Okay, we’ve all seen how drop shadows can make text stand out, so let’s now take a look at how we can use drop shadow to make part of an image stand out. You’ll need Adobe Photoshop 7 to try out the skills taught in this tutorial.Okay, we’ve all seen how drop shadows can make text stand out, so let’s now take a look at how we can use drop shadow to make part of an image stand out. You’ll need Adobe Photoshop 7 to try out the skills taught in this tutorial. This is a BASIC level tutorial, so graphic designers of all skill levels can give it a try.
Now, there is nothing too special about this image below, but let’s concentrate on the 2nd chair from the left.
Now use the lasso tool to crop out the area in which you want to bring out. Once you have the area selected, copy (CTRL C) the selection, then paste (CTRL V) it into a new layer. Make sure the new layer is perfectly aligned over the old one. Now duplicate this layer and hide the duplicate.
On the first layer (the one we just created), open up the layer styles pallete and select “Drop Shadow”.
Set the Distance to something close to zero, and the Size about four to five times higher than the distance. Now press “Ok” and apply these settings.
You will notice that this instantly but subtly brings out the chair from the rest of the image. Now, select the 2nd layer we created earlier, and select IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST from the file menu.
Adjust the brightness and contrast until you get the desired result. Dont worry if you are a little generous.
After you select “Ok”, you can adjust the opacity if you decide it’s too bright; you can even play around with the blending modes to get some nice effects. Here are some examples:
Blending Mode = Multiply:
Blending Mode = Overlay, Layer Opacity 50%:
Experimenting with Hue and Saturation:
And finally, Desaturated:
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