Making a gradient along specific path/shape

[nuter]

hi there
I wanted to add gradient effect but gradient tool can be used only in one direction like left-right, top-bottom or any other angle but only along straignt line. Can I add a gradient to path or shape like letter "S" or "W" or any other curved shape - so final effect would be llike etter "S" strarting from white and ending with black.
I tried to do that by stroking path with brush tools but finally I gave up
thanks and greetings

Nuter

[NEMESIS]

Hello,

No, you can't add gradient to follow shapes or paths you've mentioned. To do that it would be more manual process. Which means brush tool, change colors and patience to draw to some curvy shape.

[Old Geezer]

There is a way to gradiant along a path, but it dont look much.
If you create a Path, select a brush, go into brush dynamics, choose 'Foreground To Background' Jitter and play around with the numbers and go to PATH and click the second Icon from the left at the bottom of paths pallet 'Stroke Path With Brush'. Personally I tried it and it looked crap, but with a little bit of playing you might get something near to what you are wanting.

Have a play and see if its any use

[oldinglish]

You simply create the shape you would like then select the shape (to get the marching ants). Then you goto add a layer style, select gratient overlay. From there you can selct the color of your gradient and the angle. Mess around with it until you find what you like. I hope this helps you out.

[NEMESIS]

@ oldinglish

That would be fine as object as a whole. But here we have a case that you need to follow the curvature of some shape. Imagine you have wave shape and your gradient should follow that curvature. Is kind hard to achieve that. Requires manual work instead of some automatic operation.

[Old Geezer]

I obviously miss-understood the question. Nemesis and I are talking about a different thing from oldinglish. Hope that someone gets something out of it. ;):)

[SharkD]

I am trying to do something similar. I am trying to fill contiguous regions with a gradient that bends to the shape of the selection.

Two comments:

1) You can do this in The GIMP, but it looks like ass. Example:

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4562/fasii9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

2) I was able to achieve this in Photoshop about ten years ago, but for the life of me can't remember how to recreate the steps. Here's the proof:

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8710/toxicxu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[edit]
It was probably a custom filter. Can anyone identify which one?

[Little-erik]

I guess, that effect can be done working with alpha-channels and but thats probably not the way you're talking about :S

[Little-erik]

And nuter, try warping the gradient :)

Like this:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k107/erikcollinder/sweet.jpg

[Skinnymanjoe]

I don't know if you're a NAPP member, but Corey Barker has a video tutorial that may answer your question in NAPP's video tutorials called "3D Tubes" which has a gradient follow a path. I'm not sure if it does what you want, but it may. If you aren't a member, let me know and I'll translate it into a short text-based tutorial.

[Little-erik]

I've seen that tutorial... I think it is among the free tutorials here on planetphotoshop :D

[Little-erik]

Hey I got it! :D Ill make a video right now on this :)

[Little-erik]

heres how to make a 2-color-gradient along a path :)

http://www.voolife.com/show.aspx?v=fHMkD1pR3K

[javierdl]

Just what I was looking for!
Any chance you could re-upload that video? (no longer available).

Thanks in advance,

JDL

[alcbevtesting@alltel.net]

Oh where oh where did little Erik go? Two years missing?

I'd like to see the link too.

[javierdl]

You may want to see some interesting replies I've got at other forums:
Layers Magazine Photoshop Forum (http://www.layersmagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=29623&posted=1#post29623)
CGtalk-Photoshop Forum (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=14&t=738415)
And finally the Computer Arts - Photoshop Forum (http://forum.computerarts.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=134782#134782)

JDL