Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4By Greg Bowden

Guided Computer Tutorialswww.gct.com.au

Advanced Layer Uses

Chapter 16

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GUIDED COMPUTER TUTORIALSPO Box 311Belmont, Victoria, 3216, Australia

www.gct.com.au

© Greg Bowden

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First published 2009

ISBN: Module 1 1 921217 69 3 Module 2: 1 921217 70 7 Module 3 1 921217 71 5

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© Guided Computer Tutorials 2009 16-1

Chapter

16Advanced Layer Uses

Cameras do not always do justice to people. Photoshop provides a number of tools to help improve the appearance of faces in photographs. In this Chapter layers will be used to improve the skin tone of a face, highlight facial features and change the eye colour.

Loading the Image 1 Load Photoshop or close the current file and select OPEN from the FILE menu.

2 Access the PScs4 SUPPORT FILES, open the CHAPTER 16 folder and open the file:

Portrait

4 Look closely at the image. The camera has made the skin a little shiny and uneven in places.

5 Use SAVE AS from the FILE menu to save the image in your STORAGE folder as a PHOTOSHOP file under the file name:

Enhanced Portrait

3 Press CTRL+0 or COMMAND+0 to set the view to FIT ON SCREEN so that the photo fills the screen.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

Duplicating the LayerThere are times when a mask is not the best way to adjust a photo, particularly when the whole photo is to be adjusted. When changes are needed to be made to the original layer, a duplicate of the layer can be created so that major changes can be made to the copy without affecting the original image.

2 A copy of the layer should be produced.

Blurring the ImageThe duplicated layer will be blurred to give the skin a softer more even look. After this we will sharpen sections of the image such as the eyes, hair and teeth.

1 The SOFTENED layer should be selected.

2 Display the FILTER menu at the top of the screen, highlight BLUR and select SURFACE BLUR.

1 Move the pointer over the ORIGINAL layer label in the LAYERS panel and drag the label over the CREATE A NEW LAYER icon at the bottom of the panel.

3 Change the name of the new layer to SOFTENED.

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16Advanced Layers Uses

NOTE: The PREVIEW frame can be used to scroll around the picture. With the mouse depressed the original image is displayed. When you release the mouse button the effect of the blur is shown.

4 Select OK and the tone of the skin should look softer and more even.

Adding a Mask to the LayerParts of the face such as the eyes don’t need to be blurred so a mask will be added to the duplicate layer. By doing this we can paint on the mask to display the original eyes, but leave the skin blurred.

3 Set the RADIUS box to 8 pixels and the THRESHOLD to 10.

2 Check that the SMALL THUMBNAIL SIZE is selected and select OK.

1 In the LAYERS panel click on the PANEL MENU icon and select PANEL OPTIONS.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

Sharpening the Important Features

NOTE: By blurring the image we have set the skin tones to look more consistent and then sharpened the import parts of the image.

3 Click on the ADD LAYER MASK icon at the base of the LAYERS panel to add a mask to the SOFTENED layer.

1 Select the BRUSH TOOL and set the BRUSH SIZE to about 10 pixels.

2 Paint over the eyes, eyebrows, hair, mouth, the base of the nose and the jaw line. Those parts of the image from the ORIGINAL layer will become visible, hence look a little brighter.

3 Turn off the view of the SOFTENED layer to see the original image then turn the view back on.

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16Advanced Layers Uses

Merging LayersOnce you have made changes to a set of layers and you are happy with them they can be merged into one layer to reduced the number of layers present in a file. This process is called MERGING LAYERS.

1 Display the LAYER menu and select MERGE VISIBLE.

Creating a Duplicate LayerAs you start building changes to a file it is best to make a copy of the layer, make changes to the copy and, once you are happy with the changes, merge the copied layer with the original to create one layer. This process can be continued until the production is complete. If you do not like changes to a file the copied layer can always be deleted and a copy of the original layer remade.

2 A duplicate of the layer should be created.

NOTE: You can also create a duplicate layer using the LAYER menu or the LAYER PANEL MENU icon.

2 The layers should be combined into one layer called SOFTENED.

1 Drag the SOFTENED layer over the CREATE A NEW LAYER icon at the base of the LAYERS panel.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

Enhancing the Eyes and TeethThe whites of the eyes and the teeth can be made whiter and the eye colour changed.

A Selecting the White Eye Area

The white area of the eyes will be enhanced in the copied layer then the layers merged to create one layer.

1 Zoom the screen to 500% and scroll to the eyes.

NOTE: If you are not happy with the selection press CTRL+D or COMMAND+D to deselect the area and try again.

4 We can feather the selection so that the adjustments are not too sharp. Display the SELECT menu, highlight MODIFY and select FEATHER.

2 Select the LASSO TOOL and drag a selection around the left white section of the left eye.

3 Hold down the SHIFT key and lasso the small white inner area of the left eye.

5 As this is a small area and zoomed set the FEATHER RADIUS to 1 pixel and select OK.