Painting in Photoshop

Images to work on:
Stained Glass
student shot 4
ocean file

When you create graphics in Photoshop Elements, there is a distinction between painting and drawing.
Painting involves changing the colors of pixels using a painting tool.
Drawing involves creating shape layers, type layers, and fill layers. These layer types contain vector graphics, which are defined by geometric characteristics rather than by pixels. For example, if you draw a circle shape using the ellipse tool, the circle is defined by a specific radius, location, and color. To paint on these layers and apply certain layer effects to them, you must first convert the vector data to bitmap data by simplifying the layer

Selecting foreground and background colors

The toolbox displays a foreground color and a background color in two overlapping color boxes. Photoshop Elements uses the foreground color to paint, fill, and trace selections and shapes, and it uses the background color to create fills, such as gradient fills and fills in erased areas of the image background. The foreground and background colors are also used by some special effects filters.

Foreground and background color boxes in toolbox A. Foreground color box B. Default colors icon C. Switch colors icon D. Background color box

You can change the foreground or background color by using the eyedropper tool, the Swatches palette, the icons in the toolbox, or the Adobe Color Picker.

To change the foreground or background color:
1. Do one of the following:
* To change the foreground color, click the topmost color box in the toolbox.
* To change the background color, click the bottom color box in the toolbox.
2. Choose a color in the Adobe Color Picker, and click OK
To switch the color in the foreground and background boxes:Click the Switch Colors icon in the toolbox.

Using the eyedropper tool
The eyedropper tool samples color from an image to designate a new foreground or background color. You can sample from the active image or from another open image. (When you're using the eyedropper, you can click in another image without making it the active image.) You can even sample color anywhere on your computer screen including the desktop and within the application window.
You can also specify the size of the area that the eyedropper tool samples. For example, you can set the eyedropper to sample the color values of a 5-by-5 or 3-by-3 pixel area under the pointer.

Select the foreground or background color: To do: open the stained glass image, choose one color pane, make it the foreground color,
1. Select the eyedropper tool .
2. To change the sample size of the eyedropper, choose an option from the Sample Size menu:
* Point Sample to get the precise value of the pixel you click.
* 3 by 3 Average or 5 by 5 Average to get the average value of the specified number of pixels within the area you click.
3. Select a color:
* To select a new foreground color from an image, click the desired color in your image. To select a color that appears elsewhere on your computer screen, click inside your image and drag away from it.
* To select a new background color from an image, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the color you want. To select a color that appears elsewhere on your computer screen, click inside your image and drag away from it.
As you click and drag the eyedropper tool, the foreground color selection box changes dynamically. Alt-click and drag (Windows) to activate the background color selection box. Release the mouse button to pick the new color.

Using the Swatches palette

You can select a foreground or background color from the Swatches palette, or you can add or delete colors to create a custom swatch library. You can also save a library of swatches and reload them for use in another image. Although you can add many colors to the Swatches palette, you should manage its size and organization to improve performance.
To display the Swatches palette:Choose Window > Color Swatches, or click the Swatches palette tab in the palette well.
To change the thumbnail display in the Swatches palette:In the Swatches palette, choose either Small Thumbnail or Small List from the More menu.
To select a foreground or background color:Do one of the following:
* To choose a foreground color, click a color in the Swatches palette.
* To choose a background color, Ctrl-click (Windows) a color in the Swatches palette.
To choose a swatch library:In the upper left corner of the Swatches palette, choose a swatch library name from the Swatches pop-up menu.

To add a color to the Swatches palette: To Do... add one of the stained glass colors to the swatch palette and name it stained.(what ever color it is)
1. Set the foreground color in the toolbox to the color you want to add.
2. Do one of the following in the Swatches palette:
* Click the New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches palette. The color swatch is added and named Swatch.
* Choose New Swatch from the More menu in the Swatches palette.
* If the palette is in thumbnail view, position the pointer over an empty space in the bottom row of the palette (the pointer turns into the paint bucket tool), and click to add the color.
* If the palette is in list view, position the pointer over an empty space in the rightmost column of the palette (the pointer turns into the paint bucket tool), and click to add the color.
3. Enter a name for the new color and click OK.

Using Web-safe colors

To do: click on the web safwe colors.. how does this limit you?

The Web-safe colors are the 216 colors used by browsers on both the Windows and Mac OS platforms. By working only with these colors, you ensure that colors in art you prepare for the Web display accurately on a system set to display 256 colors.
To identify Web-safe colors in the Adobe Color Picker:
* Select Only Web Colors in the lower left corner of the Color Picker, and then choose any color in the Color Picker. When this option is selected, any color you pick is Web-safe.
* Choose a color in the Color Picker. If you choose a color that isn't Web-safe, an alert cube appears next to the color rectangle in the upper right area of the Color Picker. Click the alert cube to select the closest Web-safe color. (If no alert cube appears, the color you chose is Web-safe.)

