Layers & Masking Workshop
A Step by Step Guide to using Layers in Photoshop
Task * Take photographs of * your interesting object
* Think about what is in * the background
* Use Photoshop to * manipulate your image by making layers and specific colour adjustments
Step by Step Guide Once you have your photographs, using
Photoshop you will create a manipulated image by using layers and masking techniques. These techniques will allow you to make specific adjustments to parts of your images.
Step 1
Upload your photographs to your computer
Open up Photoshop
Open your first image by going to - file - open -
Find your image to open, select it, then click - open -
Your image will then appear, as well as in your layers pallet.
Now go to - layer - on the menu bar and select -Duplicate Layer and click -ok-. Your layers pallet will now have 2 copies of your image.
On the highlighted layer, you will now desaturate it so it turns black & white, whilst leaving the other layer in colour.
To do this go to - image - adjustments - desaturate -
Your image will now appear in black & white.
Creatively decide on what areas of your image you want to reveal the original colour.
Once you have decided make sure the desaturated layer is high lighted, and click on the mask icon.
Step 2
A white box will appear next to the desaturated image in the layers pallet.
Make sure the mask layer is highlighted with a black boarder
* REMEMBER * * White Reveals & Black Conceals *
Now click on the brush tool in your tools pallet.
Make your brush colour Black by flipping the default colour keys.
Black will then be your foreground colour.
You can change the
size, style and opacity/ hardness of the brush by clicking on the - Brush Preset Picker -
Step 3
Once you have chosen your brush style, size and opacity/hardness, you can begin to mask and reveal the original colours in the areas you previously chose in STEP 1.
If you look at your mask layer in the layers pallet, you will see black marks where
the colour is revealed on the large image.
This black area is concealing/hiding the desaturated layer.
To be super precise with your masking continuously change your brush size to what
suits best.
On your keyboard use the: - [ - left bracket key to decrease - ] - right bracket key to increase
Step 3 continued...
To avoid a ‘Halo affect’, change the
opacity/
hardness of the brush to blend the layers better.
If you make a mistake, go back to your tool pallet, and flip the default colour key so White is in the foreground.
Like when masking with black, brush over the part of the mistake.
When happy, flip the default colour key back to Black again.
Step 4
Once you are finished and happy with your * image, save your work accordingly
If you want to work on your layers at a later date go to - file - save as -
and save it as a Photoshop Document (PSD)
To save the file as a JPEG …
Merge your layers together by going to your menu bar clicking on - Layer - Merge Visible -
This will then transform your layers as one whole layer. (only do this when 100% complete)
Then go to - file - save as -
Save it as a JPEG file and
name it & where to save it to, then click save.
Then select ‘high quality’
Copyright of K.Ward