Introduction to Photoshop - Layers

Lesson objectives  To understand the selection tools in Photoshop to remove backgrounds from images. All students will use the magic wand, magnetic lasso and quick selection tools Most students will alter tolerance and strength to make these tools more effective Some students will experiment with scale of images to make realistic compositions

Selection tools – How confident are you? I have never used this tool/skill before I know what this tool/skill is and can give it a go I know this tool/skill but need help from my teacher/ friend to get it right. I know this tool/skill but still make a few mistakes that I can fix by myself I feel confident using this tool/skill and have few problems I know this tool/skill very well and could explain it to others Complete your Levels Diary: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

This is the Photoshop workspace. You can set your canvas to any paper or image size. These are the pallets. You will use these to edit photographs, choose colours and most importantly see your layers. All of your tools appear on the right of the screen. Most of them have more options if you click and hold. Whenever you select a tool or an image you get more options up at the top here.

In case of emergency the files you need.  SHARED drive  ICT>>  Ks >>Photoshop  Copy the “student resources” folder

Open Photoshop  Start menu>Adobe Web Premium>Adobe Photoshop CS5.5  Go to FILE and NEW. Go to INTERNATIONAL PAPER Select A4 We want a LANDSCAPE page, so swap around the Width and Height

Background Layer  The background layer is always locked, so you cant edit it.  To create an image you need to add additional layers on top of the background layer.  To make a new layer, click the page at the bottom of the layers panel

Todays lesson – creating a composition using the selection tools.

FILE>PLACE  Place the image HOUSE.jpg on top of the horizon.  Notice how every image you add creates a new layer  Sometimes images are inserted as a “smart object” meaning that you cant directly edit it.  To edit it, right click on the layer and select “rasterize”

Removing the house background  There are 3 ways in which you can select specific areas of an image.  On the house we will use the “Quick Selection Tool”

Quick Selection 1. Set the brush size of the selection by pressing CTRL+[ or CTRL+] (the buttons next to the P on the keyboard) 1. The smaller the brush, the more accurate it is. 2. Use your mouse and drag the brush around the house. Notice as it selects more of the house as you drag the mouse. 3. If you go wrong, press CTRL+D to start again. 4. Stop when the whole house is surrounded by dancing ants.

Quick Selection  If you press DELETE on your keyboard it will delete the house and not the background. We want the opposite.  Right click on the image and select “Select Inverse”. This will now select the opposite.  Press DELETE and the background will be deleted.  Resize the house until you’re happy with it on the screen.

Undo – everyone makes mistakes!  In Photoshop you can press CTRL+Z to undo once. If you press it again, it will redo what you’ve just undone!  The history panel keeps track of your last actions. You can undo and redo your work just by clicking on it.

Place>Tree.jpgDon’t forget to rasterize!  Place the tree on the page. We want to delete the white background around it. To do this we will use the magic wand.  The magic wand picks up pixels which are the same or a similar colour.  Why do you think this tool wouldn’t be suitable for the house?

Magic Wand  Delete the white background from the tree image, and resize it on the page. At the top is the tolerance. The higher the number, the more pixels it will highlight. For this image you want around The contiguous setting picks up pixels which are the same colour, but not attached to where you are clicking. Unticking this box will pick up the white bits inside the tree’s leaves.

Place>TractorDon’t forget to rasterize!  Quick selection – good for a selecting an object which has similar colours  Magic wand – good for backgrounds which have similar colours  But how do you make selections with images that have lots of different colours? You’ve probably used the lasso and polygonal lasso tool on Fireworks before. In Photoshop we will use the magnetic lasso tool – it does the same thing but it’s semi automatic.

Magnetic Lasso Tool  You need to trace around the outside of the tractor using this tool.  Click to start and then slowly hover your mouse around the edge. Notice how the line is magnetic and snaps to the outside? To ensure that this tool is accurate you need to go slowly. You can use your mouse to add points – this is useful when reaching a corner or where you need to change direction.

Delete the background  Just like before, right click “select inverse” and Delete.  Re-size your image and place at an appropriate place on your background.

Additional Tools.  At the moment, you images don’t look realistic because they don’t have the same shadows/light areas.  Make sure you are selecting the layer you want to edit! Dodge – Makes it lighter Burn – Makes it darker Sponge – sucks up the colour to make it black at white

Extension: Creating your own composition.  There are 4 further images in the file  Beach  Palm Tree  Umbrella  Crab  Use these selection tools to edit the backgrounds of these images into one cohesive composition.

Selection tools – How confident are you? I have never used this tool/skill before I know what this tool/skill is and can give it a go I know this tool/skill but need help from my teacher/ friend to get it right. I know this tool/skill but still make a few mistakes that I can fix by myself I feel confident using this tool/skill and have few problems I know this tool/skill very well and could explain it to others Complete your Levels Diary: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Stop and reflect  You have now used 3 tools that you’ve probably never used before.  You’ve also used layers to create a composition. On your feedback sheet 1. Tick a WWW, and give a reason why this is the best thing you did 2. Tick a EBI, and give a way in which you can improve this weakness for next time. When I assess your work I will be looking at how your skills are improving throughout the module. You must identify weak areas, express how you will improve and then show that you have