Lesson 3 - The page curl trick, using and creating gradients, colour styles, filters

You will be using the following images for this lesson:

image1

image2

Colour Styles (or simply Styles):

You will usually find the Styles palette under the Layers section on the right-hand side of the screen. If you don't see it, click on Window (top menu) and then Styles.

You can apply Styles to any layer but they are must suitable to enhance Text. With them you can create really cool titles for your work.

If you only see a handful of such Styles, just click on the top right arrow on top of the Styles palette and then add any of the listed Styles - at the end you will need to click on the Append button.

To apply a style to a text or layer, just click on the layer you want to apply them to, and then click on the style of your choice. Experiment until you get the desired effect.

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Filters:

Filters are special effects which can be applied to any image or layer.

Experiment with the available Filters to see what they do. Just click on the layer for the image, and then click on Filters (top menu), then choose one of the many from the list. You will feel spoilt for choice! 

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Gradient fills:

A gradient fill is a way with which you can fill an area with more than one colour with graded shades. The image below is filled with a gradient:

You will find the Gradient fill tool in the left hand side toolbar in Photoshop:

If instead you find the Paint Bucket tool, just click on the bottom corner arrow and then choose Gradient Tool.

When you click on this tool, the top menu changes accordingly:

When you click on the small arrow (indicated by the red circle), you will get a set of pre-defined gradient fills from which you can choose (called Presets).

You can create your own gradient by changing the colour from the Stops, shown above and below as "small houses" (square and rectangle on top).

When the desired gradient fill has been chosen, all you need to do is just drag a line alone the area which you want to be filled with this gradient.

Use image 2 above to fill with a gradient. It is easy. First select the black image by using the Magic Wand tool, then select a gradient of your choice and drag the mouse along the image.

Note about the available gradients in Photoshop: You can add more preset gradients by clicking on the small black arrow:

...and then choose one of the gradient sets from the bottom of the list (from Color Harmonies1 to Spectrums). Note also that certain gradients behave differently from others, especially the Special Effects set. Normally when drawing a gradient over an already existing one, the last gradient replaces the previous. With one of the Special Effects set, namely the Russel's Rainbow gradient (sometimes also found as simply Rainbow),  this is not the case...so you can create gradient over gradient without the last replacing the previous. Try it out, you can achieve some really cool effects.

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The page curl trick:

You must remember how your copybooks at school usually ended up with curled bottom corners! We will add such curl to the image on top.

1.Download and save the tulips image (top of lesson 3).

2.Draw a small triangle using the Pen tool at the bottom right corner (or any corner actually).

3.Right click on the Path and then choose Make Selection:

4.Delete the selection by clicking on the Delete button on your keyboard.

5.Draw another triangle as in the picture below:

6.Now add a new Anchor Point in the middle of the shorter side of the triangle, using the Add Anchor Point tool.

7,Use the Direct Selection tool (the white arrow) to drag this new Anchor Point so that a curve is created.

8. Create a selection from this path.

9.Now create a new Gradient Fill, one which has a dark colour at both ends and a light or white colour in the middle:

10.Now fill the selection with this new gradient.

11. CTRL+D to deselect and view your image properly. You can even fill the white area with your choice of colour should you wish.