Add colors to Your Dream.....

For this tutorial grab the lasso tool in the toolbar.

Now make a general selection by dragging the lasso around your subject.

Try to keep it as close as you can. You have to go all the way around the subject to meet endpoints to close off the selection.

This is a basic and old school way of making selections which you must understand. There are much 'better' ways which I cover in the Basic Photoshop training but once again; imperative that you understand the fundamentals and grow from there.

Once you have made a selection around your subject, switch to the moVe tool as shown.

Now you can place the cursor inside the selection and ‘move’ it. Try doing this and dragging it around.  See how the space is left there where she used to be?

If you’re wondering where the actual water and sidewalk went then I can’t help you (but yes you could fix it).

Go to the History palette and undo your last command of move to put the subject back in place.

To work with your new selection on it’s own, go to Layer: New: Layer via copy. This places the selection onto it’s own layer (very important to understand).

You can also right click when you are on a marquee or lasso tool and choose Layer via Copy to put the selection onto its own layer. There are ways to edit the (lasso) selection which are covered in Basic Photoshop training and other tutorials here.

Now you have basically duplicated your subject and put it onto its own layer. Here I’ve got her on her own layer (you can see the invisible space around her in her layer on the palette).

Remember that there are better, more accurate ways of selecting which we’ll get to. It takes a steady hand to use the lasso.From the previous tutorial, now you have a duplicate on its own layer that you have created by using the lasso tool and layer: new layer via copy.

With the moVe tool you can move this new layer around. Go to edit: Transform and choose scale. This will allow you to change the size of the layer.

Just grab one of the corners and move the bounding box inwards.

To retain a perfect scale just hold the shift key down and release the mouse click first and then release the shift key.

If you don’t hold the shift key you can move it in different directions to squish either way. Try this out.

Try some of the other options such as Rotate or skew. I usually just do Ctrl T for free transform and then hold shift or Ctrl to transform the handles from there. This gives me pretty much all of the options.

When you are on rotate

you’ll notice that the cursor turns into a bent arrow. Now simply click and watch the layer rotate around.

Watch it spin around and around (weeeee).

If you ever want to cancel a transformation when in the bounding box, just hit Escape key.

Try some of the other options out on this layer. This is what Rotate 180 does under the transformation menu. Whatta concept.

This is basic stuff that is easy to learn thankfully but important to know to get a full grasp on Photoshop. If you really want the full grasp on handling and harnessing Photoshop then get my complete Basic Photoshop DVD training here. It’s got hundreds of video tutorials to help you ‘get there’.

Here’s a flip horizontal of this duplicate layer.

So just remember that you have plenty of options to work with when you have a layer on it’s own. You can filter it, transform it, adjust it, paint it, erase it, liquify it, cut it, etc.

Try this out: lower the opacity of the flipped horizontal layer. This creates a nice reflection effect like she’s standing against a mirror. It’s important that you get very comfortable working with layers and all of the possibilities available if you really want to become a Photoshop Designer.  My Basic Training will ensure your success.