Tanned image

You can add a tan or enrich the colors of an image in a few simple steps in Photoshop (any version). First you will need a photo and basically the Erazer and the Brush Tool. Before proceeding with the tutorial let me show you a quick trick when using the Brush Tool or the Erazer Tool that also behaves like a brush. To make a brush tip soft press CTRL+[ a number of times. To make it hard press CTRL+] a number of times. To make the size of the brush large press ] a couple of times. To make it small press [ a number of times.

Step 1 : This is the image I have opened in Photoshop.

Step 2 : Look at the Layers pallette. The photo is the Background Layer. Now press the Add Layer button shown by the small white hand and a New Layer1 pops up.

Step 3 : Go to Edit>Fill.

Step 4 : This dialogue box opens. From the drop down Menu in 'Use' click on Color. Click ok.

Step 5 : The Choose a Color dialogue box opens. Note the column of layers in the middle. It is called the Spectrum. Note that there is a slider at the bottom. Pushing the slider up or down will change the color in the display box at the left. I have dragged the slider to an orange color, then clicked on a shade of orange in the display box at left. Click ok.

Step 6 : This is how the image looks. It has been filled with the chosen color.

Step 7 : Click where the white arrow points to in the Layers pallete to change the Blend Mode, which is by default set to Normal.
The Blend Mode is set to Color Burn.

Step 8 : Now lower the Opacity. I have lowered it to 60%. There is nothing hard and fast about it. You can lower it even to 40%. It will depend on your image and what you think looks good to you.

This is how my image looks.

Step 9 : Click on the Zoom Tool.
Step 10 : I have zoomed into the image so that I can see the eyes clearly.
Step 11 : Click on the Erazer Tool. It works just like a brush. Soften it as explained at the start of this tutorial.
Step 12 : The Foreground Color is set Black by default and Background to White. Click the small bent arrow to make the Foreground Color White. If your Forground and Background Colors are not set to the default Black and White, press 'x' and then 'd'.
Step 13 : I am now erazing the fill with the Erazer . The eyes are now white as it should be. Do likewise with the other eye.

Step 14 : Now use the Erazer Tool on the teeth to whiten them.

Step 15 : Click the Add New Layer Button and a new Layer 2 forms.
Step 16 : Click the Brush Tool. Remember you must soften it first.
Step 17 : Click the Forground Color. It does not matter what color it is.

Step 18 : The Color Picker opens. You must use it just as you did with 'Choose a Color' in Step 4. By default it shows the Reds first. Here we actually need the reds. Click on a bright red shade. we will need it for the color of the lipstick. Click ok.

Step 19 : Now paint the lips using a soft brush.

Step 20 : The lips have been painted Red. But it looks odd does it not? It does not look quite right.

Step 21 : Lower the Opacity of Layer 2 suitably. You can lower to between 70% to 50% or which looks right to you. You decide.

An here is your enriched color or tanned image.

You can use a different fill color to get some other effects like this. Just follow all the other steps as well.

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Turned Into Stone

You can turn a living person into stone in a trice in Photoshop. All you need is a photo and a stone texture. You can trawl google.com for a stone texture. And, you are set.

Step 1 : I have opened thes two images in Photoshop. The photo of the girl and a stone texture.

Step 2 : Click each photo in turn to select it and press CTRL+SHIFT+U. This will destaurate the images one by one.
Step 3 : Click the Move Tool. Make sure that Show Transform Controls (Bounding Box in PS7) is checked.
Step 4 : Keeping the SHIFT key pressed drag the photo of the girl onto the stone texture. Keeping the Shift pressed ensures that the photo of the girl lands exactly in the middle of the stone texture.
Step 5 : Now press CTRL+T. You will find a selection with corner handles around the image of the girl.

Step 6 : Now keeping Shift+Alt pressed drag any corner handle to the edge of the one below. Then click the Tick mark in the top panel to apply the transformation.

Step 7 : Note that the stone texture is the Background and the photo of the one is on Layer1. Now click where the arrow points to, to change the Blend Mode.

Step 8 : Set the Blend Mode from the popup to Multiply.

The girl has been turned to 'stone'. There is one point though. Stone images do not have eyes. That has to be fixed.

Step 9 : Zoom into the image with the Zoom tool for a closeup look at the eyes.

Step 10 : Click on the Erazer Tool.

Step 11 : The Erazer Tool functions just like the Brush Tool. Click in the top panel as shown and set the Hardness to zero. Choose a suitable size as Master Diameter. A shortcut to makie a brush soft is to press the Shift+[ bracket key repeatedly. To make it hard press Shift+] bracket key. Always work with a soft brush, whether it is the Brush Tool or other tools that function like brushes.

Step 12 : Brushing gently eraze the eye.

Step 13 : Eraze the other eye also likewise.

This is how the image looks. The eyes still look unnatural. Let us fix that.

Step 14 : Go to Filter>Render>Lighting Effects.

Step 15 : In the Lighting Effects dialogue box just change the Light Type to Omni. The Style is set at Default.

Step 16 : This is how the effect looks in the dialogue box when you set the Light Type to Omni.

