Help needed understanding these layers.

[peejay]

Can anyone break down these layers into a simple set of instructions? I would love to duplicate this effect but I just dont know enough about PS yet to manage it by myself.
TIA

http://www.shanzcan.com/galphotrt/megan5.html

peejay

[Leah]

Your sequence of layers won't be quite the same in the end because Shan's done more keeping layers intact and merging a copy into a new layer than I have, but I thought this would be easier to follow:
1. Duplicate "Background" layer to produce "Background Copy" layer
2. Add New Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer (this layer is "Channel Mixer 1"). Red 0%, Green 100%, Blue 0%, 6% Constant, Monochrome box ticked.
3. Add New Layer with Color Dodge Blend Mode (this layer is "Layer 1"). Fill with 50% gray. Using a soft brush (most of the time) at fairly low opacity, start brushing on in black where you want to get closer to the tones in the black & white image you have under this layer (i.e. bring out more detail than you have at the moment), and in white where you want to make the image even lighter and bleach it out to white. In the example file this is where the shadow is created - by leaving that area a fairly light gray while the rest of the wall is white.
4. Turn off visibility on "Background" layer. Merge Visible to merge "Layer 1", "Channel Mixer 1" and "Background Copy". Rename the merged layer "Merged 1" and set its blending mode to Screen. Turn on visibility on "Background" layer again.
5. On top of the "Merged 1" layer add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer (this Layer is "Hue/Saturation 1"). Hue -12 (for the sample image - this would be something to experiment with), Saturation +49, Lightness 0.
6. On top of the "Hue/Saturation 1" layer add a Curves Adjustment Layer (this Layer is "Curves 1"). Ctrl-click in the middle of the line and drag that point down and right a bit (to get figures something like Input 157, Output 98, but to taste really). Then drag the bottom left-hand corner point right a bit (to get figures something like Input 47, Output 2).
7. On top of the "Curves 1" layer add a new blank layer (this layer is "Layer 1" because you merged your original Layer 1 into the "Merged 1" layer, so PS can reuse the number). With "Layer 1" active, hold down the Alt key and do Merge Visible while keeping the Alt key pressed. This will create a merged copy of what you've done so far in "Layer 1". Set the blend mode of "Layer 1" to Darken.
8. With "Layer 1" active, apply Filter -> Noise -> Median. Number to taste - I suggest enough to blur the details but not so much that you get shadows encroaching on the whites of the eyes. Reduce the opacity of "Layer 1" to around 60-70%.
9. On top of "Layer 1" add a new blank layer (this layer is "Layer 2"). Set the blend mode of "Layer 2" to Multiply. Sample a suitable shadow color and with a very low opacity brush paint in shadow emphasis where you think you need it (folds in clothes in the sample image). The "suitable color may be very light to your eyes if you're painting in shadows on very light areas - for example, a fairly pale pistachio works well on the sample image. Don't be tempted to use black. You may want to resample a range of colors as you work to avoid it being too uniform. Don't overdo this bit!
10. On top of "Layer 2" add a new Pattern Fill layer (this layer is "Pattern Fill 1") with its blend mode set to "Soft Light". Choose a suitable pattern - something reasonably flowing and organic works well, and a dark color complements the sample image. Set the opacity of "Pattern Fill 1" to around 40% and mask out the figure by painting over the figure in black on the layer mask.
11. On top of the "Pattern Fill 1" layer add a new layer (this layer is "Layer 3") with its blend mode set to "Multiply" and fill this new layer with white. Using your reserves of artistic skill, paint on the sketchy freehand lines outlining the figure, detailing the hair and squiggling over the background.

[peejay]

Thanks

Wow! Thanks for the post. That is a great help. Now when I figure out how, I will post my results so far. Thanks again.

peejay

[peejay]

Posting photo

Lets hope this works....