Psychedelic Backgrounds and Patterns(Gradiant tool)

By

Psychedelic Backgrounds and Patterns

This tutorial will demonstrate a quick and easy method to create really wild psychedelic backgrounds. Backgrounds like these would be extremely difficult to paint by hand, but there's a trick to doing them in Photoshop in a matter of seconds.
Keywords:
rainbow backgrounds, psychedelic patterns, cool textures, kaleidoscope effect
Features Used:



1

Start with an new empty image file. For this demonstration, I used one that was 800 pixels square, but you can use any size you need. I also started the new image with a transparent background, but you can start with any color background you want.

2

Next select the Gradient Tool  and select one of the colorful gradient patterns. I selected the blue-red-yellow gradient. Now set the blending mode to Difference. This is the important part. This technique requires the Difference mode. Your tool bar should look like this:

 
 
 

3

Now create your first gradient by clicking at a random location in the image and dragging the mouse in any direction for a random distance. I started my image with a transparent background and clicked in the lower left and dragged toward the upper right. Here's what I got:
It's just a basic gradient and not very exciting yet, but it will soon get better.

4

Now pick another random location and continue to click and drag in random directions and random lengths. The Difference blending mode will cause wild things to happen quickly. Here's what I got after just five swipes of the mouse:
Notice how the image alternates between light and dark colors on each swipe of the mouse. Painting the above by hand would be incredibly time consuming, but we did it in seconds using this quick technique.

5

There are several things you can do to get even further variation. First, if the colors are getting too dark, try using Image->Adjustments->Invert. This will invert all the colors and then you can continue making swipes to apply further gradients on top.
You can also select different gradient colors and different gradient patterns such as the radial gradient.
I continued by using an inversion and a few more swipes of the mouse, stopping when I got something I liked. Here's my final pattern:
Cool, huh? Remember you can start with any color in the background to start off, which gives even more variations. Just experiment and have fun.

gradient tool, Difference blending mode


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3D Text Effect Using Photoshop Layer Styles

By
Image
Close-up For Mac users: ctrl=cmd Step 1 Create a new document in Photoshop. The size I’m using is 1920×1200 pixels. Fill the background with a color of your choice. I want to create a grunge background for the text. There are several ways to create a grunge background. I generally use a texture set on overlay, with the layer immediately below filled with a dark color, as you can see in  this tutorial . Today, I will use a pattern. In  my last tutorial  I explained how to create a custom grunge pattern from scratch. For the background of this tutorial I’m going to use use a dark pattern from the  Tileable subtle grunge patterns  set. Just double click on the background layer to open the layer styles window, click on “pattern overlay” and select the pattern you prefer. If you don’t like the patterns visible in your library, click on the arrow near the pattern thumbnail and select another set from one available in the library. If you want to ins...
Read more

Understanding Histograms – Low-Key And High-Key Images

By
Image
Let's begin by looking at an image that benefits from the "typical" exposure we talked about earlier, with a full range of brightness values from black to white ( woman in orchard photo  from Fotolia): An image with a "typical" exposure. We'll use Photoshop's Levels dialog box once again to help us read and evaluate the histogram. To open Levels, I'll go up to the  Image  menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen, then I'll choose  Adjustments , then  Levels . I could also open Levels using the faster keyboard shortcut,  Ctrl+L  (Win) /  Command+L  (Mac). Either way works: Going to Image > Adjustments > Levels. This opens the Levels dialog box with the histogram in the center, along with the handy black-to-white gradient bar below it: The Levels dialog box showing the image histogram. I'll zoom in closer to the histogram so we can get a better view, and here we see that this image contains a full range of tonal valu...
Read more

Change Eye Color In An Image With Photoshop

By
Image
Step 1: Zoom In On The Eyes Before we begin, let's make it easier to see what we're doing by zooming in on the eyes in the photo. Select Photoshop's  Zoom Tool  from the Tools panel. You can also select the Zoom Tool by pressing the letter  Z  on your keyboard: Selecting the Zoom Tool. With the Zoom Tool selected, click a few times on the area between the eyes (the upper nose area) so we're zooming in on both eyes at once. If you need to center the eyes on your screen after you've zoomed in, press the  H  key on your keyboard to switch to Photoshop's  Hand Tool  (your mouse cursor will change from a magnifying glass into a hand icon), then click and drag the image into position: Zooming in on the eyes and centering them on the screen. Step 2: Select The Lasso Tool We want to change the eye color without affecting the rest of the image, which means we need to select the eyes. For that, we'll use the  Lasso Tool . Select the Las...
Read more

Create a "Sports Center" Style 3D Text Effect in Photoshop

By
Image
If you have ever watched a sporting event on television, you have probably noticed some of the 3D graphics that television networks use during the programming. In this tutorial, I will show you how to create your own "Sports Center" inspired graphics using Photoshop CS6's 3D capabilities combined with  Filter Forge . In the process, we will show you how to use several tools including basic shapes, gradients, patterns, and textures. Let's get started! Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by  Filter Forge  and was written and/or edited by the Tuts+ team. Our aim with sponsored content is to publish relevant and objective tutorials, case studies, and inspirational interviews that offer genuine educational value to our readers and enable us to fund the creation of more useful content. Tutorial Assets The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial. Sci-Fi Mega Metal 1  by Ronjonie 3 Way Color Correction  by Tinke...
Read more

