Gradients in Photoshop Comprehensive Tutorial

on Friday 28 June 2013
I am sure you know where the Gradients Tool is. This is a comprehensive tutorial on what can be achieved with it.
Step 1 : You can see the Gradient Tool here, the Foreground and Background Colors and the Gradient editor. By clicking the Gradient Tool you can bring up the Gradient Editor.
Step 2 : Keep the shift key pressed by dragging from top to bottom with Gradient Tool to keep the gradient proportionate. Notice I have not dragged all the way to the bottom.

Step 3 : This is how the Gradient looks like.
Step 4 : Instead of dragging from top to bottom, you can drag diagonally or in any direction.

Step 5 : This is how it looks if dragged diagonally. You can drag in any direction. You will get a different effect each time.
This is the Gradient Tool Options bar.

A closer view.

Step 6 : Click where the red arrow points to. It will bring up the Gradient Editor.
Step 7 : The Gradient Editor opens. The top sliders are called opacity stops. They can be moved by either clicking and dragging them or changing the location input field to a setting between 1 and 100. The top sliders adjust the opacity setting at that point of the gradient. This allows to softening of the transition of the gradient or allows the gradient to overlay another image. More top sliders can be added by clicking on one keeping the ALT pressed. The bottom sliders or Color Stops work similarly. You can add more stops by keeping the ALT key pressed. The Color Stops allow you to change the color of the gradient at that selected point.
Step 8 : I have added additional opacity stops at the top and the Color Stops at the bottom by keeping the ALT key and dragging. This created the additional opacity and color stops..
Step 9 : This is how the Gradient looks like.
Step 9 : This is how the gradient looks after application.

Step 10 : Click on a stop and then click Color. This will bring up the Color Picker. Select any color from it with the Spectrum in the middle and then click on the color box at left of the Color picker.

Step 11 :I have clicked on a stop and changed it to red. It becomes red from that point as you can see above.
Step 12 : I have changed the color stops in a similar way.
You can save the gradient to save time from creating it again.
I am not attempting something very ambitious, but using only two colors black and red.
And, this is the effect.
Step 13 : Now let us concentrate on the top panel where the different kinds of Gradients are located. The first from the left is the Linear Gradient which we have just used. The second is the Radial Gradient. Then Comes the Angle gradient. Next is the Reflected Gradient. The last is the Diamond Gradient. Hover your cursor over each one in turn and the names will appear. Step 14 : This is the Radial Gradient applied.
Step 15 : This is the Angled Gradient applied.

Step 14 : This is the Reflected Gradient.

Step 15 : This is the Diamond Gradient applied.

Step 16 : I hve opened this photo in Photoshop. Press CTRL+SHIFT+N to create a new layer.

Step 17 : The Background is the photo I have opened and Layer 1 is the new layer just created.
Step 18 : With the Radial Gradient selected draw diagonally for just a portion as shown.
Step 19 : This is the effect you get. Your background is no longer visible.
Step 20 : Look in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette you will see the gradient applied to the new layer.

Step 21 : In the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette change the blending mode from the popup to Soft Light.
Step 22 : This is how the image looks after changing the Blend Mode.
Step 23 : Click the Layer Mask Button shown by the red arrow and the layer mask forms (blue arrow) on Layer one.

Step 24 : Make sure that the Foreground Color (above) is set to black. Then click on the Brush tool.

Step 25 : With the Brush Tool I am gently wiping away to reveal the highway.
Step 26 : This is how the image looks now.
Step 27 : Click where the red arrow points to in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette to select it.
Step 28 : Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur
Step 29 : The Gaussian Blur Dialogue box opens. Drag the Radius slider to blur the circles a bit.
The finished image. I have shown what can be done with Gradients. Now it is for you to experiment and give your personal touch.

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