Getting to Grips with the Vanishing Point Filter

Getting to Grips with the Vanishing Point Filter

Master the Vanishing Point filter (a Photoshop filter that adjusts the image’s perspective) with this excellent Photoshop tutorial.

These two tutorials are simple guides about using Photoshop’s Vanishing Point filter in photo editing. We’ll learn some of the basics about making selections, cloning areas, and pasting images into the vanishing point filter window. This is a beginner level tutorial that will help you master the basics on this topic.

Final Image Preview for Part One: Adding Floors to a Building
Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating.

Step 1
The Vanishing Point filter is all about perspective, when you’re editing photography, perspective is one of the most important issues to consider, the Vanishing Point filter helps us to make it easy. This time I’ve got two short tutorials to help you to understand this amazing filter.
The first one it’s about adding realistic floors to a building. Before getting started you’ll need an image to edit, I choose this picture because the perspective is very clean and easy to follow. As a first step, paste the image into a new document, a lot bigger than the original picture, then add a new Color fill layer using the sky’s color as a sample (you can use the Eyedropper tool to get a similar color).
Add a layer mask to the picture layer and paint with a huge brush on it. Delete the sky over the buildings. Finally, merge the sky blue background with the original picture and name the resulting layer "Buildings."

Step 2
Now, go to Filters > Vanishing point, remember when you’re working with the Vanishing point filter, all the editing (paste, select, clone) must be done into the Vanishing Point Filter window and nowhere else. At this point, you’ll only need to draw a reference plane, do this by selecting the Create Plane Tool (C) in Vanishing Point Filter window. You can use the windows as a guide.

Step 3
Select the Edit Plane tool (V) and resize your plane, make it wider and taller as you’ll need. Hit OK to save the Vanishing Point plane. Then create a new layer above the original picture and name it something like "Edited picture." We’re going to add all the painting in this layer to keep the original file handy. Select the new layer and go to the Vanishing Point window again.

Step 4
Now the fun! First, we’re going to clone the pipes to get a higher clean area to select in the next step. Select the Clone Tool within the vanishing point window, it works just like the standard clone tool, but this one keeps the perspective when you’re cloning. Hold the Alt key and click to select the cloning source, try to click over the area of one of the pipes, then just paint up. Without changing the clone source, clone the other two pipes of our picture. Hit OK if you want to see the result.

Step 5
Let’s add some floors next. In the Vanishing Point window, click on the Marquee Tool, and make a selection using two or three buildings, try to make a selection as clear as possible. Next, hold the Alt key and click + drag the selection some pixels up. Do it as many times as floors you want to add, nevermind if there’s some bad areas for now.

Step 6
As you’ll see duplicating the selection isn’t always a perfect process, so as there are a lot of tiny imperfections, use the Clone tool to fix them.

Step 7
Finally, crop the image. Also if you want, add more details, like cloning the windows to create some variants between them, use the Blur tool to blur the hard line between building and sky, and whatnot.

End of Part One
And that’s it! To create a more colorful scene I’d merged the layers, duplicated the result, applied a Gaussian Blur 4px radius to the copy, and change the copy’s Blending mode to Overlay with an Opacity set to 75%.

Final Image Preview for Part Two: Adding a Picture onto a Wall
Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating. You can view the full-size image here.

Step 1
This second quick tutorial is about adding a picture onto a real wall. How many times have you wished to see your very own design as a picture over the fireplace? This tutorial will make it really simple get that kind of result into a photo.
Let’s get it started. First you’ll need an image to work with, I choose a random one from sxc.hu, this one from Samantha Villagran, open the image as is and save the PSD file somewhere, then duplicate the picture layer and hide the original.

Step 2
Go to the Vanishing Point Filter (Filters > Vanishing point), and draw a plane over the pictures on the wall, you can use the ceiling and the pictures as a guide. Expand the plane according your needs, if you want to add more than a picture, or use the same perspective on another wall. You can Command + Click one of plane’s sides and add a perpendicular plane, if you want to modify the new plane’s angle. You can hold the Alt key and drag the mouse, or type the number in the Angle combo box (45º).

