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1
The simplest
way to create
a glass effect is
simply to paint one
on. Create a new
layer behind the
frame, and use a
large soft-edged
brush to add
white bands. Set
the opacity of the
brush low – 10%
or 20% – and draw
a series of diagonal white strokes. This can be a very subtle
effect, and is most noticeable at the edges (where the glass
meets the frame) rather than in the middle of the image. Build
up the strokes as you go until the effect works. This is one of
those occasions when a pressure-sensitive graphics tablet
really comes into its own. The glass layer is shown here (inset),
although obviously it makes more sense to draw it while
viewing the full image.
G
LAZING EFFECTS ARE EASY TO
create, and make the difference
between an object looking like it’s in a
box and looking like it’s inside a picture
frame. The bug I’ve used here is in a three-
dimensional box, but the technique works
equally well for flat pictures in frames – or for
windows, museum cases and other glazed
surfaces.
Here, I’ve taken this bug box and added
three different glazing effects to it, from
simple glass to rippled plastic. The inset
pictures show each effect in isolation against
a black background, so it’s easy to see how
it works without the distraction of the main
image getting in the way.
Getting the glazing bug
Up until Photoshop CS5, you could find the Plastic Wrap filter in Filter >
Artistic > Plastic Wrap. Now this section is hidden, although you can still
find it if you choose Filter Gallery from the menu.
To make Plastic Wrap appear in the main menu, go to Preferences >
Plug Ins and check Show All Filter Gallery Groups and Names.
9
Shiny surfaces
SHORTCUTS
MAC WIN BOTH
267
HOT TIP
Experiment with
different layer
mode settings –
Hard Light, Screen
and Overlay in
particular – to
see the different
effects they have
on reflected
images. Often
they can serve to
reduce the clutter
and intrusion of a
reflection, while
maintaining its
strength.
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2
To make
the glass
more convincing,
consider adding a
background image.
Here, this shot of
a room (inset) has
been distorted
slightly using the
Wave filter: without
the distortion it
would look too
flat and rigid. The
opacity of this layer was then reduced to 10% so it was barely
visible – after all, you don’t want it to swamp the main image.
The white bands used in the previous example were added
over the top, their opacity reduced to 50%.
Any background image can be used; the choice depends
largely on the supposed location of the object in question.
For outdoor scenes, such as looking in through a window, a
cloud reflection is particularly effective. Remember to keep the
opacity low; if necessary, increase the contrast of the reflected
image to make it more dramatic.
3
This version
uses the
Plastic Wrap
filter to make
the bug look like
it’s encased in
polythene. First,
a new layer was
created and its
mode set to Hard
Light: this was
filled with 50%
gray, which is
transparent in
Hard Light mode.
The brushstrokes
(inset, top) were
painted on using
the Dodge and
Burn tools to add
highlight and
shading to the
image; the Plastic
Wrap filter was
applied (inset,
bottom) to show
the full effect. In
cases like this, it’s worth applying the filter frequently as you
paint to check the effect, which can be unpredictable; Undo
after each time to carry on adjusting the background.
How to Cheat in Photoshop CC
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