Photoshop Basic Selection Exercises

Quick Selection tool
You can use the Quick Selection tool to quickly “paint” a selection using an adjustable round brush tip. As you drag, the selection expands outward and automatically finds and follows defined edges in the image. Use this tool to make a selection directly on the object.

Magic Wand tool
The Magic Wand tool lets you select a contiguos, consistently colored area without having to trace its outline. You specify the color range, or tolerance, for the Magic Wand tool’s selection, based on similarity to the pixel you click. If your object is surrounded by a single, solid color, then use this tool to select the solid color. Invert the selection and you will have your object selected.

Rectangular Marquee 
Makes a rectangular selection (or a square, when used with the Shift key)

Elliptical Marquee
Makes an elliptical selection (or a circle, when used with the Shift key).

Lasso Tool
The Lasso tool is useful for drawing freeform segments of a selection border.

Polygonal Lasso Tool
The Polygonal Lasso tool is useful for drawing straight-edged segments of a selection border.

Magnetic Lasso Tool
When you use the Magnetic Lasso tool, the border snaps to the edges of defined areas in the image.

 

Daisy Flower Exercise

Download: Lesson 1 Files Folder (Click > Save to Desktop)

  1. Unzip the folder you just downloaded.

  2. Using Photoshop or Bridge, open the Daisy_white.jpg image.

  3. From the Toolbar on the left, hold down the Quick Selection Tool and choose the Magic Wand.

  4. Click on the white area surrounding the flower.



  5. Notice that the selection seeps into the flower. This is because the Tolerance is too high. Press CTRL+D to deselect.


  6. At the top of the monitor, lower the Tolerance setting to 20.


  7. With the Magic Wand, click on the white surrounding the flower again. This time, the selection should not seep into the flower.

  8. Invert the selection. You currently have the surrounding area selected. To get the flower selected, you'll need to invert the selection by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+I (Select > Inverse). Now the flower is selected.


  9. Open the AbstractBackground.jpg image from the lesson files folder.

  10. Click on the Daisy_white document.

  11. Press "V" to select your Move Tool. Drag the selected flower onto the abstract background document (drag-n-drop)



  12. Open the Daisy_Yellow.jpg image from the Lesson files folder.

  13. Click on the Quick Selection Tool from the Toolbar.

  14. With the Quick Selection Tool, place the mouse in the middle of the flower:


  15. Hold the mouse down and brush over the interior of the flower, extending to the petals, until the entire flower is selected.

  16. Click on the Move Tool (B). Drag the selected flower onto the abstract background image. You should now have two flowers on the green abstract document.


Basic Layers Concepts

  1. Open your Layers Panel (Window > Layers) or press F7.

  2. You have a background layer and two layers for the flowers. (Layer 1 and Layer 2)


  3. Renaming Your Layers.
    Renaming the Background layer - Double click it and type "Green Texture"
    Renaming the other regula layers - Double click right over the letters and rename Layer 1, "White Flower" and Layer 2, "Yellow Flower".

  4. Transforming Layers
    Click on the White Flower layer
    Press CTRL+T
    Hold the Shift Key and grab one of the CORNER handles. Drag inwards to make the flower smaller.
    Let go the mouse, then let go of the Shift key.
    Press Enter to set the transformation.


  5. When you are done, save the document (File > Save As). Name it flowers.psd and put it on your Flash Drive (or the desktop)

Picture Frame Exercise

  1. Open the Frame.jpg picture from the Lesson Files.

  2. Make sure your Layers Panel is open (Window > Layers or F7)

  3. Double click on the Background Layer and name it Frame.

  4. Select your Magic Wand Tool.

  5. Click on the white part inside the frame to select it. Then press delete. This will create a transparent area inside the frame.
    Press CTRL+D to Deselect.


  6. Open the grassField.jpg image.

  7. Click on the Move Tool (V)

  8. Drag the entire grassField.jpg image onto the Frame image, then minimize the original grassfield picture:


  9. You now have 2 layers. Rename Layer 1 as Field.

  10. Reordering Layers
    In your Layers Panel, drag the Field layer under the Frame layer.

  11. Click on the Move Tool (V) and move the picture on the Field layer so that it fits within the frame


  12. File > Save your document as PSD file on your Flash Drive or Desktop.



Greeting Card Exercise

  1. Open the card.jpg and the cake.jpg images from the lesson folder. We'll start with the cake image.

  2. Hold down the Rectangular Marquee Tool and select the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

  3. Make an oval selection of the wedding cake:


  4. At the top of your monitor, click on the Refine Edge button:


  5. In the Refine Edge dialog box, choose the setting that best allows you to view your desired selection. For this exercise, we'll use the "On White" setting. Press OK, when you have achieved the kind of selection edge you want.


  6. Click on your Move Tool (V). Drag and drop the selected cake onto the Card.jpg picture.

  7. Name the layer Cake.

  8. On the Cake layer, press CTRL+T to Transform. Hold the Shift Key and grab a CORNER handle. Drag inwards to scale the picture of the cake. Press Enter to set the transformation.


  9. Use the Move Tool (V) to make any adjustments.

  10. File > Save the document as GreetingCard.PSD on your Flash Drive or Desktop.