Monday, January 12, 2009

Pattern Stamp Tool

The Pattern Stamp Tool is found below the Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop. You can create special effects for a poster with it or use it to jazz up a photo.
Step 1 : Open any photo. I have opened this photo. You can use any photo you like.

Step 2 : Click on the left panel to access the Pattern Stamp Tool.

Step 3 : Press CTRL+A (Select All). This will select the entire photo. A marching ants column appears all around the image.
Step 4 : Go to Edit>Define Pattern
Add Image Step 5 : The Pattern Name dialogue box opens up. Type in a name for the Pattern. I have typed in Kareena. Click ok. Press CTRL+D to deselect. The column of marching ants go away.

Step 6 : Click the Add New Layer button and Layer 1 forms in the Layers pallette.

Step 7 : Click the Brush Tool.

Step 8 : Click the Icon on the right of the top panel.

Step 9 : The Brushes dialogue box opens.

Step 10 : In the brushes pallette click the tiny arrow the blue arrow points to. The double arrow (red arrow) is to make the brushes pallette close.

Step 11 : Click where the blue arrow points to in Step 11 to reveal the brushes available. I have clicked on Drop shadow brushes.

Step 12 : Click the Brush Tip shape. Then drag the Spacing slider. I have moved it to 89%. There is nothing hard and fast about it. You can set your own value for spacing. Click where the red arrow points to in Step11 and the brushes pallette disappears.

Step 13 : In the top panel click where the arrow points to to reveal the Patterns. From the dropdown menu you will that the pattern saved is the last one. Click to select it.

Step 14 : In the top panel at left click where the arow points to, to open the brushes dialogue box.

Step 15 : Make sure that the Foreground Color is set to Black and Backround to White. If not, press 'x' and then 'd' on your keyboard.

Step 16 : Now remember that we added a new Layer 1. Press CRL+Back Space. This will with the Background color which is White.

Step 17 : Now select the Pattern Stamp Tool and click on the Pattern created.

Step 18 : Now create another layer by clicking on the Create New Layer button. A new Layer 2 forms.

Step 19 : Click on the Brushes icon on the right top panel to reveal the brushes available and from the pallete choose Square Brushes. Now set the Spacing slider.

Step 20 : You can make the brush tip smaller by pressing the [ (left bracket) and bigger by pressing the ] (right bracket key). Now just gently move the brush on Layer 2 which is selected. You will get this effect.

Step 21 : Click the add new layer button and Layer 3 forms.

Step 22 : Bring up the brushes pallete and click on Reset Brushes. You must always remember to do this after using different brushes. I have added this step to underline it.

Step 23 : I have clicked on Brush 74.

Step 24 : I have used the bush on Layer 3. This is how the effect looks like. The trick is to make a new layer and choose a new brush. You can have as many layers as you want and as many brushes as you want. Now let your imagination take over.

Step 25 : Make another new layer - Layer 4.
Step 26 : Check Impressionist in the top panel.

Step 27 : Click on Brush 29 (or any other brush for that matter).

Step 28 : You can see the brush (red arrow). You can increase or decrease the size of the brush with the [ ] (bracket) keys if you want. I have not changed the size.

And there you are. But, as I said, you can choose any number of layers and any number of brushes (all the brushes shown are available in photoshop) and create your own unique poster. That is all.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Collage against brick wall

I have been asked to post a tutorial on a collage against a brick wall. It is quite easy to do. First you need a photo of a brickwall. You can get a free stock photo here. You only have to register. The site is http://www.sxc.hu/
Step 1 : I have opened the photo of the brickwall.
Step 2 : Now choose a set of photos for the collage. I have opened one of Aishwarya Rai. Step 3 : Click the Move Tool.
Step 4 : Drag the photo onto the brick wall with the Move Tool.
Step 5 : In the top panel make sure that Show Transform Controls (Bounding Box in PS7) is checked).
Step 6 : The photo has been moved to the brick wall. Note you can see the corner handles because the Show Transform Controls are checked.
Step 7 : Press SHIFT and ALT and drag inwards. This will resize the photo proportionately and make it smaller. (You can make it bigger proportionately in the same way). Note that a small bent arrow appears when you hover the cursor on a corner.
Step 8 : Use the bent arrow to rotate the photo in any direction you please. I have rotated it to the left. Then press Enter to apply the transformation.
Step 9 : Click the Add Layer Style Button.
Step 10 : Click Stroke from the popup.
Step 11 : When the Stroke dialogue box opens click on the Color.
Step 12 : In the Select Stroke Color dialogue box type 'ffffff' (five 'f's) into the box shown by the red arrow. The 5 'f's denote White. Look at 'New' at the top. You will see that the top half has changed to White. Click Ok.
Step 13 : Increase the size of the Stroke. It is set at 3 pixels as default. How much will depend on your image and what you find satisfying. I have set it at 8 pixels. Click ok.
There that is how it looks. Now following exactly the same steps add the other photos, resize them rotate them and add a White Stroke. You can add any number of images. Make sure that they are of the roughly the same size and resolution. A high resolution image on a low resolution background can cause problems and vice versa.
Following exactly the same steps I have added another photo.
I have added six photos.
Step 14 : I will teach you a trick which will help when you add a number of layer styles quickly. Go the layer below the one you are working on after adding a new photo. I have added a new photo. It is on Layer 7. I am now clicking on Layer 6. Right click the Effects. From the popup
click on Copy Layer Syle.

Step 15 : Now I am clicking back on Layer 7.
Step 16 : I am right clicking Layer 7 and from the popup clicking on Paste Layer Style.
Look what has happened. Since I have used only one layer style i.e. Stroke. It has been applied to the seventh photo that I have added. When you apply a number of layer styles to a layer, you copy and paste them to subsequent layers helping save time and effort.
I have finished adding all the photos.
Step 17 : Now press CTRL+SHIFT+E. This is the Merge Layer command. All the layers have been merged into a single layer i.e. the background.

Step 18 : Press CTRL+U. This will bring up the Hue/Saturation dialogue box.
The image looks like this with the default Hue/Saturation settings.



Step 19 : First drag the Hue slider slightly to the right to get the Sepia tone. You can of course change to any other color you like. Dragging the Hue slider will allow you to change the color. Next drag the Saturation slider depending on the saturation you want. Lastly set the Lightness slider which will brighten or lessen the brightness of the image.

And this is the finished collage. Try it out.

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