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immaculateanna aspnes | editorial boardmaterials: Photoshop (Adobe) • paper, alpha, journal block from “Orchid Row” kit, “Touch Up Paint Brushes” by Katie Pertiet; “Always Corner Brushes,” “Paisley Forest Overlays” by Mary-Ann Wise (designerdigitals.com) • white notebook paper from “Book Bag Essentials” kit by Gina Cabrera (digitaldesignessentials.com) • “Spider Brush” by Anna Aspnes • Dream Orphans and SlabserifXhigh fonts |
the progressive page
brushworks and blending modes for spring
by anna aspnes
Welcome to “the progressive page.” In this column we take a good, basic page layout, then take it to the intermediate level, and finally to the advanced level. With each step we show you how more advanced tools and techniques can add to a page. This month we feature a layout by Editorial Board member Anna Aspnes. The image at right is Anna's final page. Read below to find out how she got there.
Software: Photoshop CS2
There’s more to spring than Easter and the flowers bursting into bloom. This was my inspiration for my “Immaculate” page, which describes how I feel about spring right now.
I assembled the basic page using a neutral paper and simple elements with the addition of a Drop Shadow Layer Style to create dimension. (Realistic Drop Shadows have a maximum distance and size of 3 pixels and are gray as opposed to black.) I like to place digital elements behind and in front of my photos for visual interest. To move and resize the three photos simultaneously, I selected all three photo layers in the Layers palette at the same time. I used brushes to complement the title and complete the page.
Anna’s basic page layout.
A simple way to add complexity is by experimenting with Blending Modes. These are located in the Layers palette in a drop-down menu (the default is Normal). Blending Modes create cool effects by changing how one layer’s light qualities are mixed with the qualities of the layer beneath it.
Location of Blending Modes in the Layers palette
Experiment with Blending Modes to get a feel for when and how to use them. You can scroll through them by pressing the DOWN ARROW. Select each one to try it, and then use the Undo command (CTRL+Z) if you don’t want to keep the effect. You can also add these modes to digital elements on top of a photo to change the photo’s appearance.
For example, I applied the Multiply mode to the top photo and script layer to allow my background paper to show through. I used the Color Burn mode on the middle photo to "burn" the image onto my background, and I added the Overlay mode to the journaling block layer on top of the bottom photo to lighten it. I also added Pin Light mode to the notepaper layerto add subtle interest.
Often when you apply a Blending Mode, some of the image details can become either lost or too vivid. You can use the Burn tool in the former to darken areas of an image or the Dodge tool to lighten them. Both tools work the same way as the Brush tool, in that you can adjust their size, hardness and opacity.
Try adding interest to a title by using a second color to highlight and personalize an initial or create a clever play on words. Selectone or more letters and use the Color Swatches palette to choose a new color.
Anna's page after applying Blending Modes.
Now take your page to the next level by creating depth with brushes. Use decorative brusheswith the Brush tool to paint or add digital “stamps” to your page. You can also use them with the Eraser tool to subtract areas from an image. I used a decorative corner brush to erase the edges of the enlarged photo and the notepaper. You can change the Diameter (size in pixels), Opacity, Angle and otherbrush settingsin the options barand Brushes palette. You can also apply Blending Modes directly to brushes.
My next step was to modify my photos. First, I enlarged the photo of me for emphasis. Then I wanted to lighten the photo and eliminate most of the distractions of the background (calling “blowing out the background”). Because this photo has a light background, I first adjusted the Curves feature (Adjustments>Curves) by clicking on the diagonal line within the Curves box and dragging upwards with my mouse/pen. I then tweaked the contrast by adjusting the sliders slightly in the Levels box (Adjustments>Levels). I removed any remaining details by using the Eraser tool set with a soft round brush at high opacity. (You can also use the Dodge tool to eliminate stray details.)
In an opposite problem, some details in the middle photo were lost when I applied the Color Burn mode. One way to reestablish these details is to create a new layer behind the photo layer and apply a brush stroke such as a large soft round brush or a custom brush with high opacity. Always create a new layerfor each new brush so that you can add and delete brush strokes easily and selectively (without having to delete all brushwork if you make a mistake).
Finally, to add a pale, enlarged spider behind the black one, I selected the existing spider layer, then chose Duplicate Layer. Then I enlarged the new spider by pressing SHIFT while dragging a corner handle until the image size balanced the other enlarged photos. (Pressing SHIFT ensures that the enlargement occurs proportionately.) To recolor the spider, I used the Gradient tool and applied the Hard Light Mode. Next, I copied a page overlay file into my document as a new layer. Using the Gradient Map tool, I recolored this layer to a grayish brown and then applied the Hard Light mode with increased opacity to this layer to finish the page.
Anna's final, advanced page.
