Newborn Studio

[Brandicm]

What is the best way to fix the background?  I watched your extend background tutorial and I am having trouble with selecting different points for the gradients.  I must be doing something wrong. I have a bunch of these to fix. Content aware does not do a good job.

[Damien Symonds]

It's really really easy.

As you probably already know, the solution is a gradient layer.  I've written about it here: https://www.damiensymonds.net/preventing-banding-in-backdrops/

This tutorial is also important, please read if if you haven't already done so: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2012/10/using-photoshops-gradient-layer.html

Sometimes these gradient background fixes can be rather complex, involving multiple layers.  But yours is blissfully easy.

First, make a marquee selection down that side.  Make it just wide enough so that the left-hand edge of the selection encompasses the existing backdrop:

Then add a Gradient layer, and choose a nice colourful preset with a sufficient number of colours.  Sometimes two or three are enough, but for this one, let's choose the four-colour preset:

Single-click on the first swatch:

Then single-click on the real backdrop just beside that colour on the image.  This will immediately change the yellow colour to the correct dark colour:

Then do the same with the next colour.  Single-click on the marker ...

... then single-click on the proper colour right beside the purple on the image:

Do the same for the remaining colours:

Voila!  Here is the result:

Press ok to the Editor window, to return to the first Gradient window.  Make sure "Dither" is checked:

Then press OK to that as well.  Then hide the gradient with a black mask, then paint on with a nice soft brush to make it blend naturally. In this screenshot I've enlarged my Layers panel so you can have a slightly better view of the softness of my mask:

Finally, add the noise layer (per the first link I gave at the beginning of these instructions):

Piece of cake.

[Damien Symonds]

Needless to day, you can add more colour markers if you need to, and you can move the position of any of the colour markers.

[Damien Symonds]

How did you go, @Brandicm?

[Brandicm]

I will work on it today. 

[Brandicm]

I feel like there is a little bit of a line right in the middle between the two shades

[Damien Symonds]

May I see a screenshot so I can see your layers?

[Brandicm]

[Damien Symonds]

Whoa, no, the noise layer mustn't be separate, and it mustn't be masked separately.  It must be clipped to the gradient layer, and have an all-white mask.

And yes, the mask on your Gradient layer is too distinct.  Towards the top it should fan out a little more softly.

[Brandicm]

This looks better.