Step 3
Now, we’re going to delete the existing pictures on the wall. Select the Clone tool and Alt + Click somewhere above the pictures to catch the cloning source. Also, you can go to Windows > Clone source and select the Show Overlay option to see a translucent sample of the cloning source. Clone the wall hiding all the pictures.

Step 4
As you can see, the cloning process isn’t completely clean. There are two quick and useful tips to make the cloning almost perfect. First, using the Healing Brush tool, clone some areas of the wall. The way to use the Healing Brush is the same than Clone tool.
Once you’ve finished the healing, use the Lasso tool to make a selection over the wall, then press Command + Alt + D to Feather the selection. Also, set the radius between 5 and 10 pixels depending the size of your image. Next, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius between 30 px to 50 px and hit OK. The wall is looking fairly good at this point. If you prefer, you can hide the pictures of other walls using this technique as well.

Step 5
Now we’ll add our own picture to the wall. Copy any image into the clipboard, I’m using the result of one of my previous tutorials on this site for the image. Create a new layer above the base image. Go to the Vanishing Point window, Resize the planes if you want just to use them as a guide, then Paste the image inside (Command + V). After that, drag it over any plane.
Next, using the Transform Tool (T) in Vanishing Point window, transform the image to make it fit exactly into the plane’s boundaries. When you have finished placing the image, hit OK and see the result.

Step 6
When you place the picture into the Vanishing Point window, the result always turns a little bit pixelated. You can solve this issue just by making a selection around the picture using the Lasso Tool, Command + Shift + I to inverse the selection and delete the extra pixels.

Step 7
Now add a bevel to your picture. Select the Pen tool and create a shape, as in the image below, then fill the shape with a dark color.

Step 8
If you take a look at the original file, the light of the window is over the wall’s pictures. So we need to duplicate that lightening. Select the Dodge Tool, set a big soft brush and Exposure to 25%, then Dodge some areas of the picture’s bottom left and all around the surface.

Step 9
Select the "Picture" layer and go to Filter > Blur > Blur, then press Command + F to do it again. Next, convert the "Bevel" shape into a Smart Object (right-click on the layer’s name and press Convert to a Smart Object), then apply the same filter to it twice.

Step 10
Now let’s add a soft shadow to the wall’s picture. Create a new layer below the "Picture" layer and name it "Shadows." Now use a soft 100 px black brush (Opacity 50% and Flow 50%) and draw some blurry lines around the picture, except on the picture’s left side.

Step 11
Now delete some areas of the shadow using a soft Eraser set to 75 px.

Step 12
Change the Eraser’s Opacity and Flow to 50%, and erase over the black shadows. When you have finished, apply a Gaussian Blur with a radius of 5px to the "Shadow" layer.

Step 13
Now paint a black blurry shadow again, but this time using a Soft 50 px black brush (set Opacity and Flow below 50%). Again delete all the extra shadow using a soft Eraser.

Step 14
Finally, select a tiny area on the corners using the Lasso Tool to make them just a little bit rounded. Make the selection and press Command + Alt + F to Feather the selection about 2 pixels. Then Delete the selection. Do this on each sharp corner of the picture.

End of Part Two
The Vanishing Point filter makes it easy to add realistic pictures into an existing scene. Try your own!

Conclusion
The Vanishing Point filter is a useful tool for photo editors and photo manipulators, if you’ve never used this filter, or even if you knew about it, but rarely apply it, start experimenting with it more.

Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool

Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool

This tutorial goes over some excellent uses of the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop.

Maybe the Clone Stamp Tool is one of the most known tools in Photoshop, but have you ever wondered: what else can I do with the cloning stamp than duplicating pixels and hiding objects? These two short tutorials will show you some new uses for this wonderful tool.

Part One, Cloning a "Baby" Car

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating.  You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.

The Basics

The Clone Stamp Tool is an awesome feature of Photoshop. It has been a part of the application for quite some time. The way to use this tool is really simple. First, select the brush type, choose the area you want to duplicate. Next press and hold only the Option key, and then click one time over the area that we call the Clone Source. Finally, just paint anywhere you want it.

