Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

By Greg Bowden

Chapter 16

Advanced Layer
Uses

Guided Computer Tutorials

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© Greg Bowden

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 Chapter

16
Advanced Layer Uses
Cameras do not always do justice to people. Photoshop provides a number of tools to
help improve the appearance of faces in photographs. In this Chapter layers will be used
to improve the skin tone of a face, highlight facial features and change the eye colour.

Loading the Image

1 Load Photoshop or close the current file and select OPEN from the FILE menu.
2 Access the PScs4 SUPPORT FILES, open the CHAPTER 16 folder and open the file:
Portrait

3 Press CTRL+0 or COMMAND+0 to set

the view to FIT ON SCREEN so that
the photo fills the screen.

4 Look closely at the image. The camera has made the skin a little shiny and uneven
in places.
5 Use SAVE AS from the FILE menu to save the image in your STORAGE folder as a
PHOTOSHOP file under the file name:
Enhanced Portrait

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

Duplicating the Layer

There are times when a mask is not the best way to adjust a photo, particularly when the
whole photo is to be adjusted. When changes are needed to be made to the original
layer, a duplicate of the layer can be created so that major changes can be made to the
copy without affecting the original image.

1 Move the pointer over the ORIGINAL
layer label in the LAYERS panel and
drag the label over the CREATE A
NEW LAYER icon at the bottom of the
panel.

2 A copy of the layer should be produced.

3 Change the name of the new layer

to SOFTENED.

Blurring the Image

The duplicated layer will be blurred to give the skin a softer more even look. After this
we will sharpen sections of the image such as the eyes, hair and teeth.
1 The SOFTENED layer should be selected.
2 Display the FILTER menu at the top of the screen, highlight BLUR and select
SURFACE BLUR.

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 Advanced Layers Uses 16

3 Set the RADIUS box to 8 pixels and

the THRESHOLD to 10.

NOTE: The PREVIEW frame can be used to scroll around the picture.
With the mouse depressed the original image is displayed.
When you release the mouse button the effect of the blur is
shown.

4 Select OK and the tone of the skin should look softer and more even.

Adding a Mask to the Layer

Parts of the face such as the eyes don’t need to be blurred so a mask will be added to
the duplicate layer. By doing this we can paint on the mask to display the original eyes,
but leave the skin blurred.

1 In the LAYERS panel click on the

PANEL MENU icon and select PANEL
OPTIONS.

2 Check that the SMALL THUMBNAIL

SIZE is selected and select OK.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

3 Click on the ADD LAYER MASK icon

at the base of the LAYERS panel to
add a mask to the SOFTENED layer.

Sharpening the Important Features

1 Select the BRUSH TOOL and set the

BRUSH SIZE to about 10 pixels.

2 Paint over the eyes, eyebrows, hair,

mouth, the base of the nose and the
jaw line. Those parts of the image
from the ORIGINAL layer will become
visible, hence look a little brighter.

NOTE: By blurring the image we have set the skin tones to look more
consistent and then sharpened the import parts of the image.

3 Turn off the view of the SOFTENED

layer to see the original image then
turn the view back on.

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 Advanced Layers Uses 16

Merging Layers
Once you have made changes to a set of layers and you are happy with them they can
be merged into one layer to reduced the number of layers present in a file. This process
is called MERGING LAYERS.
1 Display the LAYER menu and select MERGE VISIBLE.

2 The layers should be combined into

one layer called SOFTENED.

Creating a Duplicate Layer

As you start building changes to a file it is best to make a copy of the layer, make
changes to the copy and, once you are happy with the changes, merge the copied layer
with the original to create one layer. This process can be continued until the production
is complete. If you do not like changes to a file the copied layer can always be deleted
and a copy of the original layer remade.

1 Drag the SOFTENED layer over the

CREATE A NEW LAYER icon at the
base of the LAYERS panel.

2 A duplicate of the layer should be created.

NOTE: You can also create a duplicate layer using the LAYER menu or
the LAYER PANEL MENU icon.

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Learning Adobe Photoshop CS4

Enhancing the Eyes and Teeth

The whites of the eyes and the teeth can be made whiter and the eye colour changed.

A Selecting the White Eye Area

The white area of the eyes will be enhanced in the copied layer then the layers merged
to create one layer.
1 Zoom the screen to 500% and scroll to the eyes.

2 Select the LASSO TOOL and drag

a selection around the left white
section of the left eye.

NOTE: If you are not happy with the selection press CTRL+D or
COMMAND+D to deselect the area and try again.

3 Hold down the SHIFT key and lasso

the small white inner area of the left
eye.

4 We can feather the selection so that the adjustments are not too sharp. Display the
SELECT menu, highlight MODIFY and select FEATHER.

5 As this is a small area and zoomed

set the FEATHER RADIUS to 1 pixel
and select OK.

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