When adding color to black and white art, I find it useful to make, and save several selections. I usually make a rough selection with the pen or lasso tools, then save that selection to a new channel. After the selection is saved to a new channel, it can be adjusted in the channels palette. In this example, the tree line was roughly selected and the selection saved to a new channel. The new channel was selected and the tops of the trees softened with the airbrush tool. Use black to add to the selection and white to take away.

For this selection, I used the oval marquee tool, holding shift while dragging, to constrain to a circle, and dragging to the correct size. I adjusted the position of the selection as needed. The selection is feathered by 80 pixels and then saved to a new channel. I selected the new channel from the channels palette to make further adjustments to the selection. Using black, the selection is filled in at the horizon line. I now have a mask for the sun, positioned behind the tree line.

This selection was made to cast yellow light from the sunrise onto the highest part of the field. A selection (with the pen tool) was made along the top of the rolling field and the edges of the garlic rope, and continued (roughly) down the field. The selection is saved to a new channel to be adjusted. I just feathered the lower part of the selection to make it fade out as it goes down the field. I also slightly softened the top edge of the rolling field.

TIP:
Think of these selections (mask), as an airbrush mask.

Scratchboard Illustration by Michael Halbert
PHONE 636-349-1145 EMAIL michael@inkart.com
Copyright © Michael Halbert 2000