Is he color coordinated or what?
Exercise 6 – Changing Colors
We will learn how to change colors on parts of a photograph. This procedure becomes quite easy using the layers and mask features of the Paint Shop Pro (PSP) application. Unfortunately the help topics contained with the PSP application are all inclusive and go far beyond the basic concepts and ideas involved. To assist in getting the idea across the procedure has been simplified in this exercise. The minimum steps to accomplish the task are presented.
Learning Objectives:
a. The basic steps for changing colors on parts of photographs.
b. To create and manage multiple layers.
e. To adjust Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.
Note: Some of these steps may vary slightly if you are using a different version of PSP. The exercise was specifically developed for version 6.01. It was also completed using version 7.0 or 8.0 with minor adjustments to the location of some commands on the menus. Your goal is shown below.
Is he color coordinated or what?
a. The basic steps for changing colors on parts of photographs.
1. Start the PSP application. Use the File, Browse command to browse the folder labeled "tv" on the CD.
2. Open the graphic image you wish to alter by double clicking on it. For this exercise we will use "c047.jpg". This is a picture of a newscaster on the History Channel. This is a 24 bit color graphic captured from the TV.
3. Prepare the image for this operation. If you wish to use an image which is not a 24 bit color graphic you must first use the "color" command and then the "increase color depth" command to increase the number of colors used to 16 Million colors.
4. You can always check the attributes of the image you are currently working on by using the "Image Information" command found under one of the pull down menus on the menu bar.
b. To create and manage multiple layers.
1. Use the Layers command to create a new raster layer. Use the default settings and change the name to "jacket right". For version 6.01 the defaults were as follows...
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100
Group: 0
The rest are all checked, except for "Locked transparency".
On the Blend Ranges Tab be sure that the Grey Channel is selected.2. Repeat step 1 above to create a second raster layer and name this one "jacket left".
3. Our third and final raster layer we will call "tie". Create it.
4. You can now check to see if you have created the desired layers by clicking on the "Layers" command on the menu bar. You should see the original image located on the bottom of the pull down menu, it will be called the "background". Above it will be listed the three raster layers you created along with the names you gave them. Note the check mark in front of the current active layer. It should be the last on you created or the one titled tie. You can switch active layers by merely clicking on your choice.
5. Another way to see your layers is to use the "Toggle Layer Palette" button from the tool button bar. Can you locate it? Does the symbol indicate two layers (one is blue and another is red)? We will make use of this "Layer Palette" shortly.
1. First we must select and make active the layer we wish to create our first mask on. Use the "Layers" command on the menu bar and then select ""Layer 2 - "jacket right"" for the current layer.
2. Next select the "Paint Brush" tool and set the following attributes from the "Tool Options" menu...
Shape: Round
Size: 15
Hardness, Opacity, and Density to 100.
Step Size: 1
On the other two tabs set...
Paper Texture: None and no brush build up.
Under Cursors: Both boxes checked (see step 3 below)
No checks for the Pressure Sensitive Tablet.3. The show brush outlines on the middle tab of the "Tool Options" menu for the Paint Brush is very helpful. It shows where the paint will be applied before you "Click to Paint". This allows you to create very precise masks.
4. Remember that a Mask is merely defining the area of the background to be effected. This mask is defined on a greyscale layer. Note: Black will always remain Black and White will always stay White. It is only the various shades of grey that you can effect. You will now create a Mask for the jacket's right side using the Paint Brush tool. You need to insure that the foreground color is some dark shade. For this example choose Blue to use in painting the mask. This choice will not affect the final Hue selected for the jacket.
5. One easy way to paint only the right side of the jacket is to go around the edge first. You will notice if you hold down the shift key that your brush will paint straight lines between your selected clicking points. The visual brush outline allows you to place the cursor inside of the jacket's boundary. Once all the edges are marked you can use the "Flood Fill" tool to pour paint inside of the boundary. This is similar to what we did in creating the stop sign in exercise 1.
6. You are working on a layer, therefore if you paint more area than intended you can use the eraser tool to correct. Now we will see how this blue mask can be used to effect color changes to the right side of the jacket.
1. Use the "Toggle Layer Palette" button from the tool button bar to show the Layer Palette.
2. Notice that the "jacket right" layer is the active layer. Move the cursor to the right, staying on the line for this layer, to the black triangle just next to the word "Normal". Click on this triangle to bring up a menu of choices for this layer. From this pop-up list select "Color". Watch what happens to the jacket!
e. To adjust Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.
1. Close the Layer Palette menu. On the menu bar now select the "Colors" command. On the menu which appears select "Adjust", and then on the follow up menu select Hue/Saturation/Lightness. Did the jacket change color? If the adjustments were non-zero it would have. Check the auto proof and turn it on if it is not.
2. Adjust the three sliders and notice the control you have on the appearance of the right side of the jacket. Once a slider is selected with the mouse or the "Tab" key fine adjustments to the level of the settings can be made with the "arrow" keys. Try this.
3. When you achieve your desired Hue/Saturation/Lightness settings be sure to save your result. Well done!
Retention of learning comes only by practice. Can you repeat steps c, d, and e and change the colors of the items in the remaining two layers? Can you save each of the results? Can you resize, copy, and paste each of the results to create a graphic similar to the one above? Use of the items learned in this exercise will also be made in exercise 7. Practice is the only way to retain what you learn.
Did we achieve our learning objectives? They were. . .
Learning Objectives:
a. The basic steps for changing colors on parts of photographs.
b. To create and manage multiple layers.
e. To adjust Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.
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Course Contents Advanced Features Exercise 7
Prepared 12/30/01
Revised 12/31/02
For Class Members use.
By: Dean Christensen