Just curious. I was coming over to look up gradients again, because I always forget how to do one. So, I wondered, what do you wish you knew? Or, maybe like me, forget all the time!
Courtney, I'm with you. Gradients are not my cup of tea. It seems that all of the tutorials just leave me more confused than what I was to begin with.
Oh man... I love gradients. I use them so often to blend. What confuses you Marilyn? Is there any step that gets you stuck or you need a tutorial? I have done one for Scrapping with Liz (for journaling), and then I one here for a challenge, I think! I could find them.
@jk703 I've tried following along on tutorials, and my end result is not something I'd post. Pure yuck. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I am confused with which gradient to use, that's for sure. There's a gradient in the toolbox, there's a gradient overlay, there's a gradient adjustment layer. Can never figure out what to use and why... I love blending, but I go out of my way to use gradients.
This is one of my very first pages but to be honest, I cannot even remember how I did it. I would like to go back and figure it out because I kind of love that rainbow gradient. A few things I want to learn off the top of my head (there are MANY): how to shoot in manual on my DSLR, how to dodge and burn (for sticking pins or toothpick flags in layouts), how to digitize my daughter's drawings in Illustrator so that I can use them in layouts, how to edit my photos in Lightroom, how to bind a quilt (unrelated to digiscrap, I know, but I literally have FIVE quilts I got all the way to being ready to bind that are just sitting there... pretty sure I am overthinking it and making it feel harder than it is)... Also, for Christmas one main thing my nine year old daughter asked for was supplies to learn hand lettering. I am pretty excited about it and want to learn alongside her.
lol, I can't imagine not using them. I think I use them on every other layout. But there are SO many different ways to do things and still end up with the same effect, so you might just be doing a different method. I think gradients are great for a big area, but brushwork is perfection for smaller details. You do blending superbly, no matter how you get to the end result! I use the Gradient Tool, and create a new layer above a paper layer. Once I have my gradient, I use the Blending modes to blend it into the layer below.I'm a very simple user, lol! Just in case you want to try again... my post for SWL: http://www.scrappingwithliz.com/2015/04/tutorial-gradient-backgrounds.html This was one of my favorite blends, because of the texture. But... if you look at your gallery, this one shows just as much blending and texture!
Thank you Jenn! I know I used a tutorial to figure out how to do it... now I just need to figure out which one so I can use the technique again.
There is a rainbow gradient. Maybe you created one for the whole page, then it was put over the images repeatedly, and clipped? Do you have your original psd to see? I want to try now!
I went back and looked at my PSD (great idea!) and what I think I did... behind the photos is one layer with my rainbow gradient at 100% opacity then I put all my photos onto one layer together above that on top of that, I duplicated the gradient layer, clipped it to my photos, and took the opacity down to 25% So actually not difficult at all
I don't ever know what I want to learn, but boy do I love learning. The sketch technique of Farrah's a few MOCs back, was and is one of my favs. I just am gobsmacked when a new technique is offered, and I do it and it turns out! lol
oh oh I know one...words as photos...there is a name for it, my brain is forgetting @cfile has done it..and really awesome. I love words and alphas
@jk703 I cheated, the background paper was already in "gradient mode". At least I think so, am at work, can't check. I have no problem whatsoever blending. it's the BIG G that is so overwhelming. Thanks for the link to the tutorial, I'll look at it in a bit.
I wish i could learn more about Art Journaling. I really do not understand it. What is it about? Why do people do it? What is the concept? How does it work? I at a loss to understand it.
I believe art journaling confuses and scares people. It is more of a free create outlet TO ME! Emphasis on TO ME. I can toss things on the canvas that I love, pour out emotions in journaling that I can spend hours on, playing with alphas, fonts and word art. During times of angst, or pure joy, creating a page that is photoless(I find photos on my pages take away from my creating), helps me celebrate or climb out of the abyss of depression. I love the way I feel creating it, the actual process of making the page. The end results are not my goal...creating and enjoying the process are tops for me.
@DixieDoesPSP Kellie, I love to art journal. And the beauty of art journaling is that there are no rules. For every person who art journals, they would have another approach & reason for it. I like to think of a new document as my canvas. Then look for elements, backgrounds, paints, etc. that speak to me at that moment. I move them around, blend them, resize them so that they begin to express what I am feeling, journaling is optional, and if you do include it, you can always cover up what you don't want prying eyes to see. I have a super stressful FT job. When I come home at night, or when I wake up early because I can't sleep, I go to Photoshop. It is my release and it is cheaper and safer than drugs.
@AnneofAlamo I agree with photos. They rather lock you in. Going photoless is SO MUCH less stressful.