Backround layer HELP Please

[britt777]

Hello all, I am trying to work with my elements 2. I have a picture of a flower and I would like to change the backround to a solid color. Can anyone please help. I tried and tried the layer thing and using lasso tools. It is just to hard. Please forgive my being new at this and asking such a silly ?, but I just can't seem to get this worked out. Any help would be great. Thanks so much in advance:o

[nitsch]

Open your image in Photoshop.

In the Layers palette, double click where it says Background and then click OK in the box that appears. This will change your Background layer to Layer 0 which is useful because you can now add another layer beneath it.

Select Layer, New Fill Layer -> Solid Color... from the menu. Click OK in the window that appears then choose your background colour from the Color Picker which appears. In the Layers palette, drag the new layer down so it is beneath your picture of the flower.

Click back to the Layer containing the flower and click the Add Layer Mask button, or select Layer, Add Layer Mask -> Reveal All from the menu. Now paint in the Layer Mask using a Black brush and you will see the background layer appearing beneath it. If you reveal too much of the background layer, simply paint in some white in the Layer Mask and it will be hidden again.

Hope this helps. :)

[britt777]

thank you so much for your help. I will give it try

[britt777]

GRRRRRRRRRR this is so frustrating. I still can't get. I don't know what I'm doing wrong

[nitsch]

Which bit are you struggling with? I'll try and help if I can.

[britt777]

In the Layers palette, drag the new layer down so it is beneath your picture of the flower.

Click back to the Layer containing the flower and click the Add Layer Mask button, or select Layer, Add Layer Mask -> Reveal All from the menu. Now paint in the Layer Mask using a Black brush and you will see the background layer appearing beneath it.

I got up to this point, but lost from there. I tried to start over and then couldn't even drag the color layer down below the flower...;(
I appreciate your trying to help me out....;)

[britt777]

I am only using elements 2.0 not ps. it is not allowing me to select the masking layer and there is no menu to select reveal all. I did get the solid color to drag down below the flower.

[nitsch]

Have you managed to add a layer mask to the flower layer? If so, just go to the Layer Palette and on the flower layer you should see a white box to the right of the flower thumbnail, click on it once. This will select the Layer mask. Then select a brush and black foreground colour and start painting - what happens? Hopefully the solid colour layer should start showing through. Let me know if you're still stuck and I'll try and do some screen grabs to make it a bit clearer. Sounds like you're almost there! :)

[britt777]

I feel so dumb. I got through the making solid color stage. I hit ok, dragged it below the flower, went back to flower but there is no white box next to the flower thumb nail. I do have a white box next to the solid color though. I can't add layer mask to the flower layer. I guess thats where Im stuck. I know its hard to tell someone how to do things without seeing what it is your doing, but I truley appreciate you trying to help me. Thanks again.

[nitsch]

Hi there, sorry for the delay replying! If you are still having trouble adding a layer mask, you could resort to using the Eraser tool on the Flower layer which will reveal the solid colour layer beneath.

I guess that the layer mask problem could be because you are using Elements, I only have knowledge of the full version of PS so sorry if I have caused any confusion. I would have thought Layer Masks would have been available in Elements though as to my mind they are one of the coolest things there is! Perhaps someone else can confirm.

[britt777]

hmmmmmmm, I am now a little confused...or should I say a lot confused...lol. That's ok though I appreciate your help. I don't know whats up with the layer mask. I guess I will have to look into it. thanks again

[britt777]

I have finally got the mask layer. Boy was that intersting. Now I am have a hard time with the black brush. I am not sure what brush you mean. There is nothing that says black brush. I have tried some different brushes, but its not painting in the white box. I must be doing something wrong again...lol. Not funny...hehehe. The difference from on photo shop program to another. How frustrating, but we are getting closer. Figures I don't think for the stuff I want to do, I would need any more than elements, from what I have read, elements does all sorts of stuff but not the one thing I really want to do....:(