Blending to only affect one layer (CS6).

[arukas]

This is a pretty basic question but having trouble describing it so that I can get a good result on Google. I'm using Photoshop CS6.

Let's say I'm working with an image that has 4 layers. The 3rd layer has a brush that I want to colorize by drawing a gradient on the 4th layer and selecting the "Color" blending option. The problem is I just want the brush to be colored, but the 4th layer is affecting layers 1 and 2 which I don't want. I tried grouping / linking layers 3 & 4 but it didn't seem to change anything.

Hope that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[IamSam]

Hello arukas and welcome to PSG.

Do you have a screen shot of the layers?

 

[arukas]

Hello arukas and welcome to PSG.

Do you have a screen shot of the layers?

I tried to add one but apparently I can't until I have 5 posts here. I tried to make the question pretty straight forward though, let me know if I can clarify anything.

 

[IamSam]

You can add images.



You can not add links.

 

[arukas]

I didn't add a link. A lot of forums don't allow you to directly upload so I uploaded to imgur and then used that as the image source. It even showed in the post as an image. That's a really silly restriction. Anyways...



I just want to draw a gradient in Layer 3 and choose the "Color" blending option to colorize Layer 2, but it's adding the gradient color to the entire image. I just want Layer 3 to affect Layer 2 but not the other layers, I'm assuming there's some way to link or group them but the "link" and "group" options aren't doing that.

 

[IamSam]

What is in layer 2?

 

[arukas]

What is in layer 2?

The brush I mentioned.

Basically I want to add a gradient effect to a brush. If I open a new file, fill the background black, use the brush (solid white), and then create a new layer, add a gradient, and set that layer's blending option to Color it gives a really nice gradient effect to the brush. The problem is that if the background isn't pure black, the Color layer is being applied to the entire image. I just want it to apply the layer that has the brush.

I feel like I'm repeating myself but I don't know how to simplify the question. I'm sure it's something really basic to be able to set a layer to just affect one other layer.

 

[IamSam]

If it's a brush stroke/stamp, just clip the gradient layer to the brush layer.
Right click the gradient layer and select create clipping mask or hover your cursor between the two layers while holding down the alt/option key, you will see the cursor turn into a box with a black angled arrow pointing down, then click.

 

[IamSam]

Works on black....

 

[arukas]

Yeah that "kinda" works. The problem is when I do it that way I can't use the Color layer blending which affects the way it looks. It looks better with the "Color" blending option.

Give me a minute, maybe some pictures will help explain.

 

[IamSam]

I feel like I'm repeating myself but I don't know how to simplify the question.

This is not a matter of simplifying, it's a matter of clarifying. Not everyone uses the same or correct Photoshop terminology. We both have to be on the same page.

Case in point, are you referring to the layer mode blending option? Is so, these work on both the gradient layer and the brush layer even with the clippping mask.

If not, explain "Color" blending option.

 

[arukas]

This is not a matter of simplifying, it's a matter of clarifying. Not everyone uses the same or correct Photoshop terminology. We both have to be on the same page.

Case in point, are you referring to the layer mode blending option? Is so, these work on both the gradient layer and the brush layer even with the clippping mask.

If not, explain "Color" blending option.

Sorry if "blending" is not the correct term, that's how the option was described on a tutorial I read.

On the layer window, there's a drop down with some options next to the Opacity setting. You can select from Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, etc. "Color" is an option near the bottom.

I'm trying to design an image for a friend for an electronic cigarette vendor.

I followed a tutorial to get this smoke effect:



It looks really good against a black background. As you can see, that drop down menu is set to "Color" to get that effect.

When I followed your steps, it doesn't look as nice. Here's the image:



When I did the clipping mask, if "Color" is selected the brush (the smoke) remains white with no gradient. I have to use "Normal" which doesn't look as nice as when it's set to "Color" (above). It's just applying the gradient over the brush without the nice smokey effect I get in the above image.

 

[ALB68]

I don't believe it would look the same as the black anyway . Definition of the color blending mode.
Color

Creates a result color with the luminance of the base color and the hue and saturation of the blend color. This preserves
the gray levels in the image and is useful for coloring monochrome images and for tinting color images.
The base color is different .

