I've seen such wonderful and varying types of shadowing here at DigitalScrapbook.com. I just wondered what, if any, designer shadow styles you use OR if you do it all on your own, or maybe both?
I prefer One Little Bird shadows, but I have at least 7 shadow styles from other designers, and I use them all. I have just recently started attempting to put the shadow on it's own layer and warping it...it's been fun, but frustrating at times trying to keep shadow angles consistent.
Would love to hear how you all attack this important component of digital scrapbooking. Would love to learn some new tricks!
great question! I'd love to hear answers too. Even after all these years, I'm a bit spastic with my shadows... I just try it until I find what works for me on the particular layout.
Since I don't use Photoshop (I use Paint Shop Pro), I can't use shadow styles... I've tried for a while to get people to share their settings to help me (shadows are NOT my forte), and I always get pointed to Photoshop styles... *sigh* So, like Shawna, I just kinda wing it.
Lizanne, in Paintshop you could always have Presets which would work like styles in Photoshop.
I have a blog post about shadows for those who want to understand them instead of "just" using styles/presets:
http://scrapbookcampus.com/2016/11/everything-needs-a-shadow-almost/
And a little more discrete tips for shadowing:
http://scrapbookcampus.com/2016/12/3-details-to-add-dimension-to-your-elements/
for scrapbooking I usually use the styles and effects that are supplied ... I bring down the transparency and usually will bring it out a bit until I feel it looks more like a real shadow and generally play with it .. I find it depends on the subject matter and where it is
for my digital art I very often will create a silhouette of the piece I'm putting the shadow under, change the colour to a more natural hue, warp it, play with the transparency etc .... all on a new layer ... I rarely depend on a ready made effect for my digital art
I personally do not like hard edges or very dark shadows on either the scrapbook page or the digital art ... mainly it takes practice and learning to adjust the effects ... you can move those effects onto a different layers as well and sometimes that can make all the difference
anyone else out there got some great useful shadowing tips for us???
I have a bunch of shadowing styles that I intermix. I love Mommyish's newish realistic shadow set since it takes advantage of the multiple drop shadows available in PSCC now. If I'm up to playing with my shadows (Which is not often! I like to click and be done!); I go browse paper galleries. It's nice to get a good reference point, and see how much things sit up on their pages. Like flowers and layered papers.
I also am in love with the warp tool, and making my word art look like a bad glue job. LOL
When you don't have a style to use you can try an old method. Duplicate your layer, gray scale the layer. Place the layer under the colored layer. Now offset the gray scaled layer in the direction you would like the shadow to be. Change the opacity of the layer as desired.
Great question! I had the hardest time trying to achieve natural looking shadows by myself. I was thrilled to discover pre-made shadow styles and I haven't looked back-lol. I have several shadow styles, by a few different designers, but I almost always use the styles by Mye De Leon.
@Carole - Those posts are great, thank you!
I very rarely use shadow styles, I normally do it myself.
Though I did find a post that helped me: http://www.trixiescraps.com/2011/06/ttt-june-14-shadowing.html
You know what, I've never actually used shadow styles! I'd like to try some out, though.
I do my shadows myself in Photoshop, generally like this:
Blend Mode: Multiply, 50%-75%
Angle: 138*
Distance: 4px
Spread: 6px
Size: 6px
This depends on the element or paper used, the angle, and things like that. Larger, more 3D elements get a darker Multiply percentage and wider distance, spread and size.
I use styles by karla dudley - she has three different ones to choose from. But I also use shadows that come with templates, if I like the way they look!
I usually use styles for that, my favorite is the one from Mommyish, but I also have 3-4 from other designers. If I want to create my own realistic shadowing I do it like this.
Select the layer - create new layer underneath it - fill with black
go to filter - Blur - Gaussian blur -10 to 12pixels
than I warp: Edit - Transform - warp until I got something I like
and last I adjust the opacity to 30-40%
I use photoshop CS6
I always make them myself, but I'll have a look at the presets you mentioned, because they look like they could make my life easier! For small items, such as buttons, I just use the standard Photoshop drop-shadow style.
For bigger elements, I make more realistic shadows:
- I create a drop-shadow style in dark brown using "multiply" or "linear burn"
- I make a new layer from the shadow style
- I use the warp tool on the shadow layer
- I copy the shadow layer
- I blur the copied shadow layer (Gaussian blur) and lower its opacity, sometimes moving and warping it a bit, so it looks like a shadow coming from a different lightsource
This process makes shadows look much better, it works well on ribbons and other elements that are supposed to fly over the page a bit. You may even add a third shadow, options are unlimited.
My favorite set so far is the one Mommyish (of the lilypad) did. I either use hers, or copy and paste the shadows that are already in the template I'm using and tweak them to my heart's desire. I had no idea that One Little Bird did a set so I'm purchasing hers to see what hers is like.
I have a few of the style sets listed here and I also have my own that I have in my shop.
AND
I still make my own most of the time ROFL.....I may start with a preset, but I usually make my shadow a separate layer and warp it.
I've some styles on my computer but don't think to use them. so for each page I make the shadow. in fact it's mostly the same parameters.