How To Add Shadows In Photoshop - Simple Methods

It's really useful to understand how to add shadows in Photoshop. When creating a composite image, making shadows in your photo is essential for placing an object in the context of the scene. Simple shadows and highlights can give an illustration more depth and reality.

Adding dimension to your drawings can be difficult at first whether you're new to illustration or just trying to get better at drawing. But you can start experimenting with shadows in a quick and simple way. Even a short outline sketch can look less flat and more realistic by using this extremely simple shading technique, which significantly improves the overall quality of the image.

Amazingly, just using a few basic shading techniques can greatly enhance an illustration. Start learning how to create shadows in photoshop by using this easy, step-by-step method.

How to Make Shadow In Photoshop

Let's begin this easy Photoshop tutorial.

Adding Shadows on a White Background

A white blank canvas is The quickest and easiest place to start while making a shadow in Photoshop. You can also practice the fundamental techniques required to produce realistic shadows.

For product photography, white backgrounds are quite common. when photographed in a lightbox, these pictures don't have any shadows.

Create a Drop Shadow

Make a drop shadow as a first step. It's a really simple assignment to complete.

1. Take another image and cut off your object. If you already have a product image taken with a white background, this should be simpler. To make the selection simpler, use the Object Selection Tool 

2. Create a new Photoshop document that is empty and import your image. You'll need a layer for your object and one for the new background in this Photoshop project. 

3. Select Layer Effects from the layer that contains your object. You can locate this at the bottom of your layers window. It says, "fx." Decide if you want to create a drop shadow. Now you can change the outcome. You can modify the shadow's color (black is the default), as well as its opacity, angle, size, and distance.

Make A Realistic Shadow

The shadow needs to be realistically generated in the following stage. The drop shadow should now be in a new layer. You can now control it independently. To accomplish this, keep following procedures.

1. Right-click on the newly appeared fx symbol on the layer that contains your shadow. after that, select Create Layer. There should be a new layer that only has the drop shadow on it.

2. Change the shadow's orientation at this point. Choose Edit > Transform > Skew from the dropdown options. Drag the shadow out using the top two anchor points. You can change how much of the shadow should be cast from the side. 

3. As a result of the shadow's current length, you can also change it. Click on Edit > Transform > Scale. Now, to change the shadow's length, drag it upwards or downwards.

4. Lastly, you must warp the shadow so that it still complements the casting object. You ensure that the shadow's base is still in contact with the object's base. Choose Edit > Transform > Warp. Drag the anchor points to make sure that the shadow is placed correctly.

Adding Shadows on a Landscape Scene

Look for the Source of Light

Care and attention must be used while composing an image into a scene with natural light. Including a shadow in the composite image is one of the essential aspects. You'll need to look at the locations of existing shadows in your scene to do this. You need to take a look at the objects in your picture to figure out where the light is coming from.

Additionally, you should make sure that your shadow's color cast matches the other shadows in the scene.

Paste Your Object Into The Scene

1. Paste the object or person into the scene after creating a new layer in Photoshop.

2. Resize the object to fit the scene. To do this, use the keys Ctrl or T and select Edit > Free Transform. Drag the anchor points to change the object's size. Keep the shift key depressed to maintain proportion.

3. Place the person or object in the scene by using the Move tool.

Conclusion

It's very simple and easy to learn how to add shadows in Photoshop. The secret is to adjust the effect so that it appears natural. Just follow these 3 basic methods.

To create a new layer, use the layer effect.

To create a shadow that seems more realistic, modify the layer's size and form.

To make the shadow fade, use the gradient tool.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.if you are a beginner in this method, try it yourself