Creative Effects Challenge No. 166 - Sketch Reflection&Glass
Jan 8, 2022 12:38:17 GMT
Tpgettys likes this
Post by stinson on Jan 8, 2022 12:38:17 GMT
Sketchy Reflection & Stained Glass
This is my first Creative Effects Challenge, and my approach reflects upon me getting back into photos again. My last Photoshop was CS5. My CEC’s will include optional to you steps to properly label and group layers. I went back to some of my projects, and those that I didn’t have such discipline, I had no idea what I did. Also I thought it was useful for me to write down what I was trying to learn as I create these so I share that as well. So choose what you want from this exercise or modify the steps as you please.
My next two CECs in the works for future CECs include a Travel Flyer, and an Old Barn (featuring a luminosity mask and displacement map).
So for this Sketchy Glass, you will be familiar with the Sketch part. We saw Sketch effects in CEC 158 and 165, as well as earlier ones. I wrote an action called Detailed Sketch Effect as well, but I didn’t love the outcome at times.
In this CEC I have refined the Sketch effect, reflected it using a Panos FX action, and added some Stained Glass, producing three images at the end. One additional image shows grouping the adjustment layers and with a mask to paint the original subject back in. In this case, I didn’t use the stained glass as it was an outdoor shot, so its only the sketch effect in the background.
I encourage you to use your own image for this CEC, as I believe that will motivate you to make refinements as you work.
Please share any refinements you make in your post.
Learning Objectives.
• Developing some habits for editing such as naming layers so you remember what you did if you open the project later. This is helpful when you want to go back with another image and repeat the process. Or when you want to refine a current project.
• Setting up Levels for Auto Color Correction. Always a good first step when working with an image.
• Masking areas of the image you don’t want as a focal point.
• Using two B&W layers, one the inversion of the other, along with Color Dodge Blend mode and the minimum filter to create a sketch.
• Cycling through Blend Modes and Opacity Changes to bring some color back to the sketch, and as discussed in the recent thread, there are some options.
• Grouping Layers together and masking the group to reveal areas of focus.
• Using a Stained Glass layer over a sketch to “paint” the glass in the way the filter does not.
As a starting point you can run the sketch action I created and compare the results. The outcome of the image after running the action should not be used any further with the steps below. I was looking to improve on the results from that action for images that featured a central subject such as the Hooligan Bengals or the Gila monster you will see below.
Original Sketch Action Lacks Detail
Stained Glass without the Sketch Lacks Detail
Hooligans with this tutorial – sketch
method has more detail
Hooligans with sketch and reflection from Panos FX action
Hooligans with this tutorial – stained glass over sketch adds detail to the stained glass
Gila Monster with Group Masking
Layer stack Hooligans
Layer stack Gila
Preparing the Image for the Project
1. Save Your Original: Open image and duplicate image – File>Duplicate – choose a new name (hint – include the effect you are going to be using like “Sketch and Glass”; close original.
2. Color Correction: Select New Adjustment Layer Levels and create a Levels layer changing the name to “Auto Levels”. Hold down the Alt/Option Key and press Auto. Select Find Dark & Light Colors, and Snap Neutral Midtones. Change the clipping value to .5 for Shadows and Highlights. Then save as defaults if you are happy with how this works.
3. Merge the Levels Layer down by right clicking on it and selecting Merge Down or Ctrl/Cmd+E
4. Chose the background or original layer and duplicate layer – Ctrl/Cmd+J
5. Blurring the area which isn’t the focus: Use a selection tool to select any area you wish to blur. Doesn’t have to be 100% precise. Try using add and subtract with your tool. I suggest trying some different blur levels, Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo. Note the detail in the part you are masking as that will show somewhat in the final image. Very helpful selection review here: helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/making-selections.html
6. Steps 6 and 7 are a rough mask option. Use any you are familiar with, and your choice may depend on what you are trying to mask. Click the mask button with the Option key held down to add a black mask to Layer 1. Rename the layer to Masked.
7. Refine the mask with a brush. Hit the D key to restore default colors and the B key will select the brush tool. Refine the mast with your brush.
8. Double click the image icon on the Masked layer to select it and Choose Filter/Blur/ Gaussian Blur and blur to your liking.
9. The final step will save your two layers in case you want to start over. Duplicate both layers. You will have top to bottom, Masked Copy, Masked, Background Copy, Background. Drag Background Copy up one level so its under Masked Copy and merge Masked Copy down and rename the layer Base. We won’t use the bottom two layers any longer, but they are there for refinement of this project if decide you didn’t like your masking. You can turn them off by clicking on the eye. (If you want to edit your masking later without the blur you can do as follows: Make a new Background Copy Layer. Click on the mask on the Masked Layer to reselect it and then on the new Background Copy layer click on add a mask.)
