Credits: Happy Thoughts Page Set available at SBE 8/19 and Flower Fun Brushes available at SBE 8/26 both by Misty Cato, Title font is Anhedonia
Start by placing your photo in a layer above your layout or background paper.
Click on the photo layer in the layers palette to set it as the active layer. Click on the layer mask icon at the base of a the layers palette to create a mask for the photo layer. The layer mask icon has a white circle on it.
Click on the brush icon in the tools palette. Select a brush tip from the drop down dialogue box at the top of the work space. I will be using the 'Oil Heavy Flow Dry Edges' brush from the default brush set. Use the diameter slider to increase the size to around 200 pixels.
Open your brush palette. If the brush palette is not already visible on your desktop, you can open it by going to Window->Brushes or keystroke F5. Click on the words "Shape Dynamics" on the left side of the brushes dialogue. Change the settings to the following:
Size Jitter: 75%
Control: Off
Minimum Diameter: 50%
Angle Jitter: 100%
Control: Off
Roundness Jitter: 50%
Control: Off
Minimum Roundness: 25%
Flip X Jitter and Flip Y Jitter: unchecked
Leave the remaining controls in the Brushes Palette in their default settings.
Set your foreground color to black and background color to white. Click once on the layer mask in the layers palette and then click repeatedly along the perimeter of the photo to remove portions of the photo and create a messy edge. If at any time you don't like what you've done, you can reverse your colors (set the foreground to white) and click to bring the photo back.
Note about Layers Masks: During this process you aren't really erasing the photo, but creating a mask that covers a portion of the photo. When you switch your foreground to white, you are removing a portion of the mask to reveal more of your photo.
Continue this process until you have created a messy edge around the perimeter of the photo.
When you are satisfied with the result, right click on the layer mask in the layers palette and select 'apply layer mask' to finalize the effect.
The brush chosen for this tutorial was selected because it is one of the default brushes that comes with the program. Feel free to play with this technique using various brushes and settings to create a variety of edge effects.
9 comments:
Wow, think I'm first today! Hi Misty - just wanted to say how much I enjoy all of your tuts. They're always so well written and easy to follow! Thanks so much!
~Lil B~
Thanks for sharing this tutorial, can´t wait to try it.
I guess you can do this with any brush set. Very cool. Thank you for always willing to share your knowledge with us :)
Have a great Thursday.
Misty - awesome tutorial! I have Elements, so first I had to find and download a free layer mask action for elements - found one! WOOHOO! Then I was able to do this (just didn't have as many brush options) - but it worked fabulous! I'm SO excited to be able to use this technique now! THANK YOU!
P.S. if anyone with elements wants the layer mask it can be found here: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/p/layermasks.htm
Hey Misty, I love this effect and use it often, but seeing as I'm seeing yours on screen only, I'm not sure the way I do it would make it look different. I have PSE5 and just use the brush as an eraser. Would you know if this would create a different look or would it look the same as the one you show? I realize erasing affects the actual photo, but since I always work with a copy, I'm not sure that makes a difference (or does it)? The one little issue with doing this is that when you use a brush as an eraser, you have to rotate the picture because the eraser-brush can't be rotated.
Anyway, as always your tutorials are great and I was just curious about this. Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing the tutorial with us, it's very good and a great idea to get the photos to have some character on them. :)
Best wishes. :O)
Sorry so late responding to this nl but I have had a hard week. Today, I finished and feeling better and that is a blessing. Love this tutorial. It is a headsup when I can add your tutorials since I am starting on CS2 next month. It also gives me a preview of the available brushes and their usage. So thanks again for sharing of your wonderful expertise.
By the way, do you know a good learning atmosphere book with questions, etc. about PSCS2? I do not want it specifically for photos or scrapping. I want to learn the program with chapter assignements, CDs, or something in that manner. If so, would appreciate your input. Leavin LUV! XOXOXO
Wow, once again you've made such a straightforward tutorial and de-mystified another technique! Thank you so much for providing these, I really enjoy all your tutorials! :-)
Please help me. I can't get this to work. When I click in the layer mask and try to erase the photo nothing happens. What am I doing wrong. I swear I am following it step by step. I have CS3. Does that make a difference.
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