I love working with blending modes, but to tell the truth if I tried to read up about how each separate one works and the technical details behind them I'd just get a headache. Like Kiwipix wrote, I also just mess about and see which one works best for whatever effect I am looking for.
I love working with blending modes, but to tell the truth if I tried to read up about how each separate one works and the technical details behind them I'd just get a headache. Like Kiwipix wrote, I also just mess about and see which one works best for whatever effect I am looking for.
Did you check the link I just posted? He's "like us", and it's a very lucid, even slightly humorous, explanation of the modes in real-world terms, including terms of frustration at the more obscure ones.
Incidentally, his site does the same with most photoshop functions. Well worth bookmarking.
Did you check the link I just posted? He's "like us", and it's a very lucid, even slightly humorous, explanation of the modes in real-world terms, including terms of frustration at the more obscure ones.
Incidentally, his site does the same with most photoshop functions. Well worth bookmarking.
Ok, I went through both links and I'm already having a headache... so what is the right way to start playing with Blending modes? just duplicate the image on different layers and start applying different blending modes?.
I have seen some images here that look great, some from Joey Lawrence. How can I start? I have played with duplicates of my layers... and I am not really going anywhere, I think Im missing something
Ok, I went through both links and I'm already having a headache... so what is the right way to start playing with Blending modes? just duplicate the image on different layers and start applying different blending modes?.
I have seen some images here that look great, some from Joey Lawrence. How can I start? I have played with duplicates of my layers... and I am not really going anywhere, I think Im missing something
Thank you for your advise
There's a couple components to this; FIRST, you do somethign that's "different", on a new layer, THEN you change blending modes to change how it affects the layer underneath.
You might start by taking a perfectly ordinary picture, of a landscape say, and making a new layer from BG; this will be identical. Then go to "image/adjustments" and change the levels to make it more contrasty, or the hue/sat to make the colors different, whatever. Now use the rectangular marquee to select the right half of this second layer and delete it.
Now start changing the blending modes of the top layer, and watch what happens in relation to the exposed portion of the BG Layer.
Do this in various iterations of the original, some more subtle and others less subtle, and you'll get a feel for how they interact.
In "normal" photoshopping, two of the most useful blending modes are "multiply" and "screen". Try placing a simple duplicate layer on top of the BG layer, cut off the right half as above, and change mode of the dupe to multiply and then to screen, and you'll see what I mean.
Be aware also that you can asjust the OPACITY of these overlaying layers to mute the effect.
