Shadows

Photoshop layer styles are a popular way to add effects, such as drop shadows
and strokes, to layers in a non-destructive way. With the right knowledge and
experience, any effect can be achieved. To achieve these effects, however, you
need to understand what each setting does and how they can be combined to
achieve a certain look.
What Are Drop Shadows Used For?
The traditional use for a drop shadow is to simulate 3D depth in a 2D image. This
is done by creating an offset shadow behind an object to indicate that the object is
hovering above the background in 3D space.

Four Shadow Types

Ideally, when you want a shadowed image, you’d simply remove the background of
the image and leave its shadow. This is possible if you happen to have a solid-
colored background. But if the background is complicated, you’ll have to resort to
reconstructing a shadow that resembles the original. The farther you get from the
original shadow, the less realistic the image will appear.

The following four shadow types will cover most of the shadow situations you might
encounter:

 . Drop shadow: Keeps, as a simple offset shadow, the same shape as the
object casting it.
 . Cast shadow: Exaggerates the height of an object. A cast shadow is based
on the shape of the object that’s doing the casting.
 . Reconstructed shadow: Replaces the original shadow with a new one so
you can remove a complex background and still retain the basic shape of
the original shadow.
 . Natural shadow: Transforms an existing shadow into one that can be
overlaid onto another image. Also removes any grays from beyond the edge
of the shadow.

Blend Mode
The Blend Mode allows you to set the blending mode for your shadow. Typically
you will want this to be Multiply or Linear Burn, so that your shadow darkens the
layer that is behind it.

This is also where you set the color of your shadow by clicking the color block next
to the Blend Mode dropdown menu. By default, the shadow color will be black, but
you can add a tint of color or even try something outrageous to get special effects.
Opacity
The Opacity slider allows you to specify how transparent your shadow will be. A
setting of 0% is completely see through while 100% is completely opaque.

Angle
The Angle spinner and corresponding box allow you to change the apparent angle
that the light source comes from. By turning the "Use Global Light" checkbox on,
any changes you make to the angle of the drop shadow will also change the angle
of the light sources used in other effects like Bevel and Emboss, Inner Shadow,
etc. By leaving it unchecked, you can change the light angle for the drop shadow
independently of other effects.

Distance
The Distance slider changes the apparent distance between the subject and the
background. The effect is achieved by altering the distance between the subject
and the drop shadow itself.

Size
The Size slider changes the apparent size of the shadow. When it is set to 0, the
shadow is exactly the same size as the shape of the object. As you increase the
size, the shadow grows in 1 pixel increments
Cast Shadows
To exaggerate the height of an object, you can create a shadow that falls at an
angle away from the subject, also known as a cast shadow. The longer the
shadow, the taller the object will appear. This will also make it appear as if the light
source that’s hitting the subject is coming from a specific direction.
Distorting the Shadow Layer
You want the shadow to appear beneath the subject, so drag the shadow layer
until it is below the subject layer in the Layers palette. To make the shadow fall at
an angle, choose Edit > Transform > Distort; the transform bounding box will
appear. Move the squares (or handles) on the upper corners of that box around
until you have the desired angle.
Achieving Proper Brightness
To brighten the shadow, adjust the Opacity setting of the shadow layer in the
Layers palette. Make the shadow a little lighter than you think it should Instead of
going up and choosing be; otherwise, people might notice it.
Reconstructed Shadows
If the background of an image is complex, then I’d completely remove the
background on the image and attempt to re-create new shadows that resemble the
originals
Isolating the Subject
As with cast shadows, the first thing you need to do is to get the subject of the
photo onto its own layer, so you can create and edit shadows without changing the
subject. Do this by selecting the subject with any selection tool and then choosing
Layer > New > Layer Via Copy.
Tracing Shadow Edges
Before removing the layer that contains the shadows, it will be helpful if you trace
the shape of the original shadows. That way, any new shadows you create can
have the same shape and position. Use the Freeform Pen tool to trace around the
edges of each shadow that appears in the image.
Rebuilding the Shadows
To re-create the shadows, first create a new layer below the subject of the image.
Now set your foreground color to black and drag the first path in the Paths palette
to the first icon in the Paths palette. This should fill the shape of the path with your
foreground color, which is black (where I’ve added a white background to make it
easier to see what the end result will look like). The black shape should appear on
the layer you just created. This shape represents one of the shadows.
Natural Shadows
We’ll simply slip the background out from beneath the original shadow, leaving just
the shadow intact. That way you could feature it on a large poster and you wouldn’t
be able to tell the difference between the background of the image and the white
paper the poster is printed on.