How do you make gradient in Photoshop?

[Tran]

Like this picture?



With Paint.NET, I can just put two pictures, then drag a line, and it's done.

With Adobe Photoshop CS2, I simply have no idea how to do that. Dragging a gradient line simply can't "remove" part of the picture, at best I can only place another "gradient color" on top of it. I've been Googling for Gradient tutorial too, but none explain what I needed. I know this sound silly, but I have never figured out how to do that in Photoshop

Anyone have any idea?

[sapi]

Gradient with two pictures, do you mean?

I've no real experience with that, but you could always achieve such an effect with the feather tool...

I suggest that you pm Kraellin if you continue to have troubles - he seems to be the resident PS whizz.

[Tran]

Gradient with two pictures, do you mean?

Exactly.

By the way, I'd prefer to discuss this openly in the thread. Therefore, we (beginner) all can at least learn something

[Lemur]

I know how to do it, but not how to describe it. Frustrating. Here's an online tutorial on the gradient tool, which may be of some help.

[Tran]

Sorry, but I can't find anything that taught me how to do it there.

[macsen rufus]

In Photoshop the secret is to use layer masks:

You need two layers to start with, one for each image, and I think they both have to be added as layers, don't think it works on background layer. Needs to be in RGB mode.

Keep your HISTORY window open as there's likely to be a lot of trial and error as you will probably want to change the results a few time

For each layer the process will be the same:

1) go to LAYERS > ADD LAYER MASK > HIDE ALL
2) open gradient tool (you might need to right-click your paint-bucket tool to find it)
3) at the top of your workspace there are gradient options
4) select a linear gradient from the four little icons there (but do feel free to play with radial, reflected etc, it's fun!)
5) open the drop-down menu from the gradient display and select "FOREGROUND to TRANSPARENT"
6) if you want a left-right gradient drag your cursor across the layer mask horizontally
7) go to LAYERS>REMOVE LAYER MASK>APPLY
8) you should now see the original image fade from 100% opacity to transparent across the area you dragged (if not then my memory is not as good as I thought )
9) a tip: a gradient will only work over the area dragged, so if you want a small area of fade but leave a larger area unfaded, just drag a short line near the middle of the image then you'll have a solid area, a rapid fade, then a transparent area

REPEAT on the other layer, but dragging your gradient tool in the opposite direction. You should now have two fades that overlap -- if you're happy with the results goto LAYERS>MERGE VISIBLEand that will leave you a single layer with the two images fading into each other.

Good luck!

[Xiahou]

In Photoshop the secret is to use layer masks:

That's definitely the way to go. I can't speak for the specific syntax, since I use the GIMP, but I use the same technique fairly regularly to blend a brighter copy of a picture with its original to brighten the foreground without blowing out the background- or visa versa.

Here's what I do in the GIMP. To blend different pictures just use a different picture instead of the brightened copy of the original. I realize this may not help the OP, but others here who use the GIMP might benefit.

[Tran]

In Photoshop the secret is to use layer masks:

Darn! I never knew this "secret" before. Thank for sharing and for the very-detailed-tutorial, rufus!

Now I can create gradient effect with Photoshop

Anyway, I assume layer mask is pretty important for many other image "effect creation" in Photoshop, yes?

[Lemur]

Photoshop is all about the layers, in the same way that Illustrator is all about the pen tool.

[macsen rufus]

Photoshop is all about the layers

I love Photoshop, it's my second favourite toy after MTW

After layer masks, some of my most used tools are texture filters, lighting effects and hue/contrast adjustments. Now if only it would work with BIF files my life would be complete

[Shahed]

Like this picture?



With Paint.NET, I can just put two pictures, then drag a line, and it's done.

With Adobe Photoshop CS2, I simply have no idea how to do that. Dragging a gradient line simply can't "remove" part of the picture, at best I can only place another "gradient color" on top of it. I've been Googling for Gradient tutorial too, but none explain what I needed. I know this sound silly, but I have never figured out how to do that in Photoshop

Anyone have any idea?

Have a look at this tutorial, you can see the use of a gradient image here. This tut shows how to do it:

Crypels Tutorial

It is finally released! Before I give you the links some things I want to say. All I do is to show you how I work with the tools Photoshop offers. You decide yourself what things can be useful for your work, I don't want to force anyone to work like I do. There are thousands of other ways to do this. Also I hope this will bring you more enjoyment of digital imaging to you and I hope not to see just copies of my style, but lots of different works. If you want to, you can mention in your "credits" that my tutorial was helpful for you.

