Although the use of filters is simple, you can often get some good effects. Most of these effects are random and illusory, and are highly adjustable. You can create other effects by slightly modifying the parameters, especially when multiple filters are used in combination. But remember that filters are only one part of a complete work. In the basic part, we did not introduce too much about the actual use of filters. Firstly, it is due to space limitations, and secondly, we do not want everyone to use filters too much in the beginner stage, thus forming a dependence on filters.
Most filters add effects based on the original image and do not affect the overall outline of the image (except for extreme settings), such as the frequently used Gaussian blur, mosaics, noise reduction, waves, etc. One thing they all have in common is that they must rely on existing images. There is a type of filter that is more special, that is, the rendering filter , which is a dedicated rendering category in the filter menu. Their characteristic is that they can generate images by themselves. The typical representative is the cloud filter, which uses the foreground and background colors to generate Random cloud effect. Because it is random, the images generated are different every time.
A brother of the cloud filter is the layered cloud filter . The difference between the two is that the former only generates images based on the foreground and background colors. The latter, in addition to color, also refers to the original image. Therefore, after using the cloud filter ten times in a row, the effect will look the same as after the first use. The more times the layered cloud filter is used in a row, the sharper the cloud edges in the image will appear. The principle of fiber filter is also similar, but the image style produced is different from the previous two. These three are the most commonly used filters for making special applications. Most of our subsequent special effects examples will use them as a starting point.
Lighting effect filters, which also belong to the rendering category, are rarely used due to their mediocre effects (similar to gradients). Lens flare filters require the original image to have obvious effects, and are also rarely used.
A typical production process for cloud-like special effects is as follows:
1. Create a new image, set the foreground color and background color to the default black at the front and white at the back, and use the cloud filter to create a grayscale image.
2. Then use color adjustment commands such as curves or levels to improve contrast.
3. Use other filters for further processing.
4. Use color adjustment commands or gradient mapping to colorize grayscale images.
5. Some other post-processing.
6. Crop the image area.
Among them, steps 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are not necessary, and the order is not fixed and can be freely used. The last step 6 may seem far-fetched, but it is very important for web page production, because we cannot let a special effects image take up too much web page area. In addition, if a finished special effect looks mediocre as a whole, don’t throw it away casually. If you crop it carefully, you can still get a very good final image. This is just like the framing of photography. Photographers do not necessarily have to shoot famous mountains and rivers. Sewers and even garbage dumps can also create artistic conception.
The first thing everyone remembers is to create in grayscale first and then color it later, so that you can have more control over the effect. There is also the principle of retaining maximum editability and using adjustment layers and smart objects (must be Photoshop CS3 version) for other operations. In this way, parameters can be changed at any time to create different effects.
The next step is to master the principles and usage of gradient mapping. It is located at the end of Chapter 14 of the basic tutorial. That section that seems to have nothing to do with filters is actually a preliminary step for everyone to continue learning the current content.
Next we will follow the above process to create a simple cloud special effect.
1. Create a new 300×300 white background image, use [Filter>Render>Layered Clouds] with the default front black and back white, and then [CTRL+F] repeat 5 to 10 times to get something roughly as shown below. Grayscale image.
2. Use the Gradient Map adjustment layer and set the gradient to black, red, yellow and white to color the grayscale image. The effect is roughly as shown in the picture below.
3. Use [Layer>Smart Object>Convert to Smart Object] or directly right-click on the layer in the layers palette and select "Convert to Smart Object". Then use [Filter>Blur>Radial Blur] on it, and the effect is roughly as shown in the left picture below. The layer palette at this time is roughly as shown in the right picture below. Click the filter name at the red arrow to adjust the filter parameters. Click at the blue arrow.
flag to change the filter's blending options.
As shown in the picture below, change the blending option of Radial Blur to "Brighten", and the image effect is as shown in the picture on the right below. We call it effect number 1.
If it is changed to "Multiply", the effect will be as shown in the following drawing; if it is changed to "Difference", the effect will be as shown in the following drawing. Call them Effects No. 2 and No. 3.
4. Crop the image, as shown in the left and right images below. Take an 80×80 square area in Effect No. 1 and Effect No. 2 respectively, which can be used as an icon on the web page.
As for effect No. 3, we use a mask to turn it into a perfect circle. The image effect is as shown in the left picture below. The layers palette is shown below on the right. If you can't understand the layer palette here, it means you haven't mastered the basics well. This image is suitable for creating a mysterious atmosphere in a large black background. You can try it yourself.
At this point, the task of the filter is completed. As you can see, if you want to achieve good effects, a simple filter is not enough, and you need to use some other means. In the entire production process, slightly changing or replacing some steps can result in a completely different final product. Some textbooks boast 300 or 500 examples, but in fact they all lead to the same goal by different paths (to be precise, different paths lead to the same path). As long as everyone Once you master the principles and change your thinking, you can create many examples yourself. In the above process, if you switch to other filters in step 3, it will be a new effect. It is very easy to create forty or fifty effects.
In the following tutorials, we will treat each effect as a small chapter, some of which are created by the author, and some of which are translated from abroad. But no matter what the method and effect is, everyone should draw inferences from one example just like the example just now. That's really why we write tutorials.
After the exciting "filter time" has passed, you might as well calm down and use existing finished products to create creative combinations, as shown in the picture below. With a stroke style, two lines and some small text, you can create an effect similar to a science fiction briefing. Everyone, try your hand at it and see what kind of work you can make.