Add a Background Texture Layer

  

Last week we learned how to copy a free image from Google Images to use with our Photoshop image.

Today we'll take that image and paste it over our Photoshop image to create a textured layer background.

Click on any image to enlarge.

• Open an image in Photoshop that you would like to add a textured background to.
• Find a texture that you like in Google images (or where ever else you'd like) and then copy and paste it onto your already open image in Photoshop. (Ctrl/Cmd V to paste) (See last week's tip on how to find free Google images)
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• After you've pasted your texture layer onto your picture in Photoshop select the texture layer and choose Free Transform under the Edit menu (Edit>Free Transform). You'll see the little handles around the edge of the texture image now. Just pull and stretch your texture image to fit over your Photoshop image from corner to corner. You may want to resize your Photoshop image down first if it's much larger than your texture image. (The free downloadable textures from Google are quite small but you can always buy larger higher res files from places like istockphoto.com ...or shoot your own backgrounds!) Once you get the texture layer sized to fit over your Photoshop picture be sure to check the OK box on the menu bar.
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• Next we want to change the Blend Mode to Multiply. Be sure your Texture layer is selected and double click the thumbnail texture image to bring up the Layer Style Dialog box. Change the Blend Mode to Multiply. Click OK.
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• Your image will be pretty dark with this new layer applied over it but you can lighten it by changing the Opacity slider.
• Since we want the texture to affect just the background we'll add a layer mask to the texture layer and paint over the areas that we DON'T want the texture to show through on. Choose a soft brush and be sure your foreground is set to black. Begin painting. In my case I've painted over the horse because I want it to remain light and without a lot of the background texture on it. You can hit Control/Command J to copy this layer if you'd like to darken the background more after you've finished painting on your mask. Remember that you can "erase" anything that you've painted by changing your foreground color to white. White erases, Black paints.
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• That's it!
• Once you get the hang of this technique it will be quite easy to add different background texture layers to many of your images. Have fun!

Free Images from Google

There are times when you want an image to use as a background for a texture in an image that you are working on and don't have the time or where-with-all to go out and shoot for it. There are many sites on the internet where you can buy and download images to use as textures or background replacements.

But a FREE and LEGAL way to get images quickly was just brought to my attention. Google has hundreds of different images in many different subjects that you can choose from, download instantly and they are all FREE.  Click on any image below to enlarge.

Here's how you find them:

1. Open www.Google.com and click on the Advanced Image Search line to the right of the Search Images button.
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3. Once you are in the Advanced Image Search dialog box you'll be able to type in the kind of image you are looking for. In my example I am looking for images of "leather textures". You can search for photos, line drawings, clip art, etc. of your subject under Content Types. You can search for particular sizes of images, etc.
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5. In the Usage Rights dialog box you can choose the type of usage you are wanting the image for. If you want to use a picture for an composite that you are working on in Photoshop that you will modify (like a leather texture, or background using a beach scene) choose the "Labeled for reuse with modification" selection.
6. I would suggest that you read the Google Usage Rights information before using an image. Just click on the "More info" tab to bring up that information.
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8. When you find the image that you like simply click on it. Next you'll get a dialog box like this:
9. Click "see full size image" and then right click on the image. Here you can choose what you want to do with it. To bring the image into Photoshop we'll just choose "Copy Image" and then go to Photoshop and Paste it into a new document or into an already opened document.
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11. Next week we'll look at how to use these downloaded images as backgrounds in an already existing photo.

Blur the Background

This week we are going to take a photo and blur the background. We can also create a soft overall focus with the same technique in a just few easy steps. Click on any image to enlarge.

1. Open your image and press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to duplicate the Background layer. Click on the Filter Menu and choose Blur>Gaussian Blur. Set the pixel radius setting to how much blur you would like. We are going to paint back in the areas that you want less blurred. So if you want the background really blurred out a lot then go for a higher radius. This may be something that you'd want to experiment with depending on your image and the effect you want to gain.
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4. Click OK after you have set your radius.
5. Your photo will now look blurry all over. You can also drop the opacity of your blurred layer down to around 50% or 60% if you want to reveal more from the sharp background layer below. 
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7. Next, you will create a Layer Mask on your blur layer. Click on the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette. Then choose a soft brush and begin painting. Make sure that your foreground color is Black to reveal the sharpness. If you'd like to go back and erase what you have done (making parts of the image more blurred again) simply change your foreground color to White and paint over. 
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10. Play around with all of these settings for different effects and different levels of blur. It can be a lot of fun!

