Perspective and shadows

[ldg40]

I would love to see a tutorial on proper shadowing. Which ties into the whole perspective thing. Is there a way to set up a proper vanishing point that stays in view?

Shadows are one of the most important finishing touches to an image (IMO). A tutorial that shows how to make the proper shadow, without relying on the unreliable "layer style" in PS. Also...maybe reflections as well.

Sometimes I can get a pretty realistic shadow, but usually not. This end touch has been known to take more time for me than the actual creation of the image it's self.

[msfrigyfrog]

I agree with IDG totally I for one could use some (ok alot ) of help with this

[down2earth2]

Do you mean soft shadows from a diffuse light, or hard shadows from the sun or spot light?

[Dave]

^^^^ Yes? :)

[ldg40]

[QUOTE=down2earth2]Do you mean soft shadows from a diffuse light, or hard shadows from the sun or spot light?[/QUOTE]

Both and all reference to light, no matter what the source. The image would certainly be the one to tell which kind is needed. All so very complicated! ;)

[down2earth2]

Do you mean like the shadows added to the clothes and under the chair here?

[ldg40]

Defiantly more like the second image D2E2, I think this would be a more general use shadow for contest etc submissions. Although all 3 images show your pure genius in recreating anything from nothing!

Well done & thank you so for you inquirers and input! :)

[down2earth2]

[QUOTE=GraphicallyPut]Holy crap D2E2 that's pretty damn impressive...just the shadows was enough to impress me but the design on the carpet...unreal!:)[/QUOTE]
Actually I took a picture of a carpet on my living room floor and inserted it.:)

[ldg40]

Ingenius D2E2!

I am inserting a pretty basic image with the standard layer style shadow & bevel applied. The bevel seems to pretty closely match where the shadowing would be with the supplied light source. The shadow certainly is not accurate although each are set at 120 degrees. For a basic flat shape you could get away with the bevel. However on an image of say the face or even a chair the bevel or the two chopped together, this would never work. So the task at hand is to be able to correctly apply shadowing to life like images and know where and how to place them-physically, without the use of the "canned" filters available (so to speak). The best way to determine where the shadows & light should lay, how to make them or even how to reverse a shadow to match the light source.

[down2earth2]

[QUOTE=ldg40]I would love to see a tutorial on proper shadowing. Which ties into the whole perspective thing. Is there a way to set up a proper vanishing point that stays in view?[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure what the relationship between perspective and shadowing is you're talking about, but maybe this is what you're looking for as to setting up a vanishing point.

So here's the basic idea. Create a new blank layer which you can use to place the guides you're going to create. (Pic 1 below). This will place the guides on a layer seperate from your work which you can make visible or invisible at you pleasure.

Chose the pen tool and draw a straight line (Then you can hold down the command key and to adjust the ends of the lines just where you want them) (Pic 2 below).

Choose "Stroke Path" from the flyout menu on the path pallette (first choose the brush tool (1-2 px) and the color you want), or the "Stroke Path with Pen" button at the bottom of the pallette. (Pic 3 below).

Add some more perspective lines to the vanishing point (pic 4), and use 'em! (pic 5).

[ldg40]

Ooooo, very well done!! The paths...the paths, I simply must learn to use these! Even if we get no takers for this tutorial, your images and explanations will be a great help to all!!

Many thanks D2E2 for your help! :hat:

[down2earth2]

[QUOTE=ldg40]Ooooo, very well done!! The paths...the paths, I simply must learn to use these! Even if we get no takers for this tutorial, your images and explanations will be a great help to all!!

Many thanks D2E2 for your help! :hat:[/QUOTE]

You're welcome.

I've got to tell you the pen tool is awesome. Seems a bit confusing and counter-intuitive at first, but once you get it down (it's not really that hard), you can't figure out why you ever thought it was hard. It's really straightforward. And it's usually by far the best tool to use to make selections.

Seem to remember someone at PA doing a tutorial on using the pen tool once upon a time.

[ldg40]

Hi GP! :) I am inserting my ideas on your question, hope ya don't mind. Not an expert (that's why I want a tut from a guru) here, but looking at your image I thought I would do, what I would do if the image were mine.

I try to not change the light source of living things, pretty tricky stuff. So I chose to change the lighting on the hat instead. Simple paint dabs, some dodging and burning end with a touch of blur. Now I removed the doggie and hat from the background and created another to start over with the shadowing. I just applied a light "layer style" shadow, using the green from the holly leaves, set the opacity to 47. Angle to -162. distance-5, spread-o, size 13. I left all the other default settings I the dodged and burned doggy a bit more, trying to pay attention to the light source. I left the holly with no shadow, opting to try to portay it back farther. Bring more attention to puppy.

I hope this helps just a bit!

[TrinityOfOne]

I would dispense with layer style shadows completely. They're only really useful for making flat images stand out from the page.

Create a new layer underneath the dog/hat/whatever. Load the dog's selection (Ctrl/Cmd+Click the thumbnail). Edit>Fill>Black. Deselect. Gaussian Blur to whatever level suits the image. Lower the opacity, again to suit the scene. Then you can use Free Transform to distort it however you like.

If you look at the Border Breakout tutorial, it uses this technique.

[ldg40]

Excellent observation Trinty! Certainly the prefered way to do a shadow, just a bit more complicated. I know that I certainly carried away your technic in the tutorial into the rest of my work. :)

[TrinityOfOne]

I'm a little busy at the moment but I'll try and write it up as a stand-alone tutorial soon.

[ldg40]

Ooooo...I do hate to grovel, but I am doing so now! This would be SO wonderful! :clap:

[Maiden]

[QUOTE=TrinityOfOne]I'm a little busy at the moment but I'll try and write it up as a stand-alone tutorial soon.[/QUOTE]

:D Good one Trin, I agree to that which u said above, if I hafta make a shadow other than that, I open photo-impact cause there when one creats a shadow, it can be split from the image and transformed also...be nice to be able to understand this in PS.