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Crash Course On The Curves Adjustment Layer

Lesson 3 from: Color Correcting and Creating a Cinematic Look in Photoshop CC

Jesús Ramirez

Crash Course On The Curves Adjustment Layer

Lesson 3 from: Color Correcting and Creating a Cinematic Look in Photoshop CC

Jesús Ramirez

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Lesson Info

3. Crash Course On The Curves Adjustment Layer

Lesson Info

Crash Course On The Curves Adjustment Layer

we can start applying the color effects, and I have several different files or we're gonna apply this color effect too. But let's start with the file that we looked at it in the beginning, which was this one here. And you can use ah lot of these adjustment layers to create this effect that I'm gonna show you how different adjustment layers will create a very similar effect. But we're gonna start with the curves adjustment layers because in my opinion, is the most powerful one. And it's the one that you should know just because it can do so much. Although I explained in previous classes just because the tool is so good at something, it doesn't mean it's good for every job. But I do like Teoh, teach that tool because it is really powerful. So we have the curves adjustment layer. And the way this adjustment layer works is by clicking and dragging these points up or down, and you can think of it as adding light and subtracting like so that's a lot like a dimmer switch. Like you know what y...

ou may have at home if you click and drag your them or switch up you had light. You click and drag it down. You subtract light so the image could starter. That's what happens in the RGB motor. We also have the individual channels, so I just discussed earlier. We click and drag up. We add the color of the channel in this case red, and we click and drag appoint down. We subtract the color of the channel and at the opposite color in this case, Scion, and one way you can think about it is look at the center line here when a point crosses that line up. That's when you add light in that channel, and if a point crosses that line below it, then that's when you subtract the color of the channel and had the opposite color. If when you're working in photo shop and you don't remember what color is the opposite of what color? One thing you can dio visually that you can see us if you go into image mode. RGB right below the R. C I n g regular, the G for greenest magenta. Be right below the beef for blue is yellow. That's not the only place where you'll see that you will also see it in the info panel. We've been talking about the RGB values that appear here when you hover over the image. If you look to the right of that, you see the opposite color red scion, green, magenta, blue, yellow. And as I showed just a moment ago, the color balance told us a really good job of showing you what the opposite color of each analysts. So now that we know all that information about the curves adjustment layer, we can start applying the effect that we're gonna create. But another classes I mentioned to you that I like to have control over the images that I'm working on. So get more control out of the curves adjustment layer. We're gonna take advantage of what the blend most can do for us. This is one of the graphics that we saw earlier, even though that even though for this example, it's probably not that great, but I still want to show it, um, blend modes here, each settle blend most can help you with different things. In this case, we're gonna look at the component blend modes that are gonna help us with color and luminosity when we're applying the cinematic look. That's pretty much what we're dealing with. We're applying a color in a luminous value to an image to help a stellar story. So we're gonna take take advantage of color and luminosity for that. And what I'm gonna do is what this curves adjustment layer selected. I'm gonna change the name and just call that luminosity because this adjustment layer will only adjust aluminum's value. So the image let me make an adjustment so you could see what I mean. I'm gonna click and drag up, actually, let me see where it works best. I think maybe if I make a darker in this case, it'll work better for me to show us example. Usually when we create contrast in an image, we also saturate the image a little bit. And I don't want that I don't want the Contras that I add to the image to affect the saturation of the image. I just wanted to focus on the luminosity so I can change the blend mode from normal to luminosity, and you see what that did? It is a subtle effect, but you can see I'm gonna go back to normal and look at his skin tones normal. See the difference you have, The saturation goes back down. So now this curves adjustment layer will not adjust the saturation or anything. Just a luminous values. Luminosity. So I'm gonna, uh, leave it set to luminosity. So that's what that label their means. Then I need to create an adjustment layer that on Li controls the color of the image. So I'm gonna go into the curves adjustment layer and you probably guessed it. I'm gonna rename this layer color. And you also probably guess that I'm gonna change the blending mode, the blending more that I'm going to choose its color because I want this layer toe Onley adjust the color and not the luminous value. So the opposite. So what I'm gonna do here is I'm gonna go into one of the channels and I'm actually going to say, well, this layer so you could see how it works better. So I'm gonna actually bring the blending mode back to normal. And I'm just gonna add red notice how I made the image brighter. But I also made it read I don't want it to be writer. I just wanted to be read. So if I change the blend, go back to color. You'll see that the luminous value stay and, uh, in. Excuse me. Yeah, limited. So you stay, and we don't only changing the color. So now that I have these layers set up, I can start applying that, um, color great that we're going for.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

PTC Color Grade.atn
Cinematic Color Grading - Before.cube

Ratings and Reviews

Hstrymkrs
 

I watched this class live, and I thought he gave great examples as he explained techniques. I have been wanting to learn how to color grade images, and I am very happy with the three approaches he shared. I feel I have a great handle on this look now. Thanks so much CL for bringing him to teach us.

Alissa Rosenberg
 

I am only onto lesson 6 but already I have learned so many new things that I really needed to learn about color! Especially how to use the curves layer adjustment with blend modes! Wow!! Such a great investment!

Student Work

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