shadows and stuff

[jeepmama]

Ok.... so I know I can just google "shadow tutorial" and probably get a ba-zillion different opinions on how to create good shadows, but I want to know from you guys....what's your secret???

You ladies have the layouts I love (...really, what I drool over! ) so I want it straight from the source. How do you make those elements pop?!?!

Specifically...

Do you shadow everything?
Do you ever use presets? (I use PSE 6)
When do you NOT shadow?
If you duplicate a layer and "warp" it (as I have seen it explained), then what the heck does "warp" mean and how do you do it?

I took a "class" at another forum, but it just didn't do what I wanted and my layouts still don't have the flair that y'alls do. (Yes...I said y'alls...I'm from the South, remember? :innocent ) I've seen improvement, of course, but I want jaws to drop when they open my page...heeehee!!

Thanks.... Y'ALL!

[crystalbella77]

* Do you shadow everything?---pretty much yes.
* Do you ever use presets? (I use PSE 6)---I do, but I always customize it. I start with the "Low" setting and the lower my opacity to 50 on everything and then I work with the height on each thing.
* When do you NOT shadow?--if it's a doodle that is supposed to look drawn on and with stamps and that kind of thing
* If you duplicate a layer and "warp" it (as I have seen it explained), then what the heck does "warp" mean and how do you do it?--no cause I dont' know how to do this in PSE. :)

[1girl1boy (leslie)]

crystal needs to hop in here and tell you what she does.

not that my shadows are fabulous or anything but i'll tell you what i do. i have a set of traci murphy shadows that i love to use for my stitching (which i love) and various elements. the rest of the time i start with the low preset drop shadow in my PSE5. i immediately change the color to a soft brown and then i just play with the size, distance and opacity until it looks good to me.

i do pretty much shadow everything except stamp and brushes (but even sometimes i do those really low).

the warping is much easier to do in PS than PSE so i don't really mess with that.

oh and feel free to say y'all anytime you like. this texas girl understand it perfectly! :giggle

eta...i see that crystal just posted before me.

[jeepmama]

hmmmmmm....soft brown.... never thought of that. will have to try that--sounds like it would be especially nice on my nature-themed LOs....

**tightening thinking cap**

[kristenrice]

I'll tell you mine :)

Yes, I shadow everything.

No, I never use "presets" per say. I just have my own personal settings I like to use for foliage and paper, etc.

Occasionally I will not shadow doodles, but sometimes I like to do those too just for added kick, depends on how the page is going. :giggle

I use a dark brown color for my shadows, very rarely do I use black, they look more realistic this way, in my opinion. I always do shadows on a separate layer and 90% of the time I use the Warp tool (under Edit > Transform > Warp in PS) on the shadow and play around until it looks real enough for me. :)

HTH!

[jsgus]

I kind of do what Kristen does, but instead of warping, I take the lazy way out and paint my own in if I want it to bend. I use a soft brush set on multiply for that and then reduce the opacity of the layer until I like it! :)

[1girl1boy (leslie)]

i forgot to say that i often paint my own shadows, too. PSE5 has a set of drop shadows brushes. just make them on their own layer and play with them until i like them.

[jsgus]

i forgot to say that i often paint my own shadows, too. PSE5 has a set of drop shadows brushes. just make them on their own layer and play with them until i like them.

I hate when I forget to put them in their own layer! :giggle I've definitely done that my fair share!

[kristenrice]

I kind of do what Kristen does, but instead of warping, I take the lazy way out and paint my own in if I want it to bend. I use a soft brush set on multiply for that and then reduce the opacity of the layer until I like it! :)

hehe! I do this too sometimes! And, as an alternative to brushing, sometimes I like to use the Dodge/Burn tools too! (I always forget which is which, LOL, I think the Burn is the one for the shadows! :p)

[nightlily]

Everything I do is pretty much listed here(I do my own every time, custom)... except:

I use the "Linear Burn" setting instead of multiply and THEN adjust opacity according to my determined lighting. This has worked better for me than using a color. :D

[jsgus]

Everything I do is pretty much listed here(I do my own every time, custom)... except:

I use the "Linear Burn" setting instead of multiply and THEN adjust opacity according to my determined lighting. This has worked better for me than using a color. :D

That's a good idea, I'll have to try that! :thumbsup

[dst212 (Daniela)]

I use most of the stuff you all said before: linear burn, warping, dark brown. I tried to use the drop shadow brushes a few times, but never liked the results, so I let go of them. Maybe I should give it a new try!

[crystalbella77]

You guys are like pros! LMBO! I don't do anything really! LOL! I am so lazy! I might try this brown thing though....and I might see what the "painting your own" thing is all about. lol1

[trinad]

Wow!!! What awesome info from the PROs!!!! Thank ladies for sharing your tips & tricks!!! ;) I do a lot of the same things but I never thought to use a brown.

