Photo Extractions

This is another tutorial that I'm going to show only in Photoshop, but it is pretty much the same process in Pixlr and other programs.

I'll be honest, I don't really do a lot of extractions with my layouts, but they are very popular so I thought I would show how it is done.  I apologize for not having an example though!

So, first, find the photo that you are wanting to extract something from.

Here is the one I'm going to work with today:

Let's pretend I wanted to create a layout with a beach scene but wanted it just him-not the beach in the actual photograph (I wouldn't do this-but again, we're going to pretend here!!)

before you get started, make sure the photo is changed from a background to a layer in the layer palette.  Start by zooming in at 200% and start a long one edge.  Using the polygonal lasso tool and making sure the feather box up top has been changed to 1.  Go along the edge a little at a time and then wrap back around to where you started and click delete.  It will look something like this:

Continue to do this all the way around until the immediate space around your object is transparent space:

I didn't complete finish because his curls began to make it extra time consuming!  But I think you get the point!  Once it is done, you just erase the rest of the background and you have an image to use however you want for your layout!

Layer via Cut or Copy

This is a great item to know and something I use in many areas of digital scrapping!

Everything works in layers and when there are lots and lots of layers for little things, we can move those around easily.  But what happens when something is combined on a layer and we want to move it. For example, let's say that we have a bead spray on our layout, but if we could just have 2 of the beads to move to another spot, it would look better!

I'm showing it in photoshop, but it will be just as easy to use in any other program.

I'm going to get started by pulling some beads onto a piece of paper:

Let's pretend that we want to take that little grouping of four at the top and move them down below.  We would use the rectangular lasso tool (rope looking thing towards the top of the left tool bar) to put marching ants around the ones we want to move:

Now, while that tool is still activated, place your mouse in that section-it will and right click to pull up a drop down menu.  Choose "Layer via Cut". This will cut this off that layer and create its own layer so you can move it where you want:

The other option is to choose "Layer via Copy"  This will leave it how the original layer is but will copy off those four beads and let you move it. Like this:

Blending a Photo

I'm going to show this in photoshop, but it is just as easy to do in any program, using the same basic process. 

I love blending a photo into the background of a layout!  It's a great way to make a dramatic statement.  Here is an example, of a layout I did so you can see what I mean:

Isn't it fun how the blended photo is the same as the photo on the layout, but they really offer a nice contrast!  I also blended two papers together-all of which I will cover here!

First thing you are going to need is a grunge brush set. If you already have one loaded then skip down past this part. If not, then keep reading!

Brusheezy is a site where you can download free brushes.  If you are ever going to use these brushes for Commercial Use, double check each individual TOU, but you will be fine for what we are going to do today!  Here is the link:

http://www.brusheezy.com/search/grunge?from=mainsite

This actually links to their grunge brushes but they have lots of fun ones!  I chose the subtle grunge.  I downloaded and placed it in my brushes folder that I created in my digital scrapping section.  To install it so you can use it in photoshop, click on the paintbrush on the left.  Go up to the top and click on the arrow next to the picture of the brush that is shown.  It will pull down a box like the one below. You would use this to pick a different brush. To load one, click on the arrow I have circled below:

It will pull up a menu, choose "load a brush" from that menu and go to where you saved and unzipped the folder with our subtle grunge brushes.  Click on the ABR file to install.


After grunge brush is loaded!  Let's open up a paper, plain and light colored. 

Now we're going to place a photo on top of this. You want the photo to be larger than these dimmensions-it won't matter if that makes the photo grainy!  It will look like this:

So, I'm thinking that if I use the space on the right for my actual photo and clustering, title, journaling, etc. then I will erase a lot of that, but first, I'm going to blend the photo to see what I need to do from there.

On the layer palette, you'll notice I have two layers-my photo and the paper below it.  Just above that, it says "normal". While my photo is highlighted on the palette, I'm going to change that to soft light or any other one that I think works for my look! Play along with these to find what you like best!

Here is what I get when I only change it to soft light:

You may like it just like this and want to add your other stuff to it-that totally works!  But I'm going to continue to play and share my tips as I go!

Remember those brushes we loaded?  Well, I'm going to click on the eraser and find a brush from above.  These work just like the brushes but in opposite!  So go to the bottom of the menu we saw earlier and choose one of the brushes at the bottom from the grunge set we downloaded.

