start with a layer that has the lighter blue background color then add another layer in which you would use a somewhat large soft brush in that darker blue color…make some swirls like in the picture then apply a glaussian blur to that layer….as much as needed to give that effect. The bottom lighter blue layer may have some lighter highlights which you can add in the same fashion as the darker blue glaussian blur layer.
One way (among many) is to simply use the Brush Tool with a Soft Round brush size of about 1/3 the height of the picture. Set the foreground and background colors to the light and dark shades you want. Then paint away, alternating between the foreground and background colors. You might also try using an Airbrush Soft Round and maybe adjusting the opacity. The main point is to use a large brush size to get the soft and gradual transition between the two shades.
Another variation is to first use the Paint Bucket tool to fill the image with one of the colors and then use the brush (as described above) with the other color.
Jodi,
Brilliant minds think alike! I posted my message probably seconds after yours.
Another way:
Starting with a blank canvas, use dark blue/white (or dark blue and light blue) for your foreground and background colors and then…
1. Filters>Render clouds
2. Filters>Blur>Gaussian blur (about 30% or higher)
3. Filters>Distort>Wave, play with the Number of generators and the Wavelength sliders until you get the an effect you like.
More cool effects…add a solid blue layer above or beneath the rendered layer and play with blending modes. Nice surprises with every mode!
Patti
Hi Patti and all, Rainy day here, so I am having fun with PSE,,,,,, This is a nice tutorial, and I made one,
<
http://www.pbase.com/image/32595552>
Could I use something like this for a background image for a web page? I know I would have to lighten it up a lot, and figure out how to make it not tile. I am sure that it was covered in our lessons, just will have to find it.
Jane
Ah, found it, its the Offset filter.
Web backgrounds is one thing you could use them for and I’m sure there are more! This sort of reminds me of playing with gradients and the Difference mode awhile back.
Here’s some I did: <
http://www.pbase.com/omd01639/cloudywaves>
Hmmm…now how would one make this a tileable pattern? I’ll have to play with the Offset as you suggested, Jane, and see what happens.
Patti
Somewhere or another, don’t remember right now, there was a tutorial on making tiles for web backgrounds.
Seems to me you need to create a small square image 100px or so square, do your impression on that and use it as a single "tile" for the background. Next make a group of those tiles, say 4 and apply a slight blur to the edges where the tiles meet. Save this newly creted image and then use it as a background. Hopefully the edges will blend together without an apparent tile effect.
Dick
Just for giggles, I made one from a 100×100 pixel frame. Duplicated it 4 times to create a 200×200 pixel image. Used this as the background image.
It is here:
http://tinyurl.com/65qg3 Nothing else, just a "crummy" background.
Dick
Dick, the link is not working for me 🙁
Oh good, I’m glad I’m not the only one who couldn’t get to it!
Here is how I did the background of Jodi’s head for the challenge.
1). Make a square image say 100 by 100.
2). Select a feathered circle and copy it (feateher 10)
3). Filter > Other > offset and set the values to 50 , 50 And click wrap around on
4). Past the image you copied in 2).
5). blur any harsh joints
It take two minuts top if you have a hard one to do.
Grant
Hi Beth ! How’s all ?? Been thinking about you again…good news i hope !
Dick, I get a blank white screen.
Oh ya if you make this into a patter it makes a reoccurring fill pattern.
wrote in message
: Here is how I did the background of Jodi’s head for the challenge. :
: 1). Make a square image say 100 by 100.
: 2). Select a feathered circle and copy it (feateher 10) : 3). Filter > Other > offset and set the values to 50 , 50 And click wrap
: around on
: 4). Past the image you copied in 2).
: 5). blur any harsh joints
:
: It take two minuts top if you have a hard one to do.
:
: Grant
:
:
:
I’ve been wondering is there a pattern pixel size "sweet spot"? I get the make it square part but am wondering about best size for creating a custom pattern to scale. Is bigger better?
Terri
Terri
Like all things it depends! It is a balance between size and detail. If you are make the pattern for the web smaller is often faster. But you do loose out on some of the detail. But then how much detail do you want it is a background and should not compete against other things. so like all things it is a decision you have to make there is no absolutes answer to this question.
Grant
Grant,
Thanks for answering that for me. I was actually thinking in terms of home use like using for scrapbooking purposes rather than web. I imagine the there’s no rule applies to this too. I’ve just been a little puzzled how the original default patterns look seemless at less than 100% scale. I guess I was looking for a magic number that doesn’t exist.
Terri
You can scale it very easily if you use layers fill pattern, instead of using fill pattern or paint bucket fill patern.
Grant
Grant,
Yes, I do it that way. I tend to get dark box like edges so the pattern looks like it’s on tv when scaling them below 100%. Maybe, it has to do with lighting. I think I may have used lighting effects before defining as a pattern. Thanks again for the assistance Grant…off to check if lighting effects is the variable that’s giving me grief.
Terri
Jodi,
Sorry I wasn’t around after my post. Can you verify for me that you still get a blank white screen? When I click that link I get a page with a blue swirl background.
Dick
wrote:
Dick, the link is not working for me 🙁
Link should be fixed. Had image in the wrong place! 🙂
Dick, yup, I see it now 🙂 pretty cool ! Thanks for sharin’ !
Patti- THANK YOU. The tip for about the tile maker filter in Image Ready is EXACTLY what I needed. I haven’t even skimmed the surface of what can be done in Image Ready. I might have to do some exploring. Looking forward to checking out the links you submitted, thanks again…you made my day.
Terri
Hi Patti, Thank you for that imaxx link!
I dont have the time to do anything with it at the moment, but I sure did bookmark it in my most important PSE stuff.
Jane