Making the Sketch and Stained Glass
10. Copy the Base Layer with Ctrl/Cmd+J.
11. On the Base Layer Copy, rename it to Infared, and then choose Enhance>Convert to Black and White and Choose Infared. You can choose other B&W options with good contrast, but for this one let’s all stick to Infared.
12. Duplicate the Layer and Invert it - Ctrl/Cmd+I. Rename this layer “Inverted Infared-Color Dodge-Min.
13. Change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge- and you won’t see much but for a few really dark spots.
14. Select Filter, Other, Minimum with a value of 4-8 (experiment with others as you please). Lower numbers create more of a sketch effect.
15. Copy the Base Layer and drag it to the Top. Rename it Blend and Opacity
16. Reduce the Opacity to 80% using the scrubber method. Hover the mouse over the word Opacity until you see two arrows in opposite direction then click and slide your mouse or finger left and right. Turn off the Blend and Opacity Level for now.
17. Duplicate the Base Layer and drag it below the Blend and Opacity Level. Rename it “Stained Glass”
18. Apply Filter>Texture>Stained Glass. Try a cell size of at least 25 and Border Thickness of 4. Don’t worry if you don’t like this look the magic comes in the Finishing stage.
Finishing the Project – Three Alternative Images
Save just the sketch is the first image.
Choose a blend mode for the Stained Glass
19. Go back to the Blend and Opacity layer. Change the opacity if you like. Select the move tool by pressing V, and then select the Blend mode drop down. Cycle through all the Blend Modes with Shift + and pick your favorite. Adjust the opacity as you desire. This is the second image.
Reflect the sketch (no stained glass)
20. Download and run the free Panos FX action for Reflections on a single colored background. First turn off the Stained Glass layer, then save the resulting image and run the action. This is the third image.
Paint the original subject back in as an alternative approach to either just the sketch or the stained glass.
21. Select all the adjustment layers (don’t include the base layer), right click one and choose Group from Layers. Add a Layer Mask to the Group; paint the main subject back in. This makes your subject look as if it is in front of stained glass. You can also opt to do this with just the sketch effect and not the sained glass by turning off that layer as I did with the Gila Monster.
Hope you have fun.
This is my first Creative Effects Challenge, and my approach reflects upon me getting back into photos again. My last Photoshop was CS5. My CEC’s will include optional to you steps to properly label and group layers. I went back to some of my projects, and those that I didn’t have such discipline, I had no idea what I did. Also I thought it was useful for me to write down what I was trying to learn as I create these so I share that as well. So choose what you want from this exercise or modify the steps as you please.
My next two CECs in the works for future CECs include a Travel Flyer, and an Old Barn (featuring a luminosity mask and displacement map).
So for this Sketchy Glass, you will be familiar with the Sketch part. We saw Sketch effects in CEC 158 and 165, as well as earlier ones. I wrote an action called Detailed Sketch Effect as well, but I didn’t love the outcome at times.
In this CEC I have refined the Sketch effect, reflected it using a Panos FX action, and added some Stained Glass, producing three images at the end. One additional image shows grouping the adjustment layers and with a mask to paint the original subject back in. In this case, I didn’t use the stained glass as it was an outdoor shot, so its only the sketch effect in the background.
I encourage you to use your own image for this CEC, as I believe that will motivate you to make refinements as you work.
Please share any refinements you make in your post.
Learning Objectives.
• Developing some habits for editing such as naming layers so you remember what you did if you open the project later. This is helpful when you want to go back with another image and repeat the process. Or when you want to refine a current project.
• Setting up Levels for Auto Color Correction. Always a good first step when working with an image.
• Masking areas of the image you don’t want as a focal point.
• Using two B&W layers, one the inversion of the other, along with Color Dodge Blend mode and the minimum filter to create a sketch.
• Cycling through Blend Modes and Opacity Changes to bring some color back to the sketch, and as discussed in the recent thread, there are some options.
• Grouping Layers together and masking the group to reveal areas of focus.
• Using a Stained Glass layer over a sketch to “paint” the glass in the way the filter does not.
As a starting point you can run the sketch action I created and compare the results. The outcome of the image after running the action should not be used any further with the steps below. I was looking to improve on the results from that action for images that featured a central subject such as the Hooligan Bengals or the Gila monster you will see below.
