How do you shadow flower centers?

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How do you shadow flower centers?

I love the resources on here and download the flower elements a lot, along with buttons and beads. I like to create my own custom flowers for my layouts by mixing and matching the gorgeous elements I download but mine never look as nice/realistic as the finished elements on here because I don't know how to shadow the flower centers (buttons/beads) correctly. Does anyone have an tips or words of wisdom for me. I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but don't know where I am going wrong.

I would recommend Inkscape and some lessons on shading and highlights. You probably won't get very realistic flowers until you've practiced for awhile since you have to get the hang of the program and you have to also understand how highlights, shades, and ambient light work. I'm working on some designs that I may upload to Shutterstock, and they may include some candies and other fun stuff. I'm still working on getting them to look good.

Now for basic highlights and shading, think of where your light source is, and which direction it's shining in. Draw an arrow. More light sources can be used for more shadows, highlights, etc. Don't forget about reflective/ambient light. Light from areas not touched by the shadow can reflect into areas where the light doesn't directly hit. There are lots of tutorials for shading and highlighting.

Also, image google pictures of flowers, or even just take pictures of flowers in flowerbeds near stores, etc. Put them through some filters and the like in Photoshop or whatever program you like to use. You can make them look kind of like stickers or clippings from newspapers.

Considering that Inkscape is more an analogue to Illustrator than Photoshop, I might recommend GIMP instead if you need a free option. I haven't used it myself, to be honest, since I have Photoshop, but it's meant more for art and photo-work while Inkscape and Illustrator are largely for vector work (so it might be hard to do shadows in it).

If you have access to Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you could play around with the drop shadow layer style options to try to find something that works pretty well. If you want to take it a step further, you can convert the layer style into its own layer and then carefully brush and erase to adjust where exactly the shadows fall for further realism, though I find that usually the drop shadow alone does a pretty good job.

If you don't have access to a program that has layer styles like drop shadows, but you do still have access to layers, then it takes more work but you can create a shadow layer at partial opacity and then use a soft-edged brush to add shadows beneath the layers that contain things like buttons. I used to have to do this *mumble* years ago in university when I had a version of Paint Shop Pro that didn't have layer styles.

I'd recommend both GIMP and Inkscape, or even instead of GIMP, Medibang Paint Pro, Artrage, Krita, or Project Dogwaffle.

Thanks for the recommendations. I have Photoshop so I will experiment with those and take a look at the other programs suggested.

You're very welcome!

I only use these shadow styles by Elif, so I'm not doing anything fancy when I make my own flower clusters. She has an updated set here as well.

Thank you Marisa that's very helpful.

I do not know what you are coloring your template with but I can show you one that I filled with just a simple texture. NO shadow at all.
Well maybe on the button I added but the flower itself nothing.

I used this the flower petal texture or overlay I am not sure which it is called I call it texture.

I then chose select all and then float on the flower template then I contracted it 1. I added a new raster layer. Then I put the texture flower petal texture in my paint pallet and flood filled the flower template wah lah there it is.... easy peasy. Then select none then merge "Visible" layers then go back to select all then float then contract 1 then invert then delete.... BAM your done.... this is the beginning and end result.

I use paint shop pro it is what I have always used. I love it. I use textures alot.... everything I look at im like OH that would be a nice texture.... drives my husband crazy! LOL
I hope I helped some..... ♥Nae

I resized my finished result because I mainly use my in tagging.

Love how you used the texture to recolor the flower.