This unit introduces you to editing operations common in everyday image production .

Using the Painting and Drawing Tools
Photoshop ’s Drawing  Tools are very powerful.  For each Tool, there are sets of options (on the Options  Bar) you use to define how the Tool operates.  To use Photoshop effectively you should be familiar with all the fundamentals and use them in combination to create images for the Internet. 

As we progress through the Drawing  Tools we’re going to use the image you created earlier we named FirstImage.  Open Photoshop  and load FirstImage.  If you didn’t save FirstImage create a new image at 300x250, 72ppi, RGB, transparent background.  As you read this section, try the tools and options out on your image.  You might want to make a separate Layer  for each brush you experiment with.

Brushes 
When you use any of the Painting Tools, it’s a good idea to select a brush size and shape immediately.  {Click} the BrushesTab in the Options  Bar.

The Brushes Palette consists of a series of circular and irregular shaped brushes of various sizes.  The edges of the brush shapes vary from solid to soft.  Select a brush by {Clicking} on it.  If you set Painting Cursors  to Brush Size  under Preferences /Painting Cursors the mouse pointer will change to an outline of the brush shape you selected at the size you selected when you pass it over the Image Window .

To create a new brush, {Click} the Options  Triangle and select New Brush.  Adjust Diameter, Hardness, (of the edge), Spacing (how much space is placed between each instance of the brush shape as you paint) Angle, (orientation of the shape), and Roundness (from circular to oval shapes).  The basis for your new brush is the currently selected brush shape.  You can save your brushes by selecting Options Triangle/Save Brushes.  To Load your brushes, or one of Photoshop ’s included Brush Sets select Options Triangle/Load Brushes and navigate to the location you store your brushes.  Photoshop’s included Brush Sets are located in Photoshop/Goodies/Brushes.

To modify an existing brush, {Click} the brush shape and select Options  Triangle/Brush Options.  You can adjust the brush just as you create a new brush.  Modifying the default brushes isn’t recommended.

To reset the Brushes to default select Options  Triangle/Reset Brushes.

Swatches
The Swatches  Palette defaults to a broad spectrum of available colors.  To choose or pick a color {Click} on a color swatch.  The color you select replaces the current Foreground Color.

The Swatches  Palette

To Load a custom set of swatches select Options  Triangle/Load Swatches .  Adobe has also included a variety of various print-ready and web-safe Swatch sets for your convenience.   To reset your Swatches Palette back to it’s default setting select Options Triangle/Reset Swatches.

Adobe has increased the functionality of the Swatches  Palette by allowing you to list the individual names or color codes for each Swatch.  This makes the process of choosing and referencing colors that much easier than it was before.  To list the Swatch Labels select Options  Triangle/Small List.

The Swatches  Palette with Details Listed

Color Palette
The Color Palette  is an interactive color mixer consisting of Color Sliders, Color Fields, Foreground and Background swatches, and the Color Ramp.  Make sure you are in the RGB spectrum by selecting Options  Triangle/RGB Spectrum and Options Triangle/RGB Sliders.

The Color Palette

To create colors simply {Click} and drag the Red, Green, or Blue sliders.  You can also {Click} and drag in the Color Ramp or input color values manually into the Color Fields.  {Click} on the Foreground Color swatch to change the Foreground Color.  {Click} on the Background Color  swatch to change the Background Color.

The Styles  Palette
The Styles  Palette  contains prepackaged and custom Styles that can be applied to shapes and text.   We’ll be looking at this Palette in depth in a later chapter.

The Styles Palette   

Airbrush Tool

The Airbrush Tool  effectively sprays color onto an image, similar to painting with a can of Spray Paint.  Imagine the mouse button is the nozzle you press down and hold as you spray.  The longer you spray a particular area the more opaque or dense the color or paint becomes.  In other words, as you apply increased or consistent pressure the density of the color increases.  When you use the Airbrush Tool” you should select an appropriate brush and color and then use the Options  Bar to set the brush’s behavior.

Airbrush Options
The Options  Bar for the Airbrush contains Brush, Blend Mode , Pressure, and Brush Dynamic controls.

Airbrush Options

Pressure
The Pressure setting regulates the speed at which the selected color builds opacity as you hold the mouse button down.   Reducing the value extends the time it takes for the color to reach full opacity.

Brush Dynamics

The Brush Dynamics dialog box applies to many of the Paint tools in the Toolbox .  It adjusts and modifies the way these tools apply color to an image. {Click} on the Brush Dynamics Icon to review your options.

The Brush Dynamics dialog box

Inputting values in the Size Drop Down Menu  will force your paint stroke  to decrease in size as you apply color.  The number of “steps” you enter affects the amount of time you have to keep the mouse button depressed.   Input a value greater than 0 to activate the Fade option.   The Pressure setting will gradually decrease the amount of pressure used to apply paint to 0.  The color setting will gradually transition the applied paint color from the foreground to background color.  The Stylus option is only applicable if you use a Graphic  Tablet for design.

Paintbrush Tool

The Paintbrush Tool applies color to your image instantly, with a {Single-Click}, unlike the AirbrushTool which requires holding the mouse button down for a certain amount of time to match the color of the swatch.

