Tips for using textures and blending modes in Photoshop

blending modes in Photoshop

Texturizing and blending a wide variety of effects always boosts up a simple image into absolutely stunning photographs. In this article let us learn how to add textures and blend creative effects on your photographs.

Underwater Photography

To start with, select an image of your choice and add in Photoshop.
Let’s now begin stylizing your photograph.
Steps for applying beautiful textures;
Before starting, have a clear picture or idea on how you want your photograph to be at the end. One can choose a wide variety of texture effects that include vintage, drama, paper, wood, paint splatter and a lot more. The choice of texture depends on the color combo of your image. Select the apt texture so that it does not put down the original look of the image. Edit in 8-bit RGB mode for great results (Image

Photoshop Color Adjustment

Once you are done selecting your picture, import the texture you want to blend with. Choose texture file; make sure the texture selected has printable resolution and are close to resolution of the original image.

Photoshop grungy paper

Resize the texture after the file is placed. Also resize the file if required in order to cover your image. Hit enter and save your changes. This places the file in a new layer of its own. Name the texture added to avoid confusions. To edit the image name; double click on the name found in the layer palette, type a new name and click enter.

Changing the blend mode of the textures

In this stage, you should have two layers; texture and the background. Now let’s get into the blending process, from the pulldown menu found below the layers tab select Blend Mode. The blend mode is segregated into a variety of creative effects. Changing the blend mode of a layer will affect in such a manner that layers pixels interact with the layer beneath it.

There are three major set of mode settings, beginning with “Darken” which darkens the layer beneath and blends layer in different ways. The “Lighten” mode lights out various layer and the last basic blending mode is the “Overlay”, that are high contrast mode resulting in blending of colors with the below layer.

For perfect blending of textures and layers select overlay mode. Adjust opacity if the texture is dominant.

overlay setting in Photoshop

Process of rasterizing the texture layer

Rasterizing is a process of converting vector graphics format into a raster image i.e. pixels or dots and stores the images in bitmap format. To edit texture layer, we have to Rasterize the layer. For this right-click the layer and select rasterize layer.

Rasterize type Photoshop

Editing/Removing areas of unwanted textures

In this process of editing, create a layer mask and paint out the unwanted areas where you don’t want the texture to show up. Applying a texture not only changes the texture of the image but also affects the tones and hues of any layer below it. Hence when you mask out the areas of interest, that will have unmatched hue.

We can also use smudge tool to control over how much texture can dominate in certain area. (This tool looks like a pointed finger) You can increase or decrease the size of smudge brush by clicking “]” and “[“.

The averaging process also removes control over how much texture details in precise area. In this step it takes selected are of pixels and average the colors in the selected area of the image. The drawback of this method is that it will retain tone but loses the texture in the areas that are averaged.

Now select the image layer using your handy tool and select the area which should not be affected by the chosen texture. It’s best to use the quick selection tool. Now select your texture layer. Click filter

Here are some examples;

Underwater_Photography

Underwater Photography

Get expertized in texturizing and blending of images. Experiment with different modes, textures, adjustment layers and other editing. Enjoy blending and creating stunning images that has style of your own!

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