Apply soft light blend mode. Secrets of manipulation in Photoshop: Shadows and light
Shadows are a very important aspect in any collage. The same goes for lighting effects; if shadows are applied correctly, your image can end up looking stunning. In this tutorial I will show you several ways to create realistic shadows in Photoshop.
The first step will be just theory to help you understand how lights and shadows work, and in subsequent steps I will show you how to create shadows.
Light source and shadow angles.
Before you start doing anything to your image, you must decide whether you need shadows or not. For orientation, you first need to determine the main light source.
As you can see, in the original image the light source is located at the top left. In the collage, the sky and clouds are also illuminated from the top left. You must always respect the direction of the light. You need to identify elements in the image that will serve as your guide for creating light and shadow.
Below is a similar case. But this time the light source is located on the right side and again the artist used the highlights on the model's body as a guide when creating the collage.
It also happens that we cannot find a landmark that will help us determine the position of the main light source, but existing shadows in the image can help you. Here's an example.
There is no road sign in the original image, I added it in Photoshop. Assuming I don't have a starting point to help me decide where the main light source is located (at in this case, sun), I created the shadow of the road sign based on the shadows of the man and the girl. I created it at the same angle and with the same opacity. If the original shadow you are using as a guide is blurry, you can apply to the shadow Gaussian Blur(Gaussian Blur) to make it as close as possible to the original shadow.
This simple theory. Simply put, you must identify the light source in order to know how to create shadows. In the next steps I'll show you how to create real shadows from scratch. I'll show you my own technique, but you can adapt it to suit yourself. There are different types of shadows, so to make it easier for me to explain and for you to understand, I will give them different names.
Touching Shadow
I'll call this type of shadow a "touching shadow" because I don't know its real name. This is a very important type of shadow because it actually tells you whether an object is standing on or close to a surface. The image below shows an example of a real shadow where you can clearly see what type of shadow it is.
Recreating this type of shadow in Photoshop is not difficult, but it does take some practice. For example, I took an image that I used for my other tutorial. I separated the model from her old background and placed her on a new one to create a collage. As you can see, it looks a little dull, there's obviously a lack of shadows, and the model looks like she's hanging in the air.
The way I create the shadows you see in the image below is: I take Brush(Brush) medium size (depending on the size of the collage), install it Pressure(Flow) is around 30%, and Opacity(Opacity) brushes - around 25%. Then I start painting the edges of the object where it touches the surface. I paint the edges, so to speak, from the inside. Look at the image below for a better idea.
This is what I call the touching shadow “before and after”. I don't know its formal name.
Soft shadow
This type of shadow is perhaps even more important than the touch shadow because it is more visible and, if you create it correctly, you may not need the touch shadow we talked about above.
In this case you can be a little freer, since you don't have to be too precise here. Just take a soft brush, set the value Rigidity(Hardness) in the region of 20-45% and paint over the areas around the object you are working with. Keep in mind that the further you move from the subject, the less opaque the shadow will be as it fades.
Look at the image below. I painted the shadows using a large soft brush with a low value. Opacity(Opacity) (20% or so). As you can see, it's impossible to clearly define the girl's figure in the shadows because it's too blurry, but it definitely adds realism to the overall scene. Also notice how the shadow loses intensity as it gets further away from the subject. This was all created with a mouse, not a tablet.
Cast shadow
If you want to create more realistic shadows in Photoshop, then you need to use a different technique. There are almost always multiple ways to achieve the same result in Photoshop. Simply put, this technique involves using the shape of an object to create a shadow.
Method 1
One way to do this is to duplicate the layer, then make it smaller Brightness(Lightness) to 0. Then, place the duplicated layer under the original layer and rename it Shadow (Shadow) if you want.
I've already made a short demo on how to create this kind of shadow. You can watch it. After that, use the tool Distortion(Distort) to adjust the shadow to your liking. You can apply Gaussian Blur(Gaussian Blur), if you want to blur the shadow, you can also adjust Opacity(Opacity) layer.
Then I applied a little Gaussian Blur(Gaussian Blur), reduced Opacity(Opacity) layer and used Layer mask(Layer Mask) and Gradient(Gradient) to make the shadow fade. Then, using Distortions(Distort) (Ctrl+T or menu Editing(Edit) - Transformation(Transform) - Distortion(Distort)) I tilted it a little.
