Help - Background colour manipulation.

[Sting]

OK so for example take this image:


Now on Photoshop (i got vers 7, but I guess it'd be the same regardless what vers you have) how to I take the background and make it b+w while leaving the F40 its red. I've seen pics like this before and its a nice effect having the vibrant colour of a car standout on a b+w style background.

Cheers

 

[Jondot]

Well, normally I'd cut out the Ferrari using the polygon lasso tool and paste it into a new layer. Then, select the layer below it (ie the background of the image) and desaturate it by going to image -> adjustments -> desaturate.

Hope that helps

 

[Turbo Lag]

Lasso around the F40 and deselect the the bits inside eg. through the spoiler. And after you done that, click Ctrl+Shift+I. Then do Ctrl+u...

 

[F1GTR]

Pen tool -> Convert to selection -> CTRL+SHIFT+I -> CTRL+U

Much neater than simply using the lasso.

 

[Turbo Lag]

Ive never used the pen tool before..

 

[F1GTR]

You should try it then. It's much more accurate and easier than using the lasso.

 

[Turbo Lag]

I find it hard when the pen tool covers up the bit in black where you want to see. Thats why i dont use it. Are there any other benefits from it anyway?

 

[TheCracker]

I find it hard when the pen tool covers up the bit in black where you want to see. Thats why i dont use it. Are there any other benefits from it anyway?

You can mess around with the transparency of the 'black' mask. Go to your layers palette, above the background image should be another layer with a colour swatch of the 'mask', you can change the opacity on the slider above to the right of the palette.

The pen tool alows you to do a quick, rough shape around the area you want to mask. You can then zoom in and by clicking onto one of the dots made by the pen, you can move and fine tune your mask area with much better control.

 

[F1GTR]

Ahh, the reason it covers it up in black is because you're using it in "shape layers" mode, which will automatically fill it in a colour you've selected. You have to put it in "Paths" mode to make selections. I normally put in paths mode for selections.
Here's a screenie:

 

[Turbo Lag]

Oh thanks for clearing that up guys 👍

 

[AOS-]

IMO you don't need to use the rubber band option. simply zoom in at some edge of the car at your starting point, you'll get use to using Pen Paths soon and you'll 150% most definitely realize its MUCH more effective than the Lasso.

 

[franz]

I use Pen tool all the time when the background has more than 1 colour
making a perfect curve matching the object is difficult at the beginning
but more you play with it, combining dragging the curve and use Ctrl button
you will find it rewarding when you finish a very complicated piece
however my previous boss prefers quantity over quality
so he hate me using pen tool because it is too time consuming

 

[AOS-]

i started out photoshop by learning the pen tool on my own. click and dragging gives me curves clicking gives me corners.. that was back in like Janurary '07, i think. Now i work the pen tool so fast i can go faster than using the simpler tool, lasso.

 

[F1GTR]

Same here. I'm much faster with the pen tool than lasso, especially with a graphics tablet.