let's talk: shadowing

lizzyfizzy

lizzyfizzy

New member
what settings do you use and what would you typically use that setting for?

like for a photo i would probably do 10-16-60 or something like that...does that make sense?

oh also, what angle do you do your shadows? the standard 120 degrees?

i feel like my shadowing is complete crap.

please share. :thumbup:
 
Since I use CS2, all my shadows are on their own seperate layers.
The level of blur I use depends on "how far" from the paper the layer is. For instance, a paper right above the BG gets a gaussian blur or 6-8, but something like a butterlfy that I want to seem likeit's flying over, would get more like a 15.
Same goes for the darkness/pacity of the layer. A paper right above the BG stays much darker than something farther away.

I generally do my shadows so that the light source is in the top right or left or the page. So either a 45 or 135 degree, give or take. But since I don't use the drop shadow layer style, that's somewhat irrelevant. I use the move tool to put the shadow where I want it.

I started with Misty's tutorial for a bent photo, and use that for everything. I just change the settings to suit my needs.
 
I'm at my ILs right now, so I don't have my PS in front of me, but I have about 15 shadow styles I've made and use depending on the effect. I've started using dark brown instead of black and/or grey. Some of my styles are multiply mode and others are linear burn. I'm a 120 angle girl, but will use 30 if there are other preshadowed elements with a kit. If I want something to look like it's sitting flat, I will use 5/0/5, if I want some thing off the page it may be 15/0/35, but I have lots of combinations in between. I don't use one uniform shadow setting in any given layout. I think the perception of depth is created by mixing it up depending on the element. I detach the shadow and use warp if I want something to "curl up". Okay, sorry for the rambling, lol. I'm curious to see what other people do. Good thread Fizz ...

ETA: I change the opacity and layer mode depending on the background color I'm shadowing over. You probably can't tell so much thought goes into my shadowing, lol .... not sure if that's good or bad ;) I use CS3, but I have CS2 too (same principles apply).
 
Last edited:
I use CS3.

I do mine on an angle of -45 with the opacity normally set to 75. For distance, I normally have it at 5, but decrease that if it's acrylic and increase it if I want it to appear "off the page". The spread I have set to 0 and the size I have set to 5, but i increase it sometimes to add a blur.
 
Ugh, I'm right there with you Liz. I DESPISE my shadowing. I finally just asked my shadow muse, Corey, what her secret was and I feel like I"m finally making a *little* progress.

First, she changes the color of the shading from just black, to slightly darker than whatever is under the object she's shading. For example, if I'm shadowing a button that is on top of a red piece of paper, I would change the shadow color to a dark red. I think it makes it look more realistic.

Also, Corey said she does a 45* angle on her shadows. And if Corey does it, I will do it too. LOL I don't know if its making a real difference or if its just more eye-catching because its not the "norm" but I like it.

Other than that, I'm still in the dark with shadowing. I've been playing with 15-21-60 shadows but I think overally I'm just shadow-impaired.
 
Melissa, you can do shadow layers with PSE, it's just a little bit more laborious. Personally, I think you can do almost everything you need with layer styles. I would say less than 5% of my shadows have separate layers.
 
What program? Is it different in elements and CS3?

I don't think your shadows are crap, but I'll indulge you. :) Actually, shadowing is something I fiddle with endlessly because I never seem to get them just right so I'm a always insecure about my own too.

But here are my basics...

I use CS3. When I add a drop shadow, I always draw the color for the shadow from the background paper (I just take it deeper and darker). They almost always look very nearly black. But there's a hint of color there that makes them a little more realistic looking (I like to think, anyway, lol).

Then, I set the angle for the shadows depending on where the light source seems to be coming from in my photo. So, for example in this page:



The light source is coming from the left, drawing shadows to the right side of my DD's face. So...I moved the angle in the drop shadow to mimic that. Generally, I keep it like that for the whole layout unless there is an element or two that I think needs more depth, then I'll tweak it a little. But not too much so my shadows don't seem too inconsistent. In the case of the LO above, I set the angle for the general shadows at about -175.

As for distance, size, and spread. That is something that is different throughout the layout. But I usually don't fiddle with spread at all. I keep it at 0. Then, I start from the bottom of the page, up. Papers and elements closer to the page have "tighter" and darker shadows. So like 55-60 opacity and a 10, 10 in distance and size. For all the elements, I fiddle as I go "up" off the page. The toppest layer is the lightest and most "hazy".

Elements like strings I keep the distance pretty tight like no more than 12-15 and I keep them lighter in opacity. And I'm starting to put shadows on their own layers to play like that. Then I can warp parts of the shadow and give them a blur to help them look more realistic. I also play with blend modes. But I typically use "multiply" or "linear burn".

