Hot Photoshop How-Tos

How To: Create a water droplet in Photoshop

This video offers Photoshop users a detailed procedure for adding simulated water droplets to photographs. A male voice-over describes each step in a conversational tone, and his instructions are easy to follow and apply. As he narrates, each step is carried out on screen, allowing you to find the different Photoshop tools and settings when you do it yourself. The procedure uses the gradient tool, drop shadow, and liquefy filter to create a water droplet to a clover leaf. In addition to showi...

How To: Make a little planet effect in Photoshop

Watch this video to learn how to make a little planet effect in Photoshop. Go to Image>Image Size and resize the picture making the width and height equal . Don't forget to unmark the "Constrain Proportions" option. Now that you have a squared photo go to Image>Rotate Canvas>180. Go to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates and select the option "Rectangular to Polar". Now rotate as you want to and remove any failures.After you select the picture, make sure the sides are alike and that the horizont...

How To: Create a navigation bar in Photoshop

In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to create a navigation bar, using Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program. Viewers will learn how to use multiple layers, layer effects, gradient options and drawing tools. Viewers will be able to customize their own color and designs. This video provides voice narration and a visual demonstration that allows viewers to easily understand and follow along. This video will benefit those viewers who design websites and web pages.

How to Use Photoshop for video: pan & scan image preparation

In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial the instructor shows how to prepare pan and scan images. To prepare an image by panning and scanning is quite different than preparing an image normally for using in your video. These images should be extra sized as you would perform special effects on the image in your video. This is also called as "Ken Burns" effect. Now go to the file, new menu and select the video format that you want to use according to your requirement. Enable the correct pixel aspect ra...

How To: Use the pen tool in Photoshop, Flash, & After Effects

Chad Perkins shows how to use the Bezier pen tool in Photoshop, Flash, and After Effects. Perkins attempts to shed light on how the tool can be used and dispels certain misconceptions about the pen tool. The pen tool allows users to create various types of paths, either open or closed, at the most basic level of use. At the more complex level, the pen tool can be used to create professional looking curves. For better understanding of what the pen tool can do for graphics and other designs, fo...

How To: Enhance the color of photos in Photoshop

Photoshopuniverse teaches you how to enhance the colors of photos using Adobe Photoshop. You get a photo and duplicate that layer. Set the blending mode to Soft Light. You repeat that step, only the blend mode should be Lighten. The shadows are now darker. You can change the blend mode opacities to 60%-70%, but both layers should have about the same opacity. Also make sure that the white values are not to white and that details, like faces, are still OK to see.

How To: Cast a shadow within a photo in Photoshop

When editing your photos in Photoshop, there are many different things you can do to manipulate your original image. One of those things is to add shadows. Using Photoshop you can cast a shadow within any photo, on any object. In this tutorial, learn exactly how to accomplish this. You will also learn how to use the extraction tool and distort mode to cast a realistic shadow on just about anything.

How To: Change selective color of the sky in Photoshop

Learn how to edit a picture to alter the color of the sky using Photoshop's selective color adjustment layer. This tool allows you to change a color in a photo. A good example of what this tool can do is to change a sunset to a sunrise in a photo. To begin with, you will need to open the selective color adjustment layer under the layer tab. Under the color menu, select the color that you want to alter. The tutorial goes over how much of each color to add or remove to get the desired effect. W...

How To: Draw 3D graffiti

Graffiti is a nuissance but it can also be an awesome form of true art. In this tutorial, learn how to draw 3D graffiti as demonstrated in Photoshop CS2. 3D graffiti gives your tag a very cool effect, making it appear to be popping out of the wall it is sprayed on and standing out from any other artwork nearby. Even though it looks advanced, creating 3D graffiti is actually quite easy to do. Try this style out and impress your fellow artists and passerbys alike.

How To: Create perfect black & white images in Photoshop

In this video tutorial, learn the several methods to get black & white images from color originals in Photoshop. The first method is the simple desaturate by going to image > adjustments > desaturate and it will wipe out the color from your image. The second non-destructive way of doing this is going into the layers palette, adding a new adjustment layer, choosing hue and saturation and dragging the saturation slide all the way down to minus (-) 100. The next method is going to the channels p...

