5 Useful Photoshop Effects

Andrea Austoni sent in this tutorial, and we liked its simplicity and the fact that Andrea’s site is clean and honest without the usual screen spam of the other tutorial sites. Here, learn Soft Focus, Model Depth of Field, Star Field, Wood Grain and Brushed Metal in easy, 1-2-3 steps.

Special thanks to Andrea Austoni for posting this tutorial to the Photoshop 911 Tutorials page! Andrea, from Milano, Italy, now Krakow, Poland graduated from Politecnico di Milano university with a degree in Architecture. Starting in 3D art Andrea then branched out into identity, advertising and packaging — now specializing in icon design and illustration, with a strong focus on realism, three-dimensionality and fun. See lots of bright, sincere design and visuals at the www.cutelittlefactory.com

5 Useful Photoshop Effects in 3 Easy Steps

In this fun tutorial Andrea will explain how to create 5 essential effects in 3 easy steps, using basic Photoshop tools. Useful for a range of situations, these effects work best when you don’t have time to reach high quality standards. If you work in an agency you know how it goes — these techniques are lifesavers! Andrea submits the following …

1. The Bold And The Beautiful Effect

Let’s try to replicate the soft and blurry image effect used (and abused) in soap operas, daytime dramas and erotic magazines. I’ll call it The Bold And The Beautiful Effect.

Step 1 : Duplicate the picture’s layer.

Step 2 : Apply Gaussian Blur.

Duplicate the picture’s layer. and Apply Gaussian Blur.

Step 3 : Set Screen blending mode, possibly reducing Opacity to your liking.

Done! You can puke now. It’s a release.

2. Fake Miniature Photography

This pops up here and there. You take a picture of a landscape or a nice city shot.
miniature-start

Step 1 : Enter Quick Mask and make a gradient selection. (detail)

Step 2 : Invert the selection and apply Lens Blur. (detail)

a picture of a landscape or a nice city shot make a gradient selection

Step 3 : Adjust colors and sharpen the image.

Now it looks like it’s a model. Cute!

Use blur and photo mask to simulate short depth of field model photography

3. Instant Starry Sky

This technique is very useful when you need to add fine details to complex illustrations.
It doesn’t replace a real starry sky but, if used with attention, can produce convincing results.

Step 1 : Create a gradient for the sky.

Step 2 : Select the Brush Tool (B) then hit F5 to bring up the Brushes palette.
Adjust Diameter and set a large Spacing. Use the preview at the bottom for reference. Now instead of painting solid strokes you will dot the sky with stars. (See Palette)

Create a gradient for the sky. Select the Brush Tool

Set Shape Dynamics. Increase Size Jitter to vary the diameter of the stars. For Control choose Off if you don’t have a tablet. Then start saving to buy one. (See Shape Dynamics)

Set Scattering. You want your stars to pop up at random spots so use the preview as guide. (Scattering)

Set: Shape Dynamics ; Scattering and Jitter in brush dialogs

Set Opacity Jitter. This is crucial in making some stars appear closer and others appear farther. If you have a tablet you can control opacity and size by varying the pressure, thus having more control. If you don’t have a tablet it’s ok. (Jitter)

Some stars are small and bright, others are big and close to us but duller. Randomness looks good here.

Step 3 : Now you can have fun painting the galaxy away!

random star effect using brush modes and effects

Now, we continue Andrea’s 5 essential effects in 3 easy steps, with the creation of two essential textures, a wood grain effect, and a brushed metal effect…

4. Wood Texture

This is not intended to replace high quality textures but it’s a good method to fake wood when creating complex objects and textures will not be closely scrutinized.

Step 1 : Choose brown hues for foreground and background colors.

Step 2 Apply the Fibers filter (Filter > Render > Fibers). Choose the values you like.

Choose colors, Apply Fibers filter

Step 3 : Duplicate the layer, set it to Soft Light mode then apply Filter > Artistic > Poster Edges. Use the preview for reference and don’t overdo it. (enlarge)

Add knots with the Liquify filter. Use the various tools on the left side of the palette. (Liquify filter Palette)

set it to Soft Light mode then apply Filter, then Liquify

Simple and not overly realistic but very fast and useful for small surfaces.

5. Brushed Metal Texture

This has the same usage warnings as the previous texture. Good for small surfaces not in focus, bad for extensive objects with no detail. Use real textures for those.

Step 1 : Choose gray hues for foregound and background colors. Go to Filter > Render > Fibers.

Choose gray hues then Filter > Render > Fibers

Step 2

Apply Motion Blur (Filter > Blur > Motion Blur).

Apply Motion Blur

Step 3 : Duplicate the layer, set it to Multiply.

This is way too simplistic. Let’s add some dirt and variation.
Go to Filter > Sketch > Chrome.

 Multiply and Filter Sketch Chrome Filter

After Multiply and Filter Sketch Chrome Filter

Now those stains and drippings give it more realism. I use these techniques all the time when making icons.

Conclusion

That’s it. See how easy it is to create textures and patterns with basic tools in Photoshop?
And we’ve only scratched the surface! Have fun!

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Again, a big thanks and a round of applause for Andrea Austoni’s Cute Little Factory for posting this tutorial to the Photoshop 911 Tutorials page! See lots of bright, sincere design and visuals at the www.cutelittlefactory.com — while you’re there, don’t miss Andrea’s Portfolio and Freebies page featuring lots of original icons, vectors and wallpapers — free for your personal use. If you contact Andrea, tell him Fred sent you!

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