Erase around the photo as much or as little as you like:

Now, I want to add a little more grunge, so I'm going to place a paper from the kit above this layer:

This was actually a purple patterned paper (as you can see on the layer palette) but I changed the setting to overlay and look at the fun look it gives!  Now I can leave it and add my clusters and stuff or I can continue to play.  I can also leave the purple or whatever other color and not blend that layer and use the grunge eraser to clean away most of the stuff.  Leaving it something like this:

Play lots!  It is fun to see the many, many options that digital can offer!!

Simple Photo Editing in Photoshop

This is just a basic way to brighten a photo in photoshop.

Pull up the photo you want:

First you are going to change it from a background (over on the layer palette) to a layer and duplicate 3 times.  To change it from a background, right click on the layer and choose "layer from background" at the top of the drop down menu.

Change the middle layer to screen and the top layer to soft light (using the drop down menu just above the layer palette that says "normal".  Adjust the opacity on each level until you get it how you like it:

Not a big difference, but you can see how it brightens it a bit!  Play around with this and see what different looks you can come up with!

Stringing an Element (Pixlr)

This process in Pixlr is very similar to that of photoshop.  You start with a cluster of elements and I placed the curly ribbon on top.  We're going to weave this ribbon through the elements.  But here is what we have to start with:

I decided that I wanted all of the ribbon under the flowers and leaves, so I moved it under those layers.

Now, I want to weave a few little spots under the pink ribbon, to look as if I literally tucked part of it under there.  To do this, I choose the tool on the left that looks like a lasso.  When I click on it, it gives me a menu at the top of two lasso's to choose between. You'll want to choose the lasso that is not round but has a few angles to it.

Once you have activated this (make sure you are on the curly ribbon layer) and click with your mouse along the side of the ribbon and around the part you want to cut like this:

Hint:  Be sure and zoom in (Ctrl +)

Now just hit delete and that section of green is gone.  You can take out more parts or leave it as that.  Here is what my final looks like:

Stringing an element

This is a fun little trick to do when scrapping!  It helps to give a more realistic feel to your page.  Let's pretend that you have a string that you want to be mostly under your stuff, but over other parts-as if it is strung throughout the elements.  This tutorial will show how to get that affect!

First open up your layout and cluster some of your elements together like this:

Now, let's add a curly ribbon and sort of weave it through the elements:

I'll start by placing it on top of everything, but as I looked at it more I realized that I wanted it under the top few layers of cluster but ontop of the pink ribbon, so I moved it there.

Now, pick out which sections you want to be under the cluster and use the polygonal lasso tool (left side of the tool bar with the round rope thing.  Right click on it and choose the second option).  This tool lets you click on one edge and make other clicks around the item of what you want to delete.  You'll want to scan way in for this so that you can get it pretty exact:

See the little section that I went around? Now always make sure that the layer of the ribbon is the layer you have highlighted in your layer palette.  Then click delete:

I think I want to take one more section out and notice how I changed the opacity of the string to about 50 so I could see the ribbon underneath and get a better cut:

Just change the opacity back, after you've cut out the section and you're all finished!  Notice how it looks like you wrapped the curly ribbon around the pink ribbon?

Resizing an item in Photoshop

Often when you are scrapping, items will be larger than maybe you want them on your layout.  There is a difference between making smaller and  making larger.

First of all, to make an item larger, you will compromise the quality of the item. It is kind of the same as if you had a pitcher of koolaid.  If you served most of it, but needed to have more, adding water would give you the quantity you were looking for, but what happens to the taste or the quality?  It is watered down and diluted.  It is the same with photos and elements and papers in photoshop.  So be very careful if you ever decide to expand an item and know that the quality will not be the same.

To make an item smaller, if done correctly, will not compromise quality at all!  It is no different than if you dumped out most of the Koolaid, leaving a small amount. You have less, but it tastes the same.

So, once your element is on your layout, check the little box at the top of the menu that says "show transform controls".  In order to see this menu item, you need to have selected the top move tool or click on "v" to select it.

It will look like this:

Now, place your arrow on one of the corners and holding down the shift key, slide in to the size you want.  Holding down the shift key while you do this is very key!  Otherwise it won't keep it in proper proportions.  Here are two screen shots showing the difference:

Without holding the shift key:

While holding the shift key: