Dream's photoshop tutorial #1 Blending Basics

Tutorial #1 - blending and layer options
^{I'll work on a blend later and upload the images for the progress of each step}

step 1 - find your image

For this, we're just going to use a single image so as to make absolutely sure they match and are going to be easy to blend together. Once you find your image and have it as the largest it can get, copy it and go to your image editor.

step 2 - starting a new project

I'm sure you all know how to do this, but open up a new project. I typically start at 600 by 300 pixels. Remember, you can always crop something to make it smaller, but you should NEVER try to make something bigger. This will cause distortion and pixellation, neither of which are pleasant. Anywho, once you've got the new project open, just paste the copied image into a new layer.

step 3 - duplication

When working with blending 2 images, it's best to work on a larger scale first. Make a duplicate of your current image by either pasting a new layer again or hitting the duplicate image option under the layers toolbar. Either way, you now have 2 copies of the same image, but you really only need one atm, so click the eye to hide the second, and select the first to work with.

step 4 - placement

Resize the first image by making it smaller. Tip: holding the shift key while resizing will keep the aspect ratio of the original image so you don't wind up with a short fat or tall skinny version of your original image. Once you've got this first one the size you want, move it around to one side or the other, making sure to leave enough room for the second copy. Now that we've got it where we want it, make the second one visible and resize that one as well. To help with placement of the second one, play with the opacity so you can see through it to the one underneath.

step 5 - masking

Now here's where my technique differs from others. Most people, at this step, will use the eraser tool to get rid of the top image that they don't want. Well, the only problem with that is that, other than using your history, there's no way to take back what you did. Once you erase the pixels they're gone, which is why I use the layer masks. Make sure you have the top image selected when you click on the image mask button to mask the top layer. Now click the newly created mask, then use the paint brush tool to hide the pixels rather than deleting them. If you make a mistake, just switch the color of the paint brush to reveal them again.

step 5 alternate - layer options

You'll notice a dropdown box that is always on the default setting of "normal," but if you click the arrow, you will notice many different options. They are divided into 6 sections, though it's easiest to just play around with them to see what they do. They're effects depend entirely on the image you're using them on and the layer that's directly underneath.