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───all _Some people like it hot or the effect of fire._ Step 1. Let's start with a dark background. And a light pattern on a separate level. Step 2. Rotate the level 90 degrees clockwise (Layer-Transform-Rotate 90 CW). Apply a wind effect (Filter-Stylize-Wind) with the Wind and from parameters the right. If necessary, this effect can be applied several times in a row. Attention! Disable the Preserve Transparency option for this level. Then turn the level 90 degrees counterclockwise (Layer-Transform-Rotate 90 CCW). Step 3. Apply Gaussian Blur (Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur) with parameter 2. And the effect waves (Filter-Disort-Ripple), with Medium parameters and a value of 100. We get next picture. Step 4. Convert to black and white mode (Image-Mode-Greyscale). This step is required! Then we convert to indexed colors (Image-Mode-Indexed Color). And apply the “fire palette” (Image-Mode-Color Table, select the “Black” palette Body"). That's it! Drawing on fire! Step 4a. There is another way to get a similar result. To do this, instead of step 4, The following steps are performed. Invert the picture (Ctrl+I). Making a fill (Edit-Fill) with parameters - White (fill color), Multiply (fill mode). And again we invert this level. Then we make one copy of this level. And above the top layer we producecolor adjustment (Image-Adjust-Hue/Saturation) with Colorize parameters (enabled), H:0,S:100,L:0 Step 5a. Then above the bottom layer we make color correction (Image-Adjust-Hue/Saturation) with Colorize parameters (enabled), H:40,S:100,L:0. Then turn on the top layer Overlay display mode with 75% transparency. That's it! Letters on fire! The last two steps can be applied not only to the fire effect, but also to backlight effect (Glow).

───all _Golden magic for the New Year_ Roman Sabalenko In fact, the computer often acts as a magician. And not just in role-playing games. Take, for example, ordinary graphics editors. Sometimes what happens on the screen with a picture after pressing just one button, otherwise by magic and not explain. Well, it’s not at all clear how, what and why, but it’s very beautiful! Since we're talking about this, I'll show you another "magic" trick from the arsenal Photo-shop art. Now I'll make a New Year's greeting a postcard and I will hand it to you. And as a gift you will receive a quick and not too a time-consuming way to decorate text, which may be useful in the future. I'm willing to bet that you've seen it more than once in advertising or illustrated magazines. inscriptions made as if from metal. This effect was very popular with designers who for the first time had at their disposal the most powerful creative tool - computer. However, even today they use it with pleasure. There are many special filters that can help give letters a metallic look. shine and convexity, sometimes they are included in the standard set of raster graphic editors. However, you can do without them, getting very professional looking result. On the postcard I will try to make the inscription “1998” from gold metal. In progress you will need a mask, so it is better to type the text immediately in the additionalalpha channel. Having opened an empty file of a suitable size in Photoshop, go to channel palette (Channels) and by clicking on the button at the bottom of this palette, create a channel #4. Its background should be completely black, and the text should be written in white. Let me remind you that working colors in Photoshop can easily be reset to “black and white” [D] key. Having selected the font size and style, we begin to create a three-dimensional metal inscription. Perhaps the process will seem too long to you or not the first time you see what you expected, but the proposed method is not at all more difficult than other options for obtaining this special effect. Returning to the Layers palette and activating the only one available in We have a Background layer at our disposal, make sure its background is white. When Nothing will work with a transparent background. Transfer the inscription from the alpha channel to the layer not difficult. We load the mask from channel #4 into the editor window using a key combination [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[4]. Paint it black. If the background color is set to black, as it should remain after typing, you need to press the [Ctrl]+[Del] keys. You can fill the mask with the main color using the [Alt]+[Del] keys. Inscription "1998" ready? Turn off the mask by pressing [Ctrl]+[D]. Now I ask you to have a little patience and not ask questions for now. Just take it on faith that these actions are not meaningless.The inscription on the Background layer must be shaded using a Gaussian filter (Filters/Blur/Gaussian Blur). The shading radius can be selected based on experience and font sizes, but these are subtleties. For now, as is usually the case, you should use a feather with a radius of 3 pixels. By the way, let's rename this layer so