Create Frozen Effects HELP!! :(

[Gutes]

Hello people of photoshop Guru!

I was wondering if you guys could help me with a tiny problem. I am extremely new to photoshop but I still like to do some photo editing. I'm trying to do this one effect, however, I don't fully understand everything the steps. I was hoping someone here could possibly explain how to do this effect step by step, and with pictures showing layer order and the top-to-bottom gradient. I'd like to THANK YOU in advance! Oops... by the way, the effect I'm talking about is the Create Frozen Liquid Effects. It'll be the first link on google if you type "Create Frozen Liquid Effects"


Once again...

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

 

[Hoogle]

1: create a layer mask
2: select the gradient tool (possibly hidden under the paintbucket tool
3: select the gradient highlighted
4: make sure the colour is black to white.

then click and drag the gradient tool from the top of the image to the bottom

 

[Dataflow]

youll have to provide a link to tut.
google results are mostly base on user search history so its different for everyone.
so whats first for me might not be first for you

i got a totally different result on google the what Hoogle posted

 

[Twelvebitstyle]

This is a little off topic.

I really like using gradients to modify layer masks and alpha channels. I suggest trying the "foreground to transparent" setting on the gradient tool to fade out portions of a mask while leaving the unfaded parts alone.

 

[Gutes]

Sorry, here's the link : computerarts .co.uk/tutorials/create-frozen-liquid-effects

Had to put a spaces in the url because I'm not allowed to post links yet.

 

[Gutes]

I just noticed I may have been a little unclear on my request.
What I meant was if someone could explain how to do the effect a little better than
how the original person explained. I also wanted pictures with it, especially a picture of the top-to-bottom gradient step, since what I was doing wasn't coming out right, as well as the layer order. The person who originally explained this effect wasn't very clear on the layer order. Hehe... Sorry about the confusion, guys. Thanks and sorry again!

 

[Sierraccr]

Well now. This is quite an advanced tutorial for a very new beginner! If you've gotten to the point of the top to bottom gradient and your picture looks like theirs, you are doing quite well indeed!

OK....Gradients. I put a slightly altered picture of my cat on a fantasy landscape with a black layer below it.



So let's pretend I want to use a gradient to make it look like dusk. I add a layer mask, select the gradient tool (under the paint bucket), and choose the black-to-white gradient. Making sure I am still on the layer mask, I sweep my cursor down from the top to the bottom, masking the top and gradually becoming more opaque as it nears the bottom.



Now it looks like my cat is watching nightfall on his fantasy world.

 

[Gutes]

Thank you so much Sierraccr (And everyone else, of course!)! I don't know why, but I kept doing the exact opposite that you showed! Haha, but again, thank you so much! I'll post it as soon as I'm done. Tell me what you think about it and what could/should be done.

 

[Gutes]

Hey it is... what should I change? How can I make it better?

 

[Gutes]

And by the way, how should I fix my hair? It looks like I have a bun on the back of my head. And my hair isn't a bun! haha! As a matter of fact my hair, at the end, is frizzy. So.... yeah... please help me!

 

[ibclare]

You are indeed trying out something that's more than beginner level. I can't tell for sure what's up with the hair but chances are it's the selection. I think I have 8 tutorials on making hair selections! It's a tricky thing.

The effect is well done. Congrats. It's a curious background. Did you want to be standing in space or do you want some grounding. You could place a shadow and slant it as if it were going along the ground. I'm not sure how that would look but it might be an interesting effect.

Now that you have done that, unless you are a prodigy, be sure you go back and learn all the PS basics. That is IMHO :mrgreen:

 

[Gutes]

Haha, of course! But where do I go(through the internet, that is) to learn the basics?

 

[Sierraccr]

Very nice!

Some specific suggestions:

Part of what makes the original so cool is the water splash texture inside the figure. That part is completely lost in this composition where the clothing is. I'm not sure whether that's an opacity issue with other layers or what. In fact, if it was my piece I might bring large water splashes into that part and have the body more or less all water rather than the detail of clothes and tennis shoes.

I would reduce the opacity of the clouds and maybe even blur them a bit. It's supposed to be a hint of fog rather than actual clouds according to the original tutorial.

As for the hair, good luck with that. It's something we all struggle with. Since you're dealing with a silhouette there isn't a whole lot you can do to bring detail in. You could mask the ends just a bit to fuzz them out maybe?

As for tutorials, start with the adobe site itself. They have LOTS of foundation videos. Then head for YouTube and look at a bunch of different ones. Find someone whose style of teaching you like and watch everything on their site. Look at the tutorials here on this forum. Honestly, the more sources you get the better. Early on in the learning process you won't have your own style or technique, so exposure yourself to as many sources as possible. Pretty soon you'll discover that instead of just copying someone else work you'll be using what you learn in your own way.

 

[hawkeye]

Haha, of course! But where do I go(through the internet, that is) to learn the basics?

Try your local library, a book on any version of Photoshop will teach you the basics. You should always learn to walk before you try to run.

 

[Gutes]

Thanks, guys! And thanks for the tips on my picture, Sierraccr! Going to start on learning those basics!