Glamour Blur Tutorial Step-By-Step

 This action makes use of a very common technique - the "Glamour Blur". While this sampler is meant as a quick & simple intro (with far more powerful Actions in the full package), you will have full control of how strong the effect is, and where it is applied. You will also be introduced to layers, masks, opacity and brush control shortcuts.

This Action is part of the "Illustration Set" of Craig's Actions - Volume 1.

1) You may press "stop" at anytime, to pause the Action, and then the "play" button ( triangle at the bottom of the Action Palette ) to continue when you're ready...

2) You might like to click on the triangle next to the Action name, this will "open up" the action, so you can see each step. Clicking again on the triangle by each step will "open up" that step and its specific settings.

3) There are two boxes beside each Action step - an "Item" which is checked when in use, and a Dialog which is blank unless requiring your input. 

4) If you do not have an image already open in Photoshop, please do so now...press stop, open an image, and then press play ( bottom of the Actions Palette ) to continue.

5) The Action will create a new layer of your image. You will be able to control the final look by moving the opacity slider (on the layer palette) for that layer as a final step.

6) Next, a Gaussian Blur will be applied to the image. You will be asked to approve or adjust the intensity of the Gaussian Blur - this is because the dialogue box next to the GB step has been "toggled on". 

7) To have the Action run without needing your input, you would have the Dialog next to that step blank or "toggled off".

8) The next step will create what is called a mask channel. An image mask is like a piece of glass over your image, that is either clear (white) or opaque (black).

9) A white mask allows the layer to show through it, brushing on black will cover it up. Similarly, a black mask hides the image and brushing on white will allow it to be seen through the mask. 

10) To control the effect with masks, make sure that you click on the mask icon ( the white or black box beside the image ) and with your brush tool, paint on or off using white or black from the tool palette.  

11) By brushing onto or removing "paint" from the mask, you change what you can see " through" the mask - Just like a piece of glass!

12) ** TIP 1 **  Hitting the "X" key will exchange the color swatches on your tool palette between White and Black. Try it...!  (press stop to try, then play  to continue.)

13) Fill in and brush off as much as you want by exchanging the white and black color swatches. 

14) ** Tip 2**  In Portraits - eye details, hair-hilites, jewelry and portions of other bright areas, can look better by removing some of the filter effects.

15) ** Tip 3 " Using the brackets ( right of the letter P ) will make your brush larger or smaller: { = smaller,  }= larger. Hitting the numbers (1-0) at the top of the keyboard will change the opacity of your brush - much easier than going to the menu!

16) Now you can change the amount of the diffusion effect by moving the "Opacity Slider" for the diffusion layer down from 100% to wherever you like it.

17) Reminder - You can also "brush out" (on layer mask) the effect in specific areas at any time by painting on that particular area - remember to use the "X" key , the "numbers", and the "bracket" shortcuts to change the style of your brush. 

Many of the Actions by Craig make use of masks and layers. This gives you wonderful control over the effect and allows you to edit the look until it is exactly the way you want it. 

You have now learned the controls that are used throughout all the Sets!  

Enjoy and Play!!!

Craig

Craig Minielly  MPA, SPA

Craig's Actions / Aura Photographics

http://www.craigsactions.com/

Volume History

Craig's Actions Overview  

(* New   ** Coming Soon )

Volume One -  Production Essentials - 4 Sets / 22 Actions

The perfect starting series of Actions to provide controls over sequences including:
Image Sharpening, Dust control, Advanced Image Retouching, Facial Features Enhancements, Web Image production, Custom Logo Insertion, Copyright and Proof  Watermarking, Cross-Processing and B/W Image Effects and much much more...

Volume Two -  Creative Effects with  ShadowSoft and Grain - 3 Sets / 30 Actions

A Creativity Volume with Actions to enable you to create beautiful Diffusion and Grain Artistic effects, with choices as to colors, intensity and image textures. Perfect for the wedding and journalistic style of images that are in such high demand right now.

Volume Three -  CMYK Production and Ad Image Producers - 1 Set / 19 Actions

A Production Volume with Actions to produce effective CMYK Conversions to various press and paper applications, and to differing image sizes for Business Card, Brochure or Ad Production. Boring, but very effective in handling this area that is so often regarded as some kind of "black magic ".

* Volume Four - StoryTellers1 - 3 Sets / 32 Actions

A Creativity Volume with artistic and effective controls allowing you a wide range of editorial styles in your image output. InfraRed, softpastels, selectivecolor, illustrative, graphic and watercolor effects are all easily performed and beautifully rendered.

* Volume Five - StoryTellers2  - 3 Sets / 23 Actions

A natural extension of the StoryTellers volume, this contains a variety of Actions that give you enhanced Color Control ( Digital Velvia ! ) with choices blended to a wide variety of subject settings, EdgeEffects for beautiful image gradations, and a set of  "Graphic Enhancers" for full image impact!

** Volume Six - Sizers&Croppers ( coming shortly )

This is a production volume, with Actions that allow you to effectively and quickly increase / decrease your image file size ( with full quality built-in ! ), to a wide variety of outputs and cropping formats. No rocket science here, but this set will save you tons of time and avoid the mistakes that are way too common in these everyday tasks

Power Processors

The main difference between the Action Volumes and Power Processors, is that the PP allow for destination-specified "Save" steps and multi-file and format capability - all with a single Action process!

Power Processor Series #1 - Hi-Res / Low-Res Dual Processor

A very powerful production series of Actions intended to produce dual sets of files ( layered PSD's and proof JPG's ) with High-Key or  Low-Key image preferences - all with a built in cosmetic softness for a natural, lightly-retouched appearance. Targeted at the workflow that requires low-res images for proofing and slide show purposes, with subsequent production to be applied to selected imagery that is now "3/4" produced and ready for final attention.

Power Processor Series #2 - CMYK Multi-Processor

This series takes the mystery out of CMYK conversions and allows you the ability to produce very good quality CMYK imagery that is print ready for a wide variety of applications. PLUS, this set contains Actions that address the most common client requests, providing you with the tools to efficiently process your images to process print and web/power point output specs - all at the same time!

End Note:

Thank you for investing in this Action Volume Set. It is my intention that these Actions be used in such a way that enhances the controls available for your production, as well as provide enhanced opportunities for creative expression. 

Please feel free to change, modify, copy and adjust these Actions for your own use and to suit your own style. However, please do not copy these Actions and provide to a 3rd party as that interferes with Copyright and does no-one any good in the long run. 

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or feedback, I'm always interested in your comments and welcome them at the email address below. I am also interested in hearing your feedback and seeing sample images with your results. I am also working on creating a gallery of samples submitted to me, so let me know if you'd like to be included.

Training workshops and demos (along with my other presentation topics) are also available to individuals, small groups or whole schools and conventions. Feel free to inquire as to availability, upcoming dates, as well as to pass on information about your group and your interests and I will follow up with your or your supplied contacts.