Paintbrush Options
Like the AirbrushTool, the Paintbrush has options for Blend Mode  and Fade.  There are also Opacity  and Wet Edges controls.

Paintbrush Options

Opacity
Opacity  sets the level of opacity.  100% is full opacity.  0% is full transparency.

Wet Edges
Checking Wet Edges creates paint strokes that are translucent in the center with a solid outline at the edge, similar to painting by fingers.

A normal paint stroke

A paint stroke  with wet edges applied

Rubber Stamp Tool

The Rubber Stamp Tool operates like the Paintbrush Tool except that rather than selecting a color to paint with, you select an area of the image to duplicate or clone by {Alt/Option-Clicking} the area you wish to duplicate.  As you paint with the Rubber Stamp Tool a cross-hair passes over the area you’ve selected for your reference.  The size of the brush you select in the Brushes Palette determines the size or radius of the cloning area.  The Rubber Stamp tool is an outstanding tool for retouching photographs.

Rubber Stamp Options
Options  include Blend Mode , Opacity , Use All Layers , and Aligned.

Rubber Stamp Options

Aligned
Check Aligned to force the cross-hair to follow the Rubber Stamp regardless of how many times you {Click} and {Re-Click}.  When Aligned is unchecked the cross-hair returns to original position after you have released the mouse button and {Click} again to resume.

Use All Layers
Check Use All Layers  to duplicate visible image data in all Layers.  Uncheck to duplicate the image data of the currently active Layer .

“miyajima.psd”

The people at the base of the gate removed with the Rubber Stamp tool in “miyajimaretouched.psd”

The Rubber Stamp Tool is not limited to duplicating image data into the same image or a single Layer .  You can {Alt-Click} in one Image Window  and duplicate the contents into another Image Window or another Layer.

Open the landscape.psd image from the chapter006 folder and practice using the Rubber Stamp Tool.  Try to add and remove trees and rocks.  Duplicate  elements from landscape.psd into a new Layer  of FirstImage.

Pattern Stamp Tool

The Pattern Stamp  Tool paints or repeats a pattern.  You use the Rectangular Marquee  Tool to define patterns in Photoshop .

Defining a Pattern
Using the landscape image create a rectangular selection around one of the trees.  Select Edit/Define Pattern.  There are no limits on the size or content of the pattern, but it must be rectangular.  Photoshop  stores the pattern you’ve just defined for use by any of the Tools that use patterns, such as the Pattern Stamp  Tool in a menu in the Options  Bar.  {Click} on the Pattern Menu  button to access your defined pattern in addition to a range of preset patterns.  {Clicking} on the Options Triangle in the Pattern Menu will allow you to add to, delete, rename, and reset the Patterns available.

The tree pattern we have created is added to the Pattern Menu

Painting with the Pattern Stamp Tool
Paint with the Pattern Stamp  Tool as you do with the Paintbrush Tool.  You’ll notice that the pattern you just defined is painted and repeated.  Use Opacity  in the Options  Bar to control opacity.

History Brush Tool

The History Brush Tool operates like the Paintbrush Tool except that rather than selecting a color to paint with, you select a History State  to restore as you paint.  To illustrate how the History Brush Tool works we’re going to apply two filters to the toy image (filters are covered later) and then use the History Brush to restore particular areas of the image to previous States.

Open the toy image from the chapter006 folder.
Select Filter/Artistic/Watercolor.

Watercolor Filter dialog box

Make Brush Detail 14, Shadow Intensity 0, and Texture  3.  {Click} OK.  The filter is applied, changing the look of the image from a photograph to a painting.

Select Filter/Brush Strokes/Crosshatch.

Crosshatch Filter dialog box

Make Stroke Length 30, Sharpness 6, and Strength 3.  {Click} OK.  The filter is applied, changing the image to a distorted sketch.

Examine the History Palette .  You’ll notice that both the Watercolor and Crosshatch filters are listed as States.  To get rid of the Crosshatch effect on the one of the toys select the History Brush Tool, select a brush size, and select 100% opacity.   {Click} the Toggle Box in the Watercolor State.   A History Brush icon appears.  Paint over the toy of your choice.  The Watercolor State of the image is restored as you paint.

Art History Brush

The Art History Brush  Tool operates like the History Brush Tool with additional brush or paint effects.  Like the History Brush, the Art History Brush samples data from a History State  of your choice.

Art History Brush Options
You can produce various natural media effects by changing the Blend Mode , Opacity , Paint Style , Fidelity, Area, and Spacing control in the Options  Bar.  Experiment with different settings to learn how they affect your image.

Specialized Art History Brush Options

Paint Style
Select from Tight Short, Tight Medium, Tight Long, Loose Medium, Loose Long, Dab, Tight Curl, Tight Curl Long, Loose Curl, and Loose Curl Long to define the shape of your brush strokes.

Fidelity
Fidelity determines how the currently selected Foreground Color mixes with the color in the selected History State .

Area
Area determines how much of the image is covered by your paint strokes and the frequency of stroke  effects.

