Feng Zhu question - grayscale layer

[JSpayde]

Can someone explain to me how Feng Zhu adjusts his values when he switches his images to grayscale without actually affecting the color hues? I know in some of his videos he explains he has a black layer on top set to saturation that he switches on to check his values but how does he actually paint in this mode?

[Taerom]

I was just wondering the same thing while downing a burger over one of his videos the other day

[JeffX99]

Maybe he just switches it on to check his values but doesn't paint with it on...that would be my guess.

[Taerom]

Maybe he just switches it on to check his values but doesn't paint with it on...that would be my guess.

I actually saw him fix his values in one of the videos, so I imagined a brush on overlay or something, was going to do some tests when I got home

[Deadlyhazard]

I think he uses overlay or soft light layers. Not really positive though.

edit: read it wrong nvm

[Kuroyue]

...I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about, but there's a layer mode called Color.

You create a black and white value layer that's the drawing of whatever you want to color (in Normal mode). Then you create a layer on top of that and set it to Color (you know, in the Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Color Burn drop-down menu). Then you pick a color you want and it'll color the value drawing layer underneath. That way, if you want to adjust the value, you can just go back to that Normal black and white layer and tweak whatever you want, while having the Color on top stay the same.

Actually, the Normal layer doesn't have to be black and white, so it works the same if you did the value drawing in red or something.

[jcpahl]

Not sure if this is FZ's method, but I believe you could do it by painting on a luminosity layer just beneath the saturation layer. Luminosity layers affect values but leave the hue and saturation alone.

I don't have access to PS atm, so I can't test this, but it should work iirc.

[JSpayde]

I think he uses overlay or soft light layers. Not really positive though.

Oh okay thanks! I tried this as well as the luminosity tip as well. I think you're right - the soft light layer underneath the saturation layer seems to adjust the values without really having any hue shifts. I tried a luminosity layer but it seems like that layer adjusted value and saturation, kind of like a layer for burning/dodging. I'm guessing Feng adjusts the values on the soft light layer then merges them when he wants to paint over.

[Dile_]

Channels?.. Edit* hadn't thought of the luminosity trick, but will try that out asap.

[Jason Ross]

Make a new layer on top and fill it with black. Change the mode to color and lock it. Turn it off and on and Burn or Dodge under it.

[Gadbury]

The method he uses is to create a hue/saturation layer on top of everything and turn the saturation down to black and white. Then beneath this layer create an overlay layer. Then on this overlay, use just black and white with your brush to adjust the value while keeping the colours the same. Just make sure you don't eyedrop while you're on this layer because for some reason it paints grayscale over your colours.

[MooneyStudios]

The easiest way is create a new layer then paint bucket that layer with all black, in the layer blending mode change that layer to saturation. That will take out all the color and just leave the value like Feng does.

Then just switch back and forth by clicking the layer on and off.

- Kyle

[Clockwork Frog]

awesome stuff, i was watching his videos last night and been pondering on this.