Image Effects are probably the most attractive part that gravitate our attention to Digital Arts. Literally, countless effects are available on the web. Many of them can be achieved with standard Image Editing tool like Photoshop. The other effects are created using third party filters. Third party filters or plugins are available in a wide range, offering all types of colorful professional effects.

We will see a few simple effects achieved with Photoshop.

Original Photograph	Scan Line Effect
Dust Effect	Thin Cloth Effect

Scan lines are used for web banners and backgrounds. It is a choice most often exercised by formal type of websites. Dust and cloth effects are purely artistic work, generated from channels.

Gradients can be applied on the image with the combination of blending modes. You can use different types of color tints, or two contrast colors in gradients.

Original Photograph	Using Gradient
Sketch Effect	Grid Effect

The sketch effect is carried out using adjustment tools and filters. I have used the combination of desaturated image with invert and guassiun blur filter. There are a few more methods available for the sketch effect, but the effectiveness of the method varies from image to image.

Image Effects have no limits. Advance editing tools, masking techniques, blending modes, paths and filters provide unlimited combinations and ways to unlock the doors of creativity. What we need to understand is the medium where you will be using the Image Effects. It has to be treated differently with print, web or multimedia.

In the next article we will learn about the art of Retouching.