Technique 43: Dunking Images in Liquid
Save Time By
Creating liquid by using filters
Using the Hard Light blending mode
Here it is. The big kahuna of filter techniques. You have to get through lots of steps, but it’s worth it! This technique uses the Channels and Layers palettes, levels and curves, and the Gaussian Blur, Emboss, and Plastic Wrap filters to submerge an image in liquid. Don’t think that this effect is only for images; you can create some type and drop it in water, too.If the number of steps seems daunting, don’t freak out! All the steps are really pretty simple, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with them. Because this technique does use the Layers and Channels palettes, you may want to brush up on them by visiting Technique 15 (for layers) and Technique 52 (for channels).
Because this technique involves a long series of steps, repeating it over and over when you want to use it can be quite tedious and time consuming. If you like the effect and want to use it again, why not create an action — a mini-program that does all the steps for you? To find out how to record an action, turn to Technique 8.