zpfriem
TPF Noob!
Okay,
I am totally new to Photography, but when it comes to Photoshop, I may be able to contribute a bit...
Alpha Channels deal with contrast and lighting. They enable you to add texture and 3d surfacing to images or graphics.
The first exercise will be to grasp the idea of these channels.
1.) Create a new grayscale image in photoshop (PS) and use your shape tool to make a circle, doesn't matter the color.
2.) Go into the layer style of the newly formed shape and turn on the gradient overlay. change the style to radial. you can change the gradient to a srip effect if you want, this is what i am going to do in my example, gives more of an effect. make sure that the white is on the outside of the gradient.
3.) Flatten your image.
4.) Select all and copy.
5.) Create a new image, one that's mode is RGB. The same size as the previous image with the circle.
6.) Create a new layer and use the paint bucket to make it any color you wish, preferably a vivid color.
7.) In the Channels window, there should be three channels, Red, Green, Blue, in the botom of the window there should be a little icon that creates a new cjhannel, this is an alpha channel, create a new one and paste the circle from the first image into this alpha channel.
8.) Go back to your layers menu, and select the layer that you painted with your favorite color.
9.) Here is where your hard work pays off. Go to your filters menu, render, lighting effects.
10.) select the light to be directional, and at the bottom of the screen there is a drop down that says texture channel, pick alpha1, it should now reflect from the contrast of your circle like the image below.
tada...
I am totally new to Photography, but when it comes to Photoshop, I may be able to contribute a bit...
Alpha Channels deal with contrast and lighting. They enable you to add texture and 3d surfacing to images or graphics.
The first exercise will be to grasp the idea of these channels.
1.) Create a new grayscale image in photoshop (PS) and use your shape tool to make a circle, doesn't matter the color.
2.) Go into the layer style of the newly formed shape and turn on the gradient overlay. change the style to radial. you can change the gradient to a srip effect if you want, this is what i am going to do in my example, gives more of an effect. make sure that the white is on the outside of the gradient.
3.) Flatten your image.
4.) Select all and copy.
5.) Create a new image, one that's mode is RGB. The same size as the previous image with the circle.
6.) Create a new layer and use the paint bucket to make it any color you wish, preferably a vivid color.
7.) In the Channels window, there should be three channels, Red, Green, Blue, in the botom of the window there should be a little icon that creates a new cjhannel, this is an alpha channel, create a new one and paste the circle from the first image into this alpha channel.
8.) Go back to your layers menu, and select the layer that you painted with your favorite color.
9.) Here is where your hard work pays off. Go to your filters menu, render, lighting effects.
10.) select the light to be directional, and at the bottom of the screen there is a drop down that says texture channel, pick alpha1, it should now reflect from the contrast of your circle like the image below.
tada...
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/37/37604-7ad625e983f92f880eb65a264eeef5e4.jpg?1619738148)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/37/37606-3c9ffb5906173fa2aa489341967e1468.jpg?1619738148)