Using the painting tools
You can use the brush, pencil, pattern stamp, or smudge tool to paint color on an image. The impressionist brush and smudge tools can also paint using the existing colors in an image. The five tools create different effects:
* The brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of color and can simulate airbrush techniques.
* The pencil tool creates hard-edged freehand lines.
* The smudge tool either smudges the existing colors in your image or smears new color through your image.
* The pattern stamp tool paints with a pattern defined from your image, another image, or a preset pattern.
* The impressionist brush tool repaints the existing colors and details in your image using stylized brush strokes.

Using the brush or pencil tools

Use the brush tool to paint with soft or hard strokes of color and to paint with special effects such as strokes that fade out. Use the pencil tool to paint hard-edged lines of color.
To use a painting tool: TO do: open up a new file.. and use each of the follow tools: paint brush, pencil and draw a red heart, and inside write love!
1. Select a color to paint by setting the foreground color.
2. Select the brush tool or pencil tool .
3. Click the inverted arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
4. To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
5. Choose a blending mode to control how painting affects existing pixels in the image.
6. To set the color opacity, drag the pop-up slider or enter an opacity value.
7. Set additional tool-specific options:
* For the brush tool, select airbrush to enable airbrush capabilities. This option applies gradual tones to an image, simulating traditional airbrush techniques. Click the More Options button to specify additional options.
* For the pencil tool, select Auto Erase to paint the background color over areas containing the foreground color.
8. Drag in the image to paint.

Using the impressionist brush tool
Use the impressionist brush and repaint the stained glass window.. show me the result!

The impressionist brush tool lets you re-create your image as if it were painted with stylized strokes. By experimenting with different style, area size, and tolerance options, you can simulate the texture of painting with different artistic styles. The impressionist brush tool doesn't add new color or use the foreground and background colors.
Original image and with impressionist brush strokes
To use the impressionist brush tool:
1. Select the impressionist brush tool .
2. Click the inverted arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail. To learn more about using the brush presets, seeUsing pop-up palettes.
3. To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4. Choose a blending mode to control how the brush affects existing pixels in the image. (See Selecting a blending mode.)
5. To set the opacity, drag the pop-up slider or enter an opacity value. (See Specifying opacity, strength, exposure, or flow.)
6. Click the More Options button to specify the following options:
* Choose a style to control the shape of the paint stroke.
* For Area, enter a value to specify the area covered by the paint strokes. The greater the size, the larger the covered area and the more numerous the strokes.
* For Tolerance, enter a value or drag the slider to limit the regions where paint strokes are applied. A low spacing tolerance affects pixels within a range of color values very similar to the pixel you click. A high spacing tolerance affects pixels within a broader range of color values.
7. Drag in the image to paint.

Using the smudge tool

Open up student shot 4 file and use the smudge tool to wipe out the beauty mark! file: student shot 4
The smudge tool simulates the actions of dragging a finger through wet paint. The tool picks up color where the stroke begins and pushes it in the direction you drag. You can smudge existing colors in your image, or smear foreground color on the image.
To use the smudge tool:
1. Select the smudge tool .
2. Click the inverted arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop-up palette, and then select a brush thumbnail. To learn more about using the brush presets, see Using pop-up palettes.
3. To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4. Specify a blending mode and strength. (See Setting options for painting and editing tools.)
5. Select Use All Layers to smudge using color data from all layers visible in the image window. If this option is deselected, the smudge tool uses colors from only the active layer.
6. Select Finger Painting to smear the foreground color at the beginning of each stroke. If this option is deselected, the smudge tool uses the color under the pointer at the beginning of each stroke.

Using the pattern stamp tool

Open up an new file and use at least 2 stamps to create a design THEN make your own stamp. Create a new small file, draw in a red heart ( outline in black); go to EDIT --> define pattern, name it heart; then go to the other new file and use your new heart stamp! OR make a stained glass stamp using one of the sections of stained glass...

The pattern stamp tool lets you paint with a pattern. You can select a pattern from the pattern libraries or create your own patterns.
To use the pattern stamp tool:
1. Select the pattern stamp tool .
2. In the options bar, click the inverted arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop-up palette, and then select a brush thumbnail. .
3. To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4. Specify a blending mode and opacity.
5. Choose a pattern from the Pattern pop-up palette in the options bar
.
To load additional pattern libraries, select a library name from the pop-up palette menu, or choose Load Patterns and navigate to the folder where the library is stored.
6. Select Aligned to repeat the pattern as contiguous, uniform tiles. The pattern is aligned from one paint area to the next.
If Aligned is deselected, the pattern is centered on the pointer each time you stop and resume painting.
7. Select Impressionist to apply the pattern with an impressionistic effect.
8. Drag in the image to paint with the tool.

Using the paint bucket tool

TO do: Use the stained glass photo.. choose one color you like, use eye dropper to choose that color, select out another stained glass piece, and fill it with the color you just selected!