Screen Jumping Effect In Photoshop

By
Image
In a previous tutorial, we learned how Photoshop's  Paste Into  command lets us easily place one photo into a selected area of another photo. In that tutorial, we recreated the same effect seen every week in electronics store flyers where the latest movie or video game is displayed on all the latest big screen HDTV's. In this tutorial, we'll add more action and excitement to the effect by making a person or object appear to be leaping right out of the screen! To create this effect, you'll need a photo of a tv, computer monitor, cell phone or something similar (a quick Google search will give you lots of choices), and you'll need the photo that contains the person or object that will be jumping out of the screen. I'll be using Photoshop CS5 throughout this tutorial, but any recent version of Photoshop will work. Here's the effect we're going for: Who needs an expensive 3D tv when you've got Photoshop! How To Create A Screen Jumping Effect ...
Read more

Place An Image Inside A Shape With Photoshop

By
Image
image inside a shape with Photoshop ! As we'll see, Photoshop makes it easy to place any image into any type of shape, from a basic rectangle or circle to a fancy custom shape. For this tutorial, we'll use one of Photoshop's ready-made custom shapes. But once you've learned the steps, you can start placing images into any shape you like! I'll be using Photoshop CC here but everything we'll be doing is also compatible with Photoshop CS6. Here's what the final "image in shape" effect will look like when we're done. Of course, this is just one example of the effect. There are many shapes to choose from in Photoshop, and you can even create your own. So once you've learned the steps, there's really no limit to what you can do: The final "image in shape" effect. How To Fill A Shape With An Image In Photoshop Step 1: Create A New Document Let's start by creating a new document. Go up to the  File  menu in the Menu ...
Read more

Create an Elegant 3D Text Effect in Photoshop CS6

By
Image
This tutorial will show you how to use Photoshop CS6's Shape Attributes and 3D capabilities to create an elegant royal 3D text effect. It will guide you through modifying the shape settings, working on the 3D elements, creating the different materials, Adjusting the lights, and modifying the rendered result. Let's get started! Tutorial Assets Elsie  font. Padded pattern  by Chris Baldie. Tileable Light Wood Textures  by WebTreatsETC. Metallic pipes texture  by fotofreccia (the small image will suffice). Gradient-shapes for Photoshop  by ilnanny (Load the METALS.grd file). Step 1 Create a new 1000 x 800 px document, and fill the Background with Black. Create the text in White, using the font Elsie, the font Size 250 pt, and set the Tracking value to 50. Step 2 Go to Type > Convert to Shape. This will convert the text layer into a shape layer, which means it won't be editable as text anymore. So make sure to modify the text before you c...
Read more

Non-Destructive Dodge and Burn in Photoshop

By
Image
It may be hard to believe these days, but there was a time not so long ago when cameras were not digital, and photo developing was done in a lab, not on your computer. Digital cameras and Photoshop may have brought the world of photo editing out of the darkroom and into your living room (or wherever your computer happens to be), but many of Photoshop's tools and features have their roots in traditional film development. Two great examples of this are Photoshop's  Dodge  and  Burn  tools, both of which are found in the Tools palette. The terms "dodge" and "burn" refer to techniques that were used to either lighten (dodge) or darken (burn) specific areas of a photo by increasing or limiting the exposure in those areas. The Dodge and Burn tools in Photoshop are the digital versions of these techniques and are often used to either lighten underexposed areas of a photo or darken overexposed areas. As useful as the Dodge and Burn tools are, however, they bot...
Read more

Creating an Embedded Concrete Effect Using Layer Styles Only

By
Image
First up, you’ll need this texture pattern to follow along with the tutorial.  Download it here. Double+click the .pat file to install it. Here’s a look at what we’ll be creating. Step 1 – Creating the Background Create a new document. Mine is 558×600 72 dpi. On a new layer, fill with any color you choose. Then double+click the layer to open the layer styles window. Apply the following settings. For the pattern, choose the grunge pattern from the download. You should end up with something like this. Not bad for just a few layer styles, right? Step 2 – Adding and styling the text. Next, we need to add some text. Any text will do. In my example I used Impact for the font. I also tilted it a little bit to the left. Once you’ve entered your text, apply the following layer styles. Your text should now look similar to mine. Step 3 – Final Touches For some final adjustments, I rasterized the text. Then I used a brush from the  Free Dust...
Read more

Create a Text Portrait in Photoshop

By
Image
oday you will learn a fast, easy and effective way to create a modern calligram. It is a great effect made entirely in Photoshop that will transform any image into a text-made one. According to Wikipedia, a calligram is: “a text visually arranged in a way that it forms an image associated with the text's contents. It can be a poem, a phrase, or a single word; the visual arrangement can rely on certain use of the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting, for instance along non-parallel and curved text lines, or in shaped paragraphs.” But today, we will make a 21 century calligram using Photoshop. Step 1 Open you image into Photoshop. I will be using a stock image of a smiling woman at 1200px x 795px, but you can use any image you want (animals, objects, etc) with any dimensions. Step 2 Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer. Name this layer as “B&W” and click OK. Step 3 Select the “B&W” layer in the layers panel and go to Image > Adjustments > Desatura...
Read more