Reflections........

Yes reflections!!

Although people think it as a useless effect, I think as the best for Amateurs. But all you have to do is Use your Brain and add some Variations

Steps to make this Awesome effect are given below:

1. Select the image of the Thing, whose reflection you want to make
2. Once the pic is selected, Open it in Photoshop
3. Create a Selection around the image by any one of the following tools:
   MAGIC WAND: W
   PEN TOOL: P (MOST PRECISE)
   MAGNETIC LASSO TOOL: L
4. If making Selection with PEN TOOL, then Press ENTER to make the selection active as Pen tool creates a Vector Selection around the object
5. Once selection made, create a New Document(CTRL+N) of resolution 1024x768
6. Drag your object to the New Document
7. Re size the image with CTRL+T and press ENTER
8. Duplicate the Object Layer: CTRL+J
9. Press CTRL+T>RIGHT CLICK>FLIP VERTICAL>PLACE THE DUPLICATE OBJECT JUST BELOW THE ORIGINAL OBJECT>PRESS ENTER
10. Apply Layer Mask to the Duplicate layer: Bottom Right Corner Second From Left
11. Press G to activate the Gradient Tool
12. Press D to Reset the Colors to Default Colors
13. Go to Layer Masked Layer And Press X, Click  the top of the inverted car and drag it till the top of the erect car
14. Return back to the Background layer and set the Color Values as Follows:
    FOREGROUND: #b4fffb (LIGHT CYAN)
    BACKGROUND: #ffffff (PURE WHITE)
15. Do As Instructed Below
    FILTER>RENDER>CLOUDS
16. Do As Instructed Below
    FILTER>RENDER>DIFFERENCE CLOUDS
17. If You Want then You Can Add Different Variations By playing with the Filter And Layer Bar(ADJUSTMENTS) And get back to me if you come across any variation better than mine.
    
    
    
    The Image is Ready
    Please do leave your feedback in the comment box and contact me at dhruvindeora@gmail.com if any problem occurs

Silhouettes!!

The most Efficient Way to Hide your Mistakes are Silhouettes. I too used them as a way to hide my weak links when I was a Beginner. Some Of them are given below and they are very easy to make.

SAFARI

Ever been to a Safari??

Well If you haven't then you can make one of your own by just following the steps given below

Steps to create your own SAFARI are:

1. Select the pictures of animals that you want in your safari. Make sure they are in .png extension so as to make your work easy. Also ensure that they are looking sideways
2. Open Photoshop
3. Create a New Document(CTRL+N) of resolution 1024x768, this will be our Base document
4. Create a New Layer(SHIFT+CTRL+N)
5. Now taking Marquee Tool(M) make a selection on the lower side of document.
6. Press D to reset the colors to default colors
7. Press ALT+DEL OR ADD BLACK COLOR TO YOUR SELECTION
   
   
   
8. Now cut the pictures that you have selected in the first step and drag it to your Base document
9. If the pictures are in .png form then simply drag it to your Base document, looking like this
   
10. Once placed go to your Background Layer
11. Press G to activate the Gradient Tool
12. Take the Colors with the Given Value:
    FOREGROUND: #0084ff (Light Blue)
    BACKGROUND: #0064c2 (Darker version of the above one)
    To Apply Gradient CLICK ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER AND DRAG TILL NEARLY HALF OF THE SCREEN
    
    
     
13. The image should look somewhat like the above image
14. Now follow the below instructions
    FILTER>NOISE>ADD NOISE>AMOUNT(12.5%)>UNIFORM>MONOCHROMATIC
    
    
15. Now create a New Layer(CTRL+N) above the Background Layer
16. Now make a selection using Elliptical Marquee Tool(M>SHIFT+M)
17. Make sure the Color values are as follows
    FOREGROUND: #affff8 (Light Cyan)
    BACKGROUND: #ffffff (Pure White)
    
18. Now Follow the Below Instructions
    FILTER>RENDER>CLOUDS
    
19. We now have to add Outer Glow to our moon. For this Follow the below instructions
    LAYER>LAYER STYLE>OUTER GLOW> COLOR VALUE: 8efff5>SPREAD:5%>SIZE: 122 px>OPACITY: 75%> NOISE: 0%>CONTOUR>RANGE: 50%> JITTER: 0%>BLEND MODE: SCREEN
    
    
20. It will look somewhat like the above image
21. Now Press B to activate the BRUSH TOOL 
22. Right Click near the top of the Moon 
23. A DIALOGUE BOX will appear
24. Scroll Down until you find a thumbnail of Grass
25. There are two types of grass thumbnails
26. Apply Both of them to your Silhouette but ensure that the background and foreground both contain Pure Black(#000000) color
27. Apply the Grass Brush tool until satisfied
28. Image is Ready but make sure the placement of Layers should be like this
    BACKGROUND
    MOON
    ANIMAL IMAGES
    GRASS
    THE BASE OF BLACK COLOR
    
    
    
    
29. This was the night scene if you want to make a morning scene just Alter the Background as per the Below Requirements:
    USE GRADIENT TOOL WITH VALUES:
    FOREGROUND:#ffcc00
    BACKGROUND: #ffa200
    Click on the bottom left corner and drag till the center of the image
    ADD NOISE, THE VALUE SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THE ABOVE GIVEN VALUES
    FILTER>RENDER>LENSFLARE(BRIGHTNESS: 163%, LENS TYPE: 50-300mm ZOOM), Ensure the lensflare is near the edge of the feet of the elephant
    HIDE THE MOON SO AS TO REMOVE THE EFFECT OF NIGHT
    

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION :)

Please leave your Feedback in the Comment box and contact me at dhruvindeora@gmail.com if any problem occurs

Dispersion Effect The Easiest Way To Do It

The most feared effect of all time for amateurs. I too used to fear it and had not tried it for at least 1 year. I used to think that so much precise selection is to be made that i wont be able to do it. But now the secret to Dispersion effect is revealed and all thanks to GAUTAM SIR.

