Using the painting tools (Photoshop)

Using the painting tools (Photoshop)

Photoshop provides the brush tool and the pencil tool to let you paint with the current foreground color By default the brush tool creates soft strokes of color and the pencil tool creates hard-edged freehand lines However you can change these default characteristics by resetting the tool s brush options. You can also use the brush tool as an airbrush to apply sprays of color to an image.

To use the brush tool or pencil tool:

Specify a foreground color (See "Choosing foreground and background colors on section 257

Select the brush tool or pencil tool .

Do the following in the options bar:

Choose a brush and set brush options (See "Working with brushes on section 228

Specify a blending mode (See "Selecting a blending mode on section 241

Specify an opacity (See "Specifying opacity flow strength or exposure on section 243

For the brush tool specify a flow rate (See "Specifying opacity flow strength or exposure on section 243

Click the airbrush button to use the brush as an airbrush Alternately select the Airbrush option in the Brushes palette (See "Creating airbrush effects (Photoshop) on section 239

For the pencil tool select Auto Erase to paint the background color over areas containing the foreground color (See "Using the Auto Erase option on section 226

Do one or more of the following:

Drag in the image to paint.

To draw a straight line click a starting point in the image. Then hold down Shift and click an ending point.

When using the brush tool as an airbrush hold down the mouse button without dragging to build up color.

Using the painting tools (ImageReady)

ImageReady provides the paintbrush tool pencil tool and airbrush tool to let you paint the current foreground color on an image. The three tools create different effects:

The paintbrush tool creates soft strokes of color.

The pencil tool creates hard-edged freehand lines.

The airbrush tool applies gradual tones (including sprays of color) to an image, simulating traditional airbrush techniques. The edges of the stroke are more diffused than those created with the paintbrush tool.

To use the paintbrush tool pencil tool or airbrush tool:

Specify a foreground color (See "Choosing foreground and background colors on section 257

Select the paintbrush tool , pencil tool , or airbrush tool .

Do the following in the options bar:

Choose a preset brush (See "Working with brushes on section 228

Specify a blending mode (See "Selecting a blending mode on section 241

For the paintbrush tool and pencil tool specify an opacity (See "Specifying opacity, flow strength or exposure on section 243

For the airbrush tool specify a paint flow (See "Specifying opacity flow strength or exposure on section 243

For the pencil tool select Auto Erase to paint the background color over areas containing the foreground color (See "Using the Auto Erase option on section 226

Do one or more of the following:

Drag in the image to paint.

To draw a straight line click a starting point in the image. Then hold down Shift and click an ending point.

When using the brush tool as an airbrush hold down the mouse button without dragging to build up color.

Erasing

The eraser and magic eraser tools let you erase areas of an image to transparency or to the background color. The background eraser tool (Photoshop) lets you erase to transparency on a layer You can also use the Auto Erase option with the pencil tool to erase the foreground color to the background color as you paint.

If you want to erase the background of an object with intricate or wispy edges use the

Extract command (See "Extracting objects from their background (Photoshop) on section 174

Using the eraser tool

The eraser tool changes pixels in the image as you drag through them If you re working in the background or in a layer with transparency locked the pixels change to the background color otherwise the pixels are erased to transparency. You can also use the eraser to return the affected area to a state selected in the History palette.

To use the eraser tool:

Select the eraser tool .

Do the following in the options bar:

Choose a brush and set brush options (Photoshop) or choose a preset brush

(ImageReady) (See "Working with brushes on section 228 This option is not available for Block mode.

Choose a mode for the eraser-Brush (Photoshop) Paintbrush (ImageReady) Airbrush

(ImageReady) Pencil or Block.

Specify an opacity to define the strength of the erasure An opacity of 100% erases pixels completely A lower opacity erases pixels partially ( This option is not available for Block mode in Photoshop.)