Original Sketch Action Lacks Detail
Stained Glass without the Sketch Lacks Detail
Hooligans with this tutorial – sketch
method has more detail
Hooligans with sketch and reflection from Panos FX action
Hooligans with this tutorial – stained glass over sketch adds detail to the stained glass
Gila Monster with Group Masking
Layer stack Hooligans
Layer stack Gila
Preparing the Image for the Project
1. Save Your Original: Open image and duplicate image – File>Duplicate – choose a new name (hint – include the effect you are going to be using like “Sketch and Glass”; close original.
2. Color Correction: Select New Adjustment Layer Levels and create a Levels layer changing the name to “Auto Levels”. Hold down the Alt/Option Key and press Auto. Select Find Dark & Light Colors, and Snap Neutral Midtones. Change the clipping value to .5 for Shadows and Highlights. Then save as defaults if you are happy with how this works.
3. Merge the Levels Layer down by right clicking on it and selecting Merge Down or Ctrl/Cmd+E
4. Chose the background or original layer and duplicate layer – Ctrl/Cmd+J
5. Blurring the area which isn’t the focus: Use a selection tool to select any area you wish to blur. Doesn’t have to be 100% precise. Try using add and subtract with your tool. I suggest trying some different blur levels, Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo. Note the detail in the part you are masking as that will show somewhat in the final image. Very helpful selection review here: helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/making-selections.html
6. Steps 6 and 7 are a rough mask option. Use any you are familiar with, and your choice may depend on what you are trying to mask. Click the mask button with the Option key held down to add a black mask to Layer 1. Rename the layer to Masked.
7. Refine the mask with a brush. Hit the D key to restore default colors and the B key will select the brush tool. Refine the mast with your brush.
8. Double click the image icon on the Masked layer to select it and Choose Filter/Blur/ Gaussian Blur and blur to your liking.
9. The final step will save your two layers in case you want to start over. Duplicate both layers. You will have top to bottom, Masked Copy, Masked, Background Copy, Background. Drag Background Copy up one level so its under Masked Copy and merge Masked Copy down and rename the layer Base. We won’t use the bottom two layers any longer, but they are there for refinement of this project if decide you didn’t like your masking. You can turn them off by clicking on the eye. (If you want to edit your masking later without the blur you can do as follows: Make a new Background Copy Layer. Click on the mask on the Masked Layer to reselect it and then on the new Background Copy layer click on add a mask.)
Making the Sketch and Stained Glass
10. Copy the Base Layer with Ctrl/Cmd+J.
11. On the Base Layer Copy, rename it to Infared, and then choose Enhance>Convert to Black and White and Choose Infared. You can choose other B&W options with good contrast, but for this one let’s all stick to Infared.
12. Duplicate the Layer and Invert it - Ctrl/Cmd+I. Rename this layer “Inverted Infared-Color Dodge-Min.
13. Change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge- and you won’t see much but for a few really dark spots.
14. Select Filter, Other, Minimum with a value of 4-8 (experiment with others as you please). Lower numbers create more of a sketch effect.
15. Copy the Base Layer and drag it to the Top. Rename it Blend and Opacity
16. Reduce the Opacity to 80% using the scrubber method. Hover the mouse over the word Opacity until you see two arrows in opposite direction then click and slide your mouse or finger left and right. Turn off the Blend and Opacity Level for now.
17. Duplicate the Base Layer and drag it below the Blend and Opacity Level. Rename it “Stained Glass”
18. Apply Filter>Texture>Stained Glass. Try a cell size of at least 25 and Border Thickness of 4. Don’t worry if you don’t like this look the magic comes in the Finishing stage.
Finishing the Project – Three Alternative Images
Save just the sketch is the first image.
Choose a blend mode for the Stained Glass
19. Go back to the Blend and Opacity layer. Change the opacity if you like. Select the move tool by pressing V, and then select the Blend mode drop down. Cycle through all the Blend Modes with Shift + and pick your favorite. Adjust the opacity as you desire. This is the second image.
Reflect the sketch (no stained glass)
20. Download and run the free Panos FX action for Reflections on a single colored background. First turn off the Stained Glass layer, then save the resulting image and run the action. This is the third image.
Paint the original subject back in as an alternative approach to either just the sketch or the stained glass.
21. Select all the adjustment layers (don’t include the base layer), right click one and choose Group from Layers. Add a Layer Mask to the Group; paint the main subject back in. This makes your subject look as if it is in front of stained glass. You can also opt to do this with just the sketch effect and not the sained glass by turning off that layer as I did with the Gila Monster.
Hope you have fun.
