Let's finish off 2020 in style! Let's *overlay* the whole year with goodness! December 1, 2020 Chat A couple of months ago, we talked about double exposure, which is a certain type of overlay, but not the type of overlay we are discussing this month What exactly is a Photoshop overlay? It’s useful to think of photo overlays as an extra layer added to your image. That layer will alter the look, color, texture or content of the layer beneath it, which is your photo. They’re a bit like filters, but they often have more going on than a simple filter since they can do much more than affect the color tones in a photo. So....essentially, an overlay is a layer on top of a photo (or LO) that adds something to the layers below. We're talking about a GRAPHIC overlay, and not just an adjustment layer. How to use overlays? Open a Photo You want to Edit: Once you’ve found an overlay for your project, open up the image that you want to edit with your overlays. Place Your Overlays: In Photoshop, select Place from your File menu and select the overlay you want to work with. This will open up the free photo overlay as a separate layer of your existing photo, so you can start playing with it to get it to blend with your image. You’ll probably want to move the new layer around a bit to find the best positioning for your project, so do that and hit Enter to lock the position of your new layer. Adjust Your Blend Mode: For some overlays, you won't need a blending mode, and for others the best blend mode for editing Photoshop overlays is Screen. Screen mimics the effect of taking multiple exposures on a single frame, which is close to what we are going for here. Choose Your Opacity: This is going to vary a lot depending on which free Photoshop overlays you go with. For example, you might want a sun flare overlay to be subtle, using a low opacity. But if you’re adding a photo overlay with falling leaves, taking the opacity down too much will look fake. Add a Mask: Adding a layer mask won’t be necessary for every instance, but it will allow you to block parts of your Photoshop overlay where you don’t want the overlay affecting your image. You might want those leaves falling in one part of the image, but not directly in front of your subject’s face! December 7, 2020 Chat Today, I'd like to discuss a little more about overlays and give some examples. Several of our designers here make overlays: CLICK HERE FOR STORE LINK Sometimes, you can get lucky and find a free overlay on the web. Here are 2 examples of overlays I used just by searching Example #1 | Free Starburst overlay 1. open photo 2. Drag overlay onto photo 3. Adjust size and use SCREEN layer style 4. Voila Example #2 | Free Snow overlay SAME PROCESS AS ABOVE, BUT I MASKED OVER HER FACE A BIT IDEAS OF USING OVERLAYS Bokeh Leaves glitter shimmer blowing snow magic lights textures wrinkles/aged paper sky sunflare/sunset distress fog/mist paint flowers/dandelion seeds water splashes
Here is a link to a freebie: https://creativemarket.com/NassyArt...nUYqoxczxchpKJ5IcGHiEnCjX-o5jF0ios#fullscreen
I got the snow overlays. Thanks! I hope I'll be home in time for the chat Saturday. I'm meeting my friend to walk in person (with masks/distance) for the first time since the spring. We've continued our weekly walks in our respective neighborhoods, talking on the phone, but I suggested we meet in person for once because I have a gift for her. We start walking at 8 am, so I'll probably make it home just in time for the chat.
