Preserved Topic: Creative ideas

I am making a 300dpi 24*30 poster for my exgirlfriend and for personal experiance. So far it is a collage of pictures that I am slowly cutting the background out. Any ideas on how to spice up this collage of pictures and while I am at it is their an easier way to remove the background then to just zoom in and start cutting.. (the background is not plain so nothin like the wand with an increased tolerance) Thanks

Welcome to the Asylum!

Ideally, what you want to use instead of 'cutting' is too use layer masks to hide various parts of the elements in your composition. Do a search on 'Layer Masks" and you should find several tutorials out there on the web.

They are quite easy to understand. You can paint on them with any of the painting tools and can use gradients and apply textures to them also. When the layer mask is active, you paint on it using only black, white or shades of gray, to hide or reveal what is on the layer!

The best thing is that they are 'editable' meaning if you dont like what you have done you can simply trash the layer mask, or repaint on it without damaging any of your existing imagery.

Layer masks are the way to go usually in any montaging project.



Hope that helps ~Vp~



[This message has been edited by vogonpoet (edited 05-27-2002).]

Another fun tool for collages is Advanced Blending modes.
After you`ve arranged and masked, double click a layer to open the dialog and play with it til you smile.







Cell245

VP:
excuse me for asking, but that image link is to your own site, right?

yup, that is correct SS. One of myself and partners sites actually, that I manage and administrate.

bwt: if you feel you need too ask me any more persoanl questions, please use my email thanks frodo_x1@bigfoot.com Keeps threads on topic!



[This message has been edited by vogonpoet (edited 05-28-2002).]

excellent, you practice what you preach..hey, i even gave you the benefit of the doubt
peace.

I need to edit in a lot higher detial then masks. I need to go around hair and have it completely and perfectally cut out. Masking can't do that can it?

of course it can! You can use selections that are derived from 'paths' that are created using the 'pen tool; for really detailed fills on a layer mask if that what the job calls for.

Check out the link at the bottom of the page to the Gurusnetwork for some exleent tutorials on photoshop, including the pen tool and also masking (I think there are some on masking (?) ) ::EDIT:: oops, I forgot, there is an exellent masking tut there by Steve doing exactly that , extracting around hair via masking weeee

PS is the tool for photographic manipulation and like has been said "layer Masks' are the way to go.

If you think you can do it better by 'cutting out' (gag) then by all means go that path. Do what works for you mate

[This message has been edited by vogonpoet (edited 05-28-2002).]

Hmm, the problem with masking is that... say you have red hair on a green background, and the hair over a certain area should be 50% transparent. You can set it to 50% transparency with a mask, but the color will still be half red, half green. (Specifically, the color of that pixel will be 50% see through, 25% red, and 25% green, while it *should* be 50% see through, 50% red.)

*sigh*

Slime, In that case I'd also use a colour adjustment layer. Switch the unwanted red tones to the average colour value of the background.

Alright well those are all very helpful but I believe the mask thing woun't work because lets say the hair has the sky and trees in the backgound. This makes the background more complicated with the blue sky, white clouds, brown bark, green leaves and whatever else is their. I am thinkin that the pen tool may be what I am going to have to do.. I'm going to go check it out now. Thanks

yah, I would forget about using masks. Seems like for something that complicated you are better zooming in there and erasing each pixel you dont want.

Let us know how it turns out

Just a thought..
Procreate KnockOut 2 http://www.procreate.com/

Does no one use Quickmasking for blending anymore? Is it just me?

Quick masking is just like a layer mask but a layer mask is safer. You never actually alter the layer with a layer mask.

You don't alter the content of the layer with Quickmasking either. It adds a layer mask, but like the name says, quicker

Here is a tutorial on masking hair and a few other pointers... actually.. not a complete tutorial, but it should point you in the right direction and maybe open a few more doors for you.
http://www.glaciercreations.com/digital/channelmask/channelmask.htm

If I'm not mistaken, WJ wrote a *very* nice "frizzies" article on masking in his Tech-Slop. Very helpful, very informative.

I really need to start saving those kinds of things to disk, I tell you. Care to share?

I believe you are looking for something like this:
www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/replacebg.html

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

and of course, while we're at it - http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/backdoors.html
to clear some info on masks and other important things...

Technical Slop has moved (not again, but for those that missed it).

Whispies

thanks