TOTW - 5/23 - Reflective abstract "pipes"

[Forsaken]

This was a technique i showed to MVB a while back, but I never told anyone how to do it. Here we go:

1. Create a new image, usually 800 by 600 is sufficient (as a side note, 90% of the time this is the image size i start off with).
2. Fill it black by pressing alt-backspace (fills with foreground)
3. Select the gradient tool, click on the bilinear gradient, and set the blend mode to difference.
4. Begin at a point a short distance away from the left edge. Make a horizontal gradient and two 45 degree ones. The image should look somewhat like this:
http://www.blazzphemic.com/forsaken/bars1.jpg
5. Make two additional gradients in between the 45s and the horizontals, and one vertical gradient that intersects them all, like so:
http://www.blazzphemic.com/forsaken/bars2.jpg
6. Filter>Stylize>Find Edges, and then press Control+I to invert the image colors. The image looks like this:
http://www.blazzphemic.com/forsaken/bars3.jpg

Skip to the next post due to image posting limits.

[Forsaken]

7. Layer>Duplicate Layer
8. On the duplicate layer, go Filter>Distort>Wave, leave the settings alone, but hit randomize a few times until you get something you like.
9. Filter>Render>Difference Clouds, then Control-I to invert this layer's color.
10. Set the blend mode of the layer to Color Dodge. Press Control-L to open the levels dialog, and slide the middle slider of the 3 slider triangles towards the right until you get a level of brightness you desire. Here's what I came up with:
http://www.blazzphemic.com/forsaken/bars4.jpg

Here's my abstract signature that I made a while back using this technique coupled with lensflares. If you're wondering how the lines themselves are wavy, I applied the wave filter to them as well, but the amplitude was set lower/frequency was set higher.
http://www.tlsconline.com/forsaken/template3.jpg


Next week's tutorial will be much less focused on a particular technique. In many effects, blending modes are an essential part of making them happen. I will walk through what each blending mode does, and provide examples of effects that can be done that use those blend modes.

[hero]

U mean the reflecting gradient right?

[eXoRciSt]

pretty

[Forsaken]

Yes, reflective was known as bilinear in older versions of Photoshop, and I have an archaic personality.