| Composite |
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This tutorial requires the user to have a basic knowledge of the interface for Photoshop. Though the tutorial is intended for users of Photoshop 5, the techniques should also work with Photoshop 4. This tutorial teaches how to combine images from multiple photographs. Scaling and precision selection will be demonstrated. |
| Step 1 |
| Open
eagle.jpg (download the file from this
link and open it in Photoshop). |
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| Step 2 |
| Copy the Background layer, name it "Work". Create a new layer (between "Background" and "Work") and name it "Color". Fill the entire "Color" layer with a bright green (this layer will be used to help us see what we have removed from the image in "Work" layer). The background layer is renamed in case a error occurs on the "Work" layer. Another copy can be made if needed. |  |
| Step 3 |
Save
the document as eagle.psd ( ). |
| Step 4 |
Select the Magic Wand Tool ( )
and set the tolerance to 25 (this will select pixels 12.5 values to each
side of the selected pixel), and make sure that Anti-aliased is checked
(to create a smooth edge). |
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| Step 5 |
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Make "Work" the active layer. |
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| Click on the blue sky, somewhere near the eagle's head (note the "marching ants" will indicate the selected area). Press the Backspace key (removing the selected blue pixels), then deselect the area. |  |
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| The selected Blue has been deleted and you can see the green from the "Color" layer showing through (there is a lot of left over blue artifacts around the outside edge of the image, but the area around the eagle is pretty good). |  |
| Step 6 |
Select "All"
and choose the Lasso Tool ( ).
While holding the Alt key, draw an outline around the eagle (there is
no need to get real tight, just make sure you don't go over into the blue
area), this will deselect the eagle. Press the backspace key and all of
the outer blue will be gone. Deselect the area. |
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| Step 7 |
Using
the Zoom Tool ( ),
click twice in the image area (or use the zoom function in the Navigation
palette), which will zoom to a value of 300% (which you can see displayed
in the title bar of the image). Notice that most of the blue touching
the eagle is gone, except some area around the feathers and head. |
| Step 8 |
Select the Eraser
Tool ( ).
In the Erase Options palette, choose Paintbrush with an opacity of 100%.
Using one of the smallest brushes, erase the undesired blue around the
wings, head, and tail. Use the Eraser Tool and the Alt key, you can "unerase"
any areas to what was there originally (this is possible because we saved
the image in step 3). |
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| Step 9 |
| Once you are pleased with your results (don't get too pixel happy, most people will never see the image this close), save the document. |
| Step 10 |
Open sunflower.jpg
(download the file from this link and open it in Photoshop). Save as composite.psd
( ). |
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| Step 11 |
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Select the eagle.psd document. Double click the Zoom Tool in the toolbox and the image will return to 100%. |
| Step 12 |
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Hold the Ctrl key down and click once on the "Work" layer in the Layers palette (let go of the Ctrl key). This will select contents of that layer (see the "marching ants"?). |
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| Place the cursor on the eagle and hold the Ctrl key again, and holding down the mouse button (your cursor will show an arrow with a pair of scissors), drag the selected eagle onto the composite.psd document (yes, out of one document onto another), your cursor will turn into an arrow with a "+" next to it. Let go of the mouse button and the Ctrl key and the composite.psd will become the active document. Notice the eagle is now on it's own layer in the composite.psd document (Photoshop will automatically name this "Layer 1" by default). |  |
| Step 13 |
| Rename layer 1, in the composite.psd document, "Eagle". |  |
| Step 14 |
| With the "Eagle" layer still selected as active, choose Scale from the Edit/Transform pulldown menu. A box with control handles will appear around the eagle. Hold the mouse button down with your cursor inside the box, and drag the eagle to the upper right corner. Release the mouse button. |  |
| Step 15 |
| Hold the Shift key and grab (click and hold) on of the corner control handles (this will allow you to scale the eagle proportionally). Scale the eagle so that he fits in the corner and doesn't cover up any of the flower. Double click in the center of the scaling box to transform the eagle to the selected size. |  |
| Step 16 |
| Save the document. |
| Last Modified
March 12, 2005 Return to Lunadude |