PS101 Group A - Selection Tools & Masks

05/14/2007 07:43:16 PM · #51

Originally posted by joynim:

Some more questions anyone got any examples and suggeastions on what to use quickmask for?
I would guess Quickmask is not basic legal but is advanced legal is that correct?

It's no different than any selection tool in terms of its application. Use it to either mask off or isolate part of the image you want to affect or not affect with filters, adjustments, etc.

In terms of legality - Not legal in Basic, legal in Advanced.

05/14/2007 08:04:11 PM · #52

......and the brushes? Where do I find all those?

05/14/2007 08:27:28 PM · #53

A good way to get to discover features in Photoshop is to simply experiment & click around a bit. Scan through the menus just to become familiar with what's available and test the right-click menu with different tools selected. I find new ways to do things almost every day.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

05/14/2007 10:27:38 PM · #54

Hi everyone. Get really familiar with quick mask, because the next step gets to be really fun. :) Ken and I are writing it together, and I'll post it later tonight.

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

05/15/2007 12:13:38 AM · #55

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

There should be a "Brushes" tab in the horizontal toolbar under your menu bar - that has all the settings, but you can also right-click anywhere on your image when the brush tool is selected and the brush selection palette pops up.

A good way to get to discover features in Photoshop is to simply experiment & click around a bit. Scan through the menus just to become familiar with what's available and test the right-click menu with different tools selected. I find new ways to do things almost every day.

I cant seem to find the box with the dune brush , angles spacing etc

slickchik

OM System OM-1

05/15/2007 12:37:35 AM · #56

Originally posted by joynim:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
There should be a "Brushes" tab in the horizontal toolbar under your menu bar - that has all the settings, but you can also right-click anywhere on your image when the brush tool is selected and the brush selection palette pops up.

A good way to get to discover features in Photoshop is to simply experiment & click around a bit. Scan through the menus just to become familiar with what's available and test the right-click menu with different tools selected. I find new ways to do things almost every day.

I cant seem to find the box with the dune brush , angles spacing etc

I don't know how to describe how to find it...On my default CS3 workspace there is a bar on the right side that has an image of brushes in a container. If I click on that it gives the brush selection palette and then if I click on brush selection shape (like in Art's screenshot) you should be able to find everything you want.

Also, if you search the help section of PS, you should be able to get an idea of where the things are that you want. That is what I have to do because I am brand spankin' new to CS3 (I was using PS Elements 3.0 and it is quite different .)

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

05/15/2007 01:18:08 AM · #57

Layer masks: making masks permanent

Now that you're using the quick mask to create whatever shape masks you like, wouldn't it be nice to keep those selections? That's what layer masks do. Instead of marking out some selection and then actually deleting the rest, you tell Photoshop to only show what you want. But the rest of it stays there, so you can edit it the mask later if you want, adding and deleting as much as you like.

Art has asked me to take everyone through creating layer masks. I'm going to go through several steps as explanation, and then give you an assignment.

The first way we'll do this is using quick mask. So starting with the squirrel, I'm going to duplicate the original layer and then turn it off. It's always best to work on a duplicate.

Then using quick mask, I'll roughly mask it out (remember that I like to paint what I'm selecting, as opposed to what I'm masking - you can do it either way, but if you paint out the masked area, remember to invert the selection).

Next, I'll exit quick mask so you can see the selection:

I then create the layer mask using the layer menu. The exact location probably varies with the PS version, but here's how it looks in CS2:

Note that I can choose to reveal or hide the selection, so be sure you do what you intend. You'll see that whatever I didn't select disappears. But it's not really deleted - it's all still there, available to be added back in if you like.

Look at the layers tab. You'll see that next to the active image layer thumbnail is a new black and white box. That's the layer mask thumbnail:

In the layer mask thumbnail, the white shows the area that's visible and the black shows what's masked out:

So far, this is just like quick mask. The big difference is that the layer mask is completely editable. To edit the actual image, click on the thumbnail of that layer. But to edit the mask, click on the B&W mask box. For example, if I want to add a bit of the rocks in the upper left, I click on the mask and just paint in some white:

To remove some of the mask instead, I'd paint in black.

Three of the most powerful things to me about layer masks are that you can:
1) edit them
2) see them full size, and
3) temporarily turn them off:

It's often good to see the mask full-size, esp. to make sure you really painted it in as solidly as you like. To do that, alt-click on the mask thumbnail in the layers tab:

Alt-click again or just click on the normal image thumbnail to exit full-size mask view.

You can see that I didn't quite paint in solid white across the whole squirrel.

You also sometimes want to temporarily turn off the layer mask (for example, to make sure you didn't mask out something you really wanted to include). To toggle the layer mask on and off, use shift-click on the mask thumbnail. Note that while you're seeing the whole layer, the mask is still there, and can be turned back on again by shift-clicking on the mask thumbnail.

