create a flag mockup using smart objects and be able to change color of the flag

[crunchmouth]

I would like to create a product mockup of a double-sided flag using the attached image. I don't have much experience on photoshop. My first hurdle is changing the American flag to a solid color flag and maintain the shadows and highlights, and be able to change the color of the flag to whatever when I neede to. Then I need to be able to put a design on the flag that will also change. I know I need to use smart objects. I'd appreciate any suggestions on how I can make this happen. Thanks!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Do you have an undamaged fullres version of the image? 

I couldn’t get a decent white flag with generative Fill so you may have to paint out the colored elements to get a decent basis. 

On that you can then multiply the Smart Object with the alternative flag (highlights can be added later on).

 The wrinkles and creases could be emulated with Liquify or Displace. 

[Trevor.Dennis · Accepted solution]

I'm going to guess that this is the sort of thing you are after.

As far as I know, and at this time, there is no easy way to extract the shading from the existing flag.  I qualified that because we have seen two projects at Adobe MAX Sneak Peeks, but neither have come to anything so far.  So you would need to find a suitable stock image.  I searched for 'Creased Paper texture'

OK, here we go.  Thankfully this is a bit easier than it was even six months earlier.

I've made a rough selection of the flag, and copied to a new layer (Ctrl J)

Then use Remove Background with that layer selected, which will give you a decent cut out of the flag.

I Ctrl clicked the flag cutout to load it as a selection, and filled that selection with a solid colour (red) on a new layer.

It has no shading at this stage.

Back to where we started.

I have positioned a creased paper texture on a layer clipped to the flag, and set it to Multiply (this gives the shadows)

I copied that layer and set it to Overlay (which gave it the highlights).

Is this the sort of thing you are after?  You mentioned placing a design on the flag.  That's more complicated because it will appear flat even with the shading.  You would need to use a Displacement Map to fix that. Is that something you'd like to know howq to do?

[crunchmouth]

Thank you for taking the time to lay that out for me. I think I may have to hire it out, because I don't think I'm going to be able to dedicate the time to learning the craft anytime soon. But this is a great tutorial. Thanks again!

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

I would recommend creating a white flag (by adjustments, painting and generative fill) in a masked group of its own. 

Then placing the new flag as a Smart Object, transforming and warping it to match the approximate shape and …

… and using the Filter Liquify to improve the adherence to the folds etc. 

Setting it to Blend Mode Multiply. 

A copy of the white flag (which should be a Smart Object so that both instances can be edited simultaneouly) with appropriate Blend if-setings and Blend Mode Screen can be used for highlights. 

If the flag needs changing one can open the Smart Object and edit it or insert another image there. 

A different way of »integrating« the new flag would be setting the new flag-Smart Object to Blend Mode Normal and using the white flag with the Blend Mode Linear Light. 

Then one can use a Curves Layer clipping masked to the white flag to edit its luminance and thus its effect. 

[crunchmouth]

Man, that is beautiful! Thank you for such a thoughtful step by step. It's going to take some time and effort on my part. Definitely beyond my paygrade. Thanks again!

[Trevor.Dennis]

The other way to distory and shade the flag is with a displacement map.  I made this Stars & Stripes as rectangle, and use a Displacement Map to distort it.  The beauty of this method is that you can use the same file that distoprts the flag layer, to add shadows and highlights (one set to Screen, and the other to Multiply).