Tip Share - Adding a texture

At the same time as getting a new camera, I splashed out on Photoshop Elements. Elements is the cheaper, cut down version of Photoshop but seems to do everything I need (and more).

In case it's helpful, before that I was using Picassa which was fine, and free - I'd definitely recommend it.

Elements is great though, and I'm having loads of fun trying out new ways to edit my photos, while I'm learning I thought I'd put a few tip shares on the blog, in case they are any use to others.... (and make a good reference for me when I forget what on earth I'm supposed to do!). I'm not saying this is the correct way to do this, I have no idea, I'm just playing, and sharing what I learn. If I find out that I'm doing it completely wrong, I'll come back and edit this post.

Anyway, here's a photo I took at the fair recently.....

To add a texture to this all I did was open a new layer, by clicking on the layer heading, and then the "new layer" option.

You can then change the name on these layers by double clicking on them in the layer box in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Probably a useful habit to get into, as if you start making a lot of layers it can get confusing! Call the new layer "texture".

Then highlight the "texture layer", and go and find the texture you're going to use.

There are lots of free textures to be found on flickr or just google "free textures"

Here's a link to get you started...

http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-blog/2008/11/30/60-impressive-free-high-resolution-textures-and-backgrounds/

I chose this one.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/emeraldrose/2832585353/sizes/l/

Once you have your texture, right click and copy it. Then go back to Photoshop elements, and Edit>Paste it on the new texture layer... Just double check that the texture layer is highlighted before you paste, or else it'll cover the image!

Next just stretch out the texture by grabbing each edge. Stretch it right over the original picture until you can't see it anymore.

Once you've done that, see the  "opacity" button, just above the layer section on the right hand side. If you click on that a slider appears. For this one I slid it down to 40%


Then I flatten the image, by going into the layer menu, and choosing Flatten image, to keep all the layers together.

Hey presto - done!

And here's the finished picture...

What do you think?