Tutorial Author - Man1c M0g (http://forums.biorust.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=1)
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| Surface Reflections Tutorial Author - Man1c M0g (http://forums.biorust.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=1) |
Creating photorealistic scenes is one of the hardest tasks of the apprentice designer, and its made all the more difficult by the fact that nature itself is very complex & hard to replicate. The human brain is remarkably perceptive, and can detect if a scene looks wrong, even if the conscious mind can't pinpoint the problem. One of the most common mistakes is omitting or creating unrealistic reflections. The aim of this tutorial is to show a simple technique for creating realistic reflections in Photoshop. Read on...
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Step 1: OK, to start off you need to create a two layer blank document - one filled with white (i.e. the lower background layer), and one with the object in that is to be reflected. The object image in question should be as 'clean' as possible (i.e. no out-of-place coloured pixels on the edges). It also helps a lot if the bottom of the image has a relatively straight and flat edge, or you'll expend much more effort matching up the reflection with its source. For the sake of simplicity, I'll use a small bit of text for this tutorial. |
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Step 2: Create a duplicate of the top (object) layer using the Layer > Duplicate Layer option in the menu (or layers palette). You'll now have two identical layers in the layers palette. Select the bottommost one and choose Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical from the menu. Then, with the layer still selected, use the move tool to move the reflection layer directly beneath the top object layer. You should end up with something like my example on the left. |
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Step 3: Its coming together, but the
reflection still lacks perspective. To correct this, select Edit >
Transform > Perspective from the menu and, using the active tool, drag
the bottom corners of the box left/right away from the image. Then
select Edit > Transform > Scale and pull the bottom edge upwards to
create a much more realistic reflection. |
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Step 4: Ok, nearly there. Now we just need to make the reflection fade with its distance from the object (to mimic reality). With the reflection layer still selected, click Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal All in the menu to add a layer mask. Now select the linear gradient tool and make sure the active foreground/background colours are white/black. Then drag the gradient vertically top to bottom of the reflection image. If you've done it wrong the fade will go the wrong way. Try reversing the drag direction. |
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Step 5: And its all finished! Don't be afraid to fiddle with this effect - its really easy to make, and infinitely customizable to your requirements. Filters such as Distort > Ocean Ripple and Distort > Ripple can even make the reflection look like its on an unsmooth or watery surface. Have fun playing! :) |