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Making an Object Transparent

Glass tutorial

by Simon Rudd

In this tutorial you will learn how to make a glass object from a photo

1. First find a photo with an interesting object in it. I got this from sxc.hu

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

2. Copy the object from the photo and place it on a new layer

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

3. Hide layer one by clicking the eye next to the layer. Name the new layer object and duplicate it by pressing Ctl (Cmd) + J

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4. Hide the object layer, click object copy and rename it edges. 

Make a new layer and fill it with a gradient from gray (B0AAAA) to black (000000) fill it with noise set to 2

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Drag the gradient layer below the object layer

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5. Click the edges layer, go to Filter >>Stylize>>Find Edges

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

6. Invert the edges layer by pressing control + I, desaturate (image>>adjustment>>desaturate) and set blending mode to Screen

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

7. Make a new layer, control and click the edges layer to get the outline (marching ants) . On the new layer fill it with blue (00AEEF) set the fill to 5% (more if you need it) so it looks like this

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

8. Make another new layer and control and Click the edges layer (same as step 7). On the new layer fill it with black (000000). 

Name this layer Shadow

Control + T on the shadow layer, right click and select distort. Drag the black object down to create a shadow – set the opacity to 50%, Gaussian Blur 9 pixels

Drag the shadow layer below the object layer but above the gradient layer

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

9. Make a new layer

Press D, to choose default colours then X to switch the background and foreground colours.

Control click the edges layer – on the new layer trace a line of white down one edge on the object.

Add a large white spot further down from the line

Set opacity to 50% 

Gaussian Blur 9 pixels

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

10. Finally add a 1 pixel blur to the edges layer to remove any sharp unwanted parts

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

extra ideas…..

If you want you can place something behind the object to give it a bit of perspective 

smudge any large amounts of lines you feel doesn’t fit into the picture.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial – please feel free to contact me at Mail@simonrudd.info if you have any questions or wish to show me what you’ve made


Thank you Simon, another excellent tutorial!

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Tomorrow, restorationist Janine Smith will be back with us, we’ll see you then!


About Simon Rudd (51 Articles)
Simon Rudd is a freelance writer and artist specialising in Photoshop tutorials as well as Horror, the Macabre and Fantasy themed pictures. He frequently writes for magazines and websites.

4 Comments on Making an Object Transparent

  1. Making an Object Transparent | TipSquirrel !! interesting..

  2. James // 09/05/2018 at 4:31 pm //

    This fucking sucked and didn’t work at all. Need to be more detailed I’m pissed off trying to follow this. Must be out if date take it off the goddam site

  3. Thanks for the feedback James. Now, have a nice cup of tea and relax a litte.

  4. Hi there

    Many thanks for the tutorial 🙂

    I would like to know how to remove the white edge, please? I tried to smudge it as you mentioned it but that tool does not remove it.

    Many thanks

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