Photoshop Tutorial (For Ash and Mom)

keyodie

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#1
Here's a tut for you guys...I use PS6, but if you have a different version, it shouldn't be too different. =)

Okay, so let's take this random picture of a bus and make it look cool. xD
Bus

1) Click on the link above and right click on the image. For mozilla firefox="copy image" For Internet Explorer="copy"

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2)Now, open photoshop and create a new image. (File>New, or Ctrl+N) When you do so, the right dimensions should already be there. (8.333x5.556 in. or 600x400 pixels) Click "OK" and you should have a blank canvas. Now paste the image (Edit>Paste or Ctrl+V) onto the blank canvas, and the picture of the bus should fit perfectly into the canvas.

Screenshot

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Now, you're ready to do all the cool stuff. =)

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3) First, we will use these options (make sure your layers window is open...if not, Window>Show Layers):

Screenshot

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4) What you need to do is duplicate the layer with the bus on it. To do this, drag the layer to the duplicate button (
) like this:

Screenshot

So you end up with this:

Screenshot

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5) Now, while the top layer is selected (like in the screenshot above) click on the drop down arrow next to "Normal" and set it to dissolve. As you will notice, nothing really happened. That's okay. Sometimes dissolve doesn't make a difference, sometimes it does. It's the same with all of the other options.

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6) Now, click on the drop down arrow again and select "Multiply". As you see, it made the picture darker, and the bright colors brighter. This is basically what multiply does to pictures.

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7) Now, select "Screen". As you see, it made the picture lighter.

Keep selecting different options until you get something you like. Your pictures should end up something like this.

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8) Now pick the one you would like to use. I'll be using "Overlay" =)

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9) Now we're going to do stuff with Filters. Let's try some of my favorite ones...hmm...Go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare. You can move the flare to any spot on the picture you want, but I put it in the top right corner.

Screenshot

Tada! Now you have a picture with a lens flare.

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10) Let's try something else. Go to Filter>Render>Lightning Effects. Use whatever kind of light you want and put it wherever you want it. I usually use the Default light, though. But some of the others are fun to use. =)

Screenshot

There are a bunch of other filters other than these too, and you should play around with them. You can even do stuff like, duplicate the bus layer, add a filter, and set it to one of those options we discussed above. It can add some very cool effects. =)

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11) You know how lighten, darken, and color didn't do anything in step 7? Well, they will work, and they do add a very cool effect.

First, create a new layer. (Click on the arrow on the top right corner of the layers window, or click the duplicate button without dragging anything) Select a color you like...blue, for example.

Screenshot

Take the fill tool (If you don't see a paint bucket, click on the gradient tool and hold) and fill the blank layer with blue.

Screenshot

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12) Now, click on the drop down arrow and set it to "Darken". What this does it fill everything that is white with the color you chose. If you don't like the color you chose, click on the color palette and choose a different color. Then, fill the top layer with that color.

Screenshot

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13) Repeat step 12, but with "Lighten" (It covers all of the black areas with the color you chose) and "Color" (makes the color scheme of the picture the color you chose). These effects work really well on banners and such. =) You can also try all of the other effects with a color (Screen, Overlay, Color Dodge, etc. etc...) and see what they do.

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14) Now before I end this tutorial, I want to explain a few things about brushes and textures. Brushes are textures are things you can download from the internet for free. Click on the brush on the tool window. See at the top left, where you see a soft, round dot? Click on the drop down arrow, and you will see a bunch of other 'brushes' that you could use. Here's is an example of a picture w/out and a picture w/ brushes:

Without

With

So, basically, it's the same thing you have right now (unless you've downloaded brushes already) except it's a lot fancier. When you download a brush, it usually comes in a zip file. Just open the zip file and drag the abr file inside to the desktop. When you click the drop down arrow to view all your brushes, click on the arrow on the top right corner of that window and click "Load Brushes"

Screenshot

Here is a thread filled with places you can download brushes...but be careful, some of the brushes may not be for the version/program you have. Some of them might be for Paint Shop Pro, or a higher version than the version you have. (It sux to have PS6 because a lot of sites only have brushes for PS7)

Ok now, I'll explain what textures are. Textures add color, dimension, and designs to a plain picture. For example:

Without a texture

With a texture

Here is a list of some texture resources out there...basically what you do is copy the image, paste it on top of a plain picture, and then set it to one of the options we discussed in step 7. Sometimes, the texture is too visible on the face, where you want it to be visible, so what you do to fix it is take the burn tool and make that area darker on the texture. =)


Those are some basics of PS...if you have any questions, feel free to pm me or post in this thread. There's a bunch of different effects that you can do, but it's better if you just play around with the program and make up some methods yourself. Hope this helped!


