OT_ Gradient Map &Tool

DG
Posted By
David G House
Aug 10, 2004
Views
236
Replies
9
Status
Closed
Hi Everyone…

Recently I have been wantig to use the Gradient Map or Tool… (either the one in the tool box or the one you get from the Layers Pallet, I am getting the impression they are for different things..) But I am not having the sucess I am wanting.. what is that?? Well more control over what I am doing rather than a "hit and miss" methodogoly…. I suppose what I am saying is that I don’t really understand this tool… so I am wondering if anyone knows of some decent well written and fairly easy step by step tutorials that will get me started and move me forward…

david…..

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups 🔥

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

EW
Ed_Wurster
Aug 10, 2004
David G House wrote:
Recently I have been wantig to use the Gradient Map or Tool… (either the one in the tool box or the one you get from the Layers Pallet, I am getting the impression they are for different things..) But I am not having the sucess I am wanting.. what is that?? Well more control over what I am doing rather than a "hit and miss" methodogoly…. I suppose what I am saying is that I don’t really understand this tool… so I am wondering if anyone knows of some decent well written and fairly easy step by step tutorials that will get me started and move me forward…

Definitely not OT, David.

Here are 3 links that may help:

Gradient_Mapping.pdf –
http://tinyurl.com/4frpy

Gradient Map Adjustment Layers –
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=132

Blend-If in Elements 2 –
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=111

I have only gone thru the last link. Looking forward to discussion about this too.

"By default, the shadows, midtones, and highlights of the image are mapped respectively to the starting (left) color, midpoint, and ending (right) color of the gradient fill." That is from the PSE help file.

Ed
DG
David G House
Aug 10, 2004
Ed…

My apologies for the OT.. I was under the impression OT meant "Other Topic" as in New Topic…. someone should put out a book… anyway…. I do thank you for the Links…. I have reviewed them and they do look progressive…. I should learn a lot from them… what I was attempting to do was create my own shadowing and wanted to "Gradient" the dark areas…. When I have some time I will digest these further…

again.. Thank You…

david
PA
Patti Anderson
Aug 10, 2004
One way I like to use the Gradient Map adjustment layer is to apply a warming effect to dull photos. I created a coral to white gradient to mimic Tiffen’s coral colored warming filter (Tiffen 812). The RGB numbers for the coral are R-255, G-225, B-196. I apply this gradient via a Gradient map adjustment layer and then use Multiply blend mode.

A Gradient Map adjustment layer (with Multiply blend mode) works better because the warming effect will apply to the mid to darker areas of the image and the whitish areas will stay white. That’s not a very technical explanation, but you get the idea. Basically, when you use the adjustment layer like this, everything that is white in the "map" will be transparent. If I used just a Fill layer above the image with Multiply blend mode, everything in the image would get the coral tint.

Also you can adjust the gradient (double-click on the gradient map thumbnail on the layers palette) if you want more or less of the effect. Less effect — add more white by sliding the white stop to the left. More effect — add more coral by sliding the coral stop to the right.

Examples: <http://www.pbase.com/omd01639/gallery/gradientmaps>

Patti
DG
David G House
Aug 10, 2004
HI Patti…

Thanks for the explination and the link.. I like the images.. but I am like a Toddler to the Graphics Side of Elements and Digital Artistry…. so a lot of it to me kinda sounds like the "Teacher" or other "Grown-ups" in the "Peanuts, Charlie Brown" cartoons… 😀

I know what I want to acomplish in my feable lil mind… but whenever I use the Gradient Tool or Map(taken from any of the spots where it is) I cannot seem to contol it.

I am going to start with the Tutorial’s that Ed has suggested and maybe "pick some brains" of you experts later……

If anyone has any other Tutorial suggestions.. I’m all eyes….

thansk again..

david
WE
Wendy_E_Williams
Aug 10, 2004
Patti,

I like your idea of creating a warming filter.

David,

My main use for gradient mapping is colouring old photographs:

I have a specially created set of gradients for hair and skin tone plus a wide variety of colours for clothes, trees etc. Using gradient mapping means that when I select "say someones hair" the "brown" gradient map keeps all the different tones of the hair and makes it look much more realistic. Once you have the gradients set up it is quick and easy to work with.

Wendy
TF
Terri_Foster
Aug 10, 2004
I’m also a huge fan of gradient mapping. It’s really not hard to do. I think Ed’s #2 link did an excellant explaination of how to edit a gradient. I like to use this method to colorize especially when it comes to creating metallic surfaces.

Terri
PA
Patti Anderson
Aug 11, 2004
Applying a warming filter isn’t the only thing I use gradient maps for, it was just one example of how they can be used for selective adjustments. I haven’t tried using them for the luminosity selections like in the one retouchpro tutorial, I’ll have to try that one.

Wendy, you mentioning using them for skin and hair reminded me of this tutorial which Dave might like to add to his list: <http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=160986>

Dave, if you understand the following (from the PSE help files), you’ve got a pretty good idea of what a gradient map "is." Hopefully we won’t overwhelm you with what the things we can do with it! Although to me, that’s half the fun of sharing here. 🙂

The Gradient Map command maps the equivalent grayscale range of an image to the colors of a specified gradient fill. If you specify a two-color gradient fill, for example, shadows in the image map to one of the endpoint colors of the gradient fill, highlights map to the other endpoint color, and midtones map to the gradations in between.

Patti
EW
Ed_Wurster
Aug 11, 2004
David G House wrote:
I know what I want to acomplish in my feable lil mind… but whenever I use the Gradient Tool or Map(taken from any of the spots where it is) I cannot seem to contol it.

I am going to start with the Tutorial’s that Ed has suggested and maybe "pick some brains" of you experts later……
If anyone has any other Tutorial suggestions.. I’m all eyes….

Toning & Gradients and other tutorials:
http://books.elsevier.com/companions/0240519566/
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Aug 11, 2004
Don’t know if this has already been posted in one of the tinyurls, but if not, you might also like this:

< http://www.creativemac.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=27264>

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