Chapter 04 Skills Review:
Incorporating Color Techniques

 

A) Work with color to transform an image

1. Start Photoshop.
2. Open PS 4·4.psd from the drive and folder where you store your Data Files, then save it as Firetruck.
3. Make sure the rulers appear in pixels, and that the default foreground and background colors display.
4. Use the Eyedropper Tool to sample the red color at 90 X/165 Y using the guides to help.
5. Use the Paint Bucket Tool to apply the new foreground color to the Background layer.
6. Undo your last step using either the Edit menu or the History palette.
7. Switch the foreground and background colors.
8. Save your work.

B) Use the Color Picker and the Swatches palette

1. Use the Set foreground color button to open the Color Picker dialog box.
2. Click the R, G:, and B: option buttons, one at a time. Note how the color palette changes.
3. With the B: option button selected, click the palette in the upper·left corner, then click OK.
4. Switch the foreground and background colors.
5. Add the foreground color (red) to the Swatches palette using a meaningful name of your choice.
6. Save your work.

C) Place a border around an image

1. Make Layer 1 active (if it is not already active).
2. Revert to the default foreground and background colors.
3. Create a border by applying a 2·pixel outside stroke to the firetruck.
4. Save your work.

D) Blend colors using the Gradient Tool

1. Change the foreground color to the fourth swatch from the right in the top row of the Swatches palette (35% Gray).
2. Switch foreground and background colors.
3. Use the new red swatch Ihat you added previously as the foreground color.
4. Make the Background layer active.
5. Use the Gradient Tool, apply the Angle Gradient with its deflault settings, then using the guides to help, drag the pointer from 145 X170 Y to 35 X/165 Y.
6. Save your work, and turn off the rulers display.

E) Add color to a grayscale image

1. Open PS 4-5.psd, then save it as Firetruck Colorized.
2. Change the color mode to RGB Color.
3. Open the Hue/Saturation dialog box, then select the Colorize check box.
4. Drag the sliders so the text boxes show the following values: 175, 56, and -30, then click OK.
5. Save your work.

F) Use filters, opacity, and blending modes

1. Use the Sharpen filter to sharpen the image.
2. Open the Fade Sharpen dialog box by using the Edit menu, change the opacITy to 40%, change the mode to Hard Light, then save your work.
3. Open the Color Balance dialog box.
4. Change the color level settings so the text boxes show the following values: +61, -15, and +20.
5. Turn off the rulers display if necessary.
6. Save your work.

G) Match colors

1. Open PS 4-6.tif, then select the light green in the cat's eye.
2. Select the white areas of the fire truck in Firetruck.psd. (Hint: You can click on multi· pie areas using the Magic Wand Tool)
3. Use the Match Color dialog box to change the white in Layer 1of the Firetruck image to green (in the cat's eye). Compare your images to the figure below.
4. Save your work.
5. Exit Photoshop.

 

Source: "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Revealed" by Elizabeth Eisner Reding