Preserved Topic: Curtains, a mini tutorial (of sorts)

This is a technique I like, that can be tweaked and customised to suit a lot of different situations. Most recently I was trying to get a draped curtain effect. Here is an example.

Make a new document; 512 x 512 px, with a black background. Create a new layer. Select the Gradient tool and set the Mode to Difference, then open up the Gradient Editor and make a new gradient like this one.

Now drag across the document a few times left to right, right to left (experiment) try to get an image like this one. I also gave this a slight Gaussian Blur at 1.0

Done? Right, now you will need to save this as a .PSD to use as a displacement map. Try to name it so that you can find it easily later on. Make a new layer above this, call it the colour layer, and fill it with the colour of your choice, set the Layer Mode to Multiply. You should have something like this;

That?s it basically, but there is so much more you can do with it, like this.
Turn off the Colour layer and make a new layer above it, name this layer pattern. Fill this layer with a repeating background. I made this one for myself, and you can use it if you like.
Just open it up in PS and go to Edit>Define Pattern. When you have done that go to Edit>Fill, and choose the pattern you have just saved, or any other that takes your fancy. With the Pattern layer still active, go to Filter>Distort>Displace. I used these settings, but you should play around with them to see how it can affect the result.

When you click OK you will be prompted for the displace map you want to use. Navigate to the Displace map we made earlier and select it, click OK. Now set the Pattern layer to Multiply. You should have something like this;


::tao::

As I said earlier, I was using this method to try to get a hanging curtain effect. This is a bit more tricky, but lots of fun too.
Follow the steps outlined above to the point where you have made the initial displace map with the Gradient Tool on a separate layer. Now go to Edit>Free Transform, and move one of the middle anchor points 2/3rds over to the other so the layer fills about a third of the total image as I have done here.

Next, with the Move Tool selected, press Alt and click on the DMap we have just transformed and drag it over to the right. You will notice that this creates a copy on a new layer. Now go to Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal.
Now we have two ?curtains? on separate layers to work with.
This next step is hard to explain in detail, but fun to play with as you can always CtrlZ to undo a step or hit Revert to start over.
Go to Filter>Liquify, these are the settings I used on the first pass.

After I got the basic shape using this big brush setting I made the brush smaller and played around with the pressure setting.
Once I had it looking the way I wanted, I did the same to the other ?curtain? layer. Then I merged the two layers together so it looked like this

The black in the middle is not on the same layer as the ?curtains?, it?s the background layer. Turn the background layer off so only the curtains are visible and save as drapes.psd. Now we?ll make another layer above the ?Curtain? layer and fill it with a pattern Edit>Fill>Pattern. (I used the YinYang one again). After you have done this go to Filter>Distort>Displace use the same settings as we used before, click OK, and select the drapes.psd as the displace map. Set this layer to Multiply and turn on the black background again, there you have it.


I can imagine that I have missed a few steps, or perhaps have not explained them properly, if you have any questions post them up and I will try to clarify further.
Please remember, this is only meant to be a quick guide, there are hundreds of things I could have added, but I think at this stage it would only have befuddled the situation.

::tao::

[This message has been edited by Taobaybee (edited 03-18-2004).]

That's really neat, Tao



Amerasu

Thanks Amerasu That's a beutifull example you've posted. I love the sash, the detail adds so much to the overall effect.
This is the image that started me off thinking about the technique. I'm still experimenting with it really, adding more layers and Dmaps.
Add to this the power of the Lighting Effects filter to the same Dmap in the Channels, and put the Arabica coffee on it's playtime


::tao::

neat. maybe make the images a tad bit smaller, and when you're all done, holler, I can get them hosted with the faq, if you'd like to.

TP, I've now reduced the images by about 30%. Do you think this size will be ok for the faq?
I have no objections at all to your suggestion btw, in fact, I'm delighted you asked.

::tao::

very cool