How To: Create a starry sky in Photoshop

The video is a Photoshop tutorial teaching how to create the starry sky effect, an effect that turn regular sky in a photo into a starry night sky using the Adobe Photoshop software. This effect is created by the use of Photoshop filters like noise, blur, levels and masking in order to achieve the look of a real night sky. By following the tutorial you will learn how to create and control the amount of stars in the photo's sky in only 6 minutes.

How To: Draw graffiti in Photoshop

This video shows you how to draw graffiti in Photoshop. The information relates to Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop CS2 or later. The presenter started in Illustrator and started to draw using the draw tool, created three letters, adjusted the thickness of the line, copied and pasted the letters to create a shadow effect. The presenter then used Photoshop. He used at least 3 layers to create the background and highlights. Three types of brushes and at five different colors (White, Black, and a...

How To: Create a studio background in Photoshop

This video by photoshopuniverse shows you how to make any photo seem as it was taken in a studio. Take the working photo and add a new layer over it and fill it in black as shown. Add a newer layer over that and add the filter> render> clouds effect. Increase the opacity of the cloud layer and merge it with the black layer as shown. Add the splatter effect and the sprayed stoke effect as shown onto the merged layer and add a hue and saturation adjustment layer and colorize it as desired. Go t...

How To: Simulate a watercolor painting in Photoshop

Photoshopuniverse shows you how to simulate a watercolor painting on Photoshop. With this you can take any photo and make it look like it was a water color painting. Take any photo and then duplicate the layer 3 times including original. Focus on the first layer go to cut out. You want a high edge fidelity, and add the number of levels no more than 5. Add some simplicity and the change mode too luminosity. Go to the second copy layer do a dry brush increase size to maximum. add just a little ...

How To: Perform a digital nose job in Photoshop

This Photoshop tutorial on performing a nose job using Photoshop contains detailed instructions on the use of Photoshop tools to, depending on taste, enhance the appearance of an individual. The person narrating the tutorial specifies the necessity of subtlety with the modification of the picture in order to remove any appearance of modification. The way described is essentially to select the general nose area, feather the selection by an optional amount, and set it in a separate layer. Then ...

How To: Draw realistic eyelashes in Photoshop

This video demonstrates how to draw eyelashes using Adobe Photoshop and a graphics tablet. You need three tools to draw eyelashes: Soft Round Brush, Smudge Tool, and Eraser. Create a new layer. On the upper eyelid, draw each eyelash with Soft Round Brush (color: black, width 17px, opacity 100%). Use Smudge Tool (width 45 and straight 25%) on the eyelashes to straighten them. Use Eraser (width 65 and opacity 100%) if necessary. Create a new layer and use the same tools for the bottom of the ey...

How To: Draw Wolverine from X-Men in Photoshop

Artist Stephanie Valentin takes us through the steps of how to draw the X-Men character Wolverine in Photoshop. She outlines the necessary tools to be able to make the drawing and provides detailed information on width, shading, and opacity to make sure the colors are all accurate. After creating a series of layers, gradients and various sketches, she shows us how to create the character. In just five hours with this tutorial, you can learn how to create Wolverine using Photoshop.

How To: Create an electricity text effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial CreativeIceDesigns shows you how to make really cool electricity text effect by using Photoshop. To do this you need to open Photoshop and create new document. Layer will be black. Go to Type tool and type the word which you want to give effect. Now duplicate the layer and hide one. After that go to filter, stylize and wind option. Give this effect from all side. Change the color and unhide the text layer. After watching this you will be also able to make electricity text eff...

How To: Create a split tone effect in Photoshop

This video demonstrates the split tone effect in Photoshop. A split tone effect makes a picture look more rustic by changing the tones. First, add an adjustment layer to the picture by opening the channel mixer window. Select Monochrome and adjust the RGB values to create a black and white image to your own personal preference. Next, add another layer by opening the color balance window. Here you can change the colors of the light areas by selecting Highlights and changing the color sliders, ...

How To: Dodge & burn non-destructively in Photoshop

Photoshopuniverse teaches you how to use the Dodge and Burn tools in a non destructive manner, in Adobe Photoshop. Dodge makes things lighter. Burn does the opposite. The problem is that this is destructive operation. Use the Brush tool at 20% opacity. Create a new layer with 50% grey. Change the layer's mode to Overlay. With the black color you will make things darker and with the white lighter. To view the changes, review the overlay layer. To correct a mistake on this layer, use a brush wi...