We should a question a week to ask the Designer's & CT member's to teach us some of there tips & tricks!!!

[shades of bliss]

I have PSE 5 so there are less options but when I really want to spend some quality time on my shadowing, I will
1. Duplicate item
2. Fill using bucket with black (I should try brown)
3. Move to position I want (often times I will use "Distort" to make it look more realistic.
4. Do Glaussian Blur and reduce Opacity

If I want to create depth with things overlaying each other I will do the steps above, but do it twice. One layer I will move out a little and erase the shadow part that is further back. The other layer I will move out a lot and erase the shadow part that is close in.

HTH

[shades of bliss]

Wow!!! What awesome info from the PROs!!!! Thank ladies for sharing your tips & tricks!!! ;) I do a lot of the same things but I never thought to use a brown.

We should a question a week to ask the Designer's & CT member's to teach us some of there tips & tricks!!!


I like it!

[jeepmama]

Holy cow, ladies.... so many ideas and things to try here!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm going to be busy learning these techniques, and I'm sure I can find something that will work.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond. I know my gallery is pitiful right now (only two lonely pages... *sniff*), but I plan on changing that soon!

Have a great week, everyone!

[alienhard]

I often color the shadow to be a darker version of the color of the element itself. It depends on the element and the background, but if you look in real life, a shadow is actually the same color as that object, just darker. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I always try it to see what it looks like.

[jeepmama]

good point. I've actually caught myself watching for shadows more in real life. How distinct they are/aren't, fuzzy versus sharp, lighting and angles, etc. I have a lot to learn, but am thouroughly enjoying it!

[kathitownz]

I too use a darker brown to a dark maroonish tint...depending, but did anyone answer your question on warping?
I...... duplicate object I want to shadow
2. use adjustments, brightness all the way down, contrast, all the way up...Keep repeating till your object is black.
3. Put the shadow copy under the original
4. Go to edit-transform, warp and you will have a graph-like thing....pull on the little dots till you get the look you want. Don't freak! It's black right now!
5. Go to filter-blur-gaugassion (sp?) blur and put the percentage where you want it.
6. In the layers pallete, select your shadow layer and go to multiply, then start with ...uhhh...about 90% till you like the looks of it.
VOILA! YOU'RE DONE!

[crystalbella77]

WOW Kath! That is some stuff that I don't even understand! LOL! I feel like such a newbie! lol!

[camilamaria]

That's now a shadow, that's a piece of art! LOL
I'll try your technique! Thank you!:wub

I too use a darker brown to a dark maroonish tint...depending, but did anyone answer your question on warping?
I...... duplicate object I want to shadow
2. use adjustments, brightness all the way down, contrast, all the way up...Keep repeating till your object is black.
3. Put the shadow copy under the original
4. Go to edit-transform, warp and you will have a graph-like thing....pull on the little dots till you get the look you want. Don't freak! It's black right now!
5. Go to filter-blur-gaugassion (sp?) blur and put the percentage where you want it.
6. In the layers pallete, select your shadow layer and go to multiply, then start with ...uhhh...about 90% till you like the looks of it.
VOILA! YOU'RE DONE!

[1girl1boy (leslie)]

i love seeing everyone's techniques! i'll have to try some of these tips!

[kathitownz]

Hey, Schweets.....just email me with any questions...or pm either way. It really makes cool shadows.... and another thing you can do...since I'm not crazy about black shadows, but I keep forgetting when I use this trick...is instead of using the brightness and contrast till you get it black...just use use your paint bucket and fill it with a brownish-deep maroonish color. Like I said...I keep forgetting to do that myself and then don't want to start over! :giggle
WOW Kath! That is some stuff that I don't even understand! LOL! I feel like such a newbie! lol!

[kathitownz]

You're soooo welcome..... but, ya' know....like I was just saying to Crystal...if you just use the paint bucket instead of adjusting the brightness and contrast till you get it black...then you can fill the paint bucket with a brown to deep marroon...whichever is your preference. I always forget, but if you wanted to make some really weird shadows...like something against a wall....you can just go crazy!! :)

That's now a shadow, that's a piece of art! LOL
I'll try your technique! Thank you!:wub

[jsgus]

I love reading about all the different ways people do things, these are great! I am one of the ones that do my shadows the time consuming ways listed here, but I am so thankful I have PSCS3 so I have made my own sets of actions to save a bunch of steps, like I have one for cardstock looking shadows, one for realistic vines or flowers, one for small metal elements etc.....

[kristenrice]

I hear you, Janelle! Def. a time saver! :)