Layers and blending modes were one of the first things that hooked me on photoshop, the fact that you can adjust, tweak and undo with a simple click was fascinating.  The tip to remember is that blending modes react slightly differently with each image and the order of the layers.

If you would like to try out the blending modes using the same texture and image, to get a feel for it yourself, then please feel free to download the free rose photo and texture Perchance at the end of the post.

For this explanation I took a simple shot of a rose image and placed a texture in the layer above, then swapped the blending modes within the layer palette so you can see how the different options provide a variety of ways to control the mixing, blending and general interaction of the layer content.

First up Blending Mode : Normal.

As expected the image normally appears but adjust the opacity and you are off to a great start.

Blending Mode : Dissolve.

Creates what looks like random dots, not a blend mode I use very often (if at all).  Note: There is no effect if the top layer is at 100% opacity. You have to reduce the opacity to see the effect.

Darken Modes

Blending Mode : Darken.

Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color—whichever is darker—as the result color. Pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color do not change.

Blending Mode : Multiply.

Multiplies the color of the bottom layer with the top (Read more...)

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