Click ok in the Lighting Effects dialogue box and there is your graven image. Easy was it not?

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Brush download site

Looking for good, free Photoshop Brushes for download?

You can download them from here.

All these brushes are available for free download.

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Mono Color Poster

You must have seen them at some time or the other -- mono color posters. A single color used for a poster for a special effect. It can easily be done in Photoshop.

This is the photo which I will use for the poster basically and nothing else as far as image is concerned.

Step 1 : Click the Magic Wand Tool.
Step 2 : Reduce the Tolerance. I have reduced it to 20. It will depend on your image.
Step 3 : I have clicked on a portion of the White Background. A portion is immediately selected by the magic Wand.
Step 4 : Keeping the SHIFT pressed I have clicked on another area of white and it is also selected.

Step 5 : I have gone on clicking with the Magic Wand with the SHIFT key pressed and selected all the background.

Step 6 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+I. This will invert the selection.
Step 7 : Now press CTRL+J. This will cut and paste the selection to a new layer. Look in the Layers pallette. You will find it as Layer 1.
Step 8 : Now open a New White layer. Drag the Layer 1 (photo of the girl) onto to it with the Move Tool. I have dragged it onto the white layer. Minimise the photo of the girl. we will not need it any longer. You can also use the Extract Tool in PS instead of using the Magic Wand. See here.
Look in the Layers pallette. The photo of the girl is on Layer1 and the White Layer is the Background
This is the Move Tool. Make sure that 'Show Transform Controls' (Bounding Box in PS7) is checked.
Step 9 : Now click on the layer 1 containing the girl's image. You will find a selection around it. Press CTRL+T, then SHIFT+ALT to resize the photo and move it to a corner as I have done.
Step 10 : Since you have altered the proportions of the image, the transformation has to be applied. Just click the Tick mark in the top panel at right, or click the Move Tool or any oher tool. This will apply the transformation.

This is how the poster looks so far.

Step 11 : Click the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

Step 12 : Draw out a selection with the Rectangular Marquee Tool of the bust as shown.

Step 13 : Press CTRL+J. You will not notice any difference in the image. Look in the Layers pallette. And the selection of the bust is now in Layer 2.

Step 14 : Drag Layer 1 on top of Layer2.

Step 15 : Click on Layer 2 to select it.

Step 16 : Use the Move Tool to move the bust To the middle as shown.
Step 17 : Press CTRL+T first. Then grab a corner handle. Press SHIFT+ALT and drag towards a corner till the bust is resized covering the entire background.
The bust has been resized. Click the Tick mark in the top panel to Apply the Transformation.
Step 18 : Now press CTRL+SHIFT+U to desaturate the bust.
Step 19 : Now reduce the Opacity of the layer suitably. I have reduced it by 50%.
This how the image now looks.
Step 20 : Remember you are working on Layer2. Click the New Layer icon at the bottom of Layers pallette and a new Layer 3 forms over Layer2.

Step 21 : Click the Foreground color.
Step 22 : As soon as you click the Foreground color, the Color Picker opens. I have used the cursor to click on a Blue shade of the sari. The color in the preview box also changes to Blue.
Step 23 : I have clicked on a light shade of Blue. Click ok in the Color Picker.

Look at the Foreground Color. It has changed to the color I picked.

Step 24 : Press ALT+BACKSPACE. This will fill the layer with the Foreground color. This is how the image looks.

Step 25 : Reduce the Opacity of the layer suitably. I have reduced it by 30 %.

This is how the image looks like.

Step 26 : Click on the Horizontal Type Tool.
Step 27 : I have chosen Impact as the Font. It is available in all versions of PS.
Step 28 : Click on central alignment for the text. The Text color by default is set to Black. It has to be changed. Click where the small hand points to.
Step 29 : I have clicked on the sari. The color is the Select Text Color box box changes to Blue. It works in the same way as the Color Picker.
Step 30 : I have clicked on a light shade of Blue. The 'New' changes to the color I pick.
The text color changes to the color picked.
Step 31 : Draw out a text box and type in your text. I have typed in my text.
Step 32 : Click the Tick mark to apply the Text.

Note that the Text is on the topmost layer.

Step 33 : Right click the Text layer and select Rasterize text.

Step 34 : The Text has been rasterized. Change the blend mode from the popup to Overlay.

Step 35 : Click the Add Layer Style button at the bottom of the Layers pallette and choose Drop Shadow. When the Drop Shadow dialogue box appears. Just click ok.

Step 36 : Now reduce the Opacity of the Text layer to 50 %.

Step 37 : Click th Move Tool.

Step 38 : Now press CTRL+T. This will bring up a selection around the text. Hover the Move Tool on a corner handle and a small bent arrow will appear. Use the bent arrow to rotate the text as shown. When you are satisfied click the Tick mark in the top panel to apply the transformation.

Step 39 : Go to Layer>Flatten Image.

Step 40 : Press CTRL+L after flattening the image. This will bring up the Levels dialogue box. Drag the Black slider at left to the edge of the black graph. Click ok.

And here is the completed, mono color poster. Try it out.

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