FORTE Magazine:

Skills Development

By Hannah Penton

History Brush – Keeping original hair colour on a Black and White Photo

Original Photo

To change the photo the black and white, I went to image adjustments and choose black & white. I also edited the contrast and brightness of the image to create more light and shade.

This is the final product after all alterations

Using the history brush tool allows me to obtain the original colouring from the original picture.

By using this tool I can change the softness of the brush as well as the size to accurately retrieve the hair colour only.

Editing writingMasthead

To begin I simple typed the title into a text box but making a space to fit in the letter ‘R’

In another text box I typed the letter ‘R’

To change the direction of the letter I free transformed the layer and maintained the aspect ratio. Then took the right side and dragged it over to the left to flip the letter.

All I needed to do is move the ‘R’ layer into the space and then link the two layers together and thus creating my masthead.

Linked layers

Stroke Tool

Making the text yellow will allow me to add a black outline to make it stand out more.

Double clicking the layer opens up the ‘Layer Style’ panel I then chose the option for stroke.

To change the weight of the outline I did was move the dial on the ‘size’ option to increase its size. If I wanted I could have changed its colour but black was what I needed.

End product

Additional Writing skills

Opacity – changing picture strengthBefore:

This the picture after I had edited it with contrast, brightness, tone, shadows and highlights.

After:Once changing the opacity this is the final product of the image that will be the background of the Double page spread.

To change the opacity I doubled clicked on the image layer and simply moved the dial from 100% to 58%.

Custom Images

To create the flowers in the corners I found the custom shape tool which allowed me to find this rose image.

Once creating the image to how I like the colour is jet black which is so strong to match the layout of the DPS so I need to change the opacity.

The opacity has changed to 3%

By duplicating the first rose layer I can now flip the similar second layer to face the opposite way to position in each bottom corner.

By placing the image layer above the two rose layers the image will be in front and the roses will blend behind it.

Healing Brush Tool – making skin blemish free

This tool is on the sidebar and I simple selected this image.

To use this I had to selected the area I want to copy by holding the ‘alt’ key any click on the specific area.

The image here shows the selection on her hand that are red to I will aim to cover it and make it blemish free!

After using this brush over the selected area this is how it has changed – there is now no more redness.

Contrast and Brightness

Original photo

After turned to Black and White.

To change the photo I go to adjustments and then pick ‘brightness and contrast’.

I can move the dial up and down to change the effect.

I ended up on -25% for brightness and 100% for contrast.

The final image.

Shadows and Highlights

Original photo.

Again going to adjustments and finding shadows/ highlights

End photo after editing

By doing this is can make the photo more defined and the centre image can be more focused and less shiny from the lighting in the photo.

This image was changed to 0% shadow and 32% highlights

Cropping/ Magnetic Lasso Tool – selecting an image out of multiple images

Using the selection tool I created a box around the image I want crop out of the whole photo

Selection tool on the sidebar

After the lasso tool has selected the area I can move the image on its own onto a new page.

The finished photo once moved onto a new blank page.

To crop the selection I go to ‘image’ the ‘crop’.

This is now just the area I wanted.

Original photo

Maintaining Aspect Ratio - to keep a pictures pixels

Because the image is so small I want to enlarge it without it loosing quality

To enlarge this photo I ‘free transformed’ it by going to image and selecting free transform!

Then to stop it from losing quality I need to select maintain aspect ratio on the toolbar

End photo.

Then by dragging the corner outward will increase the size.

Then at the size I want I pressed entered and the image had gotten bigger but didn’t lose any quality.