In this tutorial, we will learn how to make an Obama Hope poster. The author of this poster, American artist Shepard Fairy, has inspired many designers to create similar images in the colors of the American flag. A portrait in this style can be made from any image. The poster looks stylish in the interior, it can be framed and presented to a loved one for his birthday. Colors are permissible to change to your taste. Let's figure out how to make a photo poster in Photoshop. Even if you do not know the program very well, creating such a job will take no more than half an hour. You can use the version in Russian or English.
How to remove the background in the image
First, select an image and open it in the program. We create a new document by opening the “File” menu item and then “Create”, select a size of 1,000 x 1,200 pixels and drag the image there. Now we take the Quick Selection Tool or in the English version - Quick Selection Tool and select the background. If an extra area is accidentally captured, it can be removed with the same tool while holding down the Alt key. Next, press Ctrl + Shift + I to invert the selection. Copy the selected area using the keys Ctrl + C and paste it onto a new layer, create it and press Ctrl + V. The drawbacks of the selection tool can be fixed with an eraser with maximum rigidity.
Before making a poster in Photoshop CS6 or higher, go to the Filter menu and select Filter Gallery. Select the category “Artistic Filters” (Artistic) and the item “Application” (Cutout). The result of our work depends on this filter. Before making a poster, you need to find the right settings for it. Much depends on the image itself. It is usually sufficient to set the following values for each parameter:
- Number of Levels - 6.
- The simplicity of the edges (Edge Simplicity) - 6.
- Sharpness of edges (Edge Fidelity) - 3.
Bleaching portrait
If your portrait is in color, before you make a poster, you need to discolor it. You can do this in several ways: select the appropriate item in the "Image" menu, select the "Correction" and "Desaturate" items (Image - Adjustments - Desaturate). Or go to the panel with layers and select “Mixing channels” (Layer - New adjustment layer - Channel mixer) among the adjustment layers. Next we find the checkbox labeled “Monochrome” and put a checkmark there. Now the portrait has become black and white.
Now in the same menu, select the item “Pasteurization” (Posterize) and create a new adjustment layer. In the window that opens, set the value to 6 or 7, depending on the source. This is done to obtain greater image contrast and create a graphic effect. Let's move on to adding color. One way to create an Obama Hope-style poster is to use the Gradient Map. It is in the menu with adjustment layers. Then go to the panel with the layers, select two or three corrective ones, right-click on the menu and select "Create clipping mask". Now you need to open the Swatches panel. She will help us color the portrait. The panel may already have colors, but they will not bother us.
Choose colors for the poster.
We take the original poster and open it in the program to take the colors. We will determine the desired one using the Eyedropper Tool. We click on them by colors, and then on the panel "Swatches". The desired shades will be automatically transferred there. We return to the processed image. We click on the gradient layer, open the editing menu and begin to set the desired colors on the strip. Click on the first square on the gradient below, and then on the blue color on the panel with samples. Part of the image is colored. Then create a new point at the level of 25% and add red color. Add 50% blue, and 75% and 100% yellow. Now the picture is painted in the colors of the Obama Hope poster. If desired, shades can be changed to your own, choosing combining tones. But then it will be a Pop Art poster. At this stage, the flaws of the circuit will become noticeable. They can be fixed with a hard eraser. There are a couple more steps left, and we will learn how to make a poster in Photoshop from a photo.
How to make a frame for a poster
Now let's work with the background. Create a new layer using the keyboard shortcut Shift + Ctrl + N. Take the Rectangle tool and select half the space on a new layer. Fill it with blue, as on the original poster. Fill the second part of the background with red. You can also do this with a rectangular selection. In order to make a frame, you can increase the canvas by 100 pixels in height and width, select the image, invert the selected area and paint over the edges with a brush. There are other options. For example, using guides, mark the location of the frame, select it, make an inversion and fill it with color.
Create Label
Use the Rectangle tool to add a background for the caption below the portrait and fill it with blue. The option to make a poster in Photoshop for your birthday is to use this lesson from the Obama Hope poster and take a picture of the birthday person. Then you can use his name as an inscription. Select the “Type” (Horizontal Type Tool) on the toolbar, make an inscription, color it in blue and select the Nevis font. If it is not installed in the system, it will not be displayed, therefore it is advisable to download it in advance.
Adding Texture
The original poster has a texture that can be added as desired. Using the Magic Wand Tool, select several areas on the person’s face and create a new layer to which we add a mask. It must be filled with a gray translucent color. Now go to the “Filter” menu, then “Filter Gallery” and find the “Sketch” tab, select “Halftone pattern”. We set the contrast to maximum, reduce the size to zero, “Pattern Type” (Pattern Type) - line (Line). Press the ok button and our Obama Hope style poster is ready.