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Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 11:37 pm
by Rusty
This is the second installment of the tutorial suggestion Betty made last week. I found this interesting and fun to play with. I had never tried using a gradient map adjustment layer to tint an image, always using a photo filter adjustment layer in the past. this brings in some additional elements of control.

I personally like "text tutorials" better than video tutorials but this is so easy, if you watch it twice you will probably have it down pat. I did type out the steps if anybody wants some text to refer to . You will also note there is a download link that you can use to save the video on your PC.


Tint with Gradient Map
Karen Brockney

http://www.pixel2life.com/viewtutorial/ ... dient_map/

Select image to tint
Make colors: Foreground-Black, Background-White
Click Adjustment Layer Icon and select Gradient Map
Double-click the left side of that gradient map adjustment layer (the gradient icon) to bring up the “gradient bar”
Click the “bar” to get the Gradient Editor
Click below the “Edit Bar” to add a stop about ¼ to 1/3 over from the left
Select whatever color you want using the color picker – it should be rather dark
Click again below the “Edit Bar” to add another stop about ¼ to 1/3 over from the right
Select a complementary color using the color picker – it should be rather light

Note that the spectrum bar in the video example now ranges, left to right, from black to dark brown to light tan to white. And that’s how the grayscale image is going to be tinted: pure black is going to be black, dark gray is going to be dark brown, light gray is going to be tan, medium gray is going to be somewhere in between dark brown and tan, white is going to be white.

If you want to reveal some of the original color in part of your now tinted image, go back to the gradient map adjustment layer and click the right side (the white square). That white square is a layer mask. White reveals and black hides. With black as your foreground color, get the brush tool and paint over whatever part(s) of the original image (100% opacity) where you want the original color to show.

Have fun,

Rusty

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 11:42 pm
by Rusty
Here's my effort to get us started:
Tint w grad map.jpg
Tint w grad map.jpg (130.03 KiB) Viewed 4709 times


Of course, with Halloween only two months away, you can play with some odd colors...
Tint with gradient map.jpg
Tint with gradient map.jpg (156.08 KiB) Viewed 4709 times

Or, you could wait for St. Patrick's Day and turn Shamus green :biggrin:
Tint with Gradient Map_Shamus.jpg
Tint with Gradient Map_Shamus.jpg (115.75 KiB) Viewed 4709 times


Rusty

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:38 am
by Tina_B
Thanks Russty this is something I needed to learn. I will try it out and see how it goes and post something.
Tina B :thanks:

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:20 am
by Tina_B
Rusty this is what I have been looking for. There are so many good tutorials at this web site I will be here for a while.
Thanks Tina B

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:25 pm
by suzib
Great tutorial, Rusty!!

I did a multiply blend mode on the adjustment layer and painted back in some of the flower color

IMG_1856.jpg
IMG_1856.jpg (16.04 KiB) Viewed 4677 times

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:48 pm
by Rusty
That's cool, Susan,
I guess I hadn't even thought of changing blend modes for that adjustment layer. There are a lot of different ways to go with this.

If all I wanted was a sepia tint of a B&W, I don't know if I would try to use this method ... it's so darned difficult selecting the proper shades of brown/tan for the gradient. I think the Photo Filter adjustment layer works pretty well.

Rusty

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:07 pm
by tennie
This is really fun to play with. Haven't found the right photo for it though.

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:43 pm
by Rusty
I don't have the right photo either, but I did some more playing around.

What I especially liked about this tutorial was finally being able to understand how to easily "manipulate" gradients. Up to now I was more or less just stumbling along. This 'creation' doesn't use gradient map, just a simple gradient.
DSC_0522_copy2.jpg
DSC_0522_copy2.jpg (138.03 KiB) Viewed 4638 times


I selected the sax player, put the selection on a layer, copied that selection layer.
On the first layer, with the selection active, applied a gradient, tried several color combinations looking for one I liked. Then, on the top selection layer I applied a pretty heavy bevel (simple sharp) and a drop shadow. Then I tried something I just found (in another tutorial on this same site): Layer Style > Visibility > Hide. Then, with that top layer selection active, I used the move tool and the arrows, to offset the position of that beveled selection just a few clicks.

I don't think I knew Hide Visibility existed, or if I did ... what it accomplished. This effect hides the content of that selection, but retains the bevel and the drop shadow. My layer stack looks like this:
DSC_0522 Select How.jpg
DSC_0522 Select How.jpg (141.31 KiB) Viewed 4638 times


Now I gotta find something cool to use that on. 8-)

Rusty

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:16 pm
by jlwilm
Rusty,

Very cool, looks like a 3d carving!

Re: Gradient Map Tutorial

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:20 pm
by crunkle
That is too cool, Rusty. I like the effect of the heavy bevel.