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Place a flower on a new cololured background - How to?


WesternGuy

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I am fairly new to Photoshop in that I haven't used it (CS6) very much in a couple of years. I am trying to remove all of the background stuff in a wildflower image and replace it with a solid coloured background, so that I end up with, for example, a blue flower on a soft red background.

I can select the flower, but at some stage in the selection process, the "selection" jumps from the flowers stem to the entire image and I don't know why- would like to understand this process better. When I have been able to select that part of the flower that I want to keep, I get a bit lost in how to proceed. My understanding is that I need to create a new layer with the "background" colour that I want on it and then, somehow, merge this layer so that my flower layer is on top of the coloured one. It is this "overlaying" that I am finding hard to make work.

Any insight/assistance or reference to how to get this done will be greatly appreciated. TIA.

WesternGuy
 

IamSam

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Hello WesternGuy and welcome to PSG.

Any screen shots? What tool are you using to make the selection?
 

WesternGuy

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Hello WesternGuy and welcome to PSG.

Any screen shots? What tool are you using to make the selection?

Thanks for the welcome.

I can post an image of one of the more simper flowers I was trying to work on if that will help. No screen shots.

I am using the Quick Selection tool and it worked pretty well. I had some problems getting it to select the border in some situations - not sure exactly why.

I think my biggest problem is getting the coloured background correctly in place.

WesternGuy
 
Last edited:

IamSam

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Sure, post one of the flowers.

Here are some tutorials on the Quick Selection Tool that may help you in understanding how it works.
 

WesternGuy

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This is one of the simpler examples. I will go and look at the videos. Thanks for the reference.

I think my bigger problem will be getting the coloured layer behind the flower -maybe the vids will help.


WesternGuy
 

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IamSam

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The colored layer is easy. All you need to do is create a new layer below the flower layer and fill it with the color you desire. No need to merge.

Flower
Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 2.25.37 PM.png

Flower selected
Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 2.25.48 PM.png

Flower masked. (mask created from selection)
Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 2.26.06 PM.png

New BG
Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 2.26.17 PM.png

Screen Shot 2015-08-03 at 2.28.27 PM.png
 

IamSam

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Thanks. Makes it look so easy.
Since I don't know your level of experience (I know you say your fairly new) I just demonstrated the basics of the effect. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask.
 

WesternGuy

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Since I don't know your level of experience (I know you say your fairly new) I just demonstrated the basics of the effect. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask.

On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is a very green beginner and 10 is a world class guru, I am probably a 3 or 4.

WesternGuy
 
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Quick Mask might be your best option as a beginner. Just paint what you want selected. the letter Q on your keyboard will toggle into and out of Quick Mask mode.
 

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