Adobes Photoshop CS Class 2 Levels, Layers, Magic Wand and Gradients 1. Open Monkey 2. 2. Using the Crop Tool select most of picture, cutting off the black border on top and the right side and the ragged white on the left (see above). Double click or press Enter to implement the crop. 3. Changing Background to a Layer: In Layer Palette double click on the word Background. Dialog box appears. Leave settings as is and click OK. The background is now a layer. 4. Cleaning up background: On top Nav Bar go to Images/Adjustments/Levels. The following histogram will appear: Middle Hand Slider Right Hand Slider Move the Right Hand Slider to the left to make the background become white and words disappear. Move the Middle Hand Slider slightly to the right to darken some of the monkey that may have become too light. 1
5. Select the Magic Wand and click on all of the white areas while holding down the Shift Key (see below). Press the Delete Key to remove all the white areas. You should now see a checkerboard pattern.. Making a new Layer: On top Nav Bar click Layer/New/Layer or click on the New Layer Icon on the Layers Palette (see below). New Layer Icon 7. Click on the Foreground color on the tool bar. Choose blue as the foreground color and white as the Background color (see below). 8. Applying background (Sky) with Gradient Tool: Select the Gradient Tool (see below) then, drag from the top to bottom of monkey picture, creating a foreground to background gradient. If necessary, drag Layer1 under Layer 0. 2
Note: If you keep the areas highlighted that were selected by the magic wand when you apply the gradient background it will go right in behind the monkey and you will not need to drag this new layer down. However, if you deselect these areas the screen will be filled with sky until you drag this layer down below the monkey layer (see below). Layer Masks 1. First open boy.jpg and then marbles.jpg (see below). 2. Check Image Resolution: On top Nav bar click Image/Image Size for each photo and check to see if they are relatively the same size. In this case they are both approximately 4 X 3. If one photo had been much larger you would have to adjust it down to the size of the other one. This time they are okay. 3. Clean up background on Marble Image: Select Image/Adjustments/Levels Move Right Hand Slider to the left to clean up background. Move Middle Hand Slider to the right a little to sharpen picture. 4. Capture boy s head and move onto marble image: Select boy image Using Elliptical Marquee tool draw an oval around the boy s head. Select the Move Tool 3
Drag the boy s head to the marble image and drop it onto the largest blue marble. (Note, a layer was automatically created when you made this move). Select Edit/Free Transform (Ctrl T). Drag the corners of the bounding box around the boy s head to adjust the size of his head to fit within the large blue marble. Double click on the box to deselect it. 5. Adding a Mask Layer: Click on the Add Layer Mask icon (see below) Notice that the colors of the toolbar are now black and white. Set them so that black is the foreground color and white is the background color (see below) Note: When working with masks, black will make things disappear and white will bring them back.. Masking (Blending the edges of the boy s head into the marble): Option one: Paint Brush Select Paint Brush tool on tool bar On top Nav bar use drop down arrows to select Air Brush Soft Round at 45 pixels (see below). 4
Paint black with brush around edges of boy s head to blend it into the marble. If you get too much black switch the color tools (black to white) to lighten things up. When it appears that the boy is within the marble (see below) you will be a successful Layer Masker ;-) Sandwich Project 1. First, open seattle.jpg and then dino.jpg (see below) 2. Next, we need to check the resolution and image size of each image. We need to find a happy medium for each picture as it is important that they are both approximately the same size. 3. First, click on dino.jpg and go to Image/Image Size. Uncheck Resample Image if checked Change resolution to 100 pixels/inches (see below) 5
4. Click on seattle.jpg image Repeat the above steps except this time you are changing the resolution from 72 to 100 pixels/inches. Now, both pictures are approximately 5 X 3. 5. Capturing Dino: Click on Dino image Select Magic Wand Tool Click on black background to select all of the black. Go to Select/Inverse. This will invert the selection so that the dinosaur is selected instead of the background. Click on the Move Tool Drag the dinosaur to the Seattle picture (see below). Duplicate Background Layer (Seattle): Go to top Nav Bar and click on Layer/Duplicate Layer. The following Duplicate Layer box will appear. Click OK. 7. Drag the dinosaur (Layer 1) under the Background copy layer (see below).
8. Relocate dinosaur behind buildings: Click on the background copy of Seattle. Select Magic Wand Tool. Hold down Shift Key and select all of sky above the buildings. Press on Delete Key to see dinosaur behind buildings. 9. Position dinosaur with his head behind building on the far right: Go to Select/Deselect to take selection off of sky. Click on Layer1 and use the Move tool to position the diniosaur (see below). 10. Bring dinosaur head forward: Click on Background copy layer of Seattle. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool to select the top of the same building, selecting enough to reveal the head of the dinosaur. Press Delete. Click Select/Deselect to unselect head. Now use Eraser Tool to erase the area of the middle building that will reveal the dinosaur s tail (see below). Note: Eraser tool performs best when you click on area you want to erase rather than try to drag the eraser across in a more traditional manner. 7