YEARBOOK BOOT CAMP: "MASKING PHOTOS"

OBJECTIVE: Studentrs will learn how to remove Images from Backgrounds for use in the BOOT CAMP PAGE Assignment.

Photoshop Learning: How to remove an object from a picture using Layer Mask. No video tutorial on this one, but there is a walkthrough with detailed pictures below.

Before you get started: Create a folder on your network space called "lastname_MASKING." Save the files of this project to that folder.

Download the two pictures called hummingbird.jpg and background.jpg and save them in your "lastname_MASKING" folder.

The Tutorial on cutting an image from a background and putting it into another picture:

STEP 1: Open PHOTOSHOP from your computer's menu. Then, use the FILE>OPEN menu selection to open your picture to be cut out (hummingbird.jpg) and your background picture (background.jpg).

STEP 2: With the hummingbird picture selected, click on “Select>All” and then “Edit>Copy.”

STEP 3: Click on the background picture and Click “Edit>Paste”.

STEP 4: Click back on your hummingbird picture and set the Opacity of your hummingbird to about 70 percent by moving the Opacity slider in the Layer window (SEE FIGURE BELOW).


STEP 5: Position your hummingbird layer so that it looks like your hummingbird is sitting on top of the twig in the background picture.

STEP 6: Turn your Opacity for your cut out picture back to 100 percent.

STEP 7: Click on the “Add Layer Mask” button at the bottom of the Layer Window (small gray rectangle with a white circle in it.) (SEE FIGURE BELOW.)

STEP 8: Click on the “Brush Tool” icon. (SEE FIGURE BELOW.)

 

STEP 9: Click the tiny DOWN ARROW next to the BRUSH SIZE in the options window at the top left corner of your screen. This will open up the BRUSH OPTIONS window. Set your Brush to be 150-200 pixels wide and your Brush Hardness to 100 percent. (SEE FIGURE, TOP TWO ARROWS)

STEP 10: Make sure your foreground color for your Brush is set to Black. To do this, check your Foreground/Background color tools. (SEE FIGURE ABOVE, BOTTOM ARROW) Typing the letter "D" will set this tool back to Black over White. The top square is your foreground color.

STEP 11: Now start brushing out the background of the hummingbird picture that you do not want. When Brushing on the Mask Layer, the color Black will remove parts of the background of your hummingbird. Switching to a brush color WHITE will restore the background of your hummingbird if you mess up.

STEP 12: Carefully brush away as much of the background of your picture as you can. The closer you get to your object, the smaller, softer and more transparent your Brush should be.

STEP 13: To take out the green “Halo” effect, set your Brush to 8-12 pixels in width, 10-20 percent hardness and 10-20 percent Opacity. Use frequent small strokes at the edge of your object to take out unwanted border colors.

STEP 14: Keep brushing until your hummingbird is sitting happily on its new branch and NO remnants of the original hummingbird background picture exists!

STEP 15: When you are done with your work, Click File>Save As and save the picture as a .TIFF image, make sure to select the PRESERVE TRANSPARENCY BUTTON when you do so. This will allow you to upload your transparent image to yearbookavenue.com for your on your page.

The “BOOT CAMP” Assignment:

Using a photograph of one of your BOOT CAMP PAGE subjects, create a MASKED image for use on the page. Use the “Layer Mask” effect to cut your subject out of its background and place the image onto your page. Masked canvases that show HALOS or JAGGED EDGES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Take the time to do it right, please!