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Tutorial
7 Creating Backdrops
Requirements:
Adobe Photoshop 5.5 or Corel Photopaint 9
The Project: To create a backdrop
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Picture 7-1
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Picture 7-2
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Check
out the two images above. Image 7-1 is a background I created
using various filters within Corel Photopaint 9. Image 7-2 is
my new KISS stash, that. I picked up in the recent KISS Auction.
I don't want to blow a bunch of money to have professional studio photos
of my new items. So I decided to create my own. A version
of this tutorial was included in the June 2000 issue of Photoshop
User magazine. A fantastic magazine! The version for
Corel is my own version of the same process.
Adobe
Photoshop 5.5 version
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Picture 7-3
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First
thing you need to do is determine the image you want to use
as the backdrop. Once you have made that hard choice,
open it up. Press the letter M. This activates
the Marquee tool. Use the tool to select the lower part
of the image.
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Picture 7-4
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Now press
Control-T. This will give the the Transform boxes.
Before you do anything, hold down Shift-Alt-Control and drag
the bottom right box to the right two inches. Press
Enter. This will give you the look in Picture 7-4.
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Picture 7-5
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Press
Shift-Control-I to Inverse the selection, then press Alt-Control-D.
When the Feather Selection window appears use the default of
50 and press Enter. Now we need to play with the color
a little to get the correct look. To do this we click
Control-L to bring up the Levels window. Move the midtone
slider to the right to darken the backdrop. Then click
Control-D to deselect. Use should end up with something
similar to Picture 7-5.
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Picture 7-6
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Since
I know you did Tutorial 6 about using the Extract function,
I won't go through that again here. :) Once you have your
second image open with the object you want to place in the backdrop
drag it over. Adjust the Levels and Brightness and Contrast
under Image>Adjust, until you have a similar look.
Now we
have to give it some shadow, so that it looks as if its really
there. The best way to do this in my opinion, is to
duplicate the object layer by right clicking on the object
layer and selecting Duplicate Layer. Then click Control
then the object layer copy. This will select the layer.
Now click Alt-Backspace, it should have filled the object
with black. Click Control-D to deselect. Now go
to Edit>Transform and shape the shadow to lean the way
you want using the boxes on the layer. Once you have
a lean that looks good similar to Picture 7-6, click Enter.
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Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur, set to 20 and click ok.
Drag the shadow layer copy of the shadow below the original
layer on the Layers Palette. Move the shadow around until
you get it where you want it. You should end up with an
image similar to Picture 7-7 below.
Picture
7-7
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Corel
Photopaint 9 version
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Picture 7-1
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Picture 7-2
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Check
out the two images above. Image 7-1 is a background
I created using various filters within Corel Photopaint 9.
Image 7-2 is my new KISS stash, that. I picked up in the recent
KISS Auction. I don't want to blow a bunch of money
to have professional studio photos of my new items.
So I decided to create my own. A version of this tutorial
was included in the June 2000 issue of Photoshop
User magazine. A fantastic magazine! The version
for Corel is my own version of the same process.
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Picture 7-3
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First
thing you need to do is determine the image you want to use
as the backdrop. Once you have made that hard choice,
open it up. Press the letter R. This activates
the Mask tool. Use the tool to select the lower part
of the image.
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Picture 7-4
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Click
Edit>Copy Visible, then Click Edit>Paste>As New Object.
This gives us a piece to transform. Now remove the mask
by clicking Ctrl-Shift-R. Click the new object until
you get the transform arrows as in Picture 7-4. Now
move the lower left arrow straight out two inches. Now
do the other side and apply. Click Object>Combine>Objects
with Background.
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Picture 7-5
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Click
R. Use the Mask tool to select the upper half of the
backdrop. Click Mask>Shape>Feather. Use
the settings of Width 50, Direction Outside and Edges Linear.
You should have an image similar to Picture 7-5.
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Picture 7-6
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The users
of Corel Photopaint 9 are not as blessed as Adobe Photoshop
5.5 when it comes to pulling objects out of a background like
the Extract tool found in that program. The only way
I know how to do this with most things is to use the Lasso
Mask tool, copy and paste. If you know of a better way
let me know, I would love to hear it. Anyway, once you
are done pulling your object out of its background to place
in our backdrop image you should have an image similar to
Picture 7-6.
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My object was a little off color wise. So my next step
is to go to Image>Adjust>Brightness-Contrast-Intensity
and adjust the object until I got the color I wanted.
Right click your object in the Objects Palette and select Duplicate
Selected. Use the Fill Tool to fill the object with solid
black. Now click the new object until you get the transform
arrows and move the arrows to create the perspective shadow.
Move the shadow to the back by moving lower on the Objects Palette
until it is behind the main object. Click Effects>Blur>Radial
Blur and adjust until you get the shadow fuzziness you like
and move into position. When complete should have an image
similar to Picture 7-7 below. |
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Picture
7-7
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