Method 2
The second way to achieve the same result as in the image above is to use Layer Styles (Layer Style s).I believe it is lighter and faster. I'll show you for real cool way which many people don't know.
Just open the window Layer Styles(Layer Styles) (in my example, the Tower layer) and add Shadow (Drop Shadow). Most important parameter Here - Size(Size) shadows. With this option you control how much blur your shadow will have.
Enlarge Opacity(Opacity) to 100%, because then you can optionally reduce it using the slider Opacity(Opacity) in the layers palette. I used high value Offsets(Distance) in this example, so that you can see the shadow being created better, but this parameter is not important.
Now comes the fun part. You can turn this shadow into a separate layer. Right-click on the layer shadow effect name in the Layers palette and select Create Layer(Create Layer).
This action creates new layer with the same settings Blend Mode(Blend Mode) and Opacity(Opacity). You can do this with any effect. After which, Reflect(Flip) the layer and make it smaller if necessary Opacity(Opacity). Repeat the steps above to tilt the shadow.
I think what I've said about shadows is enough. Let's now move on to lighting. I'll show you several techniques I use to create realistic light.
incident light
I want to show you how I created the lighting effects shown in the image below. I use this method in my collage that I am currently working on. I'll write a whole lesson on it.
Creating these kinds of lighting effects in Photoshop is not difficult, but if you want to achieve realistic incident light, then you will have to think a little. Blending modes are very important here. Don't be afraid to create each light effect on a separate layer and apply a different blending mode for each one.
The first thing I created was a light source. I took a fairly large soft yellow brush and painted a large dot. Then I went through all the blending modes to see which one suited me best.
Remember that blend modes affect brightness values. If the light doesn't look the way you want it to in any blending mode, try using a darker, less saturated color. In this example I used dark yellow to create a glow.
I then created the final glow using the filter Blik(Lens Flare) in the menu Filter(Filter) - Rendering(Rendering) - Blik(Lens Flare). I created a square selection, filled it with black on a new layer and added a highlight in the center of this black square. Then changed its color to yellow with Adjustment layer(Adjustment Layer) Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and changed the layer blending mode to Screen/Lighting(Screen) to hide the black areas of the square.
When the light source is ready, you need to reproduce the light falling from it on other objects, such as the ground or walls. The most common way to do this is to use a soft brush and, in this case, use yellow.
I found that blending modes Lightening Basics (Color Dodge), Bright light(Vivid Light) and Linear clarifier(Add) (Linear Dodge (Add)) are best for creating lighting effects, but as I said, it depends on the colors and brightness levels of your background. How realistic the lighting is depends on where you place it.
As you can see in the image above, adding light on the ground makes the collage even more realistic. It was made using a large soft yellow brush and a blending mode Lightening Basics(Color Dodge) then I used the tool Distortion(Distort) (Ctrl+T) and compressed it horizontally. By adding lighting on the wall on the left, it became even more realistic. So as I said above, it all depends on where you place the lighting. To create the lighting on the wall, I simply duplicated the ground lighting and bounced it.
Surface lighting
Another way to create various types lighting - use Layer Styles(Layer Styles). This technique is used when the subject is lit from the side or from behind.
This technique consists of adding Inner glow(Inner Shadow) and use the blending mode that is more suitable in a given situation.
Using the same blending mode doesn't always work, you'll have to tweak it. Our goal is to recreate the light at the edges of the object.
The color of the lighting depends on whether you are working on a daylight collage or a night scene. If you are using modes Lightening(Dodge) or Bright light(Vivid Light), then you should use dark colors, as these blending modes will make them brighter. You will have to trial and error many times before you find the right brightness value. It is also not necessary that the effect be very noticeable. Even a subtle effect will change the appearance of your subject.
I sketched out an illustration of what I just explained. This is a rough option, but it suits us. Look at the image below. I applied it to him Inner shadow(Inner Shadow) with the settings shown in the image above.
Here's another example of a VinternnV collage from deviantART.
This method has its drawbacks. When we apply the settings Inner shadow(Inner Shadow), it often creates a lighting effect in unwanted areas.
