox on the left. Set the Fill on the Layer tab to 60%. On the Tool Preset at the top (under the Menu bar), click on the Fill Pixel button. Hold [Shift] while drawing a circle on the Sample Brush canvas. Right click on the Brush Sample layer on the Layer tab. Select Blending Options from the Shortcut menu. [The Layer Style dialog box appears.] Double-click on the Stroke option. [The Stroke tab appears on the right side of the Layer Style dialog box.] Change the Size to 10 pixels. Change the Position to Inside. Click OK. [The circle on the canvas should have a dark border around it.] 7. Select the circle on the canvas. Hold the [Ctrl] key and click on the Layer Thumbnail on the Brush Sample layer in the Layer tab. [This selects the circle on the canvas.] 8. Creating a brush. Select Edit from the Menu bar at the top. Select the Define Brush Preset option. Change the name to Bokeh, and then click OK. Press [Ctrl] D to remove the selection on the circle. 9. Delete the Brush Sample layer. Click on the Layer Thumbnail on the Brush Sample layer in the Layer tab. Press the [Delete] key on the keyboard to erase the Brush Sample layer. The Background layer returns as the default layer. [The Brush Sample layer was used just for the purpose of creating the Bokeh brush.]
Setting up Canvas 10. Fill the Background layer with dark gray. 11. Create a new layer and name it Gradient, and fill with the same dark gray. 12. Define four color swatches for the Gradient layer. Right-click the Gradient tool in the toolbox, and click the Paint Bucket tool. Click on the Set Foreground Color tool at the bottom of the toolbox. The Color Picker dialog box appears. Replace the zeros in the # field with 2A2A2A, and then click OK. Click the paint bucket pointer on the canvas to fill with dark gray. Select Layer New Layer Type Gradient in the Name field, and then click OK. Ensure that the Gradient layer appears above the Background layer in the Layer tab. Notice that the Gradient layer is clear while the Background layer is dark gray. Click on the canvas with the paint bucket pointer to fill the Gradient canvas with the same dark gray used in the previous step. Notice that the Gradient layer and the Background layer are both dark gray. Right click on the Gradient layer on the Layer tab. Select Blending Options from the Shortcut menu. The Layer Style dialog box displays. Double-click on the Gradient Overlay option. The Gradient Overlay tab appears on the right. Click in the field to the right of the Gradient option. The Gradient Editor dialog box appears. Select one of the Presets having four colors. Four swatches appear under the Smoothness field. Double-click the first swatch. The Select Stop Color dialog box appears. Click to change the first color, and then click OK to return to the Gradient Editor. Double-click on the next three swatches and repeat the color changes. When all four swatches have been changed to the desired colors, return to the Gradient Editor dialog box. Change the Blending Mode to Overlay. Change the Angle to 45 degrees. Click OK. Organizing Layers 13. Create a folder for the brushes and name it Bokeh. 14. Change the folder mode to Color Dodge. Click the Create a New Group button at the bottom of the Layer tab. A folder appears in the Layer list. Ensure that the folder is at the top of the Layer list, above the Gradient layer. Name the new folder Bokeh. With the folder selected, change the Blending Mode (located at the top of the Layer tab) from Pass Through to Color Dodge. 15. Create a new layer named Back. With the folder still selected, click on the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layer tab. Name the new layer Back. [Notice that the new layer is nested within the
Bokeh folder.] 16. Switch the foreground default to white. With the Back layer still selected, click on the Switch Foreground and Background Color button at the bottom of the toolbox. The new foreground color should be white. 17. Select the Bokeh brush. Click on the Brush tool in the toolbox. [Notice the Brush Presets at the top (under the Menu Bar) have changed. Click on the Brush Preset Picker drop-down arrow. [The Brush Preset Picker appears.] Scroll to the very bottom of the list of brushes, and double-click on the last brush in the list. [Notice the new brush in the Brush Presets, and also the pointer has changed.] 18. Open the Brush Presets window. Select the Window option from the Menu Bar. Select Brush Presets. [The Brush Presets window appears.] Click on the Brush tab (second tab in the window). 19. Change the Brush settings. Do the following: Click on Brush Tip Shape Spacing: 2000% Click on Shape Dynamic Size Jitter: 100% Minimum Diameter: 50% Click on Scattering Scatter: 1000% Count: 5 Click on Transfers Opacity Jitter: 50% Flow Jitter: 50% 20. Close the brush window. Click on the button at the top of the Brush Presets window to close. 21. Create single bush strokes Create a pattern of single brush strokes on the canvas by clicking. throughout the layer until satisfied. May be more attractive if the circles do not connect. 22. Applying Gaussian Blur filter. Click on the Filter option on the Menu bar. Select Blur, and then select Gaussian Blur. [The Gaussian Blur dialog box appears.] Change the Radius to 20 pixels, and then click OK. 23. Create a Middle layer and change the Bokeh brush size to 317 and With the Back layer selected, create a new layer by clicking on the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layer tab. repeat the brush strokes on the canvas. Ensure that the new layer is nested within the Bokeh folder and positioned above the Back layer. Name the new layer Middle. Click on the Brush Preset Picker drop-down under the Menu bar. [The Brush Preset Picker window appears.] Change the brush Size to 317 pixels (in the upper right corner of the Brush Preset Picker window. Click on the canvas to create a pattern of circles in between the larger circles. 24. Create a Top layer and change the Bokeh brush size to 236 and repeat With the Middle layer selected, create a new layer by clicking on the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layer tab. the brush strokes. Ensure that the new layer is nested within the Bokeh folder and positioned above the Middle layer. Name the new layer Top. Click on the Brush Preset Picker drop-down under the Menu bar. Change the brush Size to 236 pixels (in the upper right corner of the Brush Preset Picker window.
