Fun with Photo Textures; CS2 Layering How-To
by Andrea Bell

Texturing images can add another dimension to your work. While not always appropriate, it is a cool tool to have in the toolbox.

When I go to add textures to a WIP (work-in-progress), I make sure that I have some form of the coloring "done." For instance:

The method of coloring I used on this image involves layers. Once you have your colored image, it's time for the fun part. Pick a texture image. This can be a photograph you've taken, or one you've downloaded. (If you're using a downloaded photograph, be sure to give proper documentation for where you've gotten your source!) Keep in mind when selecting your texture that the texture can change the mood of your image.

Open your new texture in photoshop.

Most textures are in color. For our purposes, as this image is already colored, we need the image in grayscale. Change the mode of your texture to grayscale.

Be sure to do this in the original image file. When you go to change the image mode, it will ask you if you want to discard the color information.

Tell Photoshop, yes, I do. Then your image will look more like this.

At this point, you have a grayscale texture and a colored image or illustration. Make sure that the aspect ratio is somewhat similar between the two images. My illustration is much taller than it is wider, so I'm going to rotate the texture image to make it more similar.

Your photo texture is likely going to be a bit too dark for your image. A good way to clear that up is to adjust the brightness and contrast of the texture before inserting it into your color illustration.

Now grab your texture by clicking and holding on the background layer from the layers palette and drop it into your illustration.

Photoshop will auto-create a layer for you if nothing is selected. Set your texture layer to "multiply" from the pull-down menu.

The texture image is unlikely to be the right size for your illustration. You learn to live with that sort of thing, and you can correct it without tiling the texture. With the texture layer highlighted, go to the transform / scale function.

It will give you the scaleable box around your texture layer.

Size it up in whatever manner you like. If you want to keep the image from pixelating too badly, hold down the shift key to constrain it to the original aspect ratio of the texture layer. You can make the texture layer much bigger than the visible pane of the photoshop file.

Pick whatever you think looks best. Then hit enter to apply the size transformation to the texture.

Now your texture is in the right size for your illustration. If you find any areas of the texture detract from the image, or the effect, you can erase the portion of the texture layer safely without destroying your illustration.

I did not use a hard eraser, so that some of the texture would come through onto the figure, but I lightened the texturing of her face, hair, and dress.

Et voila! Your image has texture.