How To: Draw a realistic ear in Photoshop

StephanieValentin teaches you how to draw a realistic ear in Adobe Photoshop. You create a new document of 1300x1900 pixels and then create 9 layers named L00, L01 and so on until L08. The first layer should be black. On Layer 01 use a soft round brush with a white color, 100 pixels width and 50% opacity. This is the base sketch of the ear. You then apply a gaussian blur of 30 pixels. For Layer 02 you use a soft round brush with a white color, 50 pixels width and 50% opacity. Apply a gaussian...

How To: Create a "buy now" button in Photoshop

If you ever wondered how to create a buy now button for your website this video shows how to do it using Photoshop. To do this open Photoshop and start with a new file. First draw a rectangle which will be now modified into the buy now button. Set the radius of the rectangle to forty pixels. Fill it with gray color. Duplicate the layer. Open the layer options of the duplicated layer and set the stroke position option to inside. Set its weight to 6 pixels and set its colors to light gray. Now ...

How To: Create a cell phone icon in Photoshop

Learn how to create a cell phone icon in Photoshop with this video tutorial. Draw a rectangle of radius 30 pixels by holding shift key. Right click on the toolbar and select Stroke button. It will open Layer Style dialog box. Set stroke color and set size to 2 pixels. Select Stop Color set little light red color and click on OK. Now, check on Inner Color option change size to 4 and Capacity value to about 60%. Now select Ellipse tool which will draw a ellipse and cover half of rectangle. Sele...

How To: Create a photo background in Photoshop

Have you ever wanted to create a background with one of your photos? This video shows you how to use one of your photos to create a photo background using Adobe Photoshop. It will show you how to use the free transform tool, overlay blend modes, hue and saturation, drop shadows, and other cool effects. Learn all about creating photo backgrounds with this video tutorial.

How To: Make a multi colored eye in Photoshop

This tutorial explains how to create a multi colored eye effect. First open the image in Photoshop and unlock the layer. Make a selection of the eye with either the lasso, magnetic lasso or pen tool. If you are using the pen tool, like in the tutorial, right click and choose mark selection, feather radius of three pixels. Now copy and paste the eye. Go to File and select New. Create an image of 1000 by 1000 pixels. Unlock the layer and make sure tea background and foreground colors are black ...

How To: Remove tanlines in Photoshop

In this Photoshop tutorial, learn how to use the software program to remove tan lines from a photo subject. To complete this editing process in Photoshop, follow the steps in this tutorial to learn how to utilize a layer mask, eye dropper tool, and adjust colors. By following the steps in this Photoshop tutorial, you can tan the parts of a subject's skin by learning how to blend colors within the software program so that someone comes out with a more even skin tone.

How To: Create a postage stamp in Photoshop

This video tutorial by photoshopuniverse shows you how to create a postage stamp in Photoshop. First take a suitable image and decide the shape of the stamp. Corp the image to suit the shape of the stamp by selecting the area and choosing corp and increase the canvas size as shown in order to create the perforated cutout. Transform the image into a regular layer and once again increase the canvas size to create a back ground with an appropriate color as shown. Add a layer mask, chose the brus...

How To: Get cool blue eyes in Photoshop

The presenter beings the video by describing the screen cast program he is using to record the video. It is giving him some problems but he asks us to bear with him. The video then shows before and after images to demonstrate the effect. The effect is achieved by duplicating the eye color to another layer and then using layer blending options to achieve the desired brightness. The presenter has a website with many other Photoshop technique videos.

How To: Create a Christmas ornament in Photoshop

The video is a straight forward Photoshop tutorial on how to create a Christmas ornament. The video shows you how to do this with very simple shapes, gradients, and a few layers. All you have to do is keep up the simple instructions. The finished product is very pleasing to the eye, a glossy, shiny, Christmas ornament. The video also provides a link to an external website where the Photoshop project files can be downloaded for reference and are easily customized.

How To: Cross process in Photoshop

Don from Lighting-Essentials.com explains the steps of cross processing in Photoshop. Using this he shows you that you can take great photographs of models without a lot of equipment. He starts by touching up his photograph before-hand; then he goes on to using an action called Cross Process. Cross Process is an action available from a link on his website. Acidify is the exact action he uses to make a unique effect on photographs.

