Last Texture Tuesday in May!

I love big bunches of one sort of flower.  The impact of the flower is not dilulted by being surrounded by other forms.  Mixed bouquets have their place (in my little world) but I become giddy with an expanse of one species of plant.  So, as you can imagine, I had a bit of fun with my camera at the garden center at a local farmer's market.  Took a bunch of photos between making my selections of annuals for our flower beds.  Chose three to feature below. 

For {Texture Tuesday} I used three of Kim Klassen's textures on three photographs.  I did not want a dreamy, desaturated look for this 'field' of perky-faced pansies, so blended Kim's texture in Color Burn and achieved the 'punch' I was looking for.  See what you think!

Garden Center Pansies edited with Kim Klassen's "Sweet Treat" texture,

 Blend Mode Color Burn at 40% Opacity.

More Garden Centre Pansies, again edited with a Kim Klassen texture.

This time I used her  "Mad Love" in Blend Mode of Color Burn, 36% Opacity.

And for the "quintessential" desaturated look of {Texture Tuesday} this photo was given a vintage feel with Kim's texture, "Luminous".  I first treated the photo with a Gaussian Blur removing blur with soft round brush.  Next, a levels adjustment (output to 49 for some haze) and then added her Luminous Texture with blend mode of Hard Light, Opacity 75% and Layer Mask to remove some of the texture from the face of the flower.

If you would like to download my latest fine art texture "Goldust Wonder" (for free!), simply click HERE.

Free Fine Art Texture

"Goldust Wonder" texture was added to this photograph with Linear Light Blend Mode at 85% Opacity.  A Layer Mask was used to remove parts of texture from certain areas of the image.  A levels adjustment was made after the addition of the texture, to tweak the black white balance.  The layers were then flattened and the Filter "Poster Edges" was used to add a painterly feel.

To download "Goldust Wonder" texture (for free!) click HERE.

Terms for Download:  You are free to use this texture to enhance your personal or commercial work.  Please do not claim it as your own work and/or regift or sell it as is.   Copyright still applies after download.  I am only agreeing to forgo copyright once it is incorporated into your own work.

***If you would like a free "Words-To-Live-By" digital image (for your personal use only) visit my other blog Original Art Studio by clicking HERE. 

(If you are not already a follower of  Original Art Studio why not consider becoming one while you are there!?)

... darling daisies ...

This photograph of daisies was edited using my "Desert Canvas" texture.  It was featured last week as a free download.  (You can still download it for free by going to my Free For You tab just below the header.)  Have a good weekend dear friends.

Pixel Dust Photo Art "Desert Canvas" Texture

(Click on Free For You tab to download.)

A Free Texture Just For You

This photograph was edited using my texture entitled, Desert Canvas.  As you can see (below) it has a sand-like vignette border.  I've posted a couple of other examples of the effects you can achieve by applying it to your photographs.  Please read the terms for the free download at the end of this post.  I would love to see any of the art work in which you incorporate this texture.  Enjoy!

To download Desert Canvas Texture (for free!) please click HERE.  Don't forget to scroll down to see some of the effects you can achieve with the application of this texture.

Photograph of a dahlia with Desert Canvas texture in Screen Blend Mode with Opacity of 100%.  A levels adjustment was added increasing dark values and finally I adjusted the Output slider to 65% to produce an even more hazy, romantic feel.

Same pic and texture processed with Pin Light Blend Mode at 100% Opacity.  Some texture removed from flower with Layer Mask and soft black brush.

This edit in blend mode of Linear Burn reminded me of a classic, old master painting ... sooooo...

With a little more editing - a levels adjustment and the use of some painterly filters, the photograph and texture have achieved an old master painting feel.  This is the same image as at the beginning of this post. As you see, there is much you can do if you begin with the addition of a unique texture - so scroll back up and download your free copy now.

Terms for Download:  You are free to use this texture to enhance your personal or commercial work.  Please do not claim it as your own work and/or regift or sell it as is.   Copyright still applies after download.  I am only agreeing to forgo copyright once it is incorporated into your own work.  

Texture Tuesday

To achieve the look of the first image, using the photograph above, I cropped it, duplicated the layer, added a gaussian blur, removed some of the blur from the image with a soft brush and layer mask, did a levels adjustment where I used the output slider to desaturate the image a bit, added Kim Klassen's "YesterYear" texture, used blend mode "Screen" adjusted to 85% opacity, added my initials and it was good to go.   Easy peasy.   I quite like it.  Hope you do too!

Free Texture Friday

Okay, I'm one day early, but I could not wait to post this fabulous free texture just for you.  This texture can be used in most blend modes as you will see in the examples I have provided below.  It adds depth, drama and intensity in several of the blend modes but you can still achieve a desaturated look by using "Screen".  I love what this versitile, old-worldy texture does for my photographs and I am sure you will too!  Enjoy! 

(Since I am regularly offering textures on this blog, why not "Follow" so that you will be alerted about each new free download?)

To download this free texture "Renaissance 1" click HERE.  See below for examples of this texture in several different blend modes.

First, here is the texture "Renaissance 1" with an image from the web.  Difference blend mode is used here with an Opacity of 86%.

This everyday photograph will be used to demonstrate effects of different blend modes on the texture.

Blend mode Linear Light with Opacity at 85%

Blend Mode Soft Light with Opacity at 100%

Blend Mode Hard Light with Opacity at 75%

Blend Mode Screen with Opacity at 90%

Blend Mode Color Burn with Opacity at 70%

Blend Mode Difference with Opacity at 100%

Note:  While the French script on this texture is not very visible when applied to the above photograph, it is visible when applied to still life shots.