Spacing
Spacing determines the limitations of your strokes based on color variations.  Increasing the value limits your strokes to area of similar color.  Decreasing the value broadens the range of color your strokes affect.

Eraser Tool
The Eraser Tool  works similarly to Photoshop ’s other painting Tools except rather than add color or restore History State s you remove image data.  Like the other painting Tools, you select brush size and shape and options from the Options  Bar.

Eraser Tool  Options
Options  include Erasing Mode , Opacity , Fade, and Wet Edges.

Eraser Options

Erasing Mode
Select from Paintbrush, Airbrush, Pencil, or Block to determine how the Eraser Tool  behaves.  Block produces a square block.

Wet Edges
Checking Wet Edges produces an effect similar to pouring water on a freshly painted paper and using your fingers or a brush to wash away the paint.

Erase to History
Toggle a State or Snapshot  in the History Palette  and {Click} on the Erase to History checkbox if you want to erase to an earlier incarnation of your current image.

Background Eraser Tool
The Background Eraser Tool  intelligently erases areas of color to transparency, most particularly areas of continuous or similar color.  By {Clicking} and dragging close to an edge the Background Eraser will erase the background but not the edge.

Background Eraser Options
Options  include Range (Discontiguous, Contiguous, Find Edges), Tolerance, Sampling (Continuous, Once, Background Swatch), and Protect Foreground Color.

Background Eraser Options

Limits
Select Discontiguous to erase the selected color from the entire Layer.

Select Contiguous to erase the selected color in a range where the color occurs continuously.

Select Find Edges to erase areas of the same color as well as maintaining a sharper definition for the edge.

Sampling
Select Continuous to sample as you drag.

Select Once to sample and erase areas containing the initial sample color.

Select Background Swatch to erase areas containing the current Background Color .

Protect Foreground Color
Check Protect Foreground Color to prevent the eraser from erasing colors that match the current Foreground Color.

Magic Eraser Tool
The Magic Eraser Tool  erases entire areas of color with a {Single-Click} rather than {Clicking}, holding, and dragging.  Use Tolerance, Anti-alias ed, Contiguous, and Use All Layers  accordingly.

Pencil Tool
The Pencil Tool  paints solid, hard-edged strokes.  Options  include Blend Mode , Opacity , Fade, and Auto Erase.

Shape Tools  
The Shape  Tools are a new addition to the Photoshop  Toolbox  and make up a large part of its vector functionality.  We will be discussing their options and usage in a later chapter.  

The Line Tool  is not a new Tool to Photoshop .  The way that it operates, however, has been changed for this version of the program.

Line Tool  Options
Line Tool  Options  include Blend Mode , Opacity , Weight, Anti-alias ed, Arrowheads (Start, End), and Shape .

Blur Tool
Use the Blur  Tool  to blur areas of the image by painting over them.  Select Brush Shape  and Size, Blend Mode , Use All Layers , and Pressure accordingly.

Sharpen Tool

Use the Sharpen  Tool to sharpen areas and edge of the image by painting over them.  Select Brush Shape  and Size, Blend Mode , Use All Layers , and Pressure accordingly.

Smudge Tool
Use the Smudge Tool to smudge areas of the image by painting over them.  Select Brush Shape  and Size, Blend Mode , Use All Layers , Pressure and Finger Painting accordingly.  Finger Painting mixes the Foreground Color into the Smudge effect.

Dodge Tool
Use the Dodge Tool  to lighten areas of the image by painting over them.  Select Brush Shape  and Size, Range (Shadows, Midtones, Highlights), and Exposure accordingly.

Burn Tool
Use the Burn Tool to darken areas of the image by painting over them.  Select Brush Shape  and Size, Range (Shadows, Midtones, Highlights), and Exposure accordingly.

Sponge Tool
Use the Sponge  Tool to saturate or desaturate the colors you paint over.  Select Desaturate  or Saturate from the Mode  drop-down menu and adjust Pressure accordingly.

GradientTool
The Gradient Tool is used to create gradient fills .  Gradients  are gradual shifts from at least one color to another or one color to transparency.  The effect is similar to the way the sky shifts from dark blue to a lighter blue as you look toward the horizon.  Gradients can also consist of multiple colors, much like a rainbow. 

Select from Linear,  Radial,   Angle,   Reflected,   and Diamond Gradient Tools .  {Click} and drag to create the Gradient in a Layer  or Selection.

Gradient Tool Options

Options  include Gradient, Blend Mode , Opacity , Reverse, Dither, Transparency , and Edit.   A preview of the Gradient appears in the Gradient Preview bar.

Gradient Options

Gradient
The Gradient drop-down has 15 Gradient combinations to select from.  Choose from any one of the 15 Thumbnails  or {Click} on the Options  Triangle to edit or create your own Gradients .  {Double Click} on the drop-down to access the Gradient Editor .

The Gradient Menu

Reverse
Check Reverse to reverse the Gradient.s

Dither
Check Dither to make the transition from one color to the next as smooth as possible.

Transparency
Check Transparency  to enable any transparency settings in the Gradient patterns.  Uncheck to disable transparency.