Photoshop: Image Reflection

goobimama · 05-11-2006, 03:57 PM

As it turns out, I've decided to write tutorials again. Here goes.

This one will help you create reflections for pictures, useful for web page headers and such.

Step 1: Create a new document. Make it nice and big to work with (at least 1024*768). You can always resize later.

Step 2: Open your working image. Ctrl+A and then Ctrl+C.

Step 3: Select the New Document, and paste it there. Ctrl+T to resize to a workable size. Rename this layer to alpha.

Step 4: Ctrl+J to duplicate alpha. Then with alpha duplicate selected, hit Ctrl+T and then Right-Click in the middle of the image. Select Flip Vertical.

Step 5: Drag the image down till there is a small gap between the two.

Step 6: Select both Alpha copy and alpha in the layers palette. Press Ctrl+T.

Step 7: Right-click in the middle and select 'Perspective'. Now drag either of the four corners up OR down depending on which side you want the angle to be.

Step 10: With 'alpha copy' selected, go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal all. A white box will appear next to the 'alpha copy' layer.

Step 11: Make sure that you colors are default (press D), select the 'Gradient Tool' and select Foreground to Background from the gradient type menu.

Step 12: Make sure that the Layer Mask is selected in the layers palette, and drag from somewhere in the middle of the top image to the middle of the inverted image. Keep experimenting till you get a good result.

tuxfan · 06-11-2006, 11:53 AM

Who other than goobimama!!

I a noob in photoshop and was just thinking about creating some reflection effect and was about to google it up. But here you are with the right tutorial

Thanks so much.

This tut will be very helpful, added a rep

blueshift · 06-11-2006, 05:31 PM

Nice effect goobimama.
I ll be submitting some PS tuts too.

Rollercoaster · 06-11-2006, 06:41 PM

kool one...

iMav · 07-11-2006, 12:53 AM

good tut goobi mama

NagpurDaMunda · 07-11-2006, 04:54 PM

thanks

POISON · 15-01-2007, 05:28 PM

xllwnt tut bro....really helpful one....thanx.

koolbluez · 15-01-2007, 07:43 PM

Goobsie.. need i say it again... u r kool !!!

Hey I'ld ask u to add a bit of spice in ur curry... a little wavy look with the filters would do good. But of course, it's for water reflections only. For glass reflections, this is kool, or u can add a little frosted glass filter.

goobimama · 15-01-2007, 08:23 PM

.....nice idea. I'll try that out...or maybe you could do it and merge it with this one...what say.

koolbluez · 16-01-2007, 10:07 AM

Ok..as Goobsie said,follow Step 12 with the frosted glass distortion filter for a glassy effect or the ripple/ocean ripple distortion filter for the watery effect.
It's not a big deal.. just experiment with various values, till u get what u want.
And of course, u need the right picture to reflect.

Samples:
Frosted glass
|
v

Ocean ripple
|
v

Tech Geek · 16-01-2007, 10:16 AM

nice tuts

techno_funky · 16-01-2007, 11:15 AM

Was trying for a logo contest last year, this is one of the products from my experiments

16-01-2007, 11:46 AM

Very old trick, can be commonly found on all the sites offering tutorials.
heres one i made a long time ago...............

Very easy trick, select a layer and make another copy of it, click on "show bounding box" and make it flip, keep it down the original image and use some ripple, Blur , liquify effects................thats all u got what u want.
__________
And heres a new one receltly made by me......not regarding reflection, but.....its cool.

I used only one tool for the background..........Gradient tool and some special effects.

And heres a new one receltly made by me......not regarding reflection, but.....its cool.

I used only one tool for the background..........Gradient tool and some special effects.

deepak.krishnan · 18-01-2007, 03:35 PM

Great tutorial ..... I was looking out for this one.... thanks

blueshift · 18-01-2007, 04:19 PM

This is offtopic.

@techno_funky: Your pic dimensions are unnecessarily big. Use the Crop tool.
@shashank_digitreader: Your 2nd pic size is too huge. You could have achieve more compression.

btw good work from both of you.