Steps to make this feared effect are:

1. Open Photoshop and open the given image
   
                                                 
2. Make a selection around the image by either Magnetic Lasso tool(L or SHIFT+L) or for easy selection with Magnetic Wand tool (W).
3. If making selection with the help of Wand tool please click the white area then while pressing SHIFT click on the remaining white area. 
4. Press SHIFT+CTRL+I to invert selection
5. Now create a new document: CTRL+N with resolution 1024x768
6. Press V to select Move Tool and then drag the image of Robert Downy to the new document.
7. Place him on the edge of the document as given
   
   
   
8. I have taken the background as black so that you can see the placement, you can take it as per your choice but i would prefer to take it as white
9. To re-size the image select Free Transform from the Image bar or simply press CTRL+T
10. Once it is similar to the above image press ENTER
11. Now Duplicate the Layer by CTRL+J
12. Go back to previous layer and press CTRL+T to re-size the picture again
13. Make the picture on the current layer a bit more wide
14. It will look somewhat like this
    
    
    
15. Now add Layer Mask to Both the Layers: Bottom Right corner Second from left
16. Now apply Black color to the layer mask of the Layer to the original layer looking somewhat like this
    
    
    
    
17. Download some High Resolution Brushes from the below link
    www.fudgegraphics.com/2010/05/free-hi-res-splatter-photoshop-brush-set/
    
18. On the layer mask(of Original) use the brush with, Feather: 0px, white color and mark some splashes near the face of the celebrity to make some part visible
19. Now come on the Layer Mask of the Duplicate Layer and using the same brush but with black color paint the areas you want to hide (or more precisely to disperse)
20. Repeat Steps 18 & 19 until satisfied
21. Your Final image is ready

In the end please comment your feedback in the comments box and contact me at dhruvindeora@gmail.com if any problem occurs. And no need to fear dispersion effect from now on

Face Cracking Effect

The Face crack effect is the easiest and a non-time consuming effect.

This is the final product:

Steps are quite simple:

1. Open Photoshop and open the below given image as Background image
      
                                
2. Now Open this image in a new file and name it Crack
   
   
   
3. Drag the crack image over to Background image
4. Lower the Opacity of cracks and adjust the cracks on the face of the girl until satisfied
5. Increase the Opacity to 100% and change the blending mode to MULTIPLY
6. Erase the unwanted cracks with the help of Eraser tool: E
7. Press CTRL+U and then click on COLORIZE option
8. Enter the values as given below:
   HUE: 360
   SATURATION: 11
   LIGHTNESS: +53
   
9. The image is ready and should somewhat look like this:
   
10. You can edit the cracks as per your choice by playing with HUE, SATURATION & LIGHTNESS

Please do comment your feedback and contact me at dhruvindeora@gmail.com if any problem occurs

Ghostly Effect

Ghost effects are in great demand today. So I have Brought 1 for You today.

It is quite easy and simple but it depends on you how you take it. 

Steps for making the effect are easy:

1. Open Photoshop and open the Background for your Ghost
2. Add Hue/Saturation Layer, Click on Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Hue/Saturation
3. Click on Colorize, Values should be:
1. HUE: 30
2. SATURATION: 10
3. LIGHTNESS: +10
4. Make a new layer below the Hue/Saturation layer and set its blend mode to 'Screen'. Select a Soft Round Brush and lower its opacity to 50%(on top of the screen). Paint on top of the road for a misty glow. Lower the Layer Opacity to 70%.
5. Open the image of the person you want to make Ghostly.
6. Make sure its in .png format to make it convenient
7. Open the Refine Edge menu in Options Bar: SELECT>MODIFY
8. Values here are:
1. SMOOTH: 77
2. FEATHER: 3.8 px
3. CONTRAST: 12%
4. RADIUS: 3.8 px
9. Copy this edited image to your background file or simply drag it there
10. Place it Below the Hue/Saturation layer
11. Use Free Transform tool: CTRL+T, to re-size, once happy hit enter
12. Change the blend mode to 'Screen' and lower the opacity to 70%
13. To hide the legs simply add layer mask from bottom right corner and use black paint on the legs of the person 

In the end please leave your comments and contact me at dhruvindeora@gmail.com if any problem occurs.

Collage

I started my Photoshop lessons with this collage making. It is a great experience to make some great collages in Photoshop. The steps to make collage in Photoshop are quite simple and you can try them yourself.

Steps to make collage in Photoshop are:

1. Open Photoshop and open the image you want to make collage on.
2. Create a new layer: SHIFT+CTRL+N
3. Press 'D' button to set the color palette to default stage that is black and white
4. Fill in white color: CTRL+DEL
5. Copy the Background Layer: CTRL+J
6. Drag and place it above the White layer
7. Make a selection by using Marquee tool: M
8. Once placed add 'Layer Mask' to the Duplicate layer: Layer Mask is second from left  hand side on the bottom right corner of the monitor
9. Remove the link by clicking in between the two layers that are formed.
10. Copy the Layer: CTRL+J
11. Click on the layer masked thumbnail which is showing white area in your selected region
12. Select Move Tool: V
13. You can continue until you are satisfied
14. Also alterations can be made as per your choice: Use Fx tool left to layer mask tool
                                                                                   Use CTRL+T to rotate the blocks

Please comment your opinion in the comment box and contact me if any problem occurs on 

dhruvindeora@gmail.com