Links to Web sites mentioned in the March SIG

The plugin filter used in the Orchid sketch can be found at http://www.redfieldplugins.com/filterFractalius.htm

The Actions and Effects of old paper and others can be found at http://www.panosfx.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Actions for Photoshop and Effects for Elements that include Layer Mask http://www.shutterfreaks.com/

Displacement Maps

This filter is very complex. It is mainly used to have a design that appears on a three-dimensional surface take the shape of that surface. To do this it reads a second image called a displacement map and moves every pixel in the filtered image according to the values in the displacement map. White and black pixels in the displacement map have the most effect. They cause the pixels to be moved the maximum amount in opposite directions. A middle gray value in the displacement map causes no movement. You can use any grayscale or color image as your displacement map so long as it is saved in the Photoshop format. You simulate the bumpy effect of a natural surface by using the surfaces themselves to create the displacement map.

In the SIG I demonstrated an effect similar to painting large text on a fence, an effect of painting a flag on a brick wall, a flag on a cloth background and creating a reflection of a boat in the water. With the exception of the boat reflection I started with either the large text or the flag as a layer (layer 1) on the wood fence or brick wall background.

1. Open your image to be used as a surface and use it to create the Displacement map.

2. To do so, change the Mode to Grayscale, Image > Mode > Grayscale.

3. Then blur using Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, about 2-5 pixels will do depending on the image size.

4. Save this image in PSD format on your hard drive.

5. Open the image you want to place on the textured background and
Filter > Distort > Displace

6. In the dialog box enter a number in Horizontal and Vertical Scale of 10% for starters. many times it is a good idea to create a few maps with different settings to see what works best.

7. Select Tile and Wrap around.

8. Click OK and you will get a box asking to open a displacement map file. Choose the one you created and saved and click OK.

Your image should now be distorted to conform to the textured surface.

9. To get a more dramatic effect add the original texture as layer 1 on the image and change the Blend mode of this layer to Hard Light

In the example of compositing a sailboat on a water scene and creating the boat’s reflection, the boat was selected from it’s background and moved into the water scene as layer 1.

1. To create the reflection, copy the boat to a new layer and

2. Image > Rotate > Flip Layer Vertical

3. Move this layer down with the Move tool so it is looks like the reflected boat.

4. Now to displace the reflection to confirm to the water, use the Rectangle tool to select an area of the background water under the reflected boat and

5. Edit > Copy. Keep the selection active.

6. File New to create a new file. The size will be the size of the copy in the clipboard by default.

7. Edit > Paste the water to the new image and

8. Layer > Flatten.

9. Blur using Gaussian blur about 2-4 depending on the overall image size.

10. Save in PSD format as you displacement map.

11. Back to the boat and water image, with the selection active and the boat layer active,
Filter > Distort > Displace.

12. I set the Horizontal scale about 15 and the Vertical scale to 5.

13. After clicking OK select the saved displacement map.

The boat should now be distorted to confirm with the water.

Installing Layer Masks in Elements

1. Go to http://www.shutterfreaks.com/
2. Click on Photoshop Elements Actions
3. Click Photoshop Elements 6
4. Click **FREE** actions for Photoshop Elements
5. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll find Layer Masks
6. Click on the link "Layer Masks"
7. Download ZIP file for Elements 6
8. After you download the Zip file the instructions say to unzip to a temporary folder on your hard drive, then follow instructions in the Read Me file.
9. There are other instructions and information on how to use Layer Masks on the page that contains the ZIP file for downloading.

Pen and Ink Art

1. Open your image - best used on simple image with good contrast
2. Duplicate background layer
3. Enhance > Adjust Color > Remove Color
4. Filter > Adjustments > Invert (ctrl + I) to Invert
5. Filter > Blur > Smart Blur > Edge Only >
6. High Radius ~ 12
7. Threshold ~ 65
8. Ctrl+I to Invert again for black lines on a white. background
9. For an added effect duplicate the background layer again.
10. This copy layer would be under the Smart Blur layer and above the background.
11. Filter > Artistic > Cutout
12. Number of Levels – 5
13. Edge Simplicity – 3
14. Edge Fidelity – 21
15. Click OK
16. Change blending mode to Multiply

Simple Pencil Sketch

1. Open your image
2. Convert to Grayscale - Image > Mode > Grayscale
3. Duplicate background by draging the background to the New Layer Icon or Ctrl+J
4. Filter > Adjustments > Invert (Ctrl+I)
5. Change the Blending mode to Color Dodge
6. Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
a. 4.5 pixes approximately
b. increase to 8
8. In Undo History Revert back to original color image
9. Redo the steps but don’t convert to grayscale
10. You now have a colored pencil sketch

Good Use of Dissolve Layer Blend Mode

1. With file open that contains an object on a layer in my case it is the Ferrari.
2. Create a new layer and set the foreground color to a dark blue and the background color a darker blue.
3. With the Gradient tool set to reflected gradien drag from the center up about half way.
4. Load car (object) as a selection by clicking on the layer icon with the Ctrl key pressed.
5. Select Menu > Modify > Border > 50 pixels
6. Create new layer and Fill selection with white – Note the edges are soft
7. Change Blend mode to dissolve
8. Create new layer beneath dissolve layer to make the dissolve layer an normal blend.
9. With dissolve layer active Merge down the dissolve layer to the blank layer
10. Filter > Blur > Radial Blur > Zoom > 100
11. This is still grainy so Ctrl+F to apply Zoom again
12. Create a duplicate layer and drag under the car so we have light beams in front and behind the car.
13. On the copy layer Add Outer Glow effect and change blend to Overlay
14. Select top layer and change to Overlay
15. Add text
16. Add drop shadow or other layer styles
17. Reduce Fill in Layers to 0

Seam Carving - Image Resizing

Video showing image resizing using "Seam Carving" can be viewed by clicking here.

HumanSoftwar's new plugin filter XFile V2 for Photoshop uses "Seam Carving" can be found on the HumanSoftware web site, http://www.humansoftware.com/pages1200/XFile/HSxfil0.html

The site for online image resizing using "Seam Carving" is http://rsizr.com/. This is free.

The Fractalius Plugin filter link was placed on this blog earlier but to help find it I've added it again, http://www.redfieldplugins.com/