I usually increase the parameter value Bias(Distance) and change Corner(Angle) to adjust to the direction of the light source, but even then you may get undesirable results. Increasing settings Size(Size), you get a blurrier effect, but usually just a thin line of light is enough to make it look good. Look at the image below for clarity. I made the effect very strong so you can see it better.
As you can see in the image above, the result of applying Inner glow(Inner Shadow) to create lighting have some unwanted effects. They don't look terrible in this example, but let's imagine that I didn't want the area I circled in the image above to have that lighting effect.
How can we get rid of this without affecting the areas that are fine? You can't use the eraser because it Layer Style(Layer Style). There was a time when I had great difficulty with this, but in the end I found a solution to this problem.
The solution is to transform the style (in this case Inner shadow (Inner Shadow) into a separate layer, as I told you earlier when we talked about shadows). I bet not many people use this technique in Photoshop, but it is really useful, for example, when you want to use an effect that has already been used. For example, if you want to use two different shadow effects.
So, to expand the capabilities of layer effects, right-click on the desired effect and select Create Layer(Create Layer). With this action you automatically create a new clipping mask(clipping mask) layer with Opacity(Opacity) and blending mode that you have selected for this layer style. After this, you can create a layer mask and mask out the unwanted areas.
Global Illumination
The last type of lighting effect is global illumination, which I create using a filter Lighting effect(Lighting Effect). I use this filter in almost all of my collages in the final steps. This effect will make your collage 99% better. This is a destructive filter, which means that once you apply it, it will immediately change your image and the effect cannot be undone. You can find this light filter in the menu Filter(Filter) - Rendering(Render) - Lighting effects(Lighting Effects).
But there is a non-destructive way to apply this filter if you convert the layer to Smart object(Smart Object). You can convert a regular layer to Smart object(Smart Object) in the layers palette. Right click on the layer and select Convert to Smart Object(Smart object). Below you can see some examples of the global illumination effect.
Example 1
Example 2
That's it for shadows and lighting. I hope you learned something. This is all for your experiments and your practice.
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Creating a focal point using a soft white brush
Now we will improve the focal point using light, adding just a few layers above the original photo.
You can see from the screenshot that the light is evenly distributed throughout the photo. Open it in Photoshop and create a copy of the background layer (Ctrl + J). Set to Overlay. Then create a color fill layer (Layer – New Fill Layer – Color) (Layer – New Fill Layer – Solid Color) and select dark gray color ( #565656 ). These steps will slightly improve the colors and create the basis for the lighting effect.
Now let's add shadows. Create a Gradient Fill Layer (Layer – New Fill Layer – Gradient) (Layer – New Fill Layer – Gradient):
Gradient: transparent to black
Style: Radial
Angle: 132 degrees
Scale: 150%
Next we will add light. Select a tool Brush Tool (B), right-click on the canvas and lower the Hardness to 0%, you need a regular round brush. Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N) on top of the rest and outline the flower. Install Blend Mode ( Blending Mode) on Soft Light.
To enhance the glow, create another layer and outline the flower. Install Blending Mode on Overlay.
This method can be applied in different situations and modified if necessary to achieve a better result.
Creating directional light using filters
Photoshop has a filter that can be used to create lighting effects. It's on the menu Filter – Rendering and is called Lighting Effects. Let's look at this filter using the following image as an example.
Go to this filter and the settings window will open. You can change the direction of the light by dragging the light spot in the preview window.
After applying the filter, I decided to create another lighting effect. Go to filter again and select Source (Light Type) – Light bulb (Omni). Place the light directly on your phone.
As a result, I ended up with the image shown below. As you can see, the filter has a lot of settings that you can experiment with and get completely different results.
Using Brushes to Create Light
There are many brushes on the Internet that can be used to paint light rays. For example, this set.
Before using brushes:
Creating special lighting effects
One of the most creative approaches to light is to create specific lighting effects. In the following example, I'll show you how to create a lighting effect using simple shapes and paths.
Create new document in Photoshop (Ctrl + N) with a black background. Create a copy of the background layer (Ctrl + J) and apply a filter Clouds with overlay (Filter – Rendering – Clouds with overlay) (Filter – Render – Difference Clouds). You may want to repeat this filter several times (Ctrl + F) to get the desired pattern. Install Layer Blending Mode to Overlay.
Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N) under the cloud layer. Select a soft white brush and draw a small circle. By drawing on this layer, clouds will become visible to you.
Select a tool Feather ( Pen Tool) (P) in Paths mode and draw a curved line as shown below. The line should come out of the light spot.
We need to outline this line with a brush. Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N), select a tool Brush Tool (B), give it a size of 14 pixels, 0% Hardness and white color. Switch back to the instrument Pen Tool (P), right-click on the canvas and select Stroke Path. In the window that appears, select Brush and enable the function Simulate Pressure so that the ends of the line taper.
Double-click on the line layer to open the style window. Apply style:
Opacity: 67%
Noise: 0%
Color: White
Spread: 3%
Size: 18 pixels
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%
When the lines appear, you will see everything more clouds through the glow. Repeat the process and create several lines coming out of the circle.
Select a soft brush and paint over the white circle layer to make more clouds visible. Try lowering the parameter value Opacity in the brush settings so that the clouds are not too bright.
Add color using a gradient fill layer. Use colors #e17a00 And #601900 and make a linear fill.
Additionally, you can paint particles using these brushes. You just need to draw on a separate layer so as not to damage the other elements. Install Opacity layer with particles at 75% and tool Eraser Tool (E) wipe the particles off the light ball at the base.
This was a simple example of how light effects can be created in different shapes using simple tools. Don't be afraid to experiment and create similar things in your work. Such effects make images more interesting and effective.
Using light to change the mood of a painting
Open the following image in Photoshop. Using light corrections and effects, we will create a forest at night under the light of the moon.
Make the photo black and white (Image – Adjustments – Desaturate). Then create a copy of the background layer (Ctrl + J) and apply the Ra filter to it Gaussian Blur (Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur) with meaning Radius– 1.5 pixels. Install Blending Mode copies on Overlay. This will make the image softer.
Create a new fill layer with color #253a53. It will help create a blue tint throughout the image. Using the light ray brushes from this set, paint the light passing through the tree branches. Use blue for a brush.
With the help gradient fill darken the edges (we did this earlier when enhancing the focal point).
Finally we'll create points of light that could represent fireflies or magic dust. In any case, this will help create a magical atmosphere in the forest. Select a soft brush of 7 or 8 pixels and go to the brushes palette (F5). Install Spacing almost to maximum, and also turn on two other parameters. For Shape Dynamics install Size Jitter by 75%, and for Scattering set parameter Scatter by 1000%.
Draw dots on the canvas. You need to draw on a separate layer under the layer with light rays. After that apply the style Outer Glow to the drawn points.
Blend Mode: Screen
Opacity: 48%
Noise: 0%
Color: White
Technique: Softer
Spread: 4%
Size: 14 pixels
Contour: Linear; Anti-aliased: Disabled
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%
Result:
This concludes the lesson. Using the methods described above, you can significantly improve your work. Don't be afraid to experiment and find new ways to use light.
This Photoshop lesson was prepared for you by the site team.
Before us is the bride against the backdrop of grass and trees, the shadows in the photo seem to have failed, the grass looks dull.
To fix this, apply the following steps.
Go through the menu to (Image - Correction - Shadows/Highlights).
Click on the square next to Show More Options(Advanced Options), the palette will reveal hidden functions.
We set the following settings:
Let's take a little break from the lesson and get acquainted with this palette in more detail.
Palette Shadow/Heights (Lights/Shadows)
Section Shadows
Amount(Amount) – the amount of light in the shadows. Movement of regulators: more - less.
Total Width(Tonal Range Width) – Moving the sliders changes the width of the shadows.
The higher this parameter, the wider areas of the image will be affected by the tool.
Radius(Radius) – this function controls the contrast of shadows and the smoothness of their transitions.
Highlight section
Amount(Amount) - function of darkening light areas.
Total Width(Tone Range Width) - a parameter that determines the range of pixels affected by the command.
Next section Adjustments
Midtone Contrast(Midtone Contrast) - The higher the value, the higher the contrast of the midtones in the image.
Black Clip And White Clip(Truncation of shadows, Clipping of highlights) – parameters that set maximum values, which determine how dark (or light) the pixels in the image should be.
Increasing this parameter will lead to a decrease dynamic range pictures and reducing the total number of tonal transitions. It is not recommended to touch this parameter; it is better to leave the default values.
