Photoshop Class Day 11

Today we learned how to use layer masks to mask off colored areas of a photo. I've done this before, but I used a duplicate layer and erased the areas I wanted colored. The teacher said that this works much better because it's easier to fix mistakes. I don't think that's true... with the undo key, I can fix ANYTHING! LOL!

I took this photo of my daughter and my niece last summer. They are showing off a few mountain apples that grow in Kauai.

NOTE:
Hue/Saturation layer - hue:35 saturation:5
Paint black on the Hue/Saturation layer to show the color underneath.
Add punch to a B&W photo - Add a levels adjustment layer and move sliders. move left slider to right, move center slider to left, move right slider to left.

This is your chance to go to Mars!

How fun is this?!!!
Enter your name, and it will be included with others on a microchip on the Mars Science Laboratory rover heading to Mars in 2011!

Photoshop Class Day 10

Is it day 10 all ready? I've learned so much! Textures, clipping masks, frames, brushes, text, adjustment layers... Here it is all put together in one lesson!

This is a photo that we took on our cruise to Ensenada. It's such a grey photo (it was a grey day). But look how beautiful it is now!

NOTE:
Create clipping mask using the rounded rectangle tool.
Font: Adler, Porcelain
Textures: Brown-paper-Texture, grungepaper2_by_fudgegraphics
Remember you can set blending modes to brushes: soft light, overlay, multiply

Photoshop Class Day 9

This is a cool technique! It's a way to darken the edges of a photo, leaving the center bright. That way any distracting backgrounds can be muted, bringing your eye to the main subject of the photo.

Here is the before photo:

And here is the after photo:

The look is very subtle, but it does make a difference. The background of the photo drops further into the background. I tried this on a bright, colorful background and it didn't work as well. It's much better with a background that will wash out by darkening it.

NOTE: Edge Burn
Create levels adjustment layer. Move middle slidger to .62 (right).
Black shows what is beneath. White hides what is beneath.
Use gradient tool. FG:black, BG:white. Selcect feathered circle.
Set GRADIENT mode (not layer mode) to Multiply. Click on center and drag to outside.
Use brush tool to color black on the adjustment layer to brighten areas.
(increase/decrease effect by changing level layer adjustment or changing opacity of the layer.)

Photoshop Class Day 8

What happened to Day 7, you ask? Well, Day 7 was test day... and I scored a 100%! YAHOO! Today's lesson was on Typography. Using type on PSE is just like my old PS7 program, so I took my spare time today and added: a clipping mask, an adjustment layer, a texture layer, and text...

This is a photo from Chris's 2009 track season. This quote by Steve Prefontaine is one of his favorites:

The only race pace is suicide pace and today is a good day to die.

NTOE: Font KarbinE

Photoshop Class Day 6

Today's class was on replicating a TTV look. She never did say what TTV stands for but it's a worn, faded look. Photographers will actually take photographs (often using a macro lens and a light blocking device) through the viewfinder of an old camera. The result is a photo with blackened edges, distortion, scuffs and scratches and marks - pretty much what we've been looking for all our lives, right? ;o)

Here is a beautiful photo of my mom that I scanned into the computer. Why anyone would want to grunge up a beautiful photo is a total mystery to me.

Here is the image after applying the TTV filter and some brushes... I have to admit that I like the look!



NOTE: Adding TTV Texture
Most old cameras took photos as squares, so we'll be cropping square for authenticity. :)
Now add either a vintage desaturated look, OR a sepia-tone look using the instructions in Day 3's lesson.
Open and add your TTV texture to your image, resize as needed so the black edges go all the way to the edge of the image.
Set your TTV layer to Multiply.

Friday-5 (on Saturday)

Well, I just finished going for a run. WHEW! It's 96F out today, hot, Hot, HOT! Here is my promised Friday-5. I'm so proud of myself! I even edited the photos using my new Photoshop Elements program, YIPEE!

Here they are... the promised photos of our trip! It was hard to limit myself to just five. I have a TON of photos! LOL!

Here we are still in Long Beach, exploring the ship, getting ready to leave. Look at my hair! I'm so in need of a haircut!

Here is the ship, Carnival Paradise. It seems small when we're on it, but standing next to it at dock like this, it's like standing next to a huge condo complex!

Snorkeling in the Catalina Marine Preserve... There were SO MANY FISH! No colorful tropicals (except the Garibaldi). The water was FREEZING! Brrrr.....

Now this is the life, kayaking! I LOVE kayaking! We took a bus to Bufadora, rented a kayak and paddled to the Bufadora Blow Hole. Look at the water BLOW! I think it's bigger than the Poipu Spouting Horn, but it's hard to tell. I've only seen the Spouting Horn from the top of the cliff.

I had to put this one in! This is the first time that I've dance with my husband since our wedding! I dragged him out of his seat during the dinner show. I knew he wouldn't refuse with all the other people at the table watching him, hehehe...

It was so nice to get away, even for just a short while. I paid for it this week though... it was insanely busy at work! I'm so glad it's weekend!

Photoshop Class Day 5

I had such a busy day yesterday! I spent over 11 hours at work and was wiped out when I got home. So, I took yesterday's photoshop class this morning. (Aren't online self-paced classes great? :o)

Today's class is on textures. This is a totally new technique for me! It's a beautiful look for the right photo. I can't see using this technique on anything except landscapes.

This is a scan of a photo that we took on our honeymoon in New Zealand. The road was completely clogged with sheep, lol!

Well, I missed my Friday-5 for the second week in a row... bad me... I'm going to go through my cruise photos and make it a Saturday-5... Maybe.

NOTE: Adding Texture
Make photo black and white
Open texture 2, brown-paper-texture, subtlegrunge5
(Best blending layers to use soft light, overlay or multiply)
Soft light is lightest.
Overlay is medium.
Multiply is darkest.
Group with photo and set all texture layers to soft light.

Photoshop Class Day 4

Today's lesson is on clipping masks. I'm so glad that this was covered because I use this all the time in my old Photoshop program! Using a clipping mask you can reroute the edge of a photo. In this case, we used a grungy edge:

I took this photo on our trip to the Catalina Botanical Gardens. I didn't know if my friend Mary had ever seen a prickly pear cactus. I love how beautiful and lacy they are! They have beautiful yellow flowers too... these are just ready to burst into bloom!

NOTE: Clipping Mask
Mask layer goes under the photo layer.
Hold ALT key and click on line between the two layers. Right click to group.

Copic Candy

I wanted to share about a blog giving away some stamps and copics. This lady is a great copic artist and I've been stalking her blog for a few weeks now. Go check it out and become a blog follower!

Chrissy's Art and Heart

Photoshop Class Day 3

Today's lesson was on adjustment layers and blending modes. We used them to create a vintage look photo. Here is my original photo.

Here is my photo after it was adjusted, blended, cropped, and embellished with a frame and some brushes. I think the reason I didn't get a real good washed out vintage look because the colors on this photo are too bright, but I think the look is interesting. What I was really anxious to use was the red-eye fixer! It was so easy! I don't know how I lived without out it!



NOTE: Vintage Hand Tinted Look
Use Hue/Saturation layer (1) (half white/black circle). Set saturation to 50-60.

Use Hue/Saturation layer (2) again. Click colorize checkbox. Set hue to 35. Set saturation 20.

Set blending mode to Hue/Saturation layer (2) to soft light.

Hand tint photo, add rose on cheeks. Add a new layer. Select a soft edge brush. Select pink cd5a5a. Paint. Set blending mode to soft light. Reduce opacity to 45.