Using Gradient tool in Photoshop 6.0

JD
Posted By
Julie_D_Collins
Jun 14, 2005
Views
317
Replies
3
Status
Closed
I have never been able to add some color in the sky using the gradient tool without it looking incredibly fake. I think I have chosen the right colors now, but my problem is is that I cannot get the things in the foreground (especially trees with leaves) to look like they belong.

Anyone have any quick tips on how to blend the two layers more smooth? (I have already been feathering and playing with opacity changes). I just seems as though the lines are too hard or something, but blur tool is not really much of a help either.

Thanks!
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Pierre_Courtejoie
Jun 14, 2005
Try also the blend if sliders in advanced blending.
<http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=123>
G
GordonGraham
Jun 14, 2005
You might also try setting the blend mode of the gradient layer to darken. In this blend mode, Photoshop will look at the pixels in the underlying layer (the one containing the "original" sky) and in the layer containing the gradient. It will select whichever pixel is darker and use that as the result.

If your original sky is washed out and light, then this blend mode will generally pick the darker pixels in the gradient layer, as you want. However, where the trees and other objects obscure the sky, it will generally prefer these objects since they are usually darker than the sky (of course this isn’t always true, but is much of the time).

If you combine this with the use of the Blend If sliders as recommended by the previous poster, you are likely to get a good sky without having to do much masking at all.

If you find some areas where the blend mode and Blend If still don’t look right, you can add a layer mask and hand paint out the bad areas.
O
Ol__Whozit
Jun 15, 2005
..

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