Back to the lesson
Let's create a duplicate layer.
Set the blending mode to the top layer Soft Light(Soft light). Then go to (Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur) and set the following settings:
Make another copy of the layer and apply the filter again " Gaussian"blur, but with these settings.
In this tutorial you will learn how to add interesting lighting your composition. Various combination methods will be explained complex objects, such as translucent material. Let's get started!
Final image
Step 1: Preparing the background
Let's start by creating a new document in Photoshop. Go to menu File>New(File>New). Install Width(Width) 600px, Height(Height) 900px and Resolution(Resolution) 72Pixels/inch. Click OK.
Take Paint Bucket Tool(Fill) (G) and fill the background layer with dark blue. I used #2b2b32.
Step 2. Place the library
Download the library image provided at the beginning of the tutorial and drag it onto your work canvas. Place it above the background layer and name this layer Library FreeTransformation(Free Transform) and adjust the image to fit the canvas size. To maintain proportions, hold Shift key. Press Enter when finished to apply the changes.
Step 3: Reduce Saturation
Hue/Saturation Saturation(Saturation) -40. To make the effect affect only the layer Library, create a clipping mask from the adjustment layer by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the adjustment layer palette (see below).
Let's take a look at the layer order
Step 4: Adding a Floor
In the next steps we will add an image of the model to the bottom left corner. So you don't have to place the floor there, but it leaves an empty space in the bottom right corner. Let's fix this. Take Lasso Tool(Lasso) (L) and select the floor (see image below).
Press Ctrl + J to copy and paste the selection. Place this new layer on top of all other layers and name it Floor. Take the tool Move Tool(Move) (V) and move it to the location shown in the following picture.
Step 5. Saturation of the floor
You need to lower the saturation of the floor just like you did with the library. Add a new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and set the value
Saturation(Saturation) -40. Create a clipping mask from this layer so that it only affects the layer below it (= Floor). Once you're done, your composition should look like this.
Step 6: Darken the Room
To make the room feel a little mystical, you'll darken it in this step. Add a new adjustment layer Curves(Curves) on top of all layers and set the settings as shown below.
Step 7: Adding a Model
Upload an image of the model. Place it on top of all layers and name the layer Model. Press Ctrl+T to activate FreeTransformation(Free Transform) and resize it to the appropriate size. To maintain proportions, do not forget to hold down the Shift key. Press Enter when finished to apply the changes.
Step 8. Model correction
We want the model to fit better with the rest of the image. Add a layer mask to the layer Model. Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B). Install Hardness(Hardness) brushes to 50%, and Opacity(Opacity) 100%. Select the black color and start painting on the gray background, making it disappear (Make sure the layer mask is active by clicking on it). You should get something similar to the picture below. You don't have to be precise about women's hair. This area will be covered with more hair in the following steps.
Step 9: Adding a Skirt
Load the skirt image onto your working canvas, place it on top of all layers and name it Skirt. Luckily this image is already separated from the background. Press Ctrl+T to activate FreeTransformation ( Free Transform) and rotate the skirt as shown in the following image.
Step 10 - Creating the Hairstyle
At this stage we will create the hairstyle. Follow the numbered image diagram below to create a great surreal hairstyle. Place all layers on top of all current layers.
Step 11. Hair correction
Now it's time to carefully connect each section of hair with the rest of the hairstyle. Moving from layer to layer, add a layer mask to each layer, and then use a black brush to paint over the edges of the hair you want to hide. Use the same brush settings as before: Hardness ( Hardness) 50%, Opacity(Opacity) 100%. Take a look at the following picture to see how it works.
Step 12. Dress correction
Correcting the edges of a woman's dress is quite difficult. This is a fairly translucent fabric dark background, so you won't be able to apply the correction Levels(Levels) as in most cases. To create a truly realistic result, I came up with a new, slightly unusual blending technique. I hope this helps you in similar cases as it happened to me. First, you need to hide all layers where there is a model, dress, hair, only the library image should be visible.
