BLUR GRADIENT

[PaulDean]

Good Morning,

I have been looking for a way to create a Gaussian blur gradient.  That is to say slightly blurred on one end of an object and progressively becoming more blurred toward the other end of the object.  Specifically a shadow of an object (pole) composted into a photo.  I have been told that there is a way to accomplish this in PhotoShop using a channel selection and applying a gradient to the selection.  Is this possible with Affinity Photo?  If so how.

Thank you. Paul, Ocala, Florida, USA

[RNKLN]

This is how i approached it, Paul. There may be smarter ways, though.

1. Duplicate the layer/object

2. Apply a New Live Filter of the type Gaussian Blur

3. Add a Mask Layer to the blurred layer

4. Apply a black to white gradient. Black will reveal the bottom layer, the one that isn't blurred.

[Bri-Toon]

Depending on the object, you can apply the Transparency Tool on it (if you're using Designer). Then add new nodes and slide them near the edges. Then from the flyout on the Context Toolbar, you can adjust the transparency of individual nodes.

 

[Bri-Toon]

(Please ignore this second post.) 

[Alfred]

Depending on the object, you can apply the Transparency Tool on it (if you're using Designer).

 

That's true, Brian, but Paul wrote:

 

Is this possible with Affinity Photo?

 

 

 

(Please ignore this second post.) 

 

OK. Ignored! :D

[Bri-Toon]

That's true, Brian, but Paul wrote:

 

Oops. My mistake. I still know something else that can be done.

 

1. Create a mask layer on the vector object with the gradient applied.

 

2. Using any of the selection box or lasso tools, overlap the sides and make sure the outer portion of the selection extends out far.

 

3. Click on "Refine" and then keep the Ramp at 0% and adjust the Feather to your liking, and then Apply.

 

4. Press Delete.

 

If at any point you want to remove the effect, just click the mask's thumbnail and press Delete.

[Fixx]

Is there a difference between grad transparent blur and blur with varying value? I guess there is. 

 

That is, optimally you would have blur radius 0 in the other end and 100 in the other. Using grad mask to mix sharp image and the blurred one does not create same appearance. 

 

This would work If you could make a area grad blur where you could set blur values to different nodes. So far I do not know any app that can do this kind of effect (maybe some PS focus plugins can?) and in practice people use that transparency fake with good results.

[PaulDean]

Thank you all,  I'm anxious to try all the suggestions as soon as I get home from holiday.  And yes, please the multiple postings for the same question.  I'm using a WiFi at sea and it is dead slow.  I didn't think the posting published the first two tries.  Again, thanks.

Paul

[GFS]

Simplest way?

 

1/ Add a nested Gaussian Blur filter to your pole's shadow shape.

2/ Select the Gaussian Blur mask, then with the Gradient tool selected, drag a line in the direction you want your gradation to be.

 

Change either end from black to white according to what you want in terms of strength.

NB, you can slide the little symbol in the middle of the gradient's line, to offset the centre.

 

Works for me.  :)

[Bri-Toon]

Simplest way?

 

1/ Add a nested Gaussian Blur filter to your pole's shadow shape.

2/ Select the Gaussian Blur mask, then with the Gradient tool selected, drag a line in the direction you want your gradation to be.

 

Change either end from black to white according to what you want in terms of strength.

NB, you can slide the little symbol in the middle of the gradient's line, to offset the centre.

 

Works for me.  :)

 

Now that's using your head. I would never have thought to use a gradient on a mask or filter.

[PaulDean]

Thanks very much.  I couldn't figure it out, now I see there is truly 'more than one way to skin a cat'. -paul-

[Endoro]

Simply add a Blur Live Filter to a pixel layer. Select your properties.

Select the Blur Live Filter "layer".

Select the Gradient Tool.

Apply a black and white gradient to the Blur Live Filter, NOT to the pixel layer.

 

Note: you can not modify the gradient after selecting an other layer than the Blur Live Filter.

[PaulDean]

Good morning,

Thanks, I like your solution.  Simple and clean.

Paul

[GFS]

 

Thanks, I like your solution.  Simple and clean.

 

 

And exactly the same as the one I suggested 3 posts prior, so it must be good.   :)

[PaulDean]

Sorry, I must have missed it.  Great minds think alike.

Thanks, Paul

[derei]

Although this topic seems old, maybe someone would be interested to replicate my method (i'm using it for creating shadows):

☐ Image_to_blur
	⬕ Live Filter - Gaussian Blur (HIGH value) 
	⬛ Live Filter - Gaussian Blur (LOW value)

Apply a gradient masking on the topmost live filter, to reveal the second blur filter applied. 

obs:

* it doesn't matter which filter is on top, as long as you apply the gradient on the topmost one and the direction of the gradient reveals the blur transition in the desired direction

* the Blur Live Filters have to be applied as children to the layer to blur, so they will only affect that one.

 

 

Attached an example of this procedure, along with the complementary layers to cast a shadow.

* for gradient blur, only the info in red boxes is relevant. The gray info is only important for shadow casting.

[PaulDean]

Hi Derei,

Thanks for the post.  I had tried a few methods and didn’t reach the results I was wanting. I’m very pleased with the results received from the technique you posted. Again thank you. Paul  

 

[firstdefence]

Don't forget layer blend modes to add subtle realism, such as the softlight blend mode

[smadell]

Why not just use a Depth of Field Blur live filter? That does what you’re after, and is easy to adjust after the fact.

[PaulDean]

Hay, thanks. Sorry about the delay in replying. I’ll give toe DOF blur a go. Thanks again. 

[whitewolf7070]

On 3/7/2017 at 10:31 AM, RNKLN said:

This is how i approached it, Paul. There may be smarter ways, though.

1. Duplicate the layer/object

2. Apply a New Live Filter of the type Gaussian Blur

3. Add a Mask Layer to the blurred layer

4. Apply a black to white gradient. Black will reveal the bottom layer, the one that isn't blurred.

Perfect. Works great. Thank you. 

[Rensheta]

Realise this is old and thanks for the guidance here as I'm new and it helped me.

Not sure if the 'Depth of field' live filter was available at the time, but it also works.

Apply the 'depth of field' live filter to your shadow layer. It does the gradient in one hit. Just drag the centre of the depth of field gradient to where the shadow starts and raise the top to the end i.e. you only use the top half. It can also be edited later.

Thanks