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A large part of my day is focused on training
aspects of Photoshop and graphics techniques. In truth the
majority of this time is taken up in research and testing, and
not so much writing tutorials. A considerable amount of effort
goes into learning a technique, especially when the intended
result is to teach others the same effect with some modicum of
authority. I don't mind research, as often the result is some
truth previously overlooked which can effect the information
given to others. Tutorials writers don't compete, but rather
feed off each other. I like to think my work enhances the work
of others to the benefit of those seeking such information, and
should never be considered a contest for popularity. I may be
the only person who has this view, but combative tutorial
writing is considered a contact sport in some circles.
One of the best tutorials I've seen of late was
found in Mac Today Magazine, concerning the Blue Gel Button. The
effect is wonderful, and I had the great pleasure of watching
this technique being taught at the MacWorld conference by the
guys at NAPP. I'm not going to go through the creation of the
button, as it has since been done to death, including an action
to create it on my own site. (Shameless Self Promo Alert! You
can download the Button Action at http://actionfx.com)
There is a technique concerning the lighting and
shading of the bevel in that tutorial that has opened new doors
for me, and I thought I would share it with you. And what better
way to share it than to show you! Here's a demonstration.
To start, I have a 2 layer image (white
background, 50% gray text).
I hope that you are becoming familiar with Layer
Styles in Photoshop 6, as we will use these to turn our type
into some form of plastic or glass. I'm going into this with
little idea what the end result will be… it makes the process a
bit more interesting that way!
On the type layer, I'm going to apply a bevel.
As I am going for a glassy effect I want a soft bevel. With this
in mind, my initial settings are:
Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 250%
Direction: Up
Size: 12
Soften: 5
All other settings are at default. Here's the
image now:
Now that the shape of the type is established,
it is time to work on the shading. This is where things start
coming together.
The trick here concerns the 'Shadow Mode'. You
will see the Photoshop default setting is 75% black, mode set to
multiply. Also the highlight mode is set to 75% white. Let's
bump that up to 100%. Change the Shadow mode color to something
very light, though not white. My color number for this example
is #FFE5BC. Also, I'm changing the mode from multiply to screen.
I've changed the opacity to 88. Here's the result:
Sorta needs something, doesn't it? Let's add
some color. I'm adding a Color Overlay with #FF7200 set to 75%.
Now I'm duplicating the type layer and setting it to overlay.
I'm continuing to work on the original layer, however.
If you have been viewing the styles that shipped
with Photoshop, you may have noticed that right now your type
resembles the effect in the 'Glass Rollover' styles pack. Those
styles are another excellent resource for learning shading, and
I strongly urge you to get into the settings those effects
apply. They will teach you much, Young Grasshopper.
As I continue, I'm applying a Gradient Overlay
to our original text layer with the following settings:
I am also applying a Stroke using a gradient.
Here is the image:
Remember the duplicated layer? Create a layer
beneath that one and reselect the duplicated layer. Merge down,
change the mode to overlay. On the original type layer I've
moved the bevel slider to 16.
So is the image transparent? Try dropping an
image below the top layer, and set the image to overlay as well.
Here's mine:
This example has been fairly quick just to give
you some basics. I have created actions that take things to a
much higher level, and I'm including 2 of them with this
article. You may find more similar on my website
frazzleGlass.atn
Here's one of my personal favorites:
IntenseGlass.atn |