27/08/2009 by admin.

This tip demonstrates how to quickly change an image’s colour using
Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended) and Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo.

First, open your choice of Start Image onto your workspace.

Then, Photoshop students: bring up the Hue/Saturation command by pressing the Ctrl Key and simultaneously tapping your U Key.  Paint Shop Pro students, pressing and holding down the Shift Key, then simultaneously tapping the H Key will display the Hue/Saturation/Lightness dialogue box. Now, Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop students; ensure the Colourise box remains unmarked, and experiment with the Hue and Lightness sliders until you have found replacement colours to your liking, then click OK - as illustrated below.

Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, X3 Photo

Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, (Extended)

Now you are familiar with this technique, you can create pop-art/colour conversions, very quickly.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (27th August 2009).

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21/08/2009 by admin.

Painting away colour, AKA Colour Popping, is a popular technique that can produce interesting results: in this mini tutorial, I will demonstrate how to remove colour using Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop’s Paint Brush Tool.

To begin, open your choice of Start Image onto Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop’s workspace.

Important
Set Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop’s Foreground Swatch to Solid Black and set the Background Swatch to Solid White.

(Photoshop students, press your D Key).

Paint Shop Pro 7 Only
From the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Paint Brush Tool .

Then create a New Raster Layer - Layers then New Raster Layer.  Now, change the New Layer’s Blending Mode from Normal to Colour - as illustrated below.

And enter the following settings into Paint Shop Pro 7’s Tool Options Palette.

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo And Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended)

From the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Paint-Brush Tool.

Then from the Tool Options Bar, select a small round (hard) brush; and enter the following Colour Blending Mode settings. (Blending Modes Paint Shop Pro - Blending Modes Photoshop).

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo

Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended)

Now, Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, Photo and Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended): if you apply your Paint Brush over the Start Image, you will notice the Brush is painting away your photograph’s colour.  This is because you have changed the Paint-Brush Tool’s Blending Mode from Normal to Colour.

Now you are familiar with this popular technique, you can have lots of fun colour-popping your favourite images.

The following examples show some of my colour-popping artwork.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (21st August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Tutorials, Photoshop Tutorials | Print | No Comments »

15/08/2009 by admin.

Made To Measure Selections Photoshop CS, CS2 CS3, CS4 (Extended)

First, activate your choice of Selection Tool.

Then from the Tool Options Bar, click open the Style menu, and change it from Normal to Fixed Size.

Then type numerical values into the Width and Height boxes.

Now, draw out a Selection Marquee, and it will be constrained within your specified Width and Height dimensions.

Made To Measure Selections Paint Shop Pro 7, 8, 9, X, XI, X2, X3 Photo
First, Paint Shop Pro 7 only - (newer versions please continue further down page) - left-click to activate the Selection Tool.  Then draw out a Selection Marquee.

Then double-left-click the Selection Tool.  Double-left-clicking the Selection Tool displays the following Select Area dialogue box.  Now, enter specific values into the Left, Right, Top, Bottom boxes, and then click OK.

After clicking OK, your Selection Marquee will automatically change to represent your specified dimensions.

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo: activate the Selection Tool - and draw out a Selection Marquee.

Then from the Tool’ Options Bar, click the following Custom Selection tab.

Clicking the Custom Selection tab displays the following Custom Selection dialogue box.

Now, enter specific values into the Left, Top, Right, Bottom boxes, and then click OK.  Your Selection Marquee will automatically change to represent your specified dimensions.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (15th August 2009).

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14/08/2009 by admin.

This tip demonstrates how to resize a Selection Marquee.

To begin, from Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 X3’s or Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended’s) left-side Tools Toolbar, activate a Selection Tool of your choice, and drag out a Selection Marquee onto your canvas.  Now, Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended): from the top menu, choose Select then choose Transform Selection.  Now, press and keep pressed your Alt Key, and rescale the Selection Marquee by gently tugging one of the outer repositioning handles that are attached to the Transformation Bounding Box - as illustrated below.

(Pressing the Alt Key resizes the Selection Marquee in proportion).

Paint Shop Pro 8, 9, X, XI, X2 Photo: from the top menu, choose Selections then choose Edit Selection.  A red (Rubylith) Mask will then fill the Selection Marquee, as illustrated below.

Now, from the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Deformation or Pick Tool, depending on your Paint Shop Pro version.

After clicking the Deform or Pick Tool, the red-filled Selection Marquee will be isolated by a large Vector Deformation Bounding Box - as illustrated below.

Note
Ensure the Deform/Pick Tool’s Mode is set to Scale.

Then gently tug one of the tiny vector handles that are attached to the Deformation Bounding Box, and rescale the Selection Marquee, making it larger or smaller, as necessary.

Then from the top menu of Paint Shop Pro: choose Selections then left-click to remove the tick before Edit Selection.

Congratulations, you have successfully rescaled a Selection Marquee.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (14th August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »

07/08/2009 by admin.

If you have ever taken a photograph and find the composition is fine; however, the colours are nothing to write home about, you can quickly add drama by inverting its colours.  For example, I am happy with my Tynemouth photograph below; however, the colours are less than exciting.

Inverting the colours would produce the following dramatic result.

Tip
You can further edit the image’s colours, if you feel it needs it.

Note
Photographs will always react uniquely; therefore, some will benefit from a quick colour inversion, and some won’t.

Invert Colours Adobe Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 (Extended)
Open your Start Image onto Photoshop’s workspace: then from the top menu, choose Mode then choose Adjustments then choose Invert.  (Windows XP: press Ctrl then tap your i Key).

Invert Colours Paint Shop Pro 7 8 9 X XI X2 X3 Photo
Open your Start Image onto Paint Shop Pro’s workspace: then from the top menu, choose Colours/Image then choose Negative Image.

Best Wishes.

Wendi E M Scarth.  (7th August 2009).

Posted in Paint Shop Pro Hints/Tips, Photoshop Hint/Tips | Print | No Comments »