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CP from facebook left a question: “Ok…what are some of the best techniques for painting armor textures
” Here is my response:
Blend modes (think Overlay/Soft Light), clone stamping, and masks in Photoshop are the main methods outside of rendering Occlusion Maps, etc., from 3ds Max. So we’re just talking Photoshop for now.
Google a bunch of jpeg textures online of scratched metal, stone, etc – anything to break up your texture. Get a variety, the funkier the better. The higher the resolution the better, too.
Whatever color areas you have blocked out for your texture, above them, paste in one of your texture files, automatically creating a new layer. Set that layer’s blend mode to Overlay. Already the texture will start to look more interesting, as the texture will blend into the layers below, The Soft Light blend mode is also effective. If neither of these work, try Multiply. Then, use the clone stamp tool to paint scratches wherever you want them. I often make a new layer for clone stamping and select “Use Current and Below” in the clone stamp properties. Ctrl T to rotate texture as desired.
It is good to keep the blend mode layer, but you can collapse a layer to the one below using Ctrl E. That can be handy for the masking method coming up. We will be needing 2 layers, so instead of just using 2 layers with a solid color each, you can alternatively make 2 interesting layers that have been collapsed with blend mode textures burned into them.
Using masks you can create dual level materials, for example, scratched paint revealing metal below. You will need 2 layers each with a different texture and color. Set up material 1 (for example, bare metal) on a layer. Let’s call it the Base Metal layer.
On a new layer above, fill with a paint color (or use a collapsed texture layer). We’ll call it the Worn Paint layer. Make a mask for this new layer (the mask icon is at the bottom of the layer panel – it looks like a rectangle with a circle inside). and paste a new texture that will function as scratches into the mask (Alt-click on the mask to access the mask and to be able to paste into it).
The mask in the higher layer will now reveal the layer below, effectively functioning as scratched and worn paint revealing funky metal below it. That is cool.
The next thing to do is get highlights and shadows etched into your material edges and seams, etc. Duplicate all your layers into a new layer at the top (Ctrl Alt Shift E). This is a neat trick that makes a new top layer out of all your merged layers below. You will want a new merged layer because the next step is “destructive” editing.
Use the Dodge tool to paint highlights wherever you want raised edges. Use the Burn tool to etch shadows, seams, wherever grit would get worked into leather, etc. In each case use a very low % brush and go slow. Here is where a Wacom tablet is real handy. You want to go slow with Dodge because it can burn out your colors quickly. Burn can also create oddly colored artifacts if over-used.
Periodically update your texture and checking it in 3ds Max, to make sure the end result is getting what you want. Use a Curves Adjustment layer above everything to globally adjust brightness, contrast, etc.
CP from facebook left a question: “Ok…what are some of the best techniques for painting armor textures ” Here is my response:
Blend modes (think Overlay/Soft Light), clone stamping, and masks in
Photoshop are the main methods outside of rendering Occlusion Maps,
etc., from 3ds Max. So we’re just talking Photoshop for now.
Google a bunch of jpeg textures online of scratched metal, stone, etc
– anything to break up your texture. Get a variety, the funkier the
better. The higher the resolution the better, too.
Whatever color areas you have blocked out for your texture, above
them, paste in one of your texture files, automatically creating a new
layer. Set that layer’s blend mode to Overlay. Already the texture will
start to look more interesting, as the texture will blend into the
layers below, The Soft Light blend mode is also effective. If neither of
these work, try Multiply. Then, use the clone stamp tool to paint
scratches wherever you want them. I often make a new layer for clone
stamping and select “Use Current and Below” in the clone stamp
properties. Ctrl T to rotate texture as desired.
It is good to keep the blend mode layer, but you can collapse a layer
to the one below using Ctrl E. That can be handy for the masking method
coming up. We will be needing 2 layers, so instead of just using 2
layers with a solid color each, you can alternatively make 2 interesting
layers that have been collapsed with blend mode textures burned into
them.
Using masks you can create dual level materials, for example,
scratched paint revealing metal below. You will need 2 layers each with a
different texture and color. Set up material 1 (for example, bare
metal) on a layer. Let’s call it the Base Metal layer.
On a new layer above, fill with a paint color (or use a collapsed
texture layer). We’ll call it the Worn Paint layer. Make a mask for this
new layer (the mask icon is at the bottom of the layer panel – it looks
like a rectangle with a circle inside). and paste a new texture that
will function as scratches into the mask (Alt-click on the mask to
access the mask and to be able to paste into it).
The mask in the higher layer will now reveal the layer below,
effectively functioning as scratched and worn paint revealing funky
metal below it. That is cool.
The next thing to do is get highlights and shadows etched into your
material edges and seams, etc. Duplicate all your layers into a new
layer at the top (Ctrl Alt Shift E). This is a neat trick that makes a
new top layer out of all your merged layers below. You will want a new
merged layer because the next step is “destructive” editing.
Use the Dodge tool to paint highlights wherever you want raised
edges. Use the Burn tool to etch shadows, seams, wherever grit would get
worked into leather, etc. In each case use a very low % brush and go
slow. Here is where a Wacom tablet is real handy. You want to go slow
with Dodge because it can burn out your colors quickly. Burn can also
create oddly colored artifacts if over-used.
Periodically update your texture and checking it in 3ds Max, to make
sure the end result is getting what you want. Use a Curves Adjustment
layer above everything to globally adjust brightness, contrast, etc.
hey what was that all about there are 2 copies of the same post.