June 22 Technique: shadowing transparent elements

Discussion in 'Weekly Focus Challenges' started by ashleywb, Jun 22, 2017.

  1. ashleywb

    ashleywb Sand in my toes

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    Hello Everyone! For today's technique challenge, I would like to show you a simple way to shadow vellum and other transparent elements while maintaining their transparency.

    I enjoy using vellum elements, but shadowing them can be frustrating, as adding a shadow tends to darken them or change the color all together. For this tutorial I grabbed one of Valorie Wibbens's pretty pink vellum hearts from Queen of Hearts. The background paper is a kraft paper from Pink Reptile's Homebody papers.

    [​IMG]
    To add a shadow using the menu, go to LAYER -- LAYER STYLE -- DROP SHADOW. You can also click on the fx icon at the bottom of your layers palette and select DROP SHADOW. Either way, you'll bring up the drop shadow dialogue box. Shadow your element to your own taste.
    [​IMG]You can see that with the added shadow, the pretty pink heart has become much darker and looks more opaque. You're not happy with that, right? At this point you could play with the settings in the drop shadow box, changing the color and the opacity of the shadow. But instead, I am going to show you how to remove the portion of the shadow that is directly underneath the element.
    [​IMG]

    First up, put the drop shadow on its own layer. In your layers palette look at the layer that your element is on. You'll notice that once you have shadowed it there is an fx symbol to the right, indicating that a layer style is included on that layer. Right click on the fx to bring up a menu and select CREATE LAYER. By the way you may get a warning message, just click OK.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    NOTE: I'm not sure of the capabilities in the latest versions of PSE. Cheryl has a you-tube video for putting shadows on separate layers in PSE 11. I'll include the link in the comments below.

    Now the heart's drop shadow is on a layer directly beneath the heart itself. For now, click on the eye icon on the shadow layer to turn it off.

    [​IMG]

    Go back up to the layer that your original element is on. Make sure that layer is highlighted. Now you need to select that element. I am using the quick selection tool because the heart is an easily defined area. You could also use the magic wand. If I was working with a vellum journal card I would probably use the rectangular marquee and zoom in to make a careful selection. For now, I'm grabbing the quick selection tool. Select the element by clicking and dragging the marching ants to surround it.
    [​IMG]
    While your element is still selected, go back to the drop shadow layer. Click the eye to turn it back on and make sure the layer is highlighted. Add a layer mask to the drop shadow layer by clicking on the add layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette.

    [​IMG]

    Once you've added the layer mask, you will see an additional thumbnail next to the drop shadow. Double click on that thumbnail to bring up the properties dialogue box. At the bottom of the box, select INVERT.

    [​IMG]
    This should remove the dark area directly underneath the element, leaving the shadowed portion outside of the element intact.
    [​IMG]
    Take a look at the vellum heart using this shadowing technique compared with a heart with a normal drop shadow.

    [​IMG]

    Here's a page I made using this technique with Heather's acetate alphas. I overlapped them a bit so you can see that when layered, they still maintain that "see through" quality.

    [​IMG]

    I hope this is helpful for creating shadows while maintaining the transparency of acrylics, acetates, vellum and other clear elements! Give it a try!

    Please follow the Lilypad Gallery Guidelines: Layouts must contain at least 50% TLP products (current or retired product from current designers; templates count as 15%.) Uploads must be less than 250k. List all credits; no off-site linking allowed.
     
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  2. ashleywb

    ashleywb Sand in my toes

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    Here is Cheryl's tutorial for putting shadows on a separate layer in PSE 11
     
  3. KAPOH

    KAPOH Well-Known Member

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    I've struggled with shadows on transparent elements and this "fix" is SO SIMPLE. I had to figure out how to do it in PSE, but it wasn't difficult. I just never thought of deleting the shadow under the object. DUH!:crazy3
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. flowersgal

    flowersgal I have big ears and wide arms

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    @ashleywb I would love to learn to do this and have tried to follow the steps you have given. I am using an older version of Photoshop (CS2) and when I double click on the masked layer I only get a screen that offers me blending options. Am I doing something wrong or is there another different way to do it in this older version of PS? Or is it simply not an option and one must figure out some other way to accomplish a similar result?

    Well I didn't figure out how to do it but I wanted to do a layout anyway. Seems a week of technique frustration is in store for those of us still running "ancient" software. Smile ...
    [​IMG]

    Okay, gang, I think I finally got it -- thanks to friends. Here's my new layout showing off those shadowed vellum stars.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2017
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  5. HeyJude

    HeyJude Professor of Digital Wizardry

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    Great technique, Ashley! I'm with Kapoh - why are the simplest things sometimes the hardest ones to figure out?
     
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  6. LoveItScrapIt

    LoveItScrapIt I'm a poet, and everyone knows it!

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    I used a similar method of deleting the portion, but the mask works a little quicker and I still have it if I need to change or go back. Thanks
     
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  7. HeyJude

    HeyJude Professor of Digital Wizardry

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    Try activating the layer mask and using the shortcut Ctrl/I. This should invert it. You can also hold down the Alt key when you add the layer mask and it will automatically invert.
     
  8. ashleywb

    ashleywb Sand in my toes

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    I'm so sorry this isn't working for you. I didn't start using full Photoshop until the CC version so I am afraid I am not much help. Did you try Judie's suggestion. @HeyJude, Thanks so much for jumping in here!
     
  9. ashleywb

    ashleywb Sand in my toes

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    Yay! So glad it worked for you.
     
  10. Pups_r_Paps

    Pups_r_Paps Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic technique. Thanks. Here is my ATC.
    [​IMG]
     
  11. Scrapping with Liz

    Scrapping with Liz Crafts for days.

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    Awesome tip! I love using vellum, but have never mastered shadowing it. I'm definitely going to try this.
     
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  12. keepscrappin

    keepscrappin ScrapWithTheWind

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    @flowersgal - Not sure if this will help you but it's worth a try. It sounds like you are clicking on the the tiny icon that looks like two squares stacked all the way over on the right where the fx was, instead of the layer mask. You want to click on the layer mask. It's the bigger thumbnail image that is to the right of the shadow image and the chain/link icon. If that doesn't work, then go the lazy route and just delete the portion of the shadow under the vellum element, instead of messing with a layers mask.

    So at the part where Ashley uses the quick select tool. I instead use shortcut keys to select the vellum element. I hold down the control key and click on the image of the element in the layers panel. That will select the element and put the marching ants around it. Then I go to the shadow layer and hit delete. That will remove the part of the shadow under the vellum element that makes it darker. Then, just hit control D to deselect and that will get rid of the marching ants. Hope that helps you.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2017
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  13. ashleywb

    ashleywb Sand in my toes

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    Thanks Kayla! I'm going to try your shortcut. So, with this method you don't even need the layer mask?
     
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  14. KarenK

    KarenK Well-Known Member

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    ok here is mine, there's a few elements -stamps, the wave, the mermaid which are transparent or special in some way:

    [​IMG]
     
  15. keepscrappin

    keepscrappin ScrapWithTheWind

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    Yes, with my shortcut you don't even need a layer mask and you don't need to use the quick selection tool either. You just control + click on the image thumbnail in the layers panel to get your selection. Then you just delete the selected area from the shadow layer. It's quick and easy and you don't have to do all the layer mask and inverting steps.

    I love that there are multiple ways to do things in photoshop and pse. This is just one that works for me. I'm glad you shared your way too because I didn't know that there was a layer mask property screen if you double clicked on the layers mask. I always invert with the shortcut keys, control+I. I learn something new everyday here at TLP and I love it! Thanks for sharing!

    ETA: My best and easiest shortcut for shadowing transparent items is to use a designer's shadow style for them. There are several available in the store here at TLP. You can do an advanced search for shadow styles in the photoshop tools category to see all of them.

    My favorite is Shadows {Dressed up} by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs.
    Note: I use the acetate/vellum shadow style.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2022
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  16. flowersgal

    flowersgal I have big ears and wide arms

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    @keepscrappin - Thanks a million. That worked and was so much easier than the other instructions which involved a layer mask and more steps. I want to learn about all the short-cuts that I can as the less involved the better for me. Hugs ....
     
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  17. keepscrappin

    keepscrappin ScrapWithTheWind

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    YAY! glad it worked for you. Like I said earlier there's more than one way to do things in photoshop. We all think differently, so it's good that we can share our processes here and use the way that works for us. I know I've changed my processes when someone has shared an easier way.

    The way with the layer mask is non destructive, so if you change your mind, it can be easily changed.
     
  18. mcurtt

    mcurtt give me all the paleo brownies

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  19. meterr

    meterr I've got ICE in my veins!

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    Hmmm, I could not do this one, but improvised. Its not the same pretty crisp shadow work as the example, but I tried :)

    [​IMG]
     
  20. mrs2a50

    mrs2a50 Pretty much the best.ever.

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    Okay, this is all SO enlightening to me!! Love these technique challenges!!
     
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