Photoshop Tutorials - Quick Mask

People are always looking for ways to "cut" and replace them with another person, or place the person against a different background. They're also looking for ways to colorize a portion of a photo. The trick, of course, is in how to select the person, or area of the photo, so that you can manipulate it. Some things may be done differently with other softwares.

For this demonstration we are going to use Abode Photoshop, a glabal known image manipulation sofware. There are a lot fo software available for similar job. Some things may be done differently with other softwares.

Step 01:

We pick a photo of a child as figure 12.

There are several ways to select a portion of an image, or photo, without selecting the areas you don't want.

1. You can use the powerful selection tools that Photoshop has.

2. You can use clipping paths.

3. You can build a mask using the Quick Mask mode.

figure 12.1

There may, of course, even be other methods. I'll be discussing the Quick Mask method, though, as I find it to be the easiest while still being quite powerful.

Step 02

Figure 12.2 shows where the Quick Mask icon is on the tool bar. Set the default foreground/background colors by clicking on the small black and white squares icon to the lower left of the current foreground/background colors icon. This will make the foreground color black and the background color white.

figure 12.2

Set the Quick Mask mode by clicking on the Quick Mask icon (see figure 12.2)

With the Quick Mask on you can easily "paint" a mask which will be turned into a selection once you pop back into Standard Mode. Painting the mask is as simple as selecting the Paintbrush tool or the Pencil tool. Drawing with black will paint the mask on and drawing in white will remove the mask.

Step 03

Figure 12.3 shows an area that I've applied black to with the Paintbrush tool (it's the semi-transparent red area).

figure 12.3

Step 04

Using this method you can quickly fill in large areas by using a large Paintbrush. To get into the detailed areas you should zoom in and paint with a smaller brush or pencil (see figure 12.4).

figure 12.4

"What if you color outside of the lines?” you ask. Not to worry. Just hit the Switch Foreground and Background Colors icon (it's the small, rounded, two-headed arrow to the upper-right of the Foreground Color, Background Color icon). With white as the current color you'll be removing the mask, and all of this has no effect on your photo!

Step 05

When you're done painting your mask (see figure 12.5) you can return to Standard Mode.

Now, I've actually chosen, or painted, the wrong area. Instead of painting, and masking out the child, I've masked out, and therefore selected, the area around her. No problem. By choosing Select, Inverse I'll have the child selected instead.

figure 12.5

Choosing Edit, Copy will move the child to the clipboard. I can then fill the background layer with white.

By choosing Edit, Paste I can move the child to her own layer above the background.

Step 06

At this point I'm free to apply any sort of effects I like. I can paste the photo over any background I want and it will (or at least it can) look quite real. Since I like to think that my niece is a little angel why not just render some clouds on the background layer (see figure 12.6).

figure 12.6

Step 07

For the last part of this demonstration we'll need another image... someone a little older girl who's wearing some lipstick.

figure 12.7

Using the Quick Mask I'll isolate a portion of the photo of the Girl (figure 12.7) and then desaturate that portion. By doing so I'll make most of the image black & white while leaving the girl’s lipstick a nice shade of red (see figure 12.8).

figure 12.8

This "look", quite popular in magazine ads, was accomplished for this demonstration in a matter of minutes.

This same method can be used to isolate portions of a black & white photograph which you can then colorize. This can be a long process but well worth the effort. You can also save the selected areas that you create with the Quick Mask.

Again, once you've made the selection, using Quick Mask, you're pretty much limited only by your imagination.

That's it.... Now, do enjoy of cut out the fevorable part from any image or change the background or place it in defferent image!

Credit: grafx.com

How to use a Clipping Mask to insert photos into a template

This is a very basic tutorial on how to use clipping masks to insert photos into a template or card.To start with, open your template. Here, I am using a very simple white template. Openings shown in black. The black represents the layer(s) in your templates that you need to clip to. Depending on the designer they may be labeled Photo Layer, Photo or almost anything else. What you are looking for to identify these layers is a rectangle shape in your layers palette.

Step: 01
Once you find these, you need to bring the photo(s) into the template and place a photo above the layer. So in this sample, there is a layer 2 and layer 3. Whichever photo you place above layer 2 will be on the right and directly above layer 3 will be on the left.


Step: 02

To move a photo into your canvas, go Windows>Arrange > Cascade so you can see things staggered. Then use the MOVE tool to move the photo into the template or card. Once your photo is inside, move it above the layer you need it to clip to, and position so that it is over that shape.This is what your layers palette will look like with your photo placed above layer 2.


Step: 03
To resize a photo that is way too big, hold Ctrl + T and this will bring up your transform handles. Then hold down Shift key and move in one of the 4 corners to shrink. If you do not hold Shift, your photo will distort. Click the check mark at the top to accept the change.


Step: 04

Next you will be adding the clipping mask so that the photo clips just to the shape layer below. There are numerous ways to do this. The easiest way is to go in your layers palette menu and select from the drop down Create Clipping Mask. If you prefer short cut keys it is Alt + Ctrl + G.


Step: 05

Once you do this you can move your photo around to taste and it will only be inside that shape below.

Step: 06

Next Step is to insert a photo above each other layer and clip it to the corresponding layer as well. Then you are ready to save.

As I said this is a basic clipping mask tutorial as related to templates and cards. Clipping masks can be used for a variety of other applications as well. I hope this helps you start understanding them.

Credit: mcpactions.com

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