When my human makes a graphic with me, she uses something (some things, actually) called Layers. Of course, Photoshop has the ability to create and edit layers, but some of the other, less intimidating programs like Pixlr do too. I think there are even elementary layers in Photoshop Elements and the Royale version of Picmonkey. I know many of you are kind of scared when you hear the word Layers, so I want to explain a little bit about them because they are actually fun and you don’t have to be real smart or artistic to make use of them!
My human used several layers — not really that many to make my Valentine’s Day graphic:
Here is the graphic she began with:
Now, here is what a layer is: imagine a piece of paper that is covered with a bunch of patterns. Then lay another piece of paper on top of it that is blank except for an image in the middle of it — and the blank part of the paper is transparent. You can move the image around on top of the paper with the patterns and you will see both the patterns and the image. Now, take another transparent piece of paper with some text on it and put that on top of the other two pieces of paper. You can move all these pieces of paper, independent of one another until you have a composition you like. That is the basic part of what layers do. Layers can do a lot more than that, but with just this little bit of knowledge you can do lots of things already!
In Photoshop, you’ll usually find the Layers panel on the right hand side of the computer screen. You can actually put it anywhere you want, but that is its default placement. Here are the layers from my Valentine’s Day image:
It took three layers to get me inside of the heart shape in the middle. I think this close up gives you a clue as to how it was done.
My human made a duplicate layer of the heart graphic and cut out the pink of the heart in the center. There are a lot of ways to that. Photoshop makes it really easy with a tool called “Magic Eraser” — you just click on that tool, place it on a color you want to get rid of (make transparent) and click… and it’s gone! It works best when the color is solid, with no shading or gradients. So it was perfect to use here. Then she put an image of me she had cropped in between the two layers and moved it around until she liked the way I was positioned. Then she added the text on different layers and that was it!
Another great thing about layers is you can hide them! My Facebook page header has a couple of different backgrounds that I can have my human turn on or off, depending on the holiday. Here is the regular background turned on:
For Valentine’s Day, she turned off the regular background and turned on a bokah heart background that was already there and instantly made a Valentine’s Day header! You can do this with text, images or any other thing that is on a layer.
Maybe you are wondering about the cropped image of me. I have to warn you, the next part is a little advanced! But if you know something about cropping, and it makes you crazy sometimes, this might be good to know.
If you do cropping, I bet you go nuts trying to crop around cat fur! So does my human. She hates it. So do a lot of other humans, which is why you see the same cropped kitty images used on lots of different graphics! Well, it had been a while since my human had done a new one of me, so she cursed a little and went ahead and did it. She found a photo of me with a mostly solid background (which, if you read my blog regularly, you know is kind of hard to find!). She cropped around my head and body as best she could and when she couldn’t do any more without wanting to stab herself, she pulled out the secret weapon she learned from somewhere that she can’t remember.
She clicks on the Eraser tool (the regular, not the Magic one), and then picks one of the scattery looking brush styles, the rougher looking, the better! She then adjusts the size of the Eraser brush to best work with whatever size image she is working with and then, very carefully, just pokes the edge of it along the edge of the cropped out image. It creates a fur-like effect. She does this all around my fur and then she is done! Well, except for the whiskers. They are “drawn” in using Paths. That is another Photoshop trick that is a little bit advanced. But if you know about Paths and have used them, you will appreciate this video my human found that teaches you how to do it! The video quality is terrible but if you are the slighest bit familiar with Paths and you want to extend whiskers beyond where you cropped a kitty, it is worth dealing with it.
And all that leads me to my human’s biggest photo editing tip: if there is some sort of effect or something else she wants to do, she Googles it or does a search on YouTube! Then if the tutorial or video is good, she bookmarks it. That is how she has learned to do a bunch of stuff, and not just photo editing.
Thanks for the great tutorial, Sparkle!
Pawsome tutorial Sparkle! And your card {so that means you} is beautiful!
I’ve just recently learned about layers and the eraser tool. I didn’t know about the feathering feature though, which would be great for Truffle and Brulee’s fur. Now I need to check out the “paths” tool. Thank you!
The graphic looks great Sparkle 🙂
Excellent post! Well so the human says! She has bookmarked it! She knows basic stuff, but isn’t very proficient to be honest!
Our Mom’s brain just exploded! If we can find all the pieces, Mom says she might be brave enough to try this kind of stuff! She loves photography and is pretty good as far as subject, composition, and exposures, etc., but she sucks at the digital stuff. She’s very old school with the SLR…Purrs.
Well. We think we’d just better HIRE your Human, Sparkle…
Pawsome information Sparkle! * whispers…can I borrow you human*…ahem…koff, koff….no, no problem…we are doing just fine with our little piZap…*sigh*…you see Sparkle…Mom Linda is “dyslexic” and she has so many problems using Photo Elements 10 and we cannot afford the WHOLE photo shop and we know…it would not make any difference for us. WE do what we can do. We sort of understand but then there is all that stuff about “masks” etc…then we are lost. WE are happy to just watch you and others do wondrous things…paw hugs, Savannah and Mom Linda
Thank you for the informative tutorial. I have not tried the scatter brush and the eraser yet. And thanks for the Magic Eraser info too!
Pawesome tutorial. We especially like the tip about using the eraser brush for fur. That’s a great fixer!
Your mum is super clever Sparkle! My mum has no clue with photoshop! The result is purrfect!
Pawesome advice column!! We know this’ll help tons of humans make their kitties represent well online! WOOT!
Your Valentine crad is furry pretty !
My mom likes best when she can just click once and then it´s finished
XOXO
Your Valentine’s card was beautiful Sparkle.
Pawsome lesson, Sparkle!!! Layers area a wonderful thing. We haven’t tried one of the scatter brush tips with the eraser for cat fur….that’s a great tip! We’ll definitely give it a shot!
: )
Wow this is such a helpful information!
Your human is very knowledgeable and skilled!
OMC, that is some nice Photoshop editing! My secretary used to be quite advanced with that tool, but since she hasn’t been using it that much for a long time, she has forgotten a lot! I think she should start practicing again!
Wow, great information and we love the Valentine your Human created. We will have to come back and refer to this post when we get serious with our Photoshop!
Good tutorial. Believe it or not, TW knows all that stuff about layers. She just doesn’t know about making them different colors, flattening them and stuff like that. She also didn’t understand why you’d need a copy of the background layer of you were using a cutout of yourself. Thanks for explaining. Also when she makes my cutouts, she uses the polygon lasso tool to cut me out and then place the cutout on a transparent background. She’ll have to try it your human’s way. Couldn’t you make a whisker’s shape brush and do it that way although she wouldn’t have thought about it w/o reading this blog. Thanks. Appaws appaws!
Sparkle that was very informative…my human has been debating about subscribing to Photoshop…interesting what you can do with it
Hugs madi your bfff
We understand about using the same picture because Jan mumbles and growls a lot when she has to take out the background. Nice post.
My little goat brain just exploded
Turned out good didn’t it,xx Speedy
Good info. I’ve found there is no substitute for trial and error and just doing it. The biggest hurdle for the average non-techie is fear.
Your Valentine card was very pretty.
We liked the tips you gave and Mom
especially liked the bit about
using the scatter brush to create a fur like effect.
She will use that in future 🙂
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure,JJ
and Angels Tiger and Tillie
wonderful tutorial! There is another HIGHLY OVERLOOKED site out there that I use all of the time that has advanced options as you displayed above and that is ribbet.com , overall I think they offer more than picmonkey
Oh Wow Sparkle! This was furry informative! Thanks!
Kisses
Nellie
First off, that’s a great head shot! Second I think I understand layers a little better. That magic eraser thing is super useful, I wish I had one!
WOW – M said she just learned so much from your tips. We has Photoshop Elements and have had it for 3 years now. She has done some work in layers, but has much more to learn Like your advice on Googling the info too. Guess we didn’t think of that one. Your human sure does do a nice job.
Sparkle, this is the very best Advice post you have ever written. Mom is so terrible at photo editing, partly ’cause her neuromuscular disease makes her very shaky. She just uses the free programs available, but keeps thinking she should buy photoshop. With the free programs, she would have to draw around that entire heart and then color it in to cut it out. She likes the sound of just clicking on it. Tome to investigate Photoshop. Have a great weekend. Purrs and paw-pats, Lily OLivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Oh yes, that cropping thing can be a real pain in the fur!
Our Person has tried to do the photoshop stuff but doesn’t have the patience but I will say that this is some of the best information that she has read. It is really hard to find something that tells you step by step what to do. Thanks for this great post. Have a great day.
Mum says when she’s got a day with nothing to do she’ll try and have a go.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Mom knew about layers but that last tip was super. She’s always unhappy with the edges! Thanks.
The Florida Furkids
Wow! That’s still a lot of work!
Thanks again for the very informative post, Sparkle!
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie