Lyne's Creations Free
Lyne's Cast Shadow
Photoshop Action
(about 1 mb) Usage Tips screen capture images and notes below are included in the zip!
**FOR MORE TIPS on how I use prepare individual rendered
characters to place in/on a 2D background see below !**
I didn't realize I should have added how to "install" this action, in my readme!
Paste it into your photoshop-Actions, and then with photoshop open, Use your
Action's menu and then LOAD ACTION to have it show up for use. This should
keep the Cast Shadow Action in your Actions list for your use.
OR MAKE YOUR OWN SHADOW in Photoshop!
(go to bottom of this page for instructions)
HOW TO USE this Action-
Lyne's Creations Freebie Photoshop
Action - Cast Shadow README This assumes you know how to use Photoshop, install an Action and how to use it by pressing "play" within Photoshop. Images included to help in this Action's use. I created this action when my older filters became obsolete for use on my higher end machine/Photoshop... so I hope it is of some use to you. IMPORTANT NOTES! If you CAN'T FIND THE SHADOW after using this action!!- Use your MOVE TOOL and keep dragging UP AND TO THE CENTER to pull it into view! It is there! I created it for a specific character initially and sometimes it will cast the shadow out of view on it's layer. This action does slant to the right. Using the Distort tool you can pull it to the left, change how it "falls", etc. Note on which side of your character the shadows are falling to help it look more 'real life'. The way I work, I just move and modify the shape of the shadow until it looks right for the scene I am creating. I created the Action to show the shadow darker than it should be, so you can work it into place, and then take the steps shown in the enclosed images to refine it's look I hope you enjoy using it! You can contact me via Renderosity IM or HiveWire PM, if needed. Please do not share this Action- refer others to my website page - Thank you. Lyne Lyne's Creations |
Want to know some of my art creation
secrets? |
OR MAKE YOUR OWN SHADOW in Photoshop!
(some of the screen captures above may help clarify these steps too)
1. Duplicate your object or character's layer
2. Using the 'bottom layer' of this object or
character:
2a. Go to Image: Adjustments: Hue/Saturation
2b. Pull both the Saturation & Lightness sliders ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT!
3. Click OK
4. Go to Edit: Transform: Distort - grab the
top-center square and pull to the Left OR Right
IMPORTANT! look at your object/character. Which side of it is more shadowed? If
the object
is brighter and more lit up on it's Right side, PULL THE DISTORT to the left. If
the object
is brighter and more lit up on it's Left side, PULL THE DISTORT to the Right!
WHILE PULLING
THIS HANDLE, ALSO BRING IT DOWN (ie: shorten or squash the black 'silhouette')
at the same
time. It's Important to have a 'feel' for how you want your shadow to
look... Does it need to be short
or elongated? Look up "Shadows cast from..." (name your object) on Google Images!
You can get a good
idea of how shadows should look this way. I'm self-taught, this is how I
learn. :)
5. Now Go to Filter: Blur: Gaussian Blur (see screen captures
above) and give your new shadow a blur
6. Lower this layer's Opacity - again for the
"look" you want... do you want very dense dark
shadows? Or very light shadowing... it's all a "matter of personal taste".
~Thank you to
visitors for taking the time to visit this page!~