that we can get transparent areas. We'll need them later. To rename simply Double-click on the Background layer icon in the Layers palette. After shading, you need to duplicate the layer. This is done with the Duplicate command Layer from the Layers palette menu or from the Layer menu. A faster method is to drag and drop Click the duplicate layer in the layers palette to the create a new button. In any In this case, we get two copies - layers Layer 0 and Layer 0 copy. They need to be moved relative to each other, and it is better to do this exactly distance in pixels - greater than or equal to the feather radius. Move Layer Allows an offset filter (Filter/Other/Offset). It specifies in pixels horizontal and vertical displacement. We don't care which layer goes away down and to the right, and which one is up and left. Therefore, for one of the layers we type two positive offsets by 4 pixels, and for the other - two negative ones by -4 pixels. Now don't be alarmed, the image will change in the most dramatic way, but thisIt’s not a mistake, we’re just already halfway there. For the top layer (Layer 0 copy) change the blending mode from Normal to Difference. In this mode the difference between layers is calculated. Where they are the same, the color remains black. The more different the layers are from each other, the brighter the resulting pixels. Actually, now you are observing a displacement of the layers relative to each other, which has just been done. Now the layers need to be combined into one. Do this with the Merge Down command, which can be found in the layers palette menu or in the Layer menu, but it is much easier to click [Ctrl]+[E] keys. So far the picture doesn’t convey the shine of the metal, don’t you think? Of course, none similarities. Guess what the next step will be. The time has come to add inscriptions reflective properties of the metal, that is, create glare that will appear on surfaces of numbers. By pressing the key combination [Ctrl]+[M], we call up the tone window corrections using curves. You can also access it through the menu Image/Adjust/Curves. In this window, pointing with the cross cursor at the tonal curve, you can create a reference point on it. The anchor points are dragged with the mouse, and the curve smoothly changes after them. You should try to reproduce a curve similar to the one in the illustration. Yeah, there's already a metallic glow. However, for now the picture represents is negative, and the letters do not have strict outlines. But the end is already in sightwith the naked eye and you, in principle, can already complete the remaining work. To trim off the excess, you need to load the mask stored in channel #4. Just don’t rush to press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[4], maybe it’s better now use the Select/Load Selection menu command, since the mask will have to invert. However, this is easy to do with the [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[I] keys. After making sure that the mask does not include the inscription, but the background around it (more about this indicated by a running dashed line along the edge of the editor window), just click [Del] key. Well, there are only numbers left. While they are black, that is, negative, but now we this can be easily fixed. First you need to reset the mask using the [Ctrl]+[D] keys, which closes the inscription from editing. We need a menu command Image/Adjust/Invert, also executed when pressing the [Ctrl]+[I] keys. She converts a negative image into a positive one and vice versa. Although use this function is rarely used, the key combination for it is easy to remember in strength of similarity with very often pressed to turn the mask inside out [Ctrl]+ +[Shift]+[I]. The main thing is not to confuse them. Okay, it's time to save our work, because we have already received convex numbers with metallic reflection. However, I hope that next year will be worthy of a more valuable metal than silver And you want to give a more expensive gift. Not in the sensenominal value of a virtual postcard, and from the point of view of new techniques working with Photoshop. So, I’m showing you how to get silver from silver in a couple of seconds gold. And without resorting to such magical and incomprehensible tricks as with receiving a silver inscription. We'll tint the metal. To do this, above the layer with the inscription "1998" (by the way, I renamed from faceless Layer 0 to “1998”) let’s place a color filter layer golden yellow color. The color filter should not be too dense, so In the Swatches palette, choose the lightest shade that matches the tone. New paint the layer (I called it Gold Plate) entirely with the selected color by clicking [Alt]+[Del] keys. To apply color to the underlying layer, change the blending mode. Instead of Normal in the layers palette you need to turn on Color. In this case, the brightness is maintained the original layer, but the hue and saturation are taken from the introduced one. The result is wonderful, gold was obtained, but again