Thursday, April 18, 2013

CoffeeShop Dandelion Wine "Action-UnWrapped" PSE/Photoshop Tutorial!


I wanted to say my thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, Texas. It has been a heartbreaking week in the US.

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I am really excited to post my newest Photoshop tutorial; CoffeeShop Dandelion Wine (thanks for the name suggestion Amanda!).  This is a really fun enhancement and I love the final results.

The adorable image I used for this before/after is from Victoria Ford of Photography by Victoria Ford (Facebook Page).  She generously sent me a large version SOOC (straight out of camera) image for me to use for this tutorial.

This timeless image just makes me happy and when I read the name suggested by Amanda, "Dandelion Wine", I immediately knew that was the name for this edit.  Dandelion Wine is one of my favorite books of all time.

Today I am posting the step-by-step tutorial on how I created this effect.  I hope to post the action tomorrow.

CoffeeShop Dandelion Wine Action-UnWrapped Tutorial for PSE/Photoshop:



1. Open your flattened image and Ctrl-J to make two duplicates of your background.  This image is not my own but generously donated by Photography by Victoria Ford.


2.  Contrast Boost:  Click on the top layer (Layer 1 copy) and put it in Soft Light or Overlay blending mode for a contrast boost and Gaussian Blur the layer slightly to add a bit of softness.


3.  I usually start  the opacity of this layer at 40%.


4.  Click on the middle layer (Layer 1) and put this layer in Screen blending mode and Gaussian Blur slightly.  I usually start with an opacity of 40% on this layer too, and will make any final adjustments at the end of the edit.


5.  Add layer masks to both layers and use a black soft brush to remove softness/brightness/contrast from the image where needed. I usually mask out the eyes with a low opacity brush to make sure they are sharp.  I will add some "eye pop" later in this tutorial.

NOTE:  Click B for brush, D for default Black/White.  Click X to change the brush from black to white to black.  "[" makes the brush smaller, "]" makes the brush bigger.  Click on the number pad to change the opacity of the brush (1=10%, etc.).


6. Color Pop:  Add a Hue/Saturation layer on top and adjust the Master Saturation up to 30 or so.


7.  I always bring down the reds/magentas some (click on the RGB drop-down to find these selections), and in this case I made the Reds -18 and the Magentas -5.


8.  I use a soft low opacity black brush to mask off some of the color pop off the skin.


9.  Gradient Map Color Tint:  Photoshop has some fun pre-made Gradient Maps and I love the purple to orange one.  Add this Gradient Map adjustment layer on top of your image.  Freak out for a minute and then go to the next step.  ;-)


10.  I put this layer in Screen blending mode and adjusted the opacity down to 80%.


11.  I used a soft black low opacity brush to gently remove the color tint off skin and eyes.  I usually use 100% on the eyes and a few brushes with 20-40% off the skin.


12. Lighten/Darken Layer:  I like to add a dodge/burn layer and this technique is an oldie but a goodie.  Create a new layer on top and fill it with 50% gray.


13.  Put this layer in Soft Light blending mode.  Then use a soft white low opacity brush on the image to brighten areas (teeth, eye whites, under eyes, over cheekbones, highlight hair, etc.) and a soft black low opacity brush to darken (burn) areas (under chin, vignette, background, hair, pupils, lashes, etc.).

NOTE: I like to use keyboard shortcuts for this part of the edit since I find myself moving between a black and white brush.   Click B for brush, D for default Black/White.  Click X to change the brush from black to white to black.  "[" makes the brush smaller, "]" makes the brush bigger.  Click on number pad to change the opacity of the brush (1=10%, etc.).


14.  This is what my Dodge/Burn area looks like on this edit.  Often I will make a copy of the gray layer before I start using the brush and use one for the face and another for the background.  That way I can adjust the final opacity of each layer independently.  You can also slightly Gaussian blur this layer to soften the effect so you don't have harsh lines.


15.  If you want to add a "Matte" effect, use a Levels Adjustment Layer on top and move the black bottom output slider to the right and the black Shadows slider in to the right slightly.   This flattens the blacks.



Here is the final edit!  Mouse over (on computers) to see the before. I hope you enjoyed this editing tutorial and please come back for the free action.  I should be posting it by this weekend.

Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop Actions or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you! This is my first 'action' on PSE as I don't use layer and masking, but I'm glad I did.

    ReplyDelete

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