So here is the download link

http://rapidshare.com/files/19264674/TUTORIAL.wmv.html

Youtube coming soon

This version is 42 MB, I couldn't achieve the quality/file size I want, but I think Photoshop users should see what I am doing. If anyone wants the full quality version of 900 MB I could upload it as well.

So, have fun!

Ah and btw I used to paint/play Warhammer too for a while.

source: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...t=85200&page=2
MANY THANKS to crypel for the tut.

[Mithrandir]

I've been using Photoshop since "adding a new layer" meant adding a new layer of mud on the cavewall, but I never really followed tutorials etc. So I know some basics, some advanced stuff, but I don't have a solid understanding of all the options etc....

What are masks? Summarised?

And how does one "porn" up an image of someone, I mean airbrushing it to kingdom come?

[Shahed]

I really don't know much about PS.

I think masks are a sub function which allows you to add another aspect to the function that you are already using. For example in the above tutorial, crypel drags in the sky then he adds a mask to the image, then he uses background/foregroud (or vice versa) gradient. I do use that technique all the time but that's the best I can exmplain it.

No idea on how to airbrush, what I do is use the blur tool on skin with airbrush selected. That can work very well.

[Xiahou]

What are masks? Summarised?

In simplest terms, I'd say they do exactly what it sounds like- "mask" or cover up part of an image.

Referring again to the tutorial I linked earlier:

About Layers and Masks

The technique is a classic example of using layers and layer masks. If you don't know what these are here is an extremely short introduction to the basic concepts. Refer to the figures below when following the text.

All images in the GIMP can be composed of one or more layers. When an image is first loaded, it occupies the default Background layer, as shown in Figure 1 below. You can add additional layers on top of the background layer. These upper layers can contain anything you want. Frequently you want to create upper layers that are different versions of the same image. This is most easily accomplished by duplicating a layer, such as in Figure 2 where I duplicated the Background layer.

Each layer can be manipulated independently of the others. In Figure 3, I used a Levels adjustment on the upper layer to lighten it.

Now the good stuff. Layers can be combined in various ways to produce a single image, as if you were looking through the top layer down to the bottom. One way this can be done is by reducing the opacity of part or all of the upper layers. The opacity of a layer can be changed from 100% (opaque) to 0% (completely transparent) or anywhere in between.

It is also possible to make parts of the same layer have different opacities (or levels of transparency, if you prefer to think of it that way). Again, there are many ways to do this, but one of the most flexible ways is with a layer mask. A layer mask can be added to a layer and becomes one of its attributes. It is a grayscale image that is the same size as the layer. The layer mask has the effect of varying the opacity of each pixel in the the layer according to each corresponding pixel value in the mask. A black pixel in the mask makes the corresponding pixel in the layer completely transparent, a white pixel makes it completely opaque, and any value in between is interpreted as a percentage of opacity between these two extremes.

I'm sure you are beginning to see the possibilities. In Figure 4 we see a useful layer mask created for the upper layer in this image. Once the layer mask is added, it is filled with a gradient. It has the effect of carefully blending the upper layer image from completely opaque to totally transparent, as shown in Figure 5.

Note the real beauty of this approach: our original image is untouched on the background layer; the lightened image on layer 2 did not require any painstaking selection to only affect the required areas; and the layer mask (in this case) was trivial to create. For maximum flexibility you can save this image in the GIMP's native XCF format and it will retain all of the layered structure. This allows you to easily go back in and make additional adjustments, safe in the knowledge that your original unmodified image is conveniently available on the Background layer if you ever need to redo the upper layer or the layer mask. When you are ready to export the image to one of the more common image formats such as TIFF or JPEG it will flatten the image as shown in Figure 6.

I hope this gives you a basic foothold to grasp the concepts of layers and layer masks. Layer masks are just one of the many attributes that a layer can have. Other attributes such as the blend mode also affect how a layer combines with the other layers below it. A little further research into how layers work will pay off big rewards in your GIMP image editing abilities.

[LeftEyeNine]

Darn, I'm too late