This month I thought I’d show you a nice easy way to create a cool photo effect using the Rectangle Marquee Tool and the Stroke Layer Style.

Step 1

For this project you will need a Photo to work with, I chose this one from morguefile.com but you can really use any picture you want.

Step 2

We now want to unlock the background Layer, we do this by simply double clicking the background layer in the Layer Palette. Then selecting OK from the dialogue that will pop up.

Step 3

Reduce the opacity of this new Layer to around 50%. Next select the Rectangle Marquee Tool and create a small selection on the photo, if you want to you can rotate the selection using Select>Transform Selection.

Step 4.

We now want to copy this new Selection to a new Layer, we do this by pressing Control / Command and J together on the keyboard or by going to Layer>New>Layer via Copy. Repeat steps 3 & 4 loads of times using different sized squares and different angles. Make sure that you are on the original Background Layer (Layer 0) with each new selection or your selection will now work correctly.

Step 5.

Once you have your rectangles created go to the top most Layer and increase the Layers opacity to 100%, next add a stroke Layer Style, Layer>Layer Style>Stroke. Set size to 10, position to Outside and colour to white. Once this is complete we can simple right click on the Layer and select copy layer style.

Step 6.

Select all the layers in the Layer Palette that have the rectangles we created previously, right click on one of the layers and select Paste Layer Style. Each Rectangle/Square should now have a box around it and be at 100% opacity.

Step 7.

Hide the original Background Layer (now layer 0), make a new Layer and fill it with grey – we chose 70% Grey but its up to you. Drag this Layer bellow the squares we made earlier.

Step 8.

Finally if you want to you can add Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layers and lower the Saturation a bit. You can also mask out certain squares so some are the original saturation, or alternatively change the colours completely on random squares by adding a hue / saturation adjustment layer and moving the hue slider.

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Step 1. Download a good snowy picture – we used this one here

Add a Levels Adjustment Dialogue and drag the middle slider to the right slightly making it a bit darker.

Step 2. Make a new Layer above the Levels Layer and fill it with black (Edit>Fill>Black). Next add some Noise (Filter>Noise>Add Noise> Amount 40, Distribution Gaussian). Next we blur this Layer using Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur 0.5 pixels). We then use the Threshold Adjustment to remove some of the white dots – Image>Adjustment>Threshold> move the slider so a few of the dots are visible. Finally Blur the Layer again using the same blur as before.

Step 3. Zoom in so you can see the black amongst the dots and using the Magic Wand Tool click on the black area. This should select all the Black, we then invert the selection using Select>Inverse>

Step 4. Now we increase the size of the selections, Select>Modify>Expand>5 pixels. Now make a new Layer Above the Black layer, Call this Layer Snow. Next fill the selections with White (Edit>Fill>White)

Step5. Hide the original Black Layer by clicking the small eye icon next to the Layer in the Layer Palette. Next Add a Reveal All Layer Mask to the Snow Layer (Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All). Next Press D on your Keyboard and then fill the Mask with Clouds (Filter>Render>Clouds)

Step 6. We now add a Motion Blur to the Snow Layer, Filter>Blur>Motion Blur> Angle 90, Distance 10.

Step 7. Finally copy the Snow Layer (Layer>New>Layer Via Copy) and select Filter>Distort>Wave> play with the settings but using the default settings will work okay. This will add variation in the direction of the snow.

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Step 1.

Download the skull stock photo, then go and download a photo of my good friend PickledPizza 

Step 2.

Copy the skull picture to the face photo, we do this by loading both photos in Photoshop then we drag the skull Photo to the New Layer Icon in the Layer Palette while holding the ALT key. From the Dialogue select the name of the Face Photo.

Step 3.

LoL

Lower the opacity to the skull layer to around 45% and the using free transform enlarge the Layer so the skull is the same size as the head, move the skull around until the logo on the skulls head is over the top of the faces forehead.

Step 4.

Increase the opacity to 100% and then add a Hide All Layer Mask (Layer>Layer Mask>Hide All) this will hide the skull. Select the Brush Tool and set the foreground to white, then in the options bar set the brushes Opacity to 10%.

Step 5.

In

In this case as we want to reveal some of the skull we simply paint over the skull to gently reveal the texture. For best results use a low opacity brush and take your time to remove only enough of the skin to reveal the underlying texture still leaving the skin mostly in place.

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Step 1. Make a new document and fill with a light green colour (#8dc63f)

Step 2. Select the Text Tool and set the font to Impact, type a word on a new Layer. I chose my name but you can choose anything.

Step 3. First make a New Layer above the text layer then reset the swatch to the default colours by pressing D on the Keyboard. Then fill the Layer with Clouds by going to Filter>Render>Clouds.

Step 4. We then add a Threshold Adjustment Layer above the Clouds Layer, Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Threshold. Then Hide this layer by clicking the Eye icon in the Layer Palette.

