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Thread: Making a coastline in Photoshop

  1. #1
    Guild Adept Obbehobbe's Avatar
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    Tutorial Making a coastline in Photoshop

    Hello!

    I think I have came up with a quite handy technique to make a rough coastline in Photoshop.
    I apologize and reserve myself of inventing something old here!
    I also apologize for my bad English. I'm from Sweden.

    I think this technique can be used on any sized maps.

    Here is the step by step tutorial.

    1. Select your land (layer one) (right click on the layer - select pixels)
    2. Select - Modify - Border - I used 5 pixels on my 11000 x 8000 map. Point is to select how much of the coastline shall be affected.
    3. Refine Edge - Slide "Shift Edge" to 100% to make the border solid
    4. Keep the selection and make a new layer (layer 2) above the land layer. Edit - Fill... - White (doesn't really matter which color you fill with)
    5. Enter the "Layer Style" in the new layer - Pattern Overlay - Blue Daisies 50% Scale (Or depending on how rough the coastline shall be)
    6. Now, merge down the new layer. Honestly, I haven't figured out how to merge down one single layer with an effect, so I simply create a new (layer 3) blank layer - select the blank layer (layer 3) + the layer with the pattern (layer 2), and "Merge Layers".
    7. Now you shall have two layers - Your land (layer 1) and a new daisy-coastline layer (layer 2)
    8. Image - Adjustments - Threshold. I try to get around 50% white 50% black here.
    9. Magic Wand - Select either the black or the white, "Contiguous" shall be unchecked.
    10. Hide layer two (the former daisy-layer) and select the Land-layer.
    11. Delete once, and you get a very rough coastline. Now Deselect your selection.
    12. Select Pixels on your land layer, and then hit Refine Edge
    13. Refine Edge - Here you need to play around with the values. I used "Smooth 2", "Shift Edge 50%" and "Contrast 100%". Everything else is just "0"
    14. From now on you can smooth up the coastline after your own liking.
    15. Deselect everything, then select your coastline once again.
    16. Select - Modify - Expand 1
    17. Select - Modify Contract 1
    18. Edit - Fill... - Foreground color
    19. Reselect your land (layer 1) and Edit - Fill... - Foreground color once more
    20. That is pretty much it. I'm sure you can mix around more in every step to get a better result. Maybe try another pattern, a different threshold or another "Refine edge" values.

    Good luck!



  2. #2
    Guild Journeyer Quabbe's Avatar
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    The result looks really good. Thumbs up!

    6. Now, merge down the new layer. Honestly, I haven't figured out how to merge down one single layer with an effect, so I simply create a new (layer 3) blank layer - select the blank layer (layer 3) + the layer with the pattern (layer 2), and "Merge Layers"
    This is the only way to do it. I handle it the same way.


    Quabbe

  3. #3
    Guild Adept Obbehobbe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quabbe View Post
    The result looks really good. Thumbs up!


    This is the only way to do it. I handle it the same way.


    Quabbe
    Quite odd because I think it's a quite common thing to do! Glad I didn't made a fool out of myself!

  4. #4

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    Digging up tutorial from the grave. But it's great, thank you for the effort! I will keep this close to my heart as it appears very useful.

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