But, in the end, I still don't really know what I'm doing LOL! I just play *a lot*.

My biggest struggle is getting shadows to look right on a light or white background. Anyone have any pointers?

Or better yet, anyone know how to do shadows like Dani? I *heart* her shadows.
 
Last edited:
i seen Jenny has already stated what i stated in a previous post, lol. i really just do a lot of playing around. one element might have a completley different shadow setting than another on the same page. i wish i had a magic answer, but i don't, lol. just play! i do think coloring your shadow to match the page helps a lot.
 
Last edited:
Who has the best shadow actions? I can never seem to find any or I get to a site that has them and then I get sidetracked and forget...Share with me would ya :cool:
 
I just started moving mine to -45 and I like that a lot better, since I've done that, I've gotten a ton more comments on my LOs...I don't know why!

Opacity/spread/distance are all different each time, depending on the element, what it's layered on top of, etc.
 
Lizzy made a nice compliment on my shadowing for this page...https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/inspiration/showphoto.php?photo=69812... because I use elements I use a shadow layer style and I have never figured how to do shadows on there own layer. I just play with the numbers on each element depending on placement and layer and then in the end play with the angle. Nothing too special but it works for me right now until I find something that works better for me. :)
 
I use PSP11 so it probably wont help you much. I do all my shadows on seperate layers and just play with the settings. Sometimes I set the layer to burn so it looks more natural like with acrylics or on dark papers.
 
I use CS3 and I always change the color of my shadow to the background paper color or to a brown. 332512 and 3d2908 are the 2 brown settings I always use. The 332512 is the one from Flergs and I got the 3d2908 from when Ranie O'Dell(Juliet) was a TOTM here. I set my angle at different setting even throughout the layout I may be working on. I do alot of -45 and -25(that I learned from Melissa-mlewis-) but most of my LO's have like 3 or 4 different angles in them. I just try to do what looks "real" to me at the time. I usually use a Ds of 8-10 and Sz of 15-20 then I put it on a seperate layer and run a gausian blur of anywhere from 5-19 on it depending on how far or close to the surface I want it to be. I also move it a couple spaces the left or right, up or down until I get it the right look I want. I have never played with the spread before and after reading Sara's post I am going to try that.

I usually really hate my shadows though and fret over them so much that I end up spending several hours on them. There has to be a better way.

ETA:I also use the warp tool on my strings and and I use a mixture of Linear Burn and Mult. I use color burn for acrylic. I also use the dodge and burn tool to shadow over things that would appear darker in areas or are hidden by other elements. Sheesh , that sounds confusing. Sorry!
 
Last edited:
I use a combination of layer styles and shadows on their own layer if the styles aren't working for me (usually, if something needs to be bent or lifted inconsistently from the page or if the layer style seems too dark). When I create them on their own layers, I do use a darker color of paper below (like Sara), and fiddle with the gaussian blur. Multiply and sometime linear burn modes are used.

This page, for example...all the shadows are on their own layers. I wanted something really soft and natural. I remember thinking that the light in the photo was actually coming from the right, and tried flipping it, but she looked like a little alien. Then I tried moving the shadows, and they looked really off, so I just left it--knowing that in paper scrapbooking, your photo lighting has nothing to do with the shadows that are actually cast by the papers and elements you use on the page.
2SweetLR.jpg


Generally, I use a top, left light source. Some of you are going to hear me repeating myself because we just had a similar discussion in another forum. I know that it's kind of trendy to do bottom right light source, and they say it's supposed to look more realistic because if you are sitting in a chair looking at a scrapbook with a lamp behind your right shoulder, then these are the shadows you would see. It doesn't really work for me though because, a) sitting in a chair with a lamp behind you will also cast your shadow onto the page, and b) I'm used to over a decade of paper scrapping with a lamp in front/on top of my page.

Add to this the the fact that many elements have embedded light sources such as buttons and acrylic items. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a page where the artist uses the bottom right light source but has acrylic elements where it is clear that they were designed with top left light source.

There are exceptions to my top left rule...depending on lighting in my photo and the elements I use.

Miss Tiina has some good layer styles, and I hear some people swear by Traci Murphy's actions.
 
Last edited:
I feel like I just learning on my shadows. Even though I've been scrapping for 2 and a half years, I've just recently branched out from Traci Murphy's shadows.

So, thanks for all the tips ladies.
 
I totally agree Krystal. I NEVER us a bottom right light source, I think that's absurd. My lamp/light source in real lift is always top left or top right, like you. And I agree that most pre-shadowed items aren't shadowed for a bottom right light source.

