wrong layer is showing through

[charlotteinkennesaw]

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1QP2zpfLktDp5rE4YjIVAEn5OmZ9hi0_thumb.gif (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1QP2zpfLktDp5rE4YjIVAEn5OmZ9hi0)

URL=http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1rk9IThd1oDYf4OspdAYnMNuX2AR0]http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1rk9IThd1oDYf4OspdAYnMNuX2AR0_thumb.jpg[/URL]

I think I got these backward but anyway this is what is happening when I followed the instructions sent to me. First I made a dupe with ctl J, then went to "Enhance>convert to B&W. Then under the Effect pallette>monotone color>selected sepia.Then I made the backgound active in the layers palete, clicked on the Create Adjustment Layer icon and selected "levels">clicked okay. Then made the top layer active and did ctrl-G to group the layer ...it indented. Then I clicked on the white mask in the layers palette and got a soft edged brush( I had been using the Selection brush which gave me the marching ants) and used black as my foreground color. However when I painted on the sweater and blue jeans, the black and white was showing through and not the color layer. what am I missing???:confused:

Charlotte

[Diana]

Hi Charlotte,

When you run the Sepia action, I see now it creates a new layer above the B&W layer. You need to merge them together. With the sepia layer active, press Ctrl-E to merge down. Then the rest of the instructions should work. Sorry I didn't mention that step.

Diana

[charlotteinkennesaw]

Diana, Thanks i will try that.

c:D

[charlotteinkennesaw]

Diana,

when I select the brush on the top left and fix the diameter, it starts the marching ants again and I don't know what is going on. Help please. I am determined to learn this.:(

Charlotte

[jjvera00]

When you are painting on the Layer Mask, use a Regular Brush not the Selection Brush.

[charlotteinkennesaw]

Johnny, that is what I think I am doing. I am selecting the brush from the top left, not the one on the tool panel. I can enlarge by using the right bracket symbol. But when I start to brush it starts the "marching ants" and doesn't show through the color anyway. Am I getting the brush from the the wrong place?:(

[charlotteinkennesaw]

When I use the brush I notice that on top is "very pearly whites". How did that get there? My adjustment layer has that on it all of a sudden.:eek:

[jjvera00]

Yes you are using the wrong tool. The Selection Brush is used to make selections, hence the marching ants. Press B to get the Brush Tool active. You can still use [ and ] to make different brush sizes.

[jjvera00]

When I use the brush I notice that on top is "very pearly whites". How did that get there? My adjustment layer has that on it all of a sudden.:eek:

What do you mean by "very pearly whites?"

[charlotteinkennesaw]

Thanks I got the brush tool but I am brushing and nothing is showing through. I can see on the adjustment level that I am painting black but where is the color??I went a different route with what you suggested in another post but I didn't want to do the "marching ants" thing. :(

[charlotteinkennesaw]

On the top of the screen is a little box that is checked next to "inverse" It has a picture of a girl. If I drop down the menu it show a lot of different effects like "lipstick", pearly whites, etc.

[jjvera00]

Oh, OK.

You are using Elements 7. That is the Smart Brush Tool. This is just a "quick way" to do things that you can do in previous versions of Elements but took a few (but very easy) steps.

Another way to show color in a B/W (or sepia) picture is to do this:

1) Make a copy of your pic (Ctrl+J)
2) Make the copy B/W (Ctrl+U, which is Adjust Hue/Saturation)
3) On the Copy Layer (which is now B/W) erase (press E) what you DON'T want to be in B/W. What you erase will reveal the Color on the bottom.

[charlotteinkennesaw]

Johnny,
I am scared of "erasing". I have heard that it is permanent and you can't go back and fix it if you 'color out the line". :eek:Isn't there another way?
Thanks for your help.

[Diana]

Hi Charlotte,

You can get this to work with the adjustment layer mask, you just need to get the right tool. Here's where to find it:

Using this brush and following my previous instructions above, this should work for you.:)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1afHnGc5pkKpCwxMD9WX1n6BOxmv_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1afHnGc5pkKpCwxMD9WX1n6BOxmv)

Let me know if you are having further problems.

Diana

[jjvera00]

Johnny,
I am scared of "erasing". I have heard that it is permanent and you can't go back and fix it if you 'color out the line". :eek:Isn't there another way?
Thanks for your help.


You should not feel scared about erasing. If you mess up, just press Ctrl+Z to undo the erasing. The erasing method is just a good way for PSE beginners to get the effects that they want. The method I suggested is the easiest one to do because it does not involve Adjustment Layers and Layer Masks. Once you start understanding the concepts of them, and how to apply them and use them, you then can then move away from erasing.