Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Fun with gradients: Use an image to create your next effect

Next time you feel your mouse moseying on over to the gradient tool in your Photoshop toolbox for a fill, stop right there!  Rather than creating a gradient from your available style options and color selections, why not give this a try?

Pull a rich, colorful photo off the Web or grab one you've already got hanging around on your computer.  Make a four pixel selection anywhere in the image.  Take that four pixel selection and stretch it.  Now, what have you got?  An organic, unique gradient with plenty of color values to work from!  Throw a colored layer underneath that gradient and start to play with the layer blending modes. Let me know what you think; happy gradient-ing!