It's nice to know someone knows what I'm talking about. I always felt like the odd man out lol!
 
I'm starting to get lazy with my shadows. The whole light source thing confuses me so I just stick with 120 degrees. But I like what Sara said about following direction of light source from the photo but I don't know if I could ever figure that out in my own photos.

I just play around with all shadows until I can't take it anymore and decide that I am done :p.
 
Oh no, no, Amanda. Don't listen to me, LOL!

In my post, when I said "size", I meant "spread". I'm so sorry to confuse anyone. I've since edited it. I always leave the spread at 0. It's the size that I fiddle with. Spread makes things wonky. Leave the spread alone. Love the size, fiddle with the size. LOL!

gracielou said:
I use CS3 and I always change the color of my shadow to the background paper color or to a brown. 332512 and 3d2908 are the 2 brown settings I always use. The 332512 is the one from Flergs and I got the 3d2908 from when Ranie O'Dell(Juliet) was a TOTM here. I set my angle at different setting even throughout the layout I may be working on. I do alot of -45 and -25(that I learned from Melissa-mlewis-) but most of my LO's have like 3 or 4 different angles in them. I just try to do what looks "real" to me at the time. I usually use a Ds of 8-10 and Sz of 15-20 then I put it on a seperate layer and run a gausian blur of anywhere from 5-19 on it depending on how far or close to the surface I want it to be. I also move it a couple spaces the left or right, up or down until I get it the right look I want. I have never played with the spread before and after reading Sara's post I am going to try that.

I usually really hate my shadows though and fret over them so much that I end up spending several hours on them. There has to be a better way.

ETA:I also use the warp tool on my strings and and I use a mixture of Linear Burn and Mult. I use color burn for acrylic. I also use the dodge and burn tool to shadow over things that would appear darker in areas or are hidden by other elements. Sheesh , that sounds confusing. Sorry!
Click to expand...
 
LOL Sara! I was thinking I was missing something. I have always heard to leave the spread alone but I thought if the lovely Ms. Sara does it by George I'm gonna do it then! I always love your shadows. No matter how hard I try though they never look like yours. Actually I think it is because your page designs pretty much rock and mine stink. Thanks for the clear up before I started playing with the spread on my shadows LOL!
 
I use pse6 and use Flerg's shadows as well. You can fiddle with it if you need it different for whatever reason.
 
scarletsierra said:
Oh no, no, Amanda. Don't listen to me, LOL!

In my post, when I said "size", I meant "spread". I'm so sorry to confuse anyone. I've since edited it. I always leave the spread at 0. It's the size that I fiddle with. Spread makes things wonky. Leave the spread alone. Love the size, fiddle with the size. LOL!
Click to expand...
oh glad I saw this b/c I usually leave spread at 0 but when I saw your post I was thinking hmmm, maybe she is on to something . . .
 
lizzyfizzy said:
hmmm...so sammi...what settings did you use on the string on that layout?
Click to expand...

The top string is ...18/35/65 my angle for my page is 148. I am going to be embarrased if those numbers are waaaay wacky or something. I am totally envious of people being able to change the color of the shadows. Is there any way to do that in elements?
 
sammi said:
I am totally envious of people being able to change the color of the shadows. Is there any way to do that in elements?
Click to expand...

yep, you can do this in PSE. here's a (borrowed) screenshot. I don't have my old copy of elements installed since I use CS3 now, so hopefully this will help. click where the arrow is pointing to change the color.

screebshot2-3.jpg
 
Linz said:
yep, you can do this in PSE. here's a (borrowed) screenshot. I don't have my old copy of elements installed since I use CS3 now, so hopefully this will help. click where the arrow is pointing to change the color.

screebshot2-3.jpg
Click to expand...

I feel so....clueless?! :blink: I have never even noticed that. Thank you, thank you! :)
 
I use CS2 and still use Traci Murphy's shadow actions as my base. But, I almost always tweak them once I use the action. Normally, I change the color to a lighter brown and the angle to -70 for the most part. I'll play around with the angle depending on how it might look on the layout though.

I love reading about how everyone does things. I normally never touch the opacity but I think I'm gonna start paying more attention to that now too. :)
 
nun69 said:
can I save this thread for later????
Click to expand...
yes, go to top where it says Thread Tool. Click on the subscribe link. You should get some options of when you want to be notified by email (or not be notified). You can access your subscriptions by going to your control panel and there is a link to subscribed threads somewhere there.
 
Angie, if you click on thread tools up above, you can subscribe to the thread. It'll then show up in your control panel, so you don't have to search and search for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2026 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top