I just read this:
petapixel.com/guide-to-creating-and-using-texture-layers-in-photography/
A quick and dirty example
I have a spider shot against a plain tin background:
I stole a texture layer from the article:
Then, in the GIMP, I resized it same as the subject layer, selected 80% opacity, 'Burn' mode, and messed with the texture layer a tad:
The result:
What do you think?
I think it looks good.
Some notes: I prefer my own pictures as texture. ( I understand you are trying this first time)
Layer masks are an important part of these layer blending techniques. I'd try a luminosity mask in this.
I quickly read that petpixel article; it was ok. Now you need only training. Check the small differences between soft light, overlay and hard light.
Create layer masks, make copies of layers and stack them all with different blend modes and opacities. It's fun!😍
I use the GIMP, which doesn't have "luminosity" masks per se, AFAIK, unlike Photoshop.
I can of course make a mask by de-saturating an image, adjusting if needed then adding it to another layer as a mask .... is that the same? If so, which of my layers would have got that mask?
Thanks but I had already done that as suggested in the article. For my shot, 'burn' looked best on my screen.
I forgot what I was thinking.
In Gimp You can copy a picture and then paste it to a layer mask. First make a layer mask on the layer you want it. Copy any picture you like. If it is almost the same size, it's better. Then click the layer mask with right mouse ear, select "show the layer mask" and then paste. You have to anchor pasted image. Rgb picture turns to monochrome. You can adjust the mask with all usual tools.
Just for fun:
I too use Gimp. I left Adobe behind me couple of years ago.
I played a little with Gimp's channel pane trying to make luminosity mask. It was as easy as in Photoshop to make a mask from a one of R,G or B channels but not from luminosity channel like I did it from RGB channel in PS. Maybe not a big disadvantage but still... You can use the copy/paste method I recommended in my previous post.
Thanks again because I didn't know that anchoring in that flow turns an RGB paste into a monochrome mask.
Good job with the tomato, BTW!
I moved to Gimp from Photoshop. I still don't understand that copy/paste system of Gimp with it's floating things and anchoring.😠 Maybe I'll learn.😏
When I read discussion forums of picture post production or enchanging or retouching, the first comment to question is to try another program.
People want to improve their photos by one click. Lets try a new program with its defaults and disappoint.
I know what you're going for but I don't think this is the best example. Texturelabs has a lot of free textures in high resolution to use. I like to use paint strokes a bit personally but whatever floats ya boat.
I wasn't "going for" anything ... I just saw the article and thought that it would be of interest here
... so the posted example was a quick and dirty demo, not really intended to be critiqued per se
Thank you but I don't know what "Texturelabs" is.
Found it:
