Digital Supplies: ArtPlay Palette Santa's Elf, MagicFlares No. 1, DifferentStrokes No. 8
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New to the Holiday Album Project? Please see previous posts here.
Pages 6 and 7 of The Holiday Album are entitled Magic. I decided to adopt the *Magic* title of this double page spread and made just a few slight adjustments to the second pages as explained previously in this series. I always think of *magic* as being synonymous with flares and sparkles and so it's a great opportunity to explain 5 techniques that can be used using any of the MagicSparkles products.
I have used the MagicFlares No. 1 in my layout but the following techniques can be used interchangeably with the other MagicSparkle products in the series. These include, but are not limited to, Sparkles, FotoGlows and Flares.
1. Mask. Use the MagicSparkle to hide an area of a photo you would like to make less visible. In this case, I took the photo with a wide aperture. The result is that Santa is in focus but Ella and Luke are not. I have subtly masked their silhouettes with a flare, choosing a fiery red to complement the presence of that color on the opposing page.
It's always a good idea to create a new layer for each brush stroke to ensure maximum flexibility for future edits to your pages. It's also rewarding to make a point of experimenting with blending modes. The more you use them the more familiar you will become with how they perform. In this layout, the Hard Light blending mode was applied to the MagicFlare layer by making the appropriate selection from the drop-down menu in the Layers palette.
Note: You can improve the effect of any blending mode by adjusting the sliders under the Levels controls in Photoshop or Elements. This will alter the brightness, contrast, hue and saturation of the element on the layer to yield more pleasing results.
2. Fill. Position a MagicSparkle to fill a void in an image and create interest. This photo exhibits a large area of carpet. In placing the MagicFlare over this area of the image I'm able redirect the eye to the subject matter of the image.
I stamped the MagicFlare on a new layer in a complementary bright yellow and set the blending mode of the layer to again set the blending mode to Hard Light to increase he intensity. Notice that I have placed the brightest part of the flair over one of my subject's arm. This lends the impression that the light is being reflected resulting in a magical glow.
3. Multiply. Use one or more MagicFlares with differing colors and blending modes to achieve multiple effects. The white and yellow MagicFlares were each stamped on separate layers. The Screen blending mode was applied to the yellow layer to create a softer and more subtle light source. This layer was then duplicated which enhances the *glow* effect. The blending mode of the white MagicFlares remains unchanged at the default Normal blending mode.
4. Unify. Use one or more MagicSparkles to unify two opposing pages The white and yellow MagicFlares create the perfect bridge, leading the eye from the black and white photo on the first side of the spread to the color image on the next page.
5. Edit. Use brushes to customize and erase areas of the MagicFlares. This is best achieved with a large soft round brush or a gradient mask. The MagicFlares were added in the same colors and with the same blending modes as described in technique 3. I applied a layer mask to the MagicFlare layer and used a gradient mask to partially erase the layer. You could also use the AnnaBlendz Basics No. 1.
Have fun with these MagicSparkle Techniques and post your pages here.
