You are on page 1of 12

1

00:00:00.05 --> 00:00:02.07

- [Instructor] What are

backgrounds and textures?

00:00:02.07 --> 00:00:05.06

In what situations are they best used?

00:00:05.06 --> 00:00:08.05

How do backgrounds and textures differ?

00:00:08.05 --> 00:00:10.07

How will your uses of them differ?

00:00:10.07 --> 00:00:12.06

These are great questions.

00:00:12.06 --> 00:00:15.01

When you start considering

the kinds of backgrounds

00:00:15.01 --> 00:00:18.03

and textures that will

work well with your photos,


8

00:00:18.03 --> 00:00:20.09

think about art that

you've seen reproduced,

00:00:20.09 --> 00:00:23.04

perhaps in a museum, perhaps in a book,

10

00:00:23.04 --> 00:00:25.04

that might be on a background.

11

00:00:25.04 --> 00:00:27.04

This is a good starting place.

12

00:00:27.04 --> 00:00:31.08

So think that the goal of

using a background or texture

13

00:00:31.08 --> 00:00:33.07

is really not photographic.

14

00:00:33.07 --> 00:00:37.02

It's about creating art

beyond the photograph.


15

00:00:37.02 --> 00:00:39.06

Using a background often creates

16

00:00:39.06 --> 00:00:42.03

an intentionally different look.

17

00:00:42.03 --> 00:00:44.08

Often the best use of these techniques is

18

00:00:44.08 --> 00:00:48.01

to create a painterly or graphical effect.

19

00:00:48.01 --> 00:00:52.00

A case in point is this moody

but impressionistic image

20

00:00:52.00 --> 00:00:54.09

of the hills of California in the fog,

21

00:00:54.09 --> 00:00:58.04

which is definitely not

photographic in nature.

22
00:00:58.04 --> 00:01:02.00

Backgrounds and textures

are inherently different.

23

00:01:02.00 --> 00:01:05.02

There is some overlap

between some of the files

24

00:01:05.02 --> 00:01:07.06

that work as backgrounds and textures,

25

00:01:07.06 --> 00:01:09.06

but this is not too common.

26

00:01:09.06 --> 00:01:11.04

There are differences between the two

27

00:01:11.04 --> 00:01:13.04

that are important to learn to recognize,

28

00:01:13.04 --> 00:01:18.02

although backgrounds and

textures can work well together.

29
00:01:18.02 --> 00:01:22.04

With a background, the

image visually sits on top,

30

00:01:22.04 --> 00:01:25.09

and this is on top in the Photoshop sense

31

00:01:25.09 --> 00:01:30.09

and also in the sense that an

image is resting on something.

32

00:01:30.09 --> 00:01:34.04

In other words, the blue irises

that you see in this image

33

00:01:34.04 --> 00:01:37.07

are resting on a scanned piece of paper

34

00:01:37.07 --> 00:01:40.08

that is the background.

35

00:01:40.08 --> 00:01:44.09

Textures, on the other hand,

are overlaid above an image.


36

00:01:44.09 --> 00:01:47.01

The goal of the texture is

37

00:01:47.01 --> 00:01:50.02

to create a sense of dimensionality,

38

00:01:50.02 --> 00:01:52.07

perhaps by using grain

39

00:01:52.07 --> 00:01:55.06

or dust or brushstrokes,

40

00:01:55.06 --> 00:01:58.08

something that adds an

additional flavor to the image,

41

00:01:58.08 --> 00:02:04.01

as in this image of a church

in the rural parts of France.

42

00:02:04.01 --> 00:02:07.09

Images should be paired with

appropriate backgrounds.
43

00:02:07.09 --> 00:02:09.09

Many backgrounds are painterly,

44

00:02:09.09 --> 00:02:14.02

as in simulating canvas or

perhaps watercolor paper.

45

00:02:14.02 --> 00:02:18.06

For the most part, backgrounds

should not be too dark.

46

00:02:18.06 --> 00:02:22.02

This is an example here,

with the red poppies

47

00:02:22.02 --> 00:02:26.04

in the middle of this frame,

which is a nice, light frame.

48

00:02:26.04 --> 00:02:28.03

One common use of backgrounds is

49

00:02:28.03 --> 00:02:31.05

to create a cohesive sequence of images.


50

00:02:31.05 --> 00:02:33.09

For example, one image frame might be used

51

00:02:33.09 --> 00:02:37.09

for a single presentation

in a PowerPoint display

52

00:02:37.09 --> 00:02:39.09

or gallery walls.

53

00:02:39.09 --> 00:02:44.05

And the images in these frames

may not entirely be similar,

54

00:02:44.05 --> 00:02:47.05

but they are created in a cohesive way

55

00:02:47.05 --> 00:02:51.06

because of the use of background frames.

56

00:02:51.06 --> 00:02:56.03

An example of an effective use

of backgrounds and textures


57

00:02:56.03 --> 00:02:59.00

that often comes up is a soft image

58

00:02:59.00 --> 00:03:01.06

that becomes watercolor-like,

59

00:03:01.06 --> 00:03:06.01

as in the flowers that I

placed on this image of a beach

60

00:03:06.01 --> 00:03:09.03

and sky that are rendered

through use of backgrounds

61

00:03:09.03 --> 00:03:13.03

to be very soft and watercolor-like.

62

00:03:13.03 --> 00:03:15.00

Cloth, textured paper,

63

00:03:15.00 --> 00:03:17.09

anything with distinctive

or regular patterns
64

00:03:17.09 --> 00:03:21.07

is a great possibility for use

as a background or texture.

65

00:03:21.07 --> 00:03:25.04

One place you can look for

these are fabric stores

66

00:03:25.04 --> 00:03:28.07

and the flat files in art supply stores.

67

00:03:28.07 --> 00:03:32.02

To emphasize the point, textures

really come into their own

68

00:03:32.02 --> 00:03:35.04

when the idea is to

create an impressionistic

69

00:03:35.04 --> 00:03:37.06

or painterly image.

70

00:03:37.06 --> 00:03:41.02


The most important point in

using a background or texture

71

00:03:41.02 --> 00:03:44.02

is to turn a photo into a work of art,

72

00:03:44.02 --> 00:03:46.06

that the choice should

be visually sympathetic,

73

00:03:46.06 --> 00:03:49.01

not clash and have internal logic.

74

00:03:49.01 --> 00:03:50.04

There should be reason.

75

00:03:50.04 --> 00:03:51.08

There should be some reason

76

00:03:51.08 --> 00:03:54.01

you place an image on a background.

77

00:03:54.01 --> 00:03:58.04

As time goes by, you may


find one or two backgrounds

78

00:03:58.04 --> 00:04:01.07

or textures that you

particularly like to work with.

79

00:04:01.07 --> 00:04:04.06

These might even form a

signature look for you.

80

00:04:04.06 --> 00:04:07.07

But in the beginning, it's

important to explore the options

81

00:04:07.07 --> 00:04:11.02

and understand the many

different kinds of visual effects

82

00:04:11.02 --> 00:04:14.03

that are possible using

backgrounds and textures.

You might also like