Backdrops

[QueenBrownShuga]

Does anyone know how to make the backgrounds/backdrops used by the photographer on this website? (scroll down to see them)
http://www.digital-background.net/

He sells a video and tutorials, but I know it's only for Photoshop and I use PSPX. I am not looking for tutorials on how to make curtains, but just the nice plain digital backdrops.

Thanks in advance.

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Queen,

here's a quick breakdown on how to make a backdrop similar to the 1st. (It looks a lot closer if you choose two grey tones that are nearer in tone to the two I chose).

• Open a new document to size required.
• Set foreground and background colours on your palette to your choice (I chose 2 shades of grey).
• Apply clouds render filter.
• Create new layer.
• Make an eliptical selection on the new layer, then invert the selection.
• Fill the selection (area outside elipse) with black.
• Set Blend mode to Overlay.
• Blur using Gaussian Blur (large radius).
• Finally adjust layer opacity to taste.

You can get a whole lot of different looks by minor variations on this theme.

ie change foreground/background colours, use a gradient instead of the eliptical mask etc. etc. (see 2nd pic)

[Ziaphra]

This is mainly for PSP users. I downloaded the Clouds Plugin from here. Those of you with CS will already have it.

Open a new document and go to Effects/Plugins/Mura's Meister/Clouds...these are the settings I used: See first image.


Now add a new raster layer and fill this with a gradient as I've done here: See second image.


Now set this layer blend to soft light and adjust the opacity to suit. I adjusted mine to 70%. See 3rd image for finished backdrop.


Now to get the different colours I just went to Adjust/Hue and Saturation/Colourize and changed it! See 4th image.


The last image is a crop from a photo of a cousins niece. I separated her from the background she was on, added the backdrop and gave her a painted look. (This is half the size of the original)

[QueenBrownShuga]

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the time you both took help me out.

God Bless you

[Gary Richardson]

You're welcome.