You can clone from only one layer or several layers selecting the sample combo box. Also, you can paint the clone source on the original layer or into a new one. This tool is well known as the object remover, see the image below for a sample of the tool in action, which shows us how to remove a small cloud from a picture. Simple right? Let’s go to something a little bit more complicated next.

Step 1

First, open your original picture. I’m using this one of an old white truck, then Go to File > Save as… and save it somewhere as a PSD. I pasted the image into a new document at 1422 pixels by 1024 pixels, but you can work in the original file size.

Actually, my picture looks a little bit purple, so I’ll fix this by using two Adjustment Layers, a Selective color adjustment, only the blue color, and a Level Adjustment layer. Why adjustment layers? Well this way all the adjustments will be applied to any other layer on the document, but without distorting your original image. Name the image layer "Truck."

Step 3

Now select the "Truck" layer in the Layers Palette and select the Clone Stamp Tool. Set the brush at around 50px and set the Hardness to 0%. Now to select the cloning source Alt-Click somewhere on your image, a good point is just at the top left of the truck. Also, go to Window > Clone source to show the advanced options.

Step 4

When you have selected your clone source, create a new layer above the "Truck" layer and name it "Mini truck." Go to the Clone Source window and mark the Show Overlay checkbox. This way you’ll have a transparent copy of your clone source. Try moving your brush here an there to see how it works.

Now in the Clone source window, change these values W: 30% and H: 30%, this way you’ll be resizing your clone source to 30% of the original size. Next, place the clone transparent overlay on a proper place and start painting until you duplicate the entire truck. Remember, you’ll be painting on the "Mini truck" layer.

Step 5

Now very carefully, using the Eraser Tool, delete all the dirt areas cloned around the "Mini Truck".

Step 6

Now using the Burn tool, burn some areas of the "Mini truck" layer.

Step 7

I’m adding two more Adjustments layers: a Exposure adjustment and a Gradient map (Blending Mode set to Linear Burn).

Part One Conclusion

And that’s it, just to improve the distance sensation, blur the "Mini tuck" layer just a little bit by going to Filter > Blur > Blur.

Part Two, Straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating.  You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.

Step 1

Everybody knows the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast due to a poorly laid foundation. But now we have Photoshop to fix that leaning using only the Clone Stamp Tool.

First, find your favorite image of the tower, I’ve found this one. Open it and save it as a new PSD file somewhere. I pasted the image into a new document 1000 pixels by 1500 pixels, but you can work with the original file size.

Step 2

I’ll increase the highlights levels of the tower. You can adjust your image according to your needs, or just skip this step if you’re using another picture.

Step 3

Once you have your image ready, create a new blank layer above the "Tower" layer and name it "Straight tower."

Step 4

Now select your Clone Source. Select the "Tower" layer and Option-click anywhere at top the left of the tower. Ensure that the Clone Source window is open, just go to Windows > Clone Source to show it.

Step 5

Draw a vertical guide to see how your going to modify the tower. In the Clone Source window mark the Show Overlay check box to see the clone source translucent preview. Now here’s the trick, just change the Offset angle to around 4,0º. You’ll see how the preview is straight now. Do not click anywhere and go to next step.

Step 6

Select the "Straight Tower" layer and just paint over, start from the top of the tower to the bottom, you’ll see how the original tower disappears. Stop painting when you get close to the buildings.

Step 7

Continue cloning but be a little bit more carefully around the tower’s base. Reduce the size of the Cloning Brush to clone the borders, never mind if you clone a little bit of sky over the background buildings, we’ll fix it later.

Step 8

In this picture, there’s a couple with a baby, clone them too, you’ll just move there position a little bit. Again, don’t worry about the details yet.

Step 9

Now let’s fix all the details. First, we’ll improve the sky next to the tower, for this select the "Tower layer", change the Clone Brush size to 7px, set the Offset angle to 0, and select the Clone source somewhere over the sky. Next, select the "Straight tower" layer and paint the sky. Do the same for the buildings, the fence around the tower, or everywhere you’ll find any imperfection. Remember, set the Clone source on the "Tower" layer and paint on the "Straight Tower" layer.