Press Ctrl+A on your keyboard to select the entire image. Press Ctrl + Shift + C to copy its join and then press Ctrl + V to paste it. Place this new layer on top of all layers and name it Dress retouching. Add a layer mask to this new layer and fill it with black to make it invisible. Take Brush Tool ( Brush) (B). Install Hardness(Hardness) 0% and Opacity(Opacity) 10%. Select a white color and carefully paint over the translucent areas of the dress. Look at the picture below to get an idea of how you should draw. These areas are highlighted in red.
Take your time with mixing. Try it different sizes brushes to get the most realistic result. After this step, your artwork should look similar to the image below.
Step 13: Adding Fog
In this step we will add some fog behind the model to create a more magical atmosphere. Download brushes Fog and install them in Photoshop. Add a new empty layer below the layer Model. Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), select one of the brushes you just installed, set Opacity(Opacity) 30% and set the color to light yellow (#e4e1c9). Now draw a very gentle fog. Take a look at the image below to get an idea of how everything should look.
Step 14. Light behind the hair
To separate the hairstyle from the background, make the area lighter in this step. Add a new adjustment layer Curves(Curves) under the layer Model and set the settings as shown below.
Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), select a soft round brush and set Opacity ( Opacity) 80%. Select white color and paint two large white dots on the adjustment layer mask below the hairstyle. In the following image you can see the result of this step.
Step 15. Coloring
Add a new adjustment layer Gradient Map(Gradient Map) on top of all layers and set the gradient as shown below.
To blend this layer neatly with the rest of the image, change the blending mode to Color(Chromaticity) and reduce Opacity(Opacity) up to 20%.
Step 16. Adding ductility
It's time to add more fluidity to your image. Basically this means you want to make the highlights brighter and the shadows darker. Add a new empty layer on top of all layers and name it Plastic. Change the blend mode Soft Light(Soft light).
Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), select a soft round brush, select black color and set Opacity(Opacity) 10%. Paint over the shadows in the painting to make them darker. Once you're done, switch to white and paint out the highlights. To get a better idea of where you should paint, let's take a look at the following picture. You should paint the red area with black and brush white over the blue areas.
In the following image you can compare how the composition looks before and after this step.
Step 17: Create Interesting Lighting
To make your composition more interesting, in this step we will add some light behind the model. Start by adding a new empty layer on top of all layers and name it Lighting. Take a look at the following image to see your layer order so far.
Change the layer blend mode Lighting on Color Dodge(Brightening the base). Take a soft round Brush Tool(Brush) (B) and set Opacity(Opacity) 10%. Select orange blossom(#b68854) and go around the edges of the model's hair, face and dress. Also walk around the light source behind the model. Take your time when painting and build up the lighting effect slowly to get the most realistic result. Take a look at the image below to get an idea of where to draw. These areas are highlighted in red.
Step 18. Retouching
There are still some areas of the image that need to be lighter or darker to achieve a more balanced atmosphere. In this step we will wrap it up. Add a new empty layer on top of all layers and name it Retouch Soft Light ( Soft light). Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B). Use the same settings as in the previous step, just switch to black. Paint the areas highlighted in the following illustration. As you can see, you should make the bottom of the image and the bottom right corner a little darker to draw attention to the model. There are also some too bright details in the hair that should have been a little darker.
Once you're done, set the color to white and paint over the highlights in the woman's hair. This way you will give them a healthy look. For an example, see the image below.
In the following image you can compare how the composition looks before and after this step.
Step 19: More Light
At this point we will add even more light behind the model to create a more magical atmosphere. Download brushes sun rays and install them in Photoshop. Add a new empty layer on top of all layers and name it sun rays. Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Setting the base). Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B) from the Sunburst brush set you just installed, specify Opacity(Opacity) 25% and color bright orange (#b9a587). In the image below you can see where you should draw.
The sun's rays should not be visible on the model's face and body. To hide this, add a new mask to this layer. Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), take a soft round brush, select black color and set Opacity(Opacity) 100%. Paint over the face and body to hide the light. After this step, your composition should look like the image shown below.
Step 20. Light on hair
To make the light effect on the model's hair look more realistic, you need to color it left side a little more. Add a new empty layer on top of all layers and name it Light on hair. Change the blending mode to Color Dodge(Darkening the base). Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), select a soft round brush, set Opacity(Opacity) 20% and set the color to bright orange. Go along the edge of the left side of the hair and the model's face. In the following picture you can see where you should draw.