 

[IamSam]

I see your problem. It's simply not going to be the same since the colors in the Santa are different. Do try all the rest of the layer blending modes to see if you can find one that looks better. You can also add a Curves adjustment layer and/or a Hue & Saturation layer clipped to the gradient layer to help it out.

 

[arukas]

Someone posted the solution, but the post disappeared while I was reading it. I guess he deleted it? Glad I was able to remember what he said.

I copied the smoke image with the black background, pasted it into a new layer on the main image I'm working on, and changed the layer to "Lighten" and it looks perfect. A little hackish with the copy/paste from another file part, but it looks great.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

 

[MrToM]

Yeah sorry that was me!

I thought that was the answer but immediately after posting I saw a major flaw....it didn't work.....or I didn't think it did!

The solution I now have now may also work...

Do the same thing.....copy merged, and paste into the image, set to 'Lighten' blend mode. (Others may work better....give em a try)
If you have any part of the smoke that loses its colour then add a 'Colour Overlay layer Style' to the smoke and use the same gradient you used for the original smoke.

This should reinforce the colours. You can also change the blend mode of that style too...and the opacity....a whole heap off stuff really.....just play around with it......something may just 'Click'.

Sorry about deleting the earlier post, but if it works then great!.....even if you did think it was 'Hackish'...

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[arukas]

Yeah sorry that was me!

I thought that was the answer but immediately after posting I saw a major flaw....it didn't work.....or I didn't think it did!

The solution I now have now may also work...

Do the same thing.....copy merged, and paste into the image, set to 'Lighten' blend mode. (Others may work better....give em a try)
If you have any part of the smoke that loses its colour then add a 'Colour Overlay layer Style' to the smoke and use the same gradient you used for the original smoke.

This should reinforce the colours. You can also change the blend mode of that style too...and the opacity....a whole heap off stuff really.....just play around with it......something may just 'Click'.

Sorry about deleting the earlier post, but if it works then great!.....even if you did think it was 'Hackish'...

Regards.
MrTom.

Sorry, didn't mean any offense by using the word hackish. It just seemed weird to me that I couldn't accomplish something that seemed pretty simple without copy/pasting from a different file. Just feels a little odd.

Not sure what problems you ran into, it looked perfect just pasting it in and selecting Lighten. Didn't need to change anything else.

Thanks again!

 

[MrToM]

LOL...No worries.

Usually you would have all your images on their respective layers in just one PSD file.

You would then use them in whatever manner befits the project.....including 'Stamp Visible' and 'Copy Merged'....both legit methods used in photoshop. This would remove the need for the 'Copy Merged' procedure as all the layers would already be in the 'project' file.

I didn't know if you had the 'Smoke' and the black BG in the same file so assumed you hadn't and suggested 'Copy Merged' as a quick way to get just the one layer into your main project file to work with.
In my [deleted] original post I also suggested that you could in fact save the 'Smoke' and black BG as its own PSD file and embed it into your project PSD file.....using it in exactly the same way as a normal layer.

The benefit of that is if you decide to change the colours of the smoke you could just edit the 'smoke' PSD file and the 'Project' PSD file would automatically update itself.

Or would that be 'hacking' too?

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[ALB68]

LOL...No worries.

Usually you would have all your images on their respective layers in just one PSD file.

You would then use them in whatever manner befits the project.....including 'Stamp Visible' and 'Copy Merged'....both legit methods used in photoshop. This would remove the need for the 'Copy Merged' procedure as all the layers would already be in the 'project' file.

I didn't know if you had the 'Smoke' and the black BG in the same file so assumed you hadn't and suggested 'Copy Merged' as a quick way to get just the one layer into your main project file to work with.
In my [deleted] original post I also suggested that you could in fact save the 'Smoke' and black BG as its own PSD file and embed it into your project PSD file.....using it in exactly the same way as a normal layer.

The benefit of that is if you decide to change the colours of the smoke you could just edit the 'smoke' PSD file and the 'Project' PSD file would automatically update itself.

Or would that be 'hacking' too?

Regards.
MrTom.

Why not make the smoke a smart object? or is that what your saying MrTom?

 

[MrToM]

You could but to what advantage?

Regards.
MrTom.