TUTORIAL

50 | September 2004

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 TUTORIAL

PHOTOSHOP CS

ADD ANOTHER
DIMENSION
It’s relatively easy to spice up your photos in Photoshop. But how about taking it one step further? The key to
success is to fix your colours and enhance them. That way you’ll be sure to achieve eye-catching results

Okay, so you’ve grasped the

ON THE CD Ë techniques, but you need more than
You will find all the that if you’re to produce a range of original
files you need to eye-catching work. Don’t underestimate
complete this tutorial the power of composition or the
in the folder named
Tutorial\Photoshop
importance of balance.
This tutorial will teach you to create
stunning effects using glows, loads of
TIME LENGTH Colour Dodge, and lots and lots of neon –
hot pinks and lemon yellows are prominent
1.5-2 hours here. You’ll also learn how to utilise white
in all the right places, so that white areas

INFO
look less like negative space and more like
the result of added energy and light.
1 Open Model1.tif from the cover CD. Adjust
the Brightness/Contrast to -50 and +30,
respectively. Now go to Filter>Sharpen>
3 Create a new layer named Colour Fades.
Set the Blending style to Colour Burn.
Select the Path you made in step two and
Chuck The finer details are very important, too. Sharpen to ensure that the whole image click on Load Path as a Selection.
Anderson, The small glowing dots used throughout appears as crisp as possible.
who works this image may be small, but they add so
under the
much. Always pay attention to detail in
name NoPattern, is a
freelance artist from anything you create – simplicity is good
Chicago. He has but there are always details that, when
worked with dozens added, make all the difference.
of magazines and a This tutorial stresses the importance of
huge range of clients, strong colour. The background of this
including Sony and piece contains a faint floral pattern, which
McDonald’s. See
more of his work at
is key, but very subtle. It does not call your
www.nopattern.com attention or stand out on its own. Rather, it
serves its purpose as a background
correctly. In addition, another dimension is
added using flowers and scanned imagery,
giving the image a truly organic feel. So
keep in mind the importance of strong
2 Using the Pen tool, draw an outline
around the girl’s body. Do not worry
about the finer details around the hair, but
colours and solid composition in all your
work and you’ll see instant results.
do make sure that you outline inside the area
where her arms bend upwards. Save this
4 Now select a default circle-shaped
Brush with soft edges and make the
size roughly 550. Using bright pinks, yellows,
Path and label it “Outline”. greens and blues, brush lightly on the girl’s
skin using single clicks to add subtle colour
to the shadows already present.
Photography by Paul&Paul
www.paulandpaul.co.uk

Illustration by Chuck Anderson

www.nopattern.com

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 TUTORIAL

PHOTOSHOP CS

5 Make a new layer and label it Colour

Fades Background. Again, click on
Load Path as a Selection before choosing
Select>Inverse. Repeat step four, but add
the soft colour to the background, mostly
around the girl’s body.
8 Next, make a new layer and label it
“Diagonal Lines”. Using the Polygonal
selection tool, create diagonal lines going
from the middle of the left edge to the
middle of the top edge. Then, with the Brush
tool, paint inside using the same technique
as you did on the girl, using pink and yellow.
11 Using the same brush, make long
strokes across the girl’s body, working
from the bottom left to the top right to create
the wires/lines. Repeat this process until you
have dozens. You could change the size of the
brush to produce a thicker wire.

6 Open BackgroundDesign.tif from the

cover CD, Select All and Copy. Go back
to the main image, click on Load Path as a
Selection and then choose Select>Inverse
and then Edit>PasteInto. Rename this
layer “Background Design”. 9 Create a new layer and label it “Stars,
Wires”. Next, choose Layer>LayerStyle
12 Create a new layer named “Wires
Behind”. Select the Outline path,
click Load Path as a Selection and then
FOLDER IT
>OuterGlow. Set the Blend mode to Colour Select>Inverse. Use the technique used in
If you use the Pen tool Dodge, the Opacity to 100 per cent, noise to step 11 to make the wires again, only this
to outline a subject 0 per cent, and use a solid pink colour time you should make them behind the
within a photo, you can (#F19AC2). Ensure that Technique is set to subject. This adds dimension to the image.
add elements in front Softer, Spread to 0, and Size to 18.
of and behind the
subject to make your
design/illustration
appear as though it’s
part of the photo.
Outline the subject
with the Pen tool, then
choose Load Path as a
Selection in the Paths
palette and choose
Select>Inverse.
7 Duplicate and move the Background
Design layer until you have enough to
fill the background. Then merge all of these
Create a new layer and duplicated layers into one and again label
draw/paste into the
selected area. Your
it “Background Design”. Finally, set the
Opacity to about 15-20 per cent – whatever
13 Open Design.tif from the cover CD,
Select All and then Copy. Paste this

design will then go on

to the background only.
looks good to you. 10 Choose a default soft edge circle
Brush with the Airbrush turned on at
or around size 12. Click randomly all over the
into the main image and rotate it to fit
accurately into the curve of her arm. Move
to her chest, and set the Layer to Screen.
background to create a galaxy of stars. Try
clicking and holding to utilise the Airbrush
feature and create a larger star.

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 TUTORIAL

LAYER STYLE
When you create a
new layer, you can
immediately set its
style. Take Outer
Glow, for example –
everything done in that
Layer will obtain the
Outer Glow settings

14 Duplicate this Layer before choosing

Edit>Transform>FlipHorizontal.
Move the Layer to her left-hand side so that
you choose from the
start. When on a dark
or black background,
17 Open Fireworks.tif from the cover CD
and Copy and Paste it into the main
image. Set the Blending mode to Lighten,
20 Go back to the “Stars, Wires” layer,
right-click on it and select Copy Layer
Style. Create a new layer named “Beauty”.
it aligns correctly with the first and, finally, setting the Blending the Brightness to -30 and the Contrast to Right-click this new Layer and choose Paste
set this layer to Screen. mode in the Layer +30. Position the fireworks near her ear. Layer Style. Now, using the default soft-edge
style to Color Dodge Brush tool at size 10, write the word “Beauty”.
will provide you with a
vibrant, neon glow –
the same style used
to give the glow effects
to the stars and wires
in this tutorial.

15 Open Flowers1.tif from the cover CD

and then Copy and Paste it into the
main image. Set the Blending mode to
18 Now open Flowers2.tif and again,
Copy and Paste into the main image.
Set the Blending mode to Screen. Move
Screen and place it on the left-hand side,
near her right arm, as shown.
these flowers to the bottom-middle area
near the girl’s hip so that the stems follow
21 On the main Layer, the original photo,
use the Burn tool on the Shadows at
100 per cent and go over the girl’s face once
the curve of her body. with a size 100 soft-edge Brush. This adds
great shadow and definition to her face.

16 Duplicate that Layer. Next, choose

Edit>Transform>FlipHorizontal and
then Edit>Transform>Scale and make it a
19 Duplicate this Layer. Choose Edit>
Transform>Flip Horizontal and then
Edit>Transform>Scale and make the new
22 Finally, flatten the image so that you
have just one Layer and go to Image>
Adjustments>ColorBalance. Set Cyan to -50
little smaller, ensuring that you keep it in layer about one-third the size of the first. To to remove the hot colours and give it a crisper
proportion. Place this alongside her other arm. balance the composition, place this on the feel. You can now adjust any of the other
left-hand side, next to her other hip. colours until you reach your desired hues.

NEXT UNDERWATER
A new technique
ISSUE using water and
a colour printer

September 2004 | 53

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