Today I'm going to share with you how to work with Global Light in Photoshop.
Now, what is Global Light?
Global Light is simply light for all.
Now, what does that even mean?
Let me show you with an example.
Alright, so here we have a simple wall, and on top of that we have added two paintings
- Painting 1 and Painting 2.
Now of course, they don't look realistic.
You know why?
Because we don't have shadows.
So let's go ahead and add shadow to Painting 1 first.
So, double click on the right hand side of the layer.
This will open up the Layer Style dialog box.
Now inside of that, let's check Drop Shadow.
We can also select that.
All right.
Once you have the Drop Shadow selected, let's go ahead and zoom in.
Now, this does not look realistic at all.
One way to get realistic drop shadows is to look at other drop shadows in the scene.
So if you have a closer look, let's go back to the Drop Shadow by double clicking on it
if you have accidentally clicked on OK, all right.
So here we have a nice shadow already right in there.
So how do we sample that?
Simple.
Click on this box right there.
This determines the color of the shadow.
Click once and then take a sample from right here and you can also try other samples here
and there.
So, I'm going to be happy with this.
Just hit OK.
Now once you do that, also make sure that the Blend Mode is Multiply.
Now, Multiply is a Blend Mode which darkens.
Now, just one shadow right here is not enough, right?
Even if you just go ahead and increase the Opacity all the way to the max, and maybe
decrease the size here and make it a little harder, this does not look realistic at all.
What I would suggest you to do is to add multiple shadows.
First, let's determine the angle of light.
So, the light is probably coming from this direction from the left hand side.
So we have to set angle like that.
And this angle probably works.
147 is fine.
Now increase the distance.
This distance is fine.
Have a look at the shelf.
Look at it for reference.
Look, it's creating a long shadow.
Similarly, I'm going to have some distance, right.
Something around 71 is good.
Now, let's go ahead and increase the size.
We want it to be extremely soft, just like this.
If you want, you can decrease the Opacity.
So let's keep the Opacity at about 72.
Now let's add one more Drop Shadow by clicking on the '+' button right there.
Now we have another one.
So decrease the size this time.
Make it a little harder and then bring it closer, just like so.
You can control the hardness and then control the Opacity.
Now, let's add one more.
Three is fine.
For the third one, decrease the size even more and bring it even closer.
Now for all of these, just make sure you have checked Use Global Light.
Now that's what we're going to be talking about.
So make sure for this drop shadow, this drop shadow and even this drop shadow, Global Light
is checked.
Once you're satisfied with it, just hit OK.
Let's zoom out and see if this looks realistic.
Yeah, it looks fine.
If you want one more layer, you can go ahead and add that.
Why not?
Let's go ahead and do that.
Let's double click on the effect and click on '+' again and this time we're going to
bring it even closer, decrease the size even more and bring it even closer.
I think this is okay.
And if you want to make it even darker, you can just increase the Opacity, just like so.
All right, that works.
Hit OK.
Now, we want the same for the painting on the right.
What do we do?
Well, my friend, you guessed it all right.
So hold the Alt key or the Option key, click and drag on the effects and drop it on Painting
2.
We have it on both of them.
Now, this is important.
Now keep in mind, while creating all of these drop shadows, we made sure that us Global
Light was checked, right?
Now if you go to layer and then look at it closely, Layer Style and inside of that, if
we choose Global Light, you, my friend, will be able to control the Angle and the Altitude
as well.
So if we go ahead and change the Angle, have a look at what happens.
The angle of all of the shadows changes.
Have a look.
Isn't that amazing?
And both these settings will also apply to other compatible effects in Layer Styles.
So if you go ahead and hit OK right here, we can again double click on the effects and
maybe for Painting 1, I want to add a Bevel.
So let's click on Bevel & Emboss.
Select Bevel & Emboss right there, and then you can just increase or decrease the Depth.
This is actually the preview that you can refer.
So you can increase or decrease the Depth.
I'm going to keep it all the way to 1000%.
Size as well.
So this size is okay.
You can soften it if you want to, but, we will keep it a little harder.
This looks perfect.
You can also control the shadow and the highlights.
So, if you want more highlights, increase the Opacity.
I want less of it.
If you want to increase the shadows, just increase the Opacity.
But I cannot see the shadows.
You know why?
Because have a look at the Altitude.
Just bring it a little around the middle and there you go.
You will now see the shadows.
When you take it all the way out, there won't be any shadows right in here.
So we need to take it a little in, control the Altitude and there you have it my friend,
and hit OK.
Right.
You can copy this effect to the other one as well.
So, hold the Alt key or the Option key, click and drag and drop it right there.
This one has Bevel & Emboss too.
Now, collectively, you can control them if you go to Layer - Layer Style, and then Global
Light, you change the Altitude.
Similarly the Bevel & Emboss changes, the direction of the light changes.
Everything changes.
Just you have to keep in mind that Global Light needs to be checked.
Hit OK if you're satisfied.
So, I'm going to keep an angle to around this.
If you double click even on the Bevel & Emboss, just have a look, Global Light is checked.
If it's not checked, the global settings will not be followed.
I hope this made sense to you.
I hope you got a sense of how Global Light works and I hope you get to use it in your
own day to day workflow.
Thank you so much for watching this video.
I will see you guys again in my next one.
Till then, stay tuned and make sure that you just keep creating.