Re: Photoshop backgrounds/foregrounds

[Herschel Mair <herschelmair@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Shyrell,

In photoshop you should think of yourself as working on sheets of glass stacked one above the other.

The background is the bottom sheet and is limited in what you can do to it. All other sheets are fully editable.

The layers palette represents the sheets of glass that your image components are printed on. The lowest layer  is represented by the bottom block in the layers palette. When you're painting/erasing /stamping or whatever on the top layer it has no effect on the bottom layer and vice versa.

 

You can make the layers visible by clicking the left-most little square (Eyeball icon) on each layer in the palette.

This does not delete the layer, just switches it off temporarily.

If you make a selection, it applies to the layer you're working in. But you can make a selection in one layer and then switch to another layer and use the same selection.

So if you have a face on a white background on the top layer and flowers on the bottom layer. you can select the background of the face layer and delete it and you'll see the flowers "Through" the top layer.

To get all the palettes back to their default positions go to the Window menu and select "Workspace" and then select "reset palette locations" (If my memory serves me... It's been a while since I worked on PS-6.

 

I'm not sure that I understand your problem clearly but If you like you can email me your problem images (Low res versions) and I'll help you sort it out.

I am a member of the International Adobe Solutions Network for Adobe Photoshop .

 

I must also agree with Lea and say that Scott Kelby, Russ Brown and Deke Mclelland have all written very good and accessible books on Photoshop and you should be able to get PS-6 versions cheaply now. Photoshop Classroom-in-a-book is about the best learning tool for beginners who are serious.

 

email: herschel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

herschel

 

lea murphy <lea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Shyrell,

There are some limitations to what you can do to THE background layer
so sometimes it's easier if you duplicate it by dragging it to the
little paper icon at the bottom of the layers palette. Once you
duplicate it, you can trash the original background layer or just
click on the eyeball to the left of it to turn it off so it can't be
seen.

Once you have several layers, to work on one specific layer you have
to 'activate it' by clicking on it in the layers palette OR by
putting a check in the 'auto select layer' option. This allows your
mouse to activate layers by clicking on them. This is a much faster
way to go than always having to go over to the layers palette.

Scott Kelby has written several GREAT, WONDERFUL, EXCELLENT, SIMPLE
books on Photoshop and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Hope this is of value.
Lea

On May 4, 2006, at 9:06 AM, Marilyn wrote:

> Hi Shyrell,
>
> I'm glad to see that I am not the only one struggling with
> Photoshop. It can be a frustrating and confusing program, no
> matter how many books and tutorials are available.
>
> Photoshop classes are not being offered at our local community
> college at this time, so the opportunity to learn from another
> "real" person, isn't always there.
>
> I am learning a lot from the responses to your questions, however.
>
> Take Care,
>
> Marilyn
>
>
> *********************************************************************
> "Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."
>
> The Dalai Lama
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shyrell Melara"
>
> To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students"
>
> Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 6:34 AM
> Subject: Photoshop backgrounds/foregrounds
>
>
>> snip - Another thing I can't figure out is how to get the new
>> background useable for the clone tool to clean up the lines
>> connecting the two photos. I can clean up the lines on the top
>> layer but can't do anything to the new
>> background. Hope I haven't said so much it's hard to understand.
>> (Or not
>> said enough.) - snip
>>
>> Submitted earlier but no response...
>>
>> What I'm trying to do is take a piece of one photo out (i.e. -
>> person, animal, flower, etc.) and add it to a different background
>> but be able to work on the new background as well as the
>> foreground. I know how to erase the background of the original
>> photo and copy/paste the subject into the new background. But how
>> do I make the new background changeable (workable - able to be
>> worked on)? If I'm not making sense, ask me some details.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Shyrell
>>
>> ---------------------------------
>> Melara Photography Studios
>> Jonesville, North Carolina
>> *Preserving Precious Memories*
>> http://melarastudios.tripod.com
>> ---------------------------------
>>
>>
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>



lea murphy
www.whinydogpress.com
www.leamurphy.com

Herschel Mair
Head of the Department of Photography,

Higher College of Technology
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman

Adobe Certified instructor

 

+ (986) 99899 673

 

www.herschelmair.com

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