Step 5 . Next we clip the Clouds Layer and the Threshold Layer by selecting both of them in the Layer Palette and going to Layer>Create Clipping Mask.

Step 6. Next we go back to our Text Layer and we want to adjust the blending options, Layer>Layer Styles>Blending options. In the “Blend if” section Adjust the “This Layer” slider to the right so the slider reads 0, 249.

Step 7. Now unhide the Threshold layer and move the right hand slider slowly to the left, the letters will now start to vanish in chunks. Only a small adjustment is needed for the effect.

And that’s it

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial

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Step 1 – follow last month tutorial on how to remove a finger, then come back here…!

Step 2 – We now want to make a red puddle under the finger and hand, this is a very basic blood splat that we will improve. First make a new Layer under the finger layer, name this Layer Blood. Then Select the Brush Tool and change the hardness to 0%, set the Foreground Colour to Red (#ff0000).

Step 3 – We now want to add a Layer Mask to the Blood Layer(Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All), lower the size of the Brush and set the foreground Colour to black and remove some of the blood so it appears that the finger was cut off and pulled forward (or hand backwards).

Step 4 – Next we shall darken the blood up using a Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer, Add a new Hue / Saturation adjustment Layer above the blood layer by going to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Hue / Saturation. Tick Colourize and set Hue to 0, Saturation to -61 and Lightness to -34. Next Clip the Adjustment Layer to the Blood Layer.

Step 5 – Make a new Layer Below the Adjustment Layer called Hightlights / Shadows. Reset the colour swatch by pressing D on your keyboard, then with a soft brush paint some shadows and highlights to the blood.

Step 6 – The Blood is now pretty much finished so now take some time to adjust the finger and make sure it looks seamless by adjusting the Mask. You can add / adjust the adjustment layers and blending mode if you wish to give darker / lighter effects.

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Step 1

I took a photo of my hand on my desk, because we will be using the clone stamp a simple background is best for this process.

Step 2

Select the Pen tool and trace around a finger. I used my middle finger but you can use any one you want. Once you have traced around the finger, right click on it and select Make selection from the menu.

Step 3

Copy the finger to a new layer by going to Layer>New>Layer via copy and hide it by clicking the eye next to it in the layer palette.

We now want to select the Clone Stamp (set the Current and Below in the options bar) and clone the finger out, take your time on this and keep resampling different areas so it looks natural.

Step 4

We now want to build the finger up slightly, select the rectangle marquee tool and make a selection of the edge of the hand.

Step 5

Copy the selection and press Crtl+T to move/ rotate it so it covers the place the finger was. Name this layer Skin Graft.

Step 6

Add a Reveal all Layer mask (Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All) to the Skin Graft Layer and using a black soft edge brush mask away part of the skin / table top so it blends in with the surrounding area.

Step 7

Select the “Lock Transparent Pixels” lock in the Layer Palette and using the Clone Stamp (set to current and below) sample some of the local skin and paint over the new skin graft. The lock will stop you going over the edges.

Step 8

No unhide the finger layer and using the move tool, reposition it away from the hand slightly.

Step 9

Add a layer mask and using a black soft edge brush trim the edges of the finger back slightly so its not so “cut out”.

Step 10

Finally make a new Layer under the Skin Graft Layer and add a small amount of shadow to the hand and finger.

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Step 1.

Start by making a 1024×768 pixel document and colour it #3f2004, Next choose select the text tool and using a bold Font type something. I’m using the Font Badaboom

Step 2

Next we want to duplicate the text layer, we do this by pressing Control & J together on the keyboard or by going to Layer>New>Layer Via Copy. Name the top layer Cheese and the lower text layer Holes. Select the Holes Layer and add a Colour Overlay Layer Style (Layer>Layer Style>Colour Overlay) and set the colour to black/#000000.

Step 3

Now select the Cheese layer, as before add a Colour overlay Adjustment Layer and set the colour to yellow / #f2df06. Follow this by adding a Inner shadow, Inner Glow and Satin Layer Style (please see pictures for settings)

Step 4.

Using a hard edge brush with the foreground set the black start to add dots to the Cheese Layer, Layer mask. This will “cut” holes in the cheese layer. Change the size of the brush to make the holes random sizes.

Step 5.

Create a white ellipse under the text, next add a Stroke Layer Style. Change the size to around 9/10 pixels and set the colour to blue. Next add a Gradient Overlay (black to white), set the style to Radial, Angel to 0 and scale to 50%.

Step 6.

Finally make a new Layer above the Ellipse and using a soft edge brush paint some shadows under the text to ground it.

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We can use the eyes to focus attention onto what we want the viewer to look at, by emphasising the eyes we encourage the focal point. In this tutorial we will be adding shadows and changing the colour of the eyes, to give it a more fantasy / mystical feel.  Photo from Stock.xchng

Step 1

In this example we are manipulating a woman’s face, we shall start by duplicating the Background Layer by Pressing Control & J or dragging it to the New Layer Icon in the Layer Palette. Name this Layer Eye.