How To: Create a cartoon flower in Illustrator

Tasktutorial will teach you how to create a nice vector cartoon flower using Adobe Illustrator. Start by selecting Rounded Rectangle Tool, and draw a black rectangle. Then select multiple points and move it according to the video, using arrow keys. Then draw an ellipse with the Ellipse Tool, using the Shift key. Watch the video to see the remaining easy steps in creating a vector flower using Adobe Illustrator and also get some cool tips and recommendations for best results.

How To: Create a vector logo from a bitmap logo in Photoshop

Thinkingserious teaches us how to use Adobe Photoshop to transform a normal bmp or jpeg logo into a vector logo that can be MADE as small or large as desired without losing quality. He creates the text, leaves it white and then adds a stroke. He picks the exact color from the original image. The stroke should be 1. Then the gradient is done using the colors from the bmp image. This is a two-step process. First he creates the top gradient. He also adds a soft inner bevel. The end result is sav...

How To: Create an image out of text in Photoshop

Photoshop Universe presents a step-by-step tutorial on how to mask images over text. First and foremost you'll need to have a poem or some other block of text in mind to use. Once you've selected your text you'll use methods such as copying and pasting, using clipping masks, and mild typeface editing. By the end of this tutorial you will have the abilities you need in Photoshop to make your very own text based image!

How To: Create a YouTube subscribe button in Photoshop

This task tutorial explains how to use Photoshop to create a YouTube subscribe button. First, select the rectangle tool and draw a bar. Select color options and deselect the color overlay. Then, go to gradient. Using the dropper tool, select the first and second color. Open layer options again and select the stroke color using the eyedropper tool. Increase the stroke size and change the position to inside. Click okay. Select type tool, create text field and type in the text. Open layer style ...

How To: Make a Polaroid image in Photoshop CS3

CreativeIceDesigns shows you how to make a "Polaroid"-style image on Photoshop CS3. Open a new 400 x 500 pixel image, and create a new layer, and drag underneath the original background layer. On the original "Layer 0" (the top-most layer), take the marquee tool and cut out (delete) a square, so that what you have in front of you looks like a Polaroid picture. Drag the the picture you want in, transform it into the right shape (ctrl + T) and drag it underneath "Layer 0." You can add effects (...

How To: Cut a person or object out of a picture in Photoshop

Ok, so you ditched the ex like a bad habit but now every picture on your Myspace features their face? No problem! You can use PhotoShop to cut objects out of your picture or to make people disappear. This video shows how to do both of those so you can forget the bad memories and move on! After you master the techniques shown you can also use them to cut the background out of your picture and then replace it with a background of your choice!

How To: Create window blinds in Photoshop

This video shows you how to create a realistic shadow of window blinds over the picture of a boy in a photograph that had no window blind shadows using Photoshop. Creating a separate layer, he creates shadows first by using the rectangular marquee, then filling in with black and copying the black stripes across the photograph. The opacity is set to 40%. The shadows look like a casting of the shadows of window blinds over the boy, but is not as realistic as he wants them to be. He then makes a...

How To: Make text follow a path in Photoshop

This video demonstrates how to use Photoshop to make text follow a path. First use the pen tool and draw the path you want your text to follow. They demonstrate by drawing a curved line above a circular logo. Select the type tool and start from the beginning of your path, then type your text. Select the path selection tool and fine tune the text placement by dragging the X. This video is easy to follow and shows how you can make text on a curved path.

How To: Perform a quick exposure fix in Photoshop

This video shows you how to use an aspect of Photoshop so that you can fix snapshot pictures that may have gotten an exposure level you did not want. This quick and easy tutorial video shows you how easy it is to adjust the layers in the screen. With different adjustment tricks for the layers to use if you are unsatisfied with the results you are getting. Each video will take moments to do and once saved you can move on to edit any other photos that did not come out with exposures that you wa...

How To: Design a stylish bar with metalic text in Photoshop

This video instructs you on how to make a stylish bar with metallic text in Photoshop. First, you create a rectangular bar. Then create a layer with a stroke size of two pixels and a white color. Using the drop shadow on the menu, you set the opacity to sixty percent, distance to five pixels and size to about fifteen pixels. You will select gradient and create a gradient overlay. Then adjust your gradient and the text. Move it to the place you like best and you will have a bar with metallic t...