Hi, Rachel - I know you're busy with MOC, so this can wait until you have a moment.
I've used the "clip things to whatever" (mask, base paper, element etc.) technique a lot, but as you point out in the first collection of bullet points, it can go "flat" because you lose texture. In my specific effort tonight, I had a construction paper heart that was folded, so there's texture in the paper and the fold. I clipped a colored element from a kit to it, because it was a hexagon and I wanted the heart. Then I duplicated the heart and placed it on top of the clipped items and clipped *that* - now I've got the texture, lowered the opacity to about 50% - so far so good.
But the heart was (predictably) red and I have a pink and gold, instead of white and gold, element in the end. Is there a satisfactory way to lose the pink tone from this equation? Colorizing doesn't help as it flattens the image (I'm in PSE20). Or am I asking too much of the technique or my tools?
I keep thinking there's a work around, but I haven't stumbled upon it yet! Thanks!
It sounds as though, when you duplicated the heart, brought it up the layers and clipped it to help bring the texture through, and then lowered the opacity that this has affected the colour of the original hexagon that has been clipped, am i following correctly?
I would suggest, if PSE allows it, instead of reducing the opacity on the duplicated heart to retain the texture, that you use blending modes, and it would be better if the duplicated heart is desaturated. So desaturate the duplicate heart that you are using to bring texture through your new element, if your original hexagon is white and gold I would suggest experimenting with a Multiply Setting with an opacity of around 20% or less, it depends how dark your texture is after you have desaturated it, you may want to duplicate it again and apply a soft light setting to this second duplication. In theory, this should retain the original colour of your element.
Let me know if I have mis-read, or if you need more help as I can direct one of my team members to your question who is more proficient in PSE. xo
Copying this out to see if I can make it work. I understand it - I just need to process the "how." The blending modes are an area I need to explore a bit more. But thank you! I'll let you know if I make it work! (I need to edit the journaling in that LO anyway...)
Well, I did *much* better, but went about it another way. I took the base heart and, instead of duplicating it, figured out how to change the values of the image by using the levels adjustments, focusing on the red channel first, then the lighting itself. Once it was grey-scale with all the texture, I clipped my white/gold hexagon to it. I could lower the opacity of this first hexagon to reveal the textures. Then a second hexagon with a soft light mode applied brightened it up. It's maybe not as "crisp" color-wise as I might have desired, but it's a far sight better than what I was getting before.
Typical of PS/PSE, there's usually more than one way to achieve the desired end. But the key you gave me was "desaturation" and the soft light setting. I need to play with these concepts more. I usually gain a few new skills during MOC - sometimes it's as simple as learning how to copy layer styles by holding ALT and dragging the fx symbol (game changer!). But there's always something!
Thanks again for the assist! This level of figuring things out isn't usually described well online. I'm still terrible at masking, too.
Hi, Rachel - I know you're busy with MOC, so this can wait until you have a moment.
I've used the "clip things to whatever" (mask, base paper, element etc.) technique a lot, but as you point out in the first collection of bullet points, it can go "flat" because you lose texture. In my specific effort tonight, I had a construction paper heart that was folded, so there's texture in the paper and the fold. I clipped a colored element from a kit to it, because it was a hexagon and I wanted the heart. Then I duplicated the heart and placed it on top of the clipped items and clipped *that* - now I've got the texture, lowered the opacity to about 50% - so far so good.
But the heart was (predictably) red and I have a pink and gold, instead of white and gold, element in the end. Is there a satisfactory way to lose the pink tone from this equation? Colorizing doesn't help as it flattens the image (I'm in PSE20). Or am I asking too much of the technique or my tools?
I keep thinking there's a work around, but I haven't stumbled upon it yet! Thanks!
Hi Michele,
It sounds as though, when you duplicated the heart, brought it up the layers and clipped it to help bring the texture through, and then lowered the opacity that this has affected the colour of the original hexagon that has been clipped, am i following correctly?
I would suggest, if PSE allows it, instead of reducing the opacity on the duplicated heart to retain the texture, that you use blending modes, and it would be better if the duplicated heart is desaturated. So desaturate the duplicate heart that you are using to bring texture through your new element, if your original hexagon is white and gold I would suggest experimenting with a Multiply Setting with an opacity of around 20% or less, it depends how dark your texture is after you have desaturated it, you may want to duplicate it again and apply a soft light setting to this second duplication. In theory, this should retain the original colour of your element.
Let me know if I have mis-read, or if you need more help as I can direct one of my team members to your question who is more proficient in PSE. xo
Copying this out to see if I can make it work. I understand it - I just need to process the "how." The blending modes are an area I need to explore a bit more. But thank you! I'll let you know if I make it work! (I need to edit the journaling in that LO anyway...)
Hope you have success!! Reach out again any time :)
Well, I did *much* better, but went about it another way. I took the base heart and, instead of duplicating it, figured out how to change the values of the image by using the levels adjustments, focusing on the red channel first, then the lighting itself. Once it was grey-scale with all the texture, I clipped my white/gold hexagon to it. I could lower the opacity of this first hexagon to reveal the textures. Then a second hexagon with a soft light mode applied brightened it up. It's maybe not as "crisp" color-wise as I might have desired, but it's a far sight better than what I was getting before.
Typical of PS/PSE, there's usually more than one way to achieve the desired end. But the key you gave me was "desaturation" and the soft light setting. I need to play with these concepts more. I usually gain a few new skills during MOC - sometimes it's as simple as learning how to copy layer styles by holding ALT and dragging the fx symbol (game changer!). But there's always something!
Thanks again for the assist! This level of figuring things out isn't usually described well online. I'm still terrible at masking, too.
I'm glad you found something that worked for you, and like you say, yes there is always a secondary way!!
Happy to help however small!
If you'd like some articles to focus on masks let me know what you are wanting to achieve or what you are finding difficult.