Step 2

We now want to use the Burn Tool to darken the areas around the eye. Set the Range to Midtones and the exposure to 10%, make sure the Brush has a soft edge or your burns will not blend. Begin to gently darken under and around the eyes, take your time to get it looking right. If you are zoomed in – occasionally Zoom out to see the overall effect.

Step 3

The eye colour is the next item on our list, we add a Black and White Adjustment Layer above the Eye Layer. Select the Adjustment Layers Mask and press Control & I on the keyboard together to invert the mask. The eye will now appear as it did before – zoom in on the iris and using a soft edged brush paint with white onto the Mask to reveal the Black and White, making the Iris colourless.

Step 4

Next we add a Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer above the Black and White Adjustment Layer, firstly Click the Colourize tick box to add a tick next set Hue to 0; Saturation to 32 and Lightness to 43. The face will now be red, once again like in Step 3, invert the mask and paint in the iris.

Step 5

We now want to set the Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer Blending mode to Colour, this will darken the red and make it blend with the other Layers. If you want to use a different colour than Red then you can make those adjustments using the Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer.

Step 6

Finally we are going to increase the shadows, make a new Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer under the Original Black and White Adjustment Layer. Reduce the Saturation to -100 and set the Layers Blending Mode to Overlay.

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Step 1.

Make a new 1024×768 sized documents, set the background colour to black. Next using the Text tool Type “Hero” or any other word you like in a large bold font setting the text to red (#c02626).

Step 2.

Make a new Layer above the text layer called “Lightening 1”, Press D on your keyboard to reset the colour swatches to black and white. Next go to filter>Render>Clouds, follow this by going to Filter>Render>Difference Clouds. Repeat the difference cloud filter again to produce a lightening effect. Set the Layer Blending mode to Screen to remove any black.

Step 3.

Add a Reveal All Layer Mask to the Lightening 1 Layer, Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All. Mask out some of the effect until you have a few good sharp lightening bolts.

Step 4.

Repeat steps 2 & 3 again on a Layer called “Lightening 2”.

Step 5.

Group the lightening Layers together by selecting them in the layer palette and pressing Control & G together. Add a reveal all layer mask to the group and mask the lightening so it looks like it is going through / around the letters.

Step 6.

Duplicate the text layer (Control & J) and rasterize it (Right click the text and select Rasterize type). Drag the new text layer beneath the original one, hide the original text layer by clicking the small eye next to its icon in the layer palette. We now want to invert the text colour, we do this by pressing Control & I together while on the new Text layer.

Step 7.

On the blue text layer go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur, set Blur Method to Zoom and amount to 100. Set the Blue Text Layer Blending Mode to Lighten and unhide the original text layer and some of the blue blur should show around the edges.

Step 8.

Go to http://simonrudd.info/brushes/ and download and install the brush Random Squares. Next add a reveal all Layer Mask to the Text Layer and using the brush “Hard Square Random” with foreground set to Black (#000000) randomly click on the text to mask away parts of it.

Step 9.

As before duplicate and rasterize the text layer, Blur it as before but set the blending mode to screen and leave it above the original text layer.

Step 10.

Finally set the foreground colour to red (#c02626) and using the same brush on a new layer start to paint in random squares, feel free to change the size of the brush to create a nice random effect.

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Step 1

First go to DaFont  and download and install the Star Jedi fonts, then make a new black background document.

Step 2

Filter>Noise>Add Noise> 40%, Distribution – Gaussian, monochromatic Ticked

Step 3

Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur> 0.5%

Step 4

Image > Adjustments > Threshold> move slider till you get a few stars

Step 5

Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur> 0.5%

Step 6

This is where we add more personality to it, first duplicate the background layer (Layer>New>Layer via Copy) and flip it 180° (Edit>Transform>Rotate 180) and set the new Layer blending mode to screen to let the stars shine through.

Step 7

Next increase the size of the new Layer to around 150% Edit>Transform>Scale then set the amount to 150% in the options bar. Make a new layer named big stars and using a soft edged brush set to around 5 pixels and your foreground set to white paint in a few random larger stars.

Step 8

Add a hue/saturation adjustments Layer and click colourize, next move the hue slider to 200 leaving saturation at 25 and brightness at 0. this will make the stars slightly blue.

Step 9

Select the text tool from the tool bar, set your colour to yellow and choose one of the Star Wars fonts you installed, next draw out a large rectangle on your screen using the text tool and fill it with lots of words

Step 10

Right click on the text layer in the layer palette and click Rasterize text, then go to Edit>Transform>Perspective, bring the top in making it smaller but leave the bottom wide. Finally move the text if you want to a more central location

Step 11

finally add a drop shadow layer style to the text, I used the following settings…!

Thats about it, if you have an suggestions for further tutorials please give me a shout at simonrudd.info

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