I was exposed to not only the inscription, but also the background around it. This is unacceptable, transparent areas The "1998" layer should remain transparent and colorless. Of course you can again load the mask, invert it and remove unnecessary things, but with this approach sometimes unrepainted pixels appear along the edge of the mask. It's better to combine the "1998" and Gold Plate layers into a cut group. We get itby clicking with the mouse while holding down the [Alt] key along the line separating the layers in the palette Layers. Follow the cursor which is from a hand with a pointing finger turns into a combination of two circles with arrow. The shape of the cursor contains the deepest meaning. According to the authors the user, having seen these circles, will immediately understand the mechanism of action of the cut groups. Since you will not be able to do this, if only because you will not immediately see this combination of three items, I'll briefly explain what I just did. The cut group consists of two or more layers located directly one above the other. You cannot jump over a layer. In the formation of a picture All layers of the group take part, but the lowest one plays a special role - basic, or reference. Not only the image is taken from it, but also information about transparency. The pixel transparency of the group's base layer is applied to all of its layers, that is, the transparent areas of this layer will be “cut out” from those lying above. The translucency of the pixels is also transmitted. It is convenient not only that when cutting groups there is not the slightest risk of the appearance border or halo. The layers in the group are not actually subjected to any "surgical" operations, they can be ungrouped at any time and they will be in their original form. All that remains is to finish drawing the greeting card. More special for todayThere won’t be any interesting techniques, so I’ll omit the description of the end of the process. I simply added a transparent shadow to the created golden massive inscription “1998”, green, New Year's content, background and added "Happy New Year!" In the finished picture, by the way, the golden inscription looks more advantageous than in editor working window. I give you this card with my best wishes and I hope that the described technique will be useful to you.

─── all _How to build a shadow in a hurry_ Roman Sabalenko Most often in Photoshop you have to create compositional images combining photorealism and pseudo-volumetricity. The effect of volumetric composition obtained using Photoshop is called pseudo-3D, since this editor does not operate in true 3D objects, you only have flat elements at your disposal. However, the volume effect Such a composition can be enhanced by playing with shadows and light. Naturally, to create shadows from selected flat objects it is written many plug-in modules. Wonderful interactive shadow filters included, for example, in plug-in packages from Alien Skin Software. Drop Shadow module from The Eye Candy set is generally admired for its capabilities and flexibility settings. And yet it doesn’t always make sense to shoot sparrows from a cannon, forcing such a powerful filter to chew the picture for about five minutes, using default settings. In most cases, shadow can be easily and quickly build by hand. Moreover, outwardly it will look more than decent even with If you wish, you will retain the ability to adjust it in the future. So, most often a shadow is constructed either from the selected object or from an object located on a separate layer, the remaining points of which are transparent. These sameconditions are also required for the use of any plug-in module. What then? can it be done quickly? The fastest way is to draw a shadow freehand using one of the suitable tools drawing. It is preferable to use an airbrush, as it provides deep black in the center of the movement line and a light outline, but you can also take a brush with a soft edge will turn out less natural, but it will be easier to paint. This method is best suited for constructing shadows from objects geometrically simple form. You can draw directly on the layer with the object. To keep the object's pixels intact, that is, limit the area actions of the tool with a transparent area, in its palette you should select the mode Behind pixel overlays. Operating with transparency (Opacity) in the case of a brush or pressure (Pressure) for an airbrush, you can obtain the required density of the shadow. True, it will be somewhat incorrect to superimpose it on the underlying layers. But a much more realistic shadow, also from objects of any geometric complexity, can only be achieved with the help of an additional “shadow” layer, located below the layer with the object. Moreover, in this case you will have the ability to change the shadow in the future or remove it altogether if there is one interfere with the perception of the composition. This is a very pleasant opportunity that is notprovide neither drawing the simplest