The paint bucket tool fills an area that is similar in color value to the pixels you click. You can fill an area with the foreground color or a pattern.
Note: If you don't want to fill transparent areas on a layer, lock the layer's transparency in the Layers palette. (See Locking layers.)
To use the paint bucket tool:
1. Specify a foreground color.
2. Select the paint bucket tool .
3. In the options bar, choose whether to fill the selection with the foreground color, or with a pattern.
4. If you chose to fill the selection with a pattern, click the inverted arrow next to the pattern sample, and select a pattern for the fill.
5. Specify a blending mode and opacity for the paint.
6. Enter the tolerance for the fill.
The tolerance defines how similar in color filled pixel must be. Values can range from 0 to 255. A low tolerance fills pixels with color values very similar to the pixel you click. A high tolerance fills pixels that have a broader range of colors.
7. To smooth the edges of the filled selection, select Anti-aliased. (See Softening the edges of a selection.)
8. To fill only pixels in a contiguous group with the one you click, select Contiguous. Deselect this option to fill all similar pixels in the image.
9. To fill pixels based on all layers visible in the document window, select All Layers. (See Sampling from all layers.)
10. Click the part of the image you want to fill. All specified pixels within the specified tolerance are filled with the foreground color or pattern.

Tracing a selection or layer with color

TO do: open the stained glass image; select the ring around Mary's head.. the halo..use the Stoke command to create a nice bright yellow halo around her head!
You can use the Stroke command to automatically trace a colored border around a selection or layer.
To stroke a selection or layer:
1. Select the area or layer you want to stroke.
2. Choose Edit > Stroke.
3. In the Stroke dialog box, specify the width of the hard-edged border. Values can range from 1 to 250 pixels.
4. To set the stroke color, click the color swatch to select a color in the color picker.
5. For Location, specify whether to place the border inside, outside, or centered over the selection or layer boundaries.
6. Specify a blending mode and an opacity. (See Setting options for painting and editing tools.)
7. To stroke only areas containing opaque pixels on a layer, select Preserve Transparency. (If your image has no transparency, this option isn't available.)
8. Click OK to stroke the selection or layer.

Creating shapes

You create shapes by selecting one of the shape tools, and then dragging in your image. The shape tools are located in the options bar and in the toolbox, where the active shape tool is visible and the rest are hidden. To select a hidden shape tool, position the pointer on the visible tool and hold down the mouse button until the tools list appears. Then click the tool you want.
In the options bar, you can choose the following options for the shape tools:
* Click the color swatch to choose the color with which you want to fill the shape. (See Using the Adobe Color Picker.)
* Set tool-specific options. (See Setting shape tool options.)
To create a rectangle:
1. Select the rectangle tool .
2. Drag in your image to draw the rectangle.
To create a rounded rectangle:
1. Select the rounded rectangle tool .
2. Enter a value in the Radius text box in the options bar to determine the radius of the curved corners of the rounded rectangle.
3. Drag in your image to draw the rounded rectangle.
To create an ellipse:
1. Select the ellipse tool .
2. Drag in your image to draw the ellipse.
To create a polygon:
1. Select the polygon tool .
2. In the options bar, enter the number of sides in your polygon in the Sides text box.
3. Drag in your image to draw the polygon.
To create a line:
1. Select the line tool .
2. In the options bar, enter a pixel width for the line in the Weight text box.
3. Drag in your image to draw the line.

Applying a gradient fill
TO do: choose the ocean file - select one of the gradients and try to get a sunset from an angle in the sky section which you select out first with the selection brush.
You fill an area with a gradient by dragging in the image or in a selection. The distance between the starting point (where you press and hold the mouse button) and ending point (where you release the mouse button) affects the gradient appearance, as does the gradient type.
To apply a gradient fill:
1. To fill part of the image, select the desired area. Otherwise, the gradient fill is applied to the entire active layer.
2. Select the gradient tool .
3. In the options bar, click the desired gradient type (linear , radial , angle , reflected , or diamond ).
4. Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker pop-up palette in the options bar.
5. Specify a blending mode and opacity for the paint.
6. To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill, select Reverse.
7. To create a smoother blend with less banding, select Dither.
8. To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill, select Transparency. (See Specifying the gradient transparency.)
9. In the image, position the pointer where you want to set the starting point of the gradient, and drag to define the ending point. To constrain the gradient angle to a multiple of 45°, hold down Shift as you drag.

Movies

How to create custom shapes

How to create a sketch ( Home work)

Use these instructions if you can't view the movie on your computer

1. Take one of YOUR photos.
2. Duplicate the layer
3.Desaturate the copied new layer
4. Create a new copy of this desaturated layer (onto a new layer)
5. Inverse this new desaturated layer
6. With this newest layer highlighted, pull down the menu to color dodge ( where you see the choice normal)-- it layer will look white
7. Now use the blur tool.. GO TO FILTERS on top.. then BLUR( second choice down)--> then gaussian blur
8. Experiment with the efffect till you like it.- play with the radius .. start low and build up, then play with opacity of the layer itself
9. IF you want some color to it, copy the original colored layer, pull to the top and tone down the opacity.
10. When you like it, save under Save it for web and send it to me ASAP! eiglich@mcdaniel.edu

Sketch with a bit of added color and use of artistic color pencil.from the ocean shot we used last week.