Now that you've seen how to create, edit, and toggle on and off layer masks, it's time for you to try it!

Layer mask assignment part 1: Using the original squirrel image, create a duplicate layer. Turn off the original layer so all you see is the copy. Now create a layer mask following the steps above.

Layer mask assignment part 2: Click on the layer mask thumbnail and edit it. Use the brushes, marquee and other tools, and other methods just like you did to tweak a quick mask. Try black, white, and grays to introduce various levels of transparency.

You can even apply gradients to the mask, which will apply smoothly varying transparency.

Layer mask assignment part 3: Now that you've created a layer mask beginning from a selection, try creating a blank layer mask using the layer menu - you can either reveal the entire layer or hide it, and then start painting in the mask as you see fit.

Extra credit: create a layer mask for an adjustment layer like levels. Adjustment layers automatically create layer masks (ever wonder what that white box was over to the right in the layers tab?) You can also create a selection first, and then when you then create the adjustment layer, the selection will be applied automatically as a layer mask.

Message edited by author 2007-05-15 01:44:06.

05/15/2007 01:40:28 AM · #58

Originally posted by slickchik:

Originally posted by joynim:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
There should be a "Brushes" tab in the horizontal toolbar under your menu bar - that has all the settings, but you can also right-click anywhere on your image when the brush tool is selected and the brush selection palette pops up.

A good way to get to discover features in Photoshop is to simply experiment & click around a bit. Scan through the menus just to become familiar with what's available and test the right-click menu with different tools selected. I find new ways to do things almost every day.

I cant seem to find the box with the dune brush , angles spacing etc

I don't know how to describe how to find it...On my default CS3 workspace there is a bar on the right side that has an image of brushes in a container. If I click on that it gives the brush selection palette and then if I click on brush selection shape (like in Art's screenshot) you should be able to find everything you want.

Also, if you search the help section of PS, you should be able to get an idea of where the things are that you want. That is what I have to do because I am brand spankin' new to CS3 (I was using PS Elements 3.0 and it is quite different .)

Thanks Krisdtin I found it :) But.mine dfoes not look the same as Arts. Less options of different tips not angle thingy and no spacing bar. If I could remember how to take a screenshot I would show you to see if there is anything missing.

05/15/2007 01:43:17 AM · #59

Thanks Jeffery will do homework later tonight. Looks nice and simple and easy to follow :)

05/15/2007 01:43:38 AM · #60

Originally posted by joynim:

If I could remember how to take a screenshot I would show you to see if there is anything missing.

ALT+PrtScrn, go into photoshop, ALT+F+N, ENTER, CTRL+V

sorry - translation:
-ALT PrintScreen - puts screenshot on clipboard
-New File - it should inherit the clipboard contents dimensions, so just click OK (or ENTER)
- Paste into the image

Message edited by author 2007-05-15 01:45:38.

05/15/2007 04:29:38 AM · #61

Ok how come my one is not as big as Art's :)

05/15/2007 06:22:34 AM · #62

Originally posted by joynim:

Ok how come my one is not as big as Art's :)

That's ok, I hear that a lot! :P

Actually it looks the same to me. I may have screenshot it with it undocked and opened up.

suemack

Canon EOS-20D

05/15/2007 07:24:47 AM · #63

Charlie, hopefully these'll help. It took me forever to figure out I could change the angle of the brushes and how to do to it.

remember my screen might look a little different cos I'm working in ps7.

D'uh .... on that first one I forgot to add ..... to reset your brushes to the default one where the dune grass brush lives click on that arrow. On the drop down box it'll say reset brushes.

Message edited by author 2007-05-15 07:26:59.

05/15/2007 03:14:16 PM · #64

Woohoo thanks Sue found it :)

05/16/2007 05:17:35 AM · #65

OK doing my homework here have done step 1 easy enuff but am having trouble with step 2 not sure what kind of editing is suggested. I have done basic stuff like levels , hue and sat ,brightness contrast etc . Just mucking around there really not quite sure what I'm doing! Not sure what marquee is tho it sounds familiar and not sure what is menat by try black,white and grey.........etc can anyone help?

Edit to add gradients?

Message edited by author 2007-05-16 05:27:46.

05/16/2007 05:33:39 AM · #66

Originally posted by joynim:

The marquee tool is the standard Rectangular or Elliptical selection tool. What Jeff meant by "try black, white..." is to paint areas of the mask with black, white and various shades of gray to see how it affects the underlying image. REMEMBER - in the layer palette, when you want to edit the layer mask, you need to click on the layer mask in the layer palette - it should cause your color selection to be limited to grayscale. Black 'removes' or blocks that part of the layer image from view and white reveals it. Gray has the effect of changing opacity.