shadows by hand nor powerful plug-in modules. Here the shadow can be adjusted or replaced as long as you maintain it at a separate level. How is this done? For example, let’s take a drawing of a leaf from a tree available from everyone who has a Photoshop editor. This file is located in the directory with examples (Samples) and is called Leaf.psd. The sheet is very convenient for training in creating shadows of the object, since it has a rather complex shape, the final shadow of which is not obvious, and, in addition, the leaf stem is one of the most difficult cases when the shadow is formed from a thin extended object. Let's open the Leaf.psd file. There is only one layer on which the image is located leaf. All other points on the layer are completely transparent. Just what we need. The first step is to copy the existing layer to the new one. To do this you need to layer palette (Layers) drag it with the mouse to the button to create a new layer. The layer with a copy of the sheet is placed above the original one, so we use it for the most object, and take the old layer for the shadow. According to the rules of good tone, rename the layers Leaf and Leaf Shadow, respectively. If you don't give layers names, it is very difficult to understand the composition, numbering about a dozen main and auxiliary layers. Next we will work with the lower shadow layer, so we will activate it. Shadowshould be black, therefore the sheet on the bottom layer must be completely blackened. It's done like this. In the layers palette, turn on the transparent pixel protection mode Preserve Transparency and press the [Alt]+[Del] keys - fill with the main color, after making sure that the drawing colors are set to black and white. By the way, you can switch Photoshop to these colors with the [D] key, and if you have black you are set to background, instead of [Alt]+[Del] you should press [Ctrl]+[Del] - filling with background color. All pixels except transparent ones will become black. Now you must definitely turn off the transparency protection mode, otherwise it will not work blur it out. Our shadow lies exactly under the object, and it needs to be moved to the side. Usually a shadow move slightly to the right and down, which corresponds to the lighting conditions at reading and is subconsciously easily perceived by the reader. To move the shadow, select the Move arrow in the tool palette. If the shift is planned to be a short distance, you can use the arrows keyboard by pressing them several times. Each click moves the layer by pixel But you can do this with the mouse. When moving a shadow, be sure to include all visible layers of the composition to control its depth and lighting direction. Having transferred the shadow, we will slightly blur its contours. The degree of shadow blur depends onthe nature of the lighting in the composition and the distance between the shadow and the object. If this the distance is small, and the composition is illuminated by one very distant source light (as in daylight), the shadow should be fairly clear. I recommend use the Blur More filter, perhaps two or three times in a row. Filter Gaussian Blur gives stronger blur required under special conditions lighting. After blurring the shadow, see if its size matches the object. With small depth and a distant light source, you may not need to adjust the size of the shadow. If the source is located closer or the shadow in the composition is projected onto a larger distance, it is necessary to distort its shape in accordance with the laws of perspective and adjust the size. This is done using Transform from the Layer menu. The size is adjusted by the command Scale, and drag the corner marks with the mouse while holding down [Shift] key to change proportionally horizontally and vertically. The perspective for a cast shadow is created using the Perspective commands (in simple cases) or Distort (in complex non-parallel compositions). I'm just an example used the Distort command to lift the sheet off the paper, leaving the foot much lower, and at the same time tilt it slightly to the left. What you need to do is switch the shadow blend mode in the layers palette tounderlying layers from normal (Normal) to “by brightness” (Luminance). At the same time the color of the layers under the shadow will remain the same, it will only change illumination that corresponds to real life. Even if there is a difference to the eye imperceptibly, you still have to play by the rules. Use the transparency slider in the layers palette (Opacity) to adjust the optical shadow density under the lighting conditions in the composition. The softer and more diffuse the light, the less the density of the shadow should be and the more blurred its contours should be. Bright sunlight forms dense black shadows with fairly clear contours. That's all. No worse than with a special plug-in module, and in simple situations, when there is no need to adjust the proportions of the shadow, and you also have the skills much faster. And most importantly - it’s more correct!