Open Adobe Photoshop 6.0 it is listed with the Adobe Master Collection on your programme menu.
Explore the Adjustment Layers panel which allows you to adjust things like the brightness and contrast, hue and saturation of an image. Adjustment Layers can be used to change the colour of hair and eyes, backgrounds etcetera.
- Open the photograph you want to edit by choosing FIle > Open… you will need to locate the file from the place you chose to store it.
- Choose to Duplicate the layer so that you have a copy of the original. Right click on the layer called ‘Background’ in the layers palette and choose Layer > Duplicate Layer. Alternatively, you can simply drag the layer onto the ‘Create a New Layer’ button in the layers palette. If you cannot see the Layers Palette, select Window > Layers.
- Select File > Save As… and save your image in an appropriate location. Give it a file name you will remember.
- Filter > Liquify.
- The square bracket keys increase ] and decrease [ the size of your brush.
- Try other filters and tools to create a range of effects
- If you make mistakes you can undo to return to the original image
- The Clone Stamp Tool can be used to remove small blemishes. Click on the Clone Stamp tool in the toolbox.
- Hold down the Option Key and click on an area of the photograph that you would like to clone.
- Releasing the Option key, start painting in the area that you want to cover up.
- The square bracket keys increase ] and decrease [ the size of your brush.
- You can change the Opacity in the Option Bar at the top of the screen. This changes how ‘see through’ your cloned image is. You can use the number keys on your keyboard to adjust the opacity of the Clone Stamp tool (1 sets it to 10%, 2 sets it to 20% and so on).
- Select the Patch Tool from the toolbox. Sometimes it’s underneath the Spot Healing Tool. .
- Draw a freehand shape around the area you want to patch, then holding down the mouse button, move your cursor around until you find a piece of the image that you want to use as your ‘patch’, then let go of your mouse button.
- To deselect and keep working choose Select > Deselect.
- Duplicate the layer you’ve been working on. Select the layer in the layers palette and choose Layer > Duplicate Layer. Alternatively, you can simply drag the layer onto the ‘Create a New Layer’ button in the layers palette.
- Filter > Blur > Surface Blur…Set the Radius to 80 and the Tolerance to 15. This may vary according to the resolution of your image. You want to create a nice, smooth looking image. Try changing the radius and tolerance and make a note of what occurs.
- Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All…
- Select the Brush Tool (B) . Select a soft edge brush from the Options Bar at the top of the screen.
- Press ‘D’ to return to the default colours. In this case, the Forground Color will be white and the Background Color will be black.
- You’re now ready to paint on your layer mask. Painting white, will reveal the blurred image, allowing you to paint over blemishes without making the whole image seem plastic and fake. In the Options Bar, you can change the opacity of the Brush Tool. This enables you to change how much of the blurred image you reveal.
Explore the Adjustment Layers panel which allows you to adjust things like the brightness and contrast, hue and saturation of an image. Adjustment Layers can be used to change the colour of hair and eyes, backgrounds etcetera.
- To add a new Adjustment Layer select Layers > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation.
- A dialogue box will appear, asking you to name the layer. Click ‘OK’.
- You will then be presented with a dialogue box. Adjusting the ‘Hue’ slider changes the colour. Adjusting the ‘Saturation’ slider changes how vivid the colour is. The ‘Lightness’ slider makes the image darker or lighter. When you change these settings, it will change the entire photograph. Don’t worry, we’re going to use a mask to selectively reveal parts of the photograph in the next step. Press ‘OK’ to apply the Adjustment Layer.
- Once you have applied the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer, you will see it in the Layers Pallete. Next to the Adjustment Layer icon, there is a small white rectangle. This is the layer mask. Hold down Command I to invert the layer mask. This will make everything black, hiding the changes made by the hue and saturation layer.
- Select the Brush Tool (B).
- Start painting on the areas, such as eyes, where you want to reveal the colour.
Now that you have become fascinated by this programme borrow some of the Teach Yourself books or the huge number of magazines we have to attempt more exciting and complex activities. The magazine activities have suggested skill levels so you can be assured of success