Hope that helps.

05/16/2007 05:40:33 AM · #67

Sorry for being dense ( but this is PS 101!) but haow do I make it black or white or gray?

05/16/2007 05:59:25 AM · #68

Originally posted by joynim:

Sorry for being dense ( but this is PS 101!) but haow do I make it black or white or gray?

Paint it with a brush.

Jedusi

05/17/2007 01:51:21 PM · #69

Ok - so i lost everyone and was sitting looking at the wrong thread .

Like D'oh : (

Anyway I'm here now (no really - don't stand up . . )

As I only have PS Elements 4 any idea what the equivalent of Quick Mask is in it ? I looked up the help file and it helpfully told me that QM was a Photoshop feature and not available in Elements .. . Hey-ho . .

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

05/17/2007 02:36:43 PM · #70

Originally posted by Jedusi:

Here's a Google search on layer masks and Photoshop Elements - looks like you can fake it up.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

05/17/2007 11:26:15 PM · #71

At its simplest, this took three steps:

1) Shoot. Use a tripod and manual settings. You want the lighting to be the same for each shot.

2) Combine shots into one Photoshop file. First open one file as the "base" layer to provide the background for the others. Then open each additional shot and copy it as a layer into the base file.

One way to do that is to click and drag the new layer from the layers tab over to the base file and let go; it will then appear as a layer in the base file. You might need to move the layer once it's moved to get it aligned right.

3) Create layer masks . Just mask out the portion of each additional shot that you want to show. That way, minor changes in the background or lighting won't matter.

For my triptych, I used the leftmost shot as the base. Although there were a couple of girls chasing a ball in the background, I just masked them out of the other two shots.

Here's a composite showing the original three shots, the layer masks for the middle and right shots, and the final composite without the white lines:

You can get as complex as you want; changing clothes and hair really sells the effect well. The longer you take shooting outside, though, the more chance the light will change. And after you do the basics, watch for things like overlapping shadows, reflections, etc.

Set up a tripod (or just put your camera on a table), shoot a few pics, and make your own multi-personality shot.

Here are a few other examples to inspire you:

Bonus assignment: after doing it, try doing a triptych where part of one frame overlaps the other, like in the cartwheel shot above. You now have the layer masking tools to do it in any of various ways.

Message edited by author 2007-05-17 23:28:04.

jackal9

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

05/18/2007 01:51:35 AM · #72

Originally posted by levyj413:

Is anyone still out there?

I've found that for DPC advanced editing challenges, the main use for layer masks is for controlling various adjustment layers like curves, levels, and color changes (layer masks are selections, so are illegal for minimal and basic editing, and there are many more uses in expert editing).

But you can also have a lot of fun with "multiple personality shots" like my recent triptych entry. Take a look and then come back to learn how to do it:

At its simplest, this took three steps:

1) Shoot. Use a tripod and manual settings. You want the lighting to be the same for each shot.

2) Combine shots into one Photoshop file. First open one file as the "base" layer to provide the background for the others. Then open each additional shot and copy it as a layer into the base file.

One way to do that is to click and drag the new layer from the layers tab over to the base file and let go; it will then appear as a layer in the base file. You might need to move the layer once it's moved to get it aligned right.

3) Create layer masks . Just mask out the portion of each additional shot that you want to show. That way, minor changes in the background or lighting won't matter.

For my triptych, I used the leftmost shot as the base. Although there were a couple of girls chasing a ball in the background, I just masked them out of the other two shots.

Here's a composite showing the original three shots, the layer masks for the middle and right shots, and the final composite without the white lines:

You can get as complex as you want; changing clothes and hair really sells the effect well. The longer you take shooting outside, though, the more chance the light will change. And after you do the basics, watch for things like overlapping shadows, reflections, etc.

Set up a tripod (or just put your camera on a table), shoot a few pics, and make your own multi-personality shot.

Here are a few other examples to inspire you:

Bonus assignment: after doing it, try doing a triptych where part of one frame overlaps the other, like in the cartwheel shot above. You now have the layer masking tools to do it in any of various ways.

Barely...but still here...

05/18/2007 04:50:36 AM · #73

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by joynim:
Sorry for being dense ( but this is PS 101!) but haow do I make it black or white or gray?

Paint it with a brush.

I'm here ,I was a little flummoxed by this so had come to a standstill! Will start to study your post now :)

05/18/2007 05:01:04 AM · #74

First of all my camera zoom is broke and it's night time here and I dont have any lighting...so I am just going to use pre-existing photos for assigment. My guess is the photo that is used as the base layer needs to have empty space in it to fit the other photos would that be correct?