Wendy - Gradient & Curves Tutorial

[bayhli]

Hi Wendy,

I knew I'd have trouble with the curve tool :mad:

When I pull down the curve line, I do not get the little boxes on the line nor a nice curve - just a "blip" . Even if I click smooth. Am I supposed to be doing something with those eyedroppers?

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9377/curves4gq.th.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=curves4gq.jpg)

HELP ! Please.... I swear I'm up so early because I couldn't sleep thinking about it :rolleyes:

[Wendy]

Pat ...

You are on the wrong layer ...

Make the selection active ... just as it is on the image
Now turn off the eyeball on the figures layer
Click on the Gradient layer
then use curves
No need for the eyedroppers


I like the look of it !!
Do let me know how you go on :)

Wendy

[Wendy]

Pat ...

Forget that ... you are on the right layer.

Now mine looks a bit different to yours which version of Elements are you using ?
and which set of tools ?

Wendy

[bayhli]

Wendy I'm using PE3 and Grant's Action Curves Tool .

Could it have anything to do with the Options settings?

I can get the men to appear but by basically scribbling randomly with the little pencil. Certainly would have no control over the results.

[Wendy]

Hi Pat ...

Ah yours may look different because you are using Windows ... but we could do with a Windows users to check it out ... that red square in the top right hand corner does look right to me???

Wendy

[bayhli]

Ah, that could be. That little red square is just to close the curves tool window.

Can another Window's user let me know if they are experiencing the same things using Grant's Action Curves? It might be helpful to know if your Curves Window looks like mine or Wendy's when opened and used.

Here's Wendy's: http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1NrB4QorWJNZTeWbOs03Dvm6sRSZg

Here's Mine: http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=curves4gq.jpg

Grant's instructions on his site didn't help unfortunately.

Thanks for trying Wendy!! :)

[Wendy]

Pat ...

Just a thought ... do the rest of the tools work OK ?


Wendy

[bayhli]

Yes they do Wendy - although I only use the Layers Mask and Transform.

Not sure what's going on but hopefully a Window's user will help out.

Knowing if my Curves window looks the same as another Windows user will at least tell me if there is something wrong with the tool installation...

[Diana]

Here's a Windows view in Elements 3.0.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZuFOKC1ZN69CgbAH4mUsaGViqcaU (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZuFOKC1ZN69CgbAH4mUsaGViqcaU)

Pat, it looks like you have your gradient on a layer above the background. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Wendy, how do you get a thumbnail of the pixentral link into the post, rather than the html code link? Thanks.

Diana

[bayhli]

Hi Diana,

I got rid of the white background layer and tried again but it didn't make any difference.

If you use Windows, could you put up a picture of your Curves Tool Screen opened so I can compare it to mine?

Thanks

[Diana]

Okay, give me a minute to get it ready.

Diana

[Diana]

Okay, here you go.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1GH62uzt0Y9yCXpTCZih5k928Ms1 (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1GH62uzt0Y9yCXpTCZih5k928Ms1)

Hope this helps.

Diana

[bayhli]

Thanks a lot Diana,

When I compare our Curves Screens, it is the same difference as Wendy's - I don't seem to be able to click on the diagonal line, get the little square and then pull the line down; nor do I end up with that nice curve you both have.

I wonder if I can be using it wrong but can't see any other way to do so but the obvious???

I have the PET Curves as well so I tried that one but it operates the same as Grants on my computer. Is the PET tool actually just Grant's Tool adopted by PET?

It sure has me stumped - perhaps if I email Grant himself he can help. For now I'm just going to put it aside.

Thanks again Wendy and Diana.

[Wendy]

Hi Pat ...

Grant's tools and the PET ones are not really tools at all, they are sort of actions that let you access Curves. The history is the when Adobe did Elements they took Photoshop as a base and disabled many of the features (that is far too simplistic but should give you some idea of how it was done)

... now that means that Photoshop Curves are still within Elements but they are buried within the coding. Grant's tools and the PET ones use a backdoor method of accessing these buried Curves ...

Sadly Adobe closed this door in PSE4 :(

Wendy

[bayhli]

That's right Wendy! Well, that's that then.

I must be doing something wrong using the pencil, good Lord - I think this is one that just might go unsolved.

BTW - are those little square boxes already positioned on the diagonal curve line when you open the Curves dialogue box, or do they appear when you click the line with the pencil? (just can't let it go can I :) )

[Diana]

In the Curves window that comes up, there are little squares at each end of the line only. The other little squares appear where you click and drag it to change the curves.

Diana

[bayhli]

Thanks for that piece of info Diana - no little squares appear at all for me, not on opening nor on clicking with the pencil. That makes me think then that this particular Grant tool is not working on my version of PE3 for some unknown reason.

Many thanks cause now I'll just let it go.... will have to live without curves!

[karen donnybrook]

Pat, if you go back to the thread with the original tutorial Wendy did, she gave me instructions to do the gradient without Grants Tools. Maybe that will work for you, anyway it would be worth a try.

[bayhli]

Thanks Karen, I'll have a look.

[Wendy]

Pat ....

Just a query ...

What do you mean by ... "the pencil"???


Wendy

[NMarti]

Wendy - I just went and looked and in Windows the there is a pencil below the grid box. If you click on the pencil then it does really strange things to the grid line. It actually made part of mine disappear.

Pat - click on the the little curved box to the left of the pencil and it will work properly - at least mine did. Grant will have to let us know why the pencil reacts this way but when you click it the adjustment does not work.

[bayhli]

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy .....

Your seemingly little inquiry just turned into the "MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION" that has just solved the whole thing!

The PENCIL is the "cursor" that presents itself when I open Curves and that I attempted to click and pull down the line with.

Turns out that there is another icon on the screen - looks like a piece of string but now I notice TINY BLOODY BOXES ON IT !! (sorry - can't help it)
Certainly doesn't look like a button to me but gee, I wonder if you can click on it??? Voila - I now have a proper cursor and guess what else - you guessed it - more bloody boxes on the diagonal line - and a functioning action!!!

:o :twisted: :D - Pick One - I don't know which one applies more :)

Thank you Wendy for your ever present vigilance - my God, all day spent so near and yet so far!

Thanks Diana and everyone else who puzzled with me - it will be a long while before I ask another question, I promise!

[bayhli]

Thanks for taking the time to promptly investigate the "pencil" clue Nancy and let me know! Took me too long to get in my post but it was definitely the clue we both needed :)

[NMarti]

Pat - I think we were typing at the same time. Darn - thought I solved one but you were already on the right track!:D

[Wendy]

Pat ...

Now I get what the problem was ... :eek:

That little pencil thing is what you use if you want to draw your own curve rather than use the existing one ... :)


Wendy

[George Favale]

maybe a little late to post but I use windows XP
and did the tutorial today and had no problem.....

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1uq6Wa9PazpD7EqGC1NfJRxwS2gr5I1

[Diana]

Wendy's gradient tutorial inspired me to experiment with all the buttons and sliders in the gradient editor and toolbar and I obtained some very interesting results and learned quite a bit. I made notes of the steps I took, in case anyone else would like to try them:

Select Gradient Tool
From Gradient Toolbar, click on Edit Button
Create a gradient by clicking on the color stops & choosing colors, or select a Preset Gradient
For Gradient Type, change to “Noise”
Use the slidebar to change degree of “Roughness”
Play with the RGB slides, try checking the “Restrict Color” box
Experiment with all the buttons and sliders until you get a pleasing color arrangement
Click OK
Open a new document, say 10” x 10”, 72 resolution, RGB color
From the Gradient Toolbar, select Linear Gradient
Drag from Left to Right straight across middle of document
From the Menu, select Filter > Distort > Shear
Change the line to curves by dragging the line left and right at different points
Click OK
Click the Undo button or Ctrl-Z and try others:
Use the same gradient with the Angle or Diamond Gradient and drag from the center out to one corner.
Try different types of gradients and drag from different places
Try applying Filter > Distort > Glass
Try some of the other Distort Filters
See what interesting effects you can get!

Diana

[Wendy]

Hi Diana ...,

Ah it sounds like you are talking about the Making your own Gradients (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?p=53422) tutorial ...

There are so many possibilities hidden in the gradient maker.

