Shadow Styles

[iScrap]

Do you have a favorite set you like to use on all of your layouts or do you mix it up? I've been experimenting with multiple sets lately and I feel like my shadow style choices are as moody as my scrapping style. hahaha How do you choose?

[stephc777]

I primarily use Mommyish shadow styles. I use them as a starting point and adjust them if they just don't look right for my current layout. I do have a couple of other shadows style sets and they each have a couple of shadows I really like that aren't in the mommyish set, so I grab them as needed.

I've actually been trying to learn to make my own, but that has a pretty steep learning curve. I am trying to persevere because most of the scrappers I really admire, tend to have at least one or two items on their pages with more realistic shadows (not completely even) that really make their pages look dimensional.

[bienejen]

Does anyone have something like this for Affinity Photo? I'm just starting to play with that program.

[SeattleSheri]

I've always made all of my own shadow styles. When I first started scrapping, I would scrutinize pages of designers and scrappers and re-create their shadows on my own. From there, I've created a ton of different styles I use. I adjust them based on the specific attributes of any given layout (I'm using PSCC). Most commonly I play around with the opacity, size and distance. I will occasionally put shadows on their own layers and adjust, but there are very few elements I think it makes a material difference for, so I would say that technique makes up less than 10% of my shadows.

Is there a specific look you are trying to achieve? What program are you using?

[Kiana]

I've always made all of my own shadow styles. When I first started scrapping, I would scrutinize pages of designers and scrappers and re-create their shadows on my own. From there, I've created a ton of different styles I use. I adjust them based on the specific attributes of any given layout (I'm using PSCC). Most commonly I play around with the opacity, size and distance. I will occasionally put shadows on their own layers and adjust, but there are very few elements I think it makes a material difference for, so I would say that technique makes up less than 10% of my shadows.


All. Of. This.

[iScrap]

I'm using Photoshop CS6. I have an abundance of styles I like, and I mix them up based on the style of layout I feel like making. I use more simple styles for simple pages, for example. I like the idea of maybe finding the most useful set and just tweaking them for the desired look. Maybe that will help me commit to just one set.

[just_jo]

I've always made all of my own shadow styles. When I first started scrapping, I would scrutinize pages of designers and scrappers and re-create their shadows on my own. From there, I've created a ton of different styles I use. I adjust them based on the specific attributes of any given layout (I'm using PSCC). Most commonly I play around with the opacity, size and distance. I will occasionally put shadows on their own layers and adjust, but there are very few elements I think it makes a material difference for, so I would say that technique makes up less than 10% of my shadows.


Me too. I've worked with PS for years but I still like to play around with shadows to get the desired effect. I keep post-it notes right now with different settings so if I want to duplicate that I can. Other times I pull up a layout that is in my favorites and try to duplicate what I see...like this layout here...which is yours...I'm working on a layout right now trying to duplicate your shadows and the depth you have in your layout. It's stunning...yours, not mine, it's still very much a work in progress. ;)

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/gallery/data/516/thumbs/20210318_VintageFarmHouse_Temptations1_750.jpg (https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=623934&title=home-grown&cat=500)

[biancka]

I have a shadow action from way back that I have been using since forever...

https://i.imgur.com/t8hzYfP.jpg

I have tried others and I might use one of the other sets that I have but this one is my favorite by far.

[littlekiwi]

I have a huge stockpile of them but the style set I use 99.9% of the time is from Fiddle Dee Dee Designs.

[SeattleSheri]

Me too. I've worked with PS for years but I still like to play around with shadows to get the desired effect. I keep post-it notes right now with different settings so if I want to duplicate that I can. Other times I pull up a layout that is in my favorites and try to duplicate what I see...like this layout here...which is yours...I'm working on a layout right now trying to duplicate your shadows and the depth you have in your layout. It's stunning...yours, not mine, it's still very much a work in progress. ;)

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/gallery/data/516/thumbs/20210318_VintageFarmHouse_Temptations1_750.jpg (https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=623934&title=home-grown&cat=500)
:wub::wub::wub::wub:

[SeattleSheri]

I have a shadow action from way back that I have been using since forever...

https://i.imgur.com/t8hzYfP.jpg

I have tried others and I might use one of the other sets that I have but this one is my favorite by far.
Blast from the past!! I totally remember Kristen Rice :wub: I loved all of her pages, even before she started designing. I was on the A5 store CT back in the day. Most of my shadowing started with Holly Grieco (Holly Designs). She retired eons ago, but I remember some of her kits came with pre-shadowed elements and I recreated her shadows on the non-shadowed elements. I was on her CT up until she retired. I still love her products.

[ClaireG]

I have a huge stockpile of them but the style set I use 99.9% of the time is from Fiddle Dee Dee Designs.

YASSS!! I was like what the heck are shadows and one wonderful scrapper sent me a link to the FDD ones and that is it, along with a few I have created myself. I am still learning and shadows are hard!

[SunnyLeslie]

I have a weakness for the range of blues and lilacs. I like to add shades of these colors, but I try to keep myself in hand so that the design is not monotonous.

[justpattyanne]

I use PS... whatever the newest version is at any given time. (seems to change by the week anymore. :crying: )

Back in the olden days, I would buy shadow layer styles for specialized items - like vellum. But once I learned what the 'trick was', I would tend to create my own. I was always tweaking them anyway based on whatever color they were sitting on.

I will create a style layer to warp my shadows if I'm 'bending' a photo or other ephemera - and for my ribbons or string which tend to be closer & further from the paper at different parts of the ribbon/string/thread.

But it's so interesting to read other's pathways to create the same thing. ... And the A5D/Kristin Rice flashback gave me all the feels! I STILL miss them.

***side note*** I have been registered and shopped here since 2008. But have only in the past month+ started posting here... because I wanted to learn the magic that is SSD's clustering and shadowing! No one does it like you ladies here at SSD when it comes to 3D clustering - which is why I've finally jumped into the community. (as opposed to only raiding the shoppe shelves ;) )

So, thank you for the inspiration and excellent exampleS!