Step 10

You can see the difference in the image below. Then you can Flatten the image and save it as another .jpg file.

Part Two Conclusion

Simple right? You can try this technique on another building. How about leaning the Eiffel Tower instead?. It’s up to you now!

Tutorial Conclusion

The Clone Stamp Tool is one of the most useful features of Photoshop, as much for photo editors as for graphic designers. There’s no limits for the applications of this wonderful tool!

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Photoshop’s Filters

Photoshop’s Filters

Photoshop filters are simply effects applied to your image (much like the concept of using photographic lens filters). For example, the Blur filter un sharpens the focus of your images. This tutorial goes over the Filters interface in Photoshop.


Filters are used to change the appearance of an image, layer or selection in Photoshop. In this tutorial, I’ll introduce you to some common filters, and show you how to use them.

For me, filters in Photoshop are sort of like those special effects you can add to home videos with those consumer handheld video cameras — easy to use, but they certainly have their place in design. That said, there are plenty of ways to get creative using filters, so they are definitely worth understanding in Photoshop!

Using Filters from the Filter Gallery

Photoshop’s Filter Gallery is basically a one-stop place for working with filters in your documents. In the Filter Gallery, you can browse through many different types of filters, apply them individually to your image, or even stack them on top of one another like you would with layers. You can get to the Filter Gallery by going to Filter > Filter Gallery.

Here’s a quick overview of the Filter Gallery:

Filter Gallery Interface

A. Filter Preview

B. Filter List (Note: You can show or hide this list by clicking the arrow icon to the top right of it)

C. Currently Selected Filter

D. Filter Options

E. Effect Layers

F. New / Delete Effect Layer

The Filter Effect Layers work just like ordinary filters in Photoshop, and can be dragged and dropped on top of one another for desired results.

Applying a filter from the gallery is very easy to do. Simply Click on a filter, adjust it’s options to your liking, and click OK to apply. To stack multiple filters on top of one another, just hit the New Effect Layer (‘F’ in diagram above), and select another filter. You can expand filter types by clicking the folders in the filter list.

The Cutout Filter quickly transforms a photograph into an abstract piece of art.

Quicker Access to Filters
The Filter Gallery is really just a browser of sorts. If you know exactly what kind of filter you want to use, you can access it directly from the Filter menu in Photoshop to speed things up.

Using Other Filters

Not all filters in Photoshop are available through the Filter Gallery. Many of them must be accessed directly through the Filter Menu, and have unique interfaces and options of their own.

We’re not going to go over every individual filter in this tutorial (doing so would take a very long time), but I highly suggest doing some experimentation on your part with different filters to get an idea of what some of them do.

Let’s look at some of the more common filters used frequently in design.

Blur Filters (Filter > Blur)
The Blur Filters are useful in lots of situations. We’ve actually written several popular tutorials on Zubairgraphicdesigner.blogspot.com that depend on the Blur Filters, such as our article on Adding Depth of Field in Photoshop, and our Windows Vista Aurora Effect Tutorial.

The Lens Blur Filter makes it very easy to create a realistic lens blur effect in Photoshop.

Noise Filters (Filter > Noise)
Noise Filters are great for adding, or reducing noise and grain in photographs. You may find filters such as the Reduce Noise Filter extremely useful if you work with old, damaged, or dusty photographs that need repair work done to them. The Add Noise Filter can also come in handy, and has some creative applications of its own.

Noise can easily be reduced with the Reduce Noise Filter in Photoshop.

Sharpen Filters (Filter > Sharpen)
The Sharpen Filters are also great for correcting imperfections in photographs, as well as putting emphasis on important elements in a design. When working with blurred images, a sharpen filter can be used to clarify and better define edges by increasing contrast between pixels.

The Smart Sharpen Filter used to sharpen a photograph of a statue.

Filters Disabled?
While all filters are available to be used on 8-bit RGB images, many will be unavailable if working with other color spaces, 16-bit, or 32-bit documents. Filters will also be unavailable for use in Bitmap and Indexed-color documents.

If you’re not able to use filters, you may need to go to Image > Mode, and make sure you’re set to RGB, and 8 Bits/Channel, although some image data may be lost.