Click on the canvas to create a pattern of circles in between the middle-sized circles. Preparation for Woring with Image 25. Create a new layer above Bokeh folder and name it Character. With the Bokeh folder selected, create a new layer by clicking on the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layer tab. Move the new layer above the Bokeh folder. Name the new layer Character. Adding an Image 26. Open the image file on the desktop Select File Open from the Menu bar. [The Open dialog box appears.] Navigate to the image file in the SkillShop Staging folder, and open the file. [The image file opens in a new window.] 27. To select the image and bring it to the background, hold Control & Click on the Hold the [Ctrl] key while you click on the Layer Thumbnail of the only layer in the Layer tab. Layer The image is selected. 28. Copy and Paste image on the character Select Edit from the Menu bar and then select Copy. layer Click on the first tab. Select Edit, and then select Paste. 29. Resize the image and move to a desired Select Edit from the Menu bar, and then select Free Transform. location. Use the corner handles to change the size of the image. Use the Instructor s final printout as a guide. Click on the Move tool at the top of the toolbox. Move the image, using the Instructor s printout as a guide. 30. Use Blending tools to brighten the image. [Notice that the image and the background appear to be two separate elements.] Right-click on the Character layer to access the Shortcut menu. Select Blending Options to access the Layer Style dialog box. Click on Inner shadow Blend Mode: Color Dodge Opacity: 75 Distance:5 Choke: 8 Size: 15 Angle : 4 degree Click on Outerglow Blend Mode: Color Dodge Color: light grey Spread: 7 Size: 15 Click on Innerglow Blend Mode: Color Dodge Color: white Size: 13 Click the OK button to close the Layout Style dialog box.
Merging the Layout 31. Merging the Bokeh layers. Select each of the layers in the Bokeh folder. Press the [Ctrl] key and type the letter E. [The layers are merged into the folder and no longer visible.] 32. Create a new layer called Platform and draw a rectangle under the image. With the Bokeh layer selected, create a new layer by clicking on the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layer tab. Ensure that the new layer is above the Bokeh folder. Name the new layer Platform. Click on the Set Foreground Color tool at the bottom of the toolbox to display the Color Picker dialog box. Choose a color in your palette (color of one of the swatches), or choose black if desired. Select the Rectangle tool from the toolbox. Draw a rectangle under the pointed foot of the image. The image should appear to be stepping on a platform. Lens Flair 33. Make changes to the Render and Blur options on the Filter menu. 34. Use the Free Transform tool to reduce the Lens Flair into the Platform. 35. Change the blending mode to lighten and brighten the layer. 36. Duplicate the Lens Flair layer several times, until the bright light is the width of the Platform. Above the Character layer, create a new layer named Lens Flair. From the Menu bar, select Filter, Render and then Lens Flair On the Lens Flair dialog box, change the Primary to 105mm. Click OK to exit the Lens Flair dialog. From the Menu bar select Filter, Blur, and then Gaussian Blur Change the Radius to 9 pixels, and then click OK to exit the dialog box. From the Menu bar, select Edit, and then Free Transform. [Handles appear around the black canvas.] Reduce the size of the layer to the width of the Platform and about ¼ the height of the Platform (top ¼). Use the Instructor s printout as a model. There is an appearance of a light emanating from the image s foot. Right-click on the Lens Flair layer, and then select Blending Options from the Shortcut menu. From the Layer Style dialog box, change the Blending Mode to Lighten. Click OK to exit the dialog box. Right-click on the Lens Flair layer and select Duplicate Layer Click OK to execute the Duplicate Layer dialog box. Move the layer on the canvas (left or right) to widen the size of the bright light under the foot. Continue to duplicate and move Lens Flair layers to give the appearance of a wide, bright light the width of the platform and just under the foot. You may need 6 or more layers to achieve this effect. Select all the Lens Flair layers and then merge by pressing [Ctrl] E. The Spark
37. Create a new layer above the Lens Flair layers and name it Spark. Create a new layer at the very top of the layer list, above the merged Lens Flair layers. Name the new layer Spark. Click on the Switch foreground and Background Colors tool at the bottom of the toolbox to select white as the foreground color. Click on the Brush tool in the toolbox. [The Brush Presets appear under the Menu bar.] Click on the dropdown arrow for the Brush Preset Picker. Navigate to the Christmas brush at the bottom of the list. Select the Christmas brush. [Notice the size of the pointer. To make the brush larger type ] or to make it smaller type [.] Position the new pointer so that half of the brush is on the foot/leg and the other half on the platform. Click to use the brush. 38. Enhance the appearance of the light on the Spark layer. With the Spark layer still selected, click on Edit on the Menu bar and then select Free Transform. [A rectangle appears around the brush stroke with handles on the corners.] Adjust (move, size or rotate) the brush stroke until you are satisfied with the appearance of the light coming from the foot. Double-click on the brush stroke to execute the Free Transform and return to Move mode. Change the Layer Mode at the top of the Layer tab to Overlay (or any other mode you prefer). With the Spark layer selected, right-click on the Spark layer and select Duplicate Layer Click on Edit and then select Free Transform. Adjust the additional brush stroke to enhance the light coming from the foot. 39. Save and exit from PhotoShop. Click on File from the Menu bar and then select Save As Type a new name for the File Name. Change the Format to JPEG, and then click the Save button. Click OK button on the dialog box that appears. Click on File and then select Exit.