(Photoshop) In Brush mode specify a flow rate (See "Specifying opacity flow strength, or exposure on section 243

(Photoshop) In Brush mode click the airbrush button to use the brush as an airbrush Alternately select the Airbrush option in the Brushes palette (See "Creating airbrush effects (Photoshop) on section 239

(Photoshop) To erase to a saved state or snapshot of the image click the left column of the state or snapshot in the History palette then select Erase to History in the options bar (See "Painting with a state or snapshot of an image (Photoshop) on section 42

(Photoshop) To temporarily use the eraser tool in Erase to History mode hold down

Alt ( Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag in the image.

Drag through the area you want to erase.

Using the magic eraser tool

When you click in a layer with the magic eraser tool the tool automatically changes all similar pixels If you re working in the background or in a layer with locked transparency, the pixels change to the background color otherwise the pixels are erased to trans- parency. You can choose to erase contiguous pixels only or all similar pixels on the current layer.

 

Example of erasing similar pixels

To use the magic eraser tool:

Select the magic eraser tool .

Do the following in the options bar:

Enter a tolerance value to define the range of colors that can be erased A low tolerance erases pixels within a range of color values very similar to the pixel you click A high tolerance erases pixels within a broader range.

Select Anti-aliased to smooth the edges of the area you erase.

Select Contiguous to erase only pixels contiguous to the one you click or deselect to erase all similar pixels in the image.

Select Use All Layers to sample the erased color using combined data from all visible layers.

Specify an opacity to define the strength of the erasure An opacity of 100% erases pixels completely A lower opacity erases pixels partially.

Click in the part of the layer you want to erase.

Using the background eraser tool (Photoshop)

The background eraser tool lets you erase pixels on a layer to transparency as you drag; this allows you to erase the background while maintaining the edges of an object in the foreground By specifying different sampling and tolerance options you can control the range of the transparency and the sharpness of the boundaries. The background eraser samples the color in the center of the brush also called the hot spot and deletes that color wherever it appears inside the brush It also performs color extraction at the edges of any foreground objects so that color halos are not visible if the foreground object is later pasted into another image.

Note: The background eraser overrides the lock transparency setting of a layer.

To use the background eraser tool:

In the Layers palette select the layer containing the areas you want to erase.

Select the background eraser tool .

Click the brush sample in the options bar and set brush options in the pop-up palette:

For more information on the Diameter Hardness Spacing Angle and Roundness options see "Customizing brush tips (Photoshop) on section 230

If you re using a pressure-sensitive digitizing tablet choose options from the Size and Tolerance menus to vary the size and tolerance of the background eraser over the course of a stroke Choose Pen Pressure to base the variation on the pen pressure. Choose Stylus Wheel to base the variation on the position of the pen thumbwheel. Choose Off to not vary the size or tolerance.

Do the following in the options bar:

Choose a Limits mode for erasing Discontiguous to erase the sampled color wherever it occurs under the brush Contiguous to erase areas that contain the sampled color and are connected to one another Find Edges to erase connected areas containing the sampled color while better preserving the sharpness of shape edges.

For Tolerance enter a value or drag the slider A low tolerance limits erasure to areas that are very similar to the sampled color A high tolerance erases a broader range of colors.

Select Protect Foreground Color to prevent the erasure of areas that match the foreground color in the toolbox.

Choose a Sampling option: Continuous to sample colors continuously as you drag; Once to erase only areas containing the color that you first click Background Swatch to erase only areas containing the current background color.

Drag through the area you want to erase. The background eraser tool pointer appears as a brush shape with a cross hair indicating the tool s hot spot .

Using the Auto Erase option

The Auto Erase option for the pencil tool lets you paint the background color over areas containing the foreground color.

To use the Auto Erase option:

Specify foreground and background colors (See "Choosing foreground and background colors on section 257

Select the pencil tool .

Select Auto Erase in the options bar.

Drag over the image.

If the center of the cursor is over the foreground color when you begin dragging the area is erased to the background color If the center of the cursor is over an area that doesn t contain the foreground color when you begin dragging the area is painted with the foreground color.