Julie Langford

Ok, so here is how I used the Edit transform tools in Photoshop to create

Wiseman

and Fish Monster


Have loads of fun and be creative – things just appear right before your eyes using this method.

1. Open Photoshop and create a new transparent document 3200 high by 2400 wide [you can post a Tshirt with these dimensions as well as an art piece].

2. Create a new layer and fill the bottom layer with solid black [you will need this dark background to see what you are doing later].



3. Working on the top, tranparent layer – draw a random shape using the pen tool [create smooth curves by clicking and dragging, until you get back to your first point to close the path].



4. Down on the bottom right click on the Paths tab on the layers palette. At the bottom of the palette, click on the convert to selection icon [shown in red below] – this will convert your path to a selection.



5. Fill this selection with a multicoloured gradient [or two colours of your choice].



6. Click on Edit [up the top], then on Free Transform. This puts a border around your selection so that you can resize it. hit enter when you are happy with the resize to apply it. Then use the move tool in the toolbar on the left to move it to the centre of your canvas.



7. Back in the bottom right Layers palette, click back onto the layer tab. Duplicate the top layer [right click it and click duplicate].

8. Working on the top layer again, click Edit, Transform, rotate. This puts a border around your image and allows you to drag the corners to rotaate the layer. Rotate it enough so that it moves slightly away from the layer beneath [see below]. Hit enter to apply the rotation.



9. Repeat the layer duplication and rotate until you have about 6 layers – keep the rotation reasonably uniform.



10. In the layers palette, click the top layer, hold ctrl on the keyboard and click all the other layers – except the bottom, black layer. This will highlight [select] them all. Once selected, righ click them, and click on merge layers. You will now have two layers in the layers palette again. A black layer [at the bottom], and a new layer with your rotation work above it.

11. Working on the top layer, click on Edit, transform and warp. this puts a grid over the image, which you can drag in multiple places and directions to completely change the appearance of your image. Work with this until you have a long warped shape like below. hit enter to aply the warp efect.



12. Repeat the whole process again, duplicating and rotating the layers until you have something like the image below.



13. Select all the layers except the black layer again and merge them. [youre now back to two layers again].

14. Duplicate the top layer again, move it away from the other layer on your canvas. Warp it so that it is longer and thinner than the original layer that you duplicated [see below]



15. Click Edit, Free Transform to resize it.



16, Rotate it and place it over the other layer on your canvas. In the layer palette, drag the long thin layer to underneath the other layer, so that it appears underneath it in the platte [and on your canvas].



17. Select both layers [but not the black layer] and merge them.

18. Click on image [up the top], and then on rotate canvas, then on 90 degrees CW. Duplicate the top layer, then click on Edit, Transform, then flip horozontally. Now move this new layer over until it lies side by side to the other layer. Select both layers [but not the black layer], and merge them.

19. Working on the top layer, click layer up the top, and then New, and then Layer. Draw an oval selection using the circular marquee tool in the eye area, and fill it with white.



20. Duplicate this layer and drag it over using the move tool to cover the other eye with a white oval.

21. Create another new layer, and use the paintbrush and black, and click once on each eye white to create pupils. Ctrl click all the eye layers in the layer pallette and merge them.

22. Working on this eye layer, click the word Layer [up the top], then Layer style, then Inner shadow. Apply the settings below to give your eyes life.



23. Click on the black layer in the layer palette, then click on Layer, new layer up the top to create a new layer above the black layer.

24. Use the Polygonal Lasso tool and draw a shape within your image for a beak [see below].



25. Fill this selection shape with a dark grey to yellow gradient [top to bottom].

26. Still working on this beak layer, click on Layer [up the top], layer style, Inner Shadow, and use similar settings to when you did the eyes to give depth the the beak.

27. Crtl click all the layers except the black layer and merge layers. You are now back to two layers – one black, and one with your image above it. It will look something like the image below.



To save your image to post as art on a black background, go to file, save as, and save as a jpeg. This will merge and flatten the work.

To save your work to post as a Tshirt, first, click the eye icon next to the black layer in the layer palette to make it disappear – your black background will become invisible. Now go to file, save as, and save as a png file.

Voila – you have created a critter using transform tools in Photoshop.

You can also use this method with parts of photographs, like I did with Fish monster. Try all sorts of things to get neat effects – a spoon, as nail, a scewdriver even.

Most importantly, transform, transform, duplicate and transform some more – the more you use, the better your results will be.

Have fun!