Post 7: Create the sea, continued.
Now we want to stretch out the colours in the “Sea” layer across the entire black to white range. With the sea layer selected, auto normalize the image (Colors->Auto->Normalize). The histogram will now have little gaps in it. As the greys have all been spread out. To fix this, select the non-transparent area (by clicking on the “Sea” layer and selecting “Alpha to Selection”. Invert the selection (Select->Invert) and fill the area with white. Remove the selection (Select->None) and apply a 20px Gaussian blur.
Note the histogram is now filled in.
Now the next bit of magic. Set the foreground colour to the darkest water colour (water 5) by clicking on it in the Palette Editor (that we set up at the beginning), and set the background colour to the second lightest water color (water 5) by Ctrl-clicking on it.
Now we will turn the B/W into colour, by clicking Color->Map->Gradient Map, and the water is almost (for now).
Recently, I came up with a nice technique (in my opinion) to finish the shoreline water. Often people will stroke the shoreline with a light colour, or add a light blur. Here is a quick technique for making a unique look…
Create a new layer called “Seashore”, and fill it with the really light water colour (Water 1). Add a layer mask, using the “Land Mask” channel, and ensure “Invert” is unchecked.
(Any edits you do now will be on the mask shape, unless the layer thumbnail is clicked. The one you are editing will have a white box:
Give the layer mask a 10 px Gaussian blur.
Now apply a displacement map (Filters->Map->Displace). Use an X displacement of 20, and a Y displacement of -20. For both, pick the “Land Noise” layer. Set the Displacement Mode to Cartesian and the Edge Behavior to Smear.
Repeat this, flipping the signs, so set X to -20 and Y to 20. This screen grab is after the first one.
This will give a nice wispy, random looking water edge, once the land is put in place…
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