Layer Masks Portrait
Project
The goal of this project
is to create a wacky portrait utilizing a fun mixture of facial features with
your portrait as a base image and adding elements from your classmate
portraits. To complete this project, an understanding of layer masks and
image transformation (scale, size, rotation, etc.) is required and will be
learned.
Begin by opening your
image from the appropriate folder found in your class folder on the transport
ffs system. Once opened, use Adobe Bridge to browse through the images of
your other classmates. Choose at least 3 other images to combine with
your own. Maybe you like one person's eye, or another person's nose,
etc.
- Once you have the images open, move the image windows next to each other (click, drag, and release the tab at the top of the image window to separate it into a new window) and use the move tool to copy the new layer of your classmate's face to the document window with your image. Select the move tool and simply click in one of your classmate's image windows, or on the layer icon in the layers palette. Hold down the mouse and drag the image into your image window and release the mouse to automatically create a new image layer above your background image.
- Then lower that new layer's opacity to 50% or so in the layers palette. This will allow you to see through that new layer which makes it easier to line up the faces.
- Go to the Edit > Free Transform command and use the options bar to resize, move, and rotate the image until the features pretty well line up. Use the trick of repositioning the center pivot point (option click where you want it) to not only rotate around, but to scale up and down from that point that you lock in. Commit the transformation by pressing the return/enter key, or by clicking the check mark in the options bar.
- In the layers palette, put the opacity of the top layer back to 100%
- Go to Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide All to add a layer mask which hides the entire layer by filling the new mask with black.
- Then be sure the layer mask thumbnail is chosen for that layer in the layers palette (not the image thumbnail!), and paint in the document window with "white" for the facial elements that you want to "reveal" from that hidden layer. Also remember that you can select to paint with a soft edged brush set to a lower opacity in the options bar in order for smoother transitions between the facial elements on the two separate layers. You should also get in the habit of locking the image pixels in the Layers Palette so as not to accidentally paint on the image when you meant to paint on the layer mask (Brush icon in the lock choices atop the palette).
- Finally, add Clipping Masks if you need to adjust color and tone (to match skin possibly) for individual layers without effecting the rest of the layers.
Continue adding elements
until you are complete and have a smooth, albeit goofy looking!, portrait
image.
