We shall now see the effects of using Blending Modes to create contrast. Download the image _RJM6642. jpg from our website. Remember, this image too will be available for download only till 30th June 2017. Open the image in Photoshop and ensure that the Layers panel is open (F7).
Make a copy of the Background layer. This will be seen as Background copy in the Layers panel.
Go to the Blending Mode and select Soft Light from the dropdown menu. Observe the increase in the contrast. You may try the various Blending Modes (Soft Light, Overlay, Hard Light, Vivid Light and Linear Light) and see the effects they individually produce. Note that I have excluded Pin Light and Hard Mix as I don’t think you will need to use them. I have included the effect that each of the above Blending modes produce.
Now let’s try something different. This time, we shall see the effect of applying the Blending Mode cumulatively. We will again open the _RJM6642.jpg image in Photoshop and apply the Blending Modes as you see here.
Duplicate the background Layer and apply the Soft Light Blending Mode.
Rename the new layer as Soft Light (Double click on the words Background Copy and type in Soft light).
Now make a duplicate copy of Soft Light layer and apply the Overlay Blending Mode. Rename the new layer as Overlay just as we did in the earlier step.
Now make a duplicate layer of Overlay and apply the Hard Light Blending Mode. Rename this layer as Hard Light.
Make a duplicate copy of the Hard Light Blending Mode and apply the Vivid Light Blending Mode. Rename this layer as Vivid.
Make a duplicate copy of the Vivid Blending Mode and apply the Linear Light Blending Mode. rename this layer as Linear Light.
To see the ‘before/ after’ effect of applying each blending mode, switch ‘Off’ the eye icon on the required layer.
Note to readers: I have purposely left the corner/ side darkening as it is – just to show that applying a blending mode will also darken the corners and sides. This of course can be corrected if need be. |SP
