Creating Reflective Surfaces in Photoshop

Creating the illusion of a reflective surface is one of the many tools available to users that really make images pop. The technique is not difficult. It simply takes a little a bit of practice and little bit of trial and error on your end to get it down. Once you have the hang of it, the same techniques can be applied to creating reflections using text or images.

To get started, select an image or piece of text to work with. Open a new canvas document within Photoshop. You should make sure the canvas you are working on is large enough to accommodate two of whatever object you are using - remember, it is going to be reflected. Now, within that document, create a new layer and paste your object onto the canvas. Saving this layer as “original object†or something similar will help you find it easily later on if you need to revert back to it. Create another new layer, and repeat these steps exactly, saving that layer as “reflection†or “object two†- this layer will become your “reflection.â€

Open the reflection layer and then click “edit†in the main menu. Under edit, you should select “transform†and then “flip vertical.†Once that is completed, go back to the edit and transform function, and this time, click “perspective.†When you have done this, a shape box will appear around your object. You can use this tool to correct the perspective of the reflection. Try dragging the bottom right corner to the left, little by little. This should give the effect that your object is moving in closer to you. Continue playing with the perspective until you are satisfied with the results. When you are happy with the perspective, save your changes by hitting “enter.â€

You need to make a few other changes to the reflection layer of project. First, add a layer mask from the layer palette. Now, you will want to apply a black and white gradient to this mask. If you have a difficult time applying the gradient in straight lines, start from the bottom of the reflection and hold the shift key down as you move towards the top. Apply the gradient as heavily as needed to achieve your desired appearance of reflection - how much gradient you apply is a matter of personal taste.

Once the gradient is applied, your reflective surface is complete, unless you want to use other tools to further tweak the images. You can use your shading brush to add some lightness and darkness to add further perspective. You can use the Feather tool to add drop shadows under or behind your objects. You can try the sharpening tools to sharpen or brighten your images, or turn to your pen tool to add some additional designs of your own to your reflective images. You are limited only by your imagination. If you do decide to experiment with your image, it is best to save a copy of the image after you have made the final change you know for sure you want to keep; that way, if you make any changes that cannot be corrected and that you don’t like, you can revert back to the one you do.

Your reflective images can be used in print media or for online graphics purposes. Remember each output method has its own quarks and requirements, so you will need to adjust the editing of your object to meet these needs. Once you have become familiar with incorporating all of these variables, it will become second nature to you.