Week #9: Painting a Black/White Image with Selective Color

This is my favorite way to quickly add color to a black and white image: (click any images to enlarge)

1. First, open your image and convert it to black and white if it isn't already converted.
2. To convert to black and white see my PS Tips Blog Week #5: Quick Conversion to BW, or you can use a Black and White Adjustment Layer to convert. Click on the Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette dialog box.
3. Make sure your new Adjustment Layer is selected in the Layers Palette. Next, simply paint the color back into the areas you wish. Choose a brush from the brush palette (hit B on your keyboard to change to the brush tool). Make sure you are painting with a BLACK brush (choose black for your foreground color) on the areas that you want to REVEAL the color.
4. If you go over the lines of an area that you are painting (in other words, if you mess up!) simply paint with a WHITE brush. (Change the foreground color to white by hitting the X on your keyboard). Now you can erase the areas where you went over the lines.
5. That's it! With a little practice and experimentation with brush sizes and opacity you will be able to create your masterpiece! 
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Week #8 - Add a Photo Frame to your image

This is a fun way to add a frame or border to your image while using the same photo.

1. First, open your image and duplicate the background layer in your Layers Palette. (Command-J on a Mac, Control-J on a PC)

2. With the duplicate layer selected, press Command or Control-T, or go to Edit>Free Transform menu. Option-Shift-Click (Mac) Alt-Shift-Click (PC) to constrain proportions and keep your image centered, then drag a corner handle toward the center. Press Return/Enter when you have the image sized as you like.

3. Select the Background Layer. Add a New Adjustment Layer (bottom of Layers Palette). Make the new layer a Hue/Saturation Layer. Lower the Saturation and increase the Lightness. You can watch the effects as you change the sliders on your image.

4. Select the layer of the scaled down image and Add a Layer Style (click the effects, "fx", symbol at the bottom of the Layers Palette). Choose Stroke from the effects pop up menu. Once the Layer Style dialog box is open you can create your edge around the smaller image. Click on the color swatch and choose a color. Hover over the image with your cursor until you see the eyedropper tool. Then click on a Color in the image that you would like for the border. Make sure that the Position is set to Inside. Increase the Size (width) of the line to what you'd like.

5. Variations of this technique can be applied by choosing different Filters from the Filter menu. While leaving everything as you've already done, duplicate your Background Layer. Then simply go up to the Filter menu and experiment with different effects that you get from the various filters. Here are three that I tried using the Gaussian Blur, Glow Edge and Mosaic Tile filters. You can try many more!

Week 7 - Lighting Effect using a Curves Adjustment Layer

This simple lighting effect can be created in just a couple of easy steps.

Here is the original image that we will work on today.

First, click on the Create a New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer. Click on the top right point of the curve and drag it down the right side until you reach an Output number of around 70 or 80.

Second, choose a very large soft Brush (press B on your keyboard to select a brush). Be sure that your Foreground is set to black. Set the Opacity of the brush to 60%. Click once on the image where you would like to add your lighting. For instance, I made my brush large enough to cover the horses' eye and face and clicked there. Then lower your brush opacity to around 20%, move your brush tool to another spot, somewhere away from the first lighting effect, and click again. Keep clicking until you have the amount of light that you'd like. I clicked four times with the 20% brush after my first click with the 60% brush.

Here's the final image after adding the Curves Adjustment Layer and the five clicks with a large soft brush. Have fun!

Photo Shop Tip #6 - Layer Styles: Another easy way to Tint and image and add a Glow Vignette

This week we're going to add a sepia tint and a glow border to your image in just a few easy steps using Layer Styles.

First, duplicate your original image. (Image>Duplicate) Double-click your background layer to unlock it so that you can add effects.

Next we're going to add layer styles to your background layer beginning with a Color Overlay.

Step 1: At the bottom of your Layers Palette click on the "fx" icon, second from the left, to bring up the Layers Styles. Choose Color Overlay. Change the Blend Mode pop-up to Color. Click on the color swatch and choose a color. In this case I chose a brownish tone of H:30, S:75, B:50. You can also lower the opacity slider a little bit if you like. I lowered mine to 90%.

Step 2: Next we want to add an Inner Glow Layer Style for a soft vignette around the edge of the image. While still in the Layer Style dialog box, choose Inner Glow from the options on the left-hand side. Click on the Color Swatch and type in the same Hue setting (H:30) in the Color Picker as we did in Step 1. Play with different saturation and brightness settings until you find one that you like. After you click OK in the color picker, adjust the Size Slider to control the size of your vignette.