(PS--If you guys start making lots of graphics, you should join my forum and show it to me, my friends, and other pple on my forum...but its not only a graphics forum, you could do a bunch of other stuff. :) We desperately need new members, lol.)

My forum (Between the Rain Drops)

(PPS--You may want to bookmark it if you do go on, cuz its a url you cant really memorize. :D)
 

MomOf7

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#2
Make this a sticky please!!
Thank you!!!!!!
What about text? I cant seem to figure that out either lol its probably one of the simpest things too!:D
 

keyodie

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#3
lol that's okay! I was less observant than you when I first started....

I'll show you how to add text, and some cool effects you could do...

1) Okay, so let's say I want to add text to this background. First, you click the Text tool (
) and then click on a random spot on the banner. Well, basically, where you want the text to be. Then, type in whatever you want the text to be.

Screenshot

2) Now, the black text and the size really doesn't look good on the banner...as you can probably tell, so we will have to change that. Highlight the text, click on the color box at the top, and change it to the color you want it to be.

Screenshot

3) You can change the size to whatever you want at the top, but make sure the text is highlighted.

Screenshot

4) Now, click on the move tool (
) to move the text around.

5) Okay, if you look at my banner the blue text doesnt stand out too well. There are many methods of making it stand out without changing the color. First, double click on the text layer so a window like this pops up. Play around with these settings...what I would do in my case though, is add an "Outer Glow".

Screenshot

6) Now, you can add a few more things if you wish, and change around the settings a bit, but I'm just going to add a brush and a texture. Oh, and also, you can make the text kind of grayish and then set it to "color dodge" or "color burn" (you can set it to other ones, but for text these are my fav's).

My finished banner:


Hope this helps. :)
 

keyodie

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#4
Here's something else you can do...I wrote this tut a long time ago:

This is how to make faint lines across your image on photoshop, like this:


or

or




1. First, hit Ctrl+N to create a new image. Enter the dimensions as follows:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/pixhorizontallines.jpg
2. Once you create the new canvas, select the zoom tool and zoom as much as you can, so it looks as big as this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/canvashorizontal.jpg
3. Select the pencil tool. If you don't see it, you need to click and hold on the brush tool and you should be able to select the pencil tool. Make sure the pencil color is set to black, and then select the one pixel brush. Fill one pixel on the canvas with the pencil, so it looks like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/pencilhorizontal.jpg
4. What you need to do now, is make it into a pattern. Go to edit>define pattern.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/definepatternhorizontal.jpg
5. A window should pop up. This part is basically naming your pattern. I named mine "horizontal_lines":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/patternnamehorizontal.jpg
6. Now open the image you want to apply the lines to. This is what I will be using:

7. Create a new layer on top of the layer with your image.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/newlayerhorizontal.jpg
8. Go to edit>fill.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/fillhorizontal.jpg
9. A window should pop up. Where it says "Use:", click on the drop down arrow and select "pattern."
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/patternhorizontal.jpg
10. Click on the drop down arrow next to "Custom Pattern" and you should be able to see the pattern you just made. Click on that, and then click "OK".
11. Since the lines are on 100% opacity and are a little too dark, you may want to change the opacity. I have mine set to 19%, but you can set it to whatever you want.

And you're done! You can make other patters also. Here are a few examples:
Diagonal Line: (5x5)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/diagonalpattern.jpg

Vertical Line: (2x1)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Keyodie1/tut/verticalpattern.jpg

Hope this helps! =)

edit: Oh, and to make the lines a different color, just double click on the layer and go to "Color Overlay". Then, just pick whatever color you want and click "OK". =)
 

keyodie

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#5
okay, I thought I might post this too...these are the usual dimensions used for diff. graphics:

Sigs: 700x150 pixels or 400x100 pixels
Avatars: 100x100 pixels
Wallpapers: 1024x768 pixels
 

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