Terms for Download:  You are free to use this texture to enhance your personal or commercial work.  Please do not claim it as your own work and/or regift or sell it as is.   Copyright still applies after download.  I am only agreeing to forgo copyright once it is incorporated into your own work.  

A Vintage Touch

This antique cash register stands guard over all transactions at a lovely little French restaurant called "L'Ambiance" in a section of Montreal that boasts many fine antique shops. 

For "Texture Tuesday" I have further enhanced the vintage feel with a texture by Kim Klassen entitled "Ben's Collection 6".

Photograph enhanced with Kim Klassen's "Ben's Collection 6".

This photograph is aged with Kim Klassen's 'One Word Texture'.

To download my latest free texture click HERE, or simply scroll down to my previous post.

Another Free Texture for You

Okay peeps - here is your next free texture.   The script on it is French and can be removed with a layer mask or erasure if you do not want it on parts of your image.  You can also adjust the texture so that the grey border is not visible if it does not suit the piece you are working on. 

Play with the blending modes, opacity, layer masks to remove elements of texture, levels adjustments and sharpening (among a gazillion other options!) to bring different looks to your photographs.  Let me show you how this texture appears, using different blending modes on the same image.

To download this free texture, simply click HERE.  (Please read the terms for a free download at the end of this post.)

The texture will be applied to this image of a dandelion.

Texture>Blend Mode Hard Light at 100% Opacity.

(Layer Mask used to remove texture from dandelion head.)

Texture>Blend Mode Linear Light at 100% Opacity.

 (Layer Mask used to remove texture from head of dandelion.)

Texture>Blend Mode Color at 100% Opacity.

  (Layer Mask to remove some color from texture from the flower.)

Texture>Blend Mode Luminosity at 40% Opacity. 

Layer Mask to remove some texture from flower.

Texture>Linear Dodge at 66% Opacity.

 Layer Mask used to remove some texture from flower head.

You are free to use the texture to enhance your personal or commercial work.  Please do not claim it as your own work and/or regift or sell it as is.   Copyright still applies after download.  I am only agreeing to forgo copyright once it is incorporated into your own work.  

Have fun!

Freebie Texture

Not every PS edit has to be a desaturated one.  Look how drama and an artisitic effect

 can be added to a photograph with a beautiful texture.

Here is the photograph selected to process.

And this is the new Sapphire Dust Texture added to the image! 

To download this texture for free, please click HERE.

To achieve the painterly feel of the first image in this post, I followed these steps:

*  Open selected image in PS or PSE and make any levels adjustments you deem necessary.

* Open the Sapphire Dust Texture and drag it to fit your image.

*  Try out different blend modes.  I chose Hard Light and reduced Opacity to 85%.

* Use your erasure tool or a layer mask to remove any bits of texture you do not want

   on key parts of your image.

*  Flatten your layers.

* Duplicate your image.

* Select a Filter from the Artistic palette.  I chose Dry Brush and then added

   a second filter of Artistic>Paint Daubs.

* Go back to Filter>Artistic and try out Poster Edges reducing Opacity until

   you get the effect you like.  You can omit this step if effect does not please you.

* Add your signature and you are good to go!

giving your photo a gauzy, romantic look

What is more inspiring than new life unfolding?

To produce this gauzy, romantic effect I took the following steps in Photoshop Elements:

* opened selected image in PSE edit screen

* duplicated image

* selected Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur (radius slider to approximately 45)

* added Rita's (Coffeeshop) Layer Mask Action, used soft brush (20%) to remove blur from buds

* Adjustment Layer>Levels>moved dark slider to approx. 30

* used Levels layer mask with soft brush to remove Levels darkness from background

* Adjustment Layer>Levels>Output>moved slider to 45 to add pale, gauzy effect over entire image

* removed a bit of Output effect on buds, using Levels Layer Mask and soft round brush (15%)

* added signature, and watermark for posting

Dark Textures and Blend Modes

The image below is Texture #7 in my Pixel Dust Texture Set II.  Given its dark and moody tone, one might hesitate to use it on a photograph.  Ah, but let me show you the magic a dark texture such as this can create.

I also want to use this post to demonstrate the variety of effects you can get using the different Blend Modes offered in Photoshop.  I have noticed that many of us seem to stick to the tried and true Soft Light and Overlay Blend Modes, but there is much magic waiting to be discovered in other Blend Modes.  We will use this one photograph and one texture to see what results are possible with the different blending modalities. 

Texture #7, Pixel Dust Texture Set II

(to see the entire collection click HERE)

We will apply the above texture to this photograph and use several

Blend Modes to see just a few of the variations possible.

Texture applied to photograph using

Blend Mode Color Burn with Opacity lowered to 75%.

Texture applied using

Blend Mode Darker Color with Opacity lowered to 84%

Texture applied using

Blend Mode Hard Light with Opacity left at 100%

Blend Mode Linear Light with Opacity lowered to 85%

Blend Mode Luminosity with Opacity lowered to 80%

Blend Mode Overlay with Opacity left at 100%

Blend Mode Pin Light with Opacity lowered to 75%

Blend Mode Soft Light with Opacity left at 100%

As you see there is much to be gained from a little experimentation with different blending modes and adjustments in opacity.  I hope you have also seen the beauty and depth that can be achieved with the application of a dark texture.  Dark textures do not obliterate your photograph, but add intensity and drama.  You have many different options in terms of the final appearance of that intensity and drama, depending on the Blend Mode you choose and the Opacity adjustment you make. 

I hope this little demonstration has encouraged you to try dark textures and to experiment with the incredible variety of blending modes and opacity adjustments available.

(To purchase the Pixel Dust Texture Set II, which contains the above texture, visit my Texture Shoppe.)