Step 21: Adding Dust
In this step we will add more details to the picture by adding Dust texture behind the model. This will also help create the atmosphere of an old, forgotten library. Download Dust texture. Place it at the top of all layers and name the new layer Dust. Press Ctrl + T to activate Free Transform(Free Transform) and rotate the texture to the left (see image below). Press Enter to apply the changes. Right click on the layer Dust and select the option Duplicate Layer(Duplicate layer). Click on the layer you just copied, press Ctrl + T on your keyboard and rotate it to the right.
Change the mode of both layers to Screen(Screen) to connect them even better with the rest of the image. Lower Opacity(Opacity) of the texture on the left to 40%, and Opacity(Opacity) texture on the right to 20%. To better blend them with the rest of the composition, add a layer mask for both of them. Take Brush Tool(Brush) (B), select black color and set Opacity ( Opacity) 40%. Paint over the model and her dress to hide the texture there. Also paint the edges of the texture to create smooth transitions.
Step 22: Final Darkening and Lightening
In this step you will use one texture to darken and lighten your image. Download texture Lighting. Place it on top of all layers and name it Blackout. Change the blending mode to Subtract(Subtraction) with Opacity(Opacity) 15%. Right click on the layer and select the option Duplicate Layer(Duplicate layer). Place this new layer on top of all layers and name it Lightening. Change the blending mode to Subtract(Subtraction) to lighten. Install Opacity(Opacity) 5%.
We've sorted it out practical application regime Ordinary or Normal in the English version of Photoshop.
Now let's continue to get acquainted with the application of the most commonly used blending modes in practice. The mode can safely be called a champion here Soft Light.
How does it work?
A neutral color, that is, one that does not have any effect on the image, for the mode soft light is 50% gray. The RGB channel values are 128, 128, 128.
If we apply a layer filled with 50% color to the image in the mode soft light, then the corrected image will not change in any way.
If the overlay color is lighter than 50% gray, the image will be lighten up, if darker than 50% gray - darken. Moreover, lightening and darkening occurs smoothly and naturally, without affecting the black and white points of the image, that is, the effect falls mainly on midtones, gradually decreasing towards deep shadows and high lights. It should be noted that the effect on shadows (both brightening and darkening) is somewhat stronger than on highlights.
The interaction with this blending mode is channel-by-channel, that is, if the values of the blended color are different across channels, then the effect, accordingly, will be different in each channel.
For example, let's overlay a 50% gray layer with a color with values for the RGB channels 250, 128, 20 in the mode soft light
The gray layer has equal brightness of the RGB channels, as can be seen in the image below
The overlay layer has a light red channel, 50% brightness green channel, and a dark blue channel.
After overlay in mode soft light the channels look like this:
The red channel became lighter, the green channel remained unchanged, and the blue channel darkened somewhat. Moreover, the impact of the regime soft light in areas darker than 50% the gray is slightly stronger.
Using Soft Light mode.
As mentioned above, in the mode soft light the most natural lightening and darkening of the image occurs for our eyes.
This suggests the first way to use it: local lightening and darkening image by painting with a black and white brush at low opacity on an empty or 50% gray layer lying on top of the image in mode soft light.
It is the second method that has become widespread, as it is the most obvious. This is a well-known technique Dodge and Burn, or, in Russian, lightening and darkening. You can watch the video tutorial
Its use in this form is most effective for softly drawing highlights and shadows, as well as for retouching. Although (this is just my personal opinion), it is better to do lightening and darkening during retouching using adjustment layers with curves.
Next way to use blend mode soft light associated with increased image sharpness. To do this, a halo map is first created using a filter Color contrast(High Pass).
It is not necessary to use a composite color image to create a halo map. As a rule, best results are obtained by using blanks based on image channels.
The resulting halo map is then superimposed on the original image in soft light.
Also blend mode soft light can be used to enhance local contrast images.
Another original way application of the regime soft light: create a copy of the layer, overlay it in the mode soft light, above, through the clipping mask, apply an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation, getting rid of unnecessary “overcookedness” of the image.
Then with tools Clarifier And Dimmer on a copy of the layer in mode soft light We draw the necessary areas, making appropriate corrections.
Simple overlay of a copy of an image in soft light does not make much sense, since the impact in this case is similar smooth S-curve with stronger correction in the shadow area.