I have this image where i have done everything i.e. whatever i was supposed to do in photoshop except for masking hair. I am unable to do it and i am in a fix. I have been ignoring this image for last one and half months and want to finish it ASAP
Unless you have a evenly lit solid color background, there is no easy way to mask hair. Not saying it can't be done, but it takes patience and lots of work.
I just found this last night. It's written for PSE5, but I played around with it in CS2. It seems to work well, but the key is to shoot against a white background if possible.
I can manage till this step Step 4 fine. I start getting lost from step 5 onward, when we are told that we need create a "With the Remove Color layer selected add a Levels adjustment layer. Without making any adjustment simply select OK. This Levels adjustment layer has a layer mask that we can use to house the mask that we have created in the previous step.
I am unable use this level adjustment layer to create a mask
Step 5 itself is simple. Just do a Levels adjustment layer without making any adjustments at all. Click OK to close the box. You should see a blank mask showing in the Layers dialogue beside the Levels adjustment layer icon. Step 6 shows you how to cut and paste the contents of the layer below into that mask.
That's a doggone good tutorial, by the way, for doing some things that Elements is not thought of as capable of.
Does that help any? Step 5 is a "cheat", since Elements normally doesn't allow masking.
I do get the concept behind creating Layer adjustment layer, issue is that i am not simply able to cut and paste the content of the layer below, It is like i am so close to masking but simply unable to cut and paste the selection to that mask
First, select everything on the layer before the Levels/Mask Layer, then click Edit/Copy Merged. THEN, hold down the ALT key and click on the MASK area of the Levels/Mask layer in the Layers box. The image itself should go white. This is how you select the mask for editing.
Then click Edit / Paste, and voila, the mask will now contain the same thing as the layer you have before the Levels / Mask layer.
Holding the ALT key while left clicking inside the Layers box is the key.
First, select everything on the layer before the Levels/Mask Layer, then click Edit/Copy Merged. THEN, hold down the ALT key and click on the MASK area of the Levels/Mask layer in the Layers box. The image itself should go white. This is how you select the mask for editing.
Then click Edit / Paste, and voila, the mask will now contain the same thing as the layer you have before the Levels / Mask layer.
Holding the ALT key while left clicking inside the Layers box is the key.