I will try out your one later today ... and thanks for sharing it with us :)


Wendy

[lindajay]

Here's my gradient/curves effort. I call it "Sunrise Over the Sandias." Reminds me of what we see frequently soon after dawn, in Albuquerque.

--Linda

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/9595/surisesandia6xs.th.jpg (http://img391.imageshack.us/my.php?image=surisesandia6xs.jpg)

[Wendy]

Hi Linda ...

Oh that is beautiful ... I love the changes of colours within the gradient. The whole thing just reminds me of a summer sunset ... very nice indeed :)


Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Linda ...

Oh that is beautiful ... I love the changes of colours within the gradient. The whole thing just reminds me of a summer sunset ... very nice indeed :)

Sorry it has taken me so long to comment on your image but I have been ill :(

Wendy

[karen donnybrook]

Wendy sorry to hear you have been ill :( - hope you are feeling much better now :)

[Wendy]

Hi Karen ...

I am feeling quite a lot better today after having to go to Hospital on Sunday but hopefully over the next few days I should be back to normal ... I'm afraid it looks like it was down to too much rich food and a Gallstone :(


Wendy

[Mary]

Oooh Wendy - that sounds like you had a bad time indeed. Take good care of yourself!!:)

[Diana]

Wendy,

I wondered where you were the last few days. Sorry to hear you were ill and hope you are feeling better now. As you can tell....WE MISS YOU when you're gone.

Diana

[lindajay]

Oh, Wendy, I'm so sorry you've been down and in pain! You're too nice to be sick:) . Please take it easy and get well soon. Rest lots. I really think that's the key to getting well.

--Linda

[NMarti]

Wendy - wondered why you have been so quiet. I had gallstones 2 years ago and they are NO fun! Ended up having to have my gallbladder removed. Yuck! Take care and hope you are feeling better. Watch the greasy or rich foods!

[Wendy]

Thanks everone ...

I am feeling quite a lot better today ... and I slept last night which was a great relief :)

Hopefully it will all subside fairly quickly and I must remember next Christmas not to eat all that rich food !!


Wendy

[Carbone]

Ouch... !! Sounds like an unpleasant adventure (well, any trip to the hospital is usually not a good thing, except when to have a baby!)

Get well soon :)

Ray

[CarolLHB]

Glad to hear on the mend-I was wondering where you were! Get plenty of rest, hope you're better real soon.:)

[jo]

Wendy, take good care of yourself! Did you have surgery for the gallstone? In the USA they do that now with a tiny incision and you're back to feeling great in just a few days.

[kayser]

I thought maybe you were going to come back and show us an amazing project you had been working on! Sorry to hear that you were ill, hope it's all past you now.

[Wendy]

Hi Folks ...

Well I am just fine today so it looks like it has settled down without the need for surgery (I hope :) ) I have to admit that it had me pretty scared ...


Wendy

[CarolLHB]

Great news, Wendy!

[NMarti]

Wendy,
I'm so glad for you - the surgery is simple enough but the recovery is NO FUN.

[Carbone]

What a relief !!! :)

Ray

[Dorrie H.]

Wendy,

Glad to hear you are better today, however if in fact you do have gall stones, then you are likely to have attacks in the future, and eventually have to have your gall bladder removed. With today's medical knowledge and Laparoscopic surgery it can be a fairly simple operation.

Just about all the females in my family (including me) have had to have their gall bladder removed. The main thing right now is to watch your diet. No greasy foods. But I'm sure your doctor has told you all this.

One thing for sure, once it's gone there's no more pain.:) That truly was the most pain I have experienced in my life...Child birth was much easier.

Not trying to scare you, just preparing you....

With Love and concern, Dorrie

[Wendy]

Dorrie ...

I will never eat cream again :) ... I just thank goodness that it didn't last very long :)


Wendy

[Dorrie H.]

Wendy....

Remember it's not just Cream....it's many other fatty foods that can trigger an attack....;)

I see that you have reached the Rank of, "Enlightened Elder". And it only took 10,000 posts to get there.:) :D :)

I know I'll never make it there..........

Dorrie

[Wendy]

Dorrie ...

Thank you :)


Wendy

[jazzfisher]

Wendy,
Only my best best wishes for your health--feel better soon!:)