Adobe Photoshop CS2 CLASSROOM IN A BOOK [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Liquifying a layer

The Liquify command adds a melted look to an image. Using it, you can interactively push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat any area of an image. The distortions you create can be subtle or drastic, which makes the Liquify command a powerful tool for retouching images as well as creating artistic effects. In this part of the lesson, you''''ll make the metal grille look as if it has melted from one side to the other.

NoteThe Liquify command is available only for 8-bit images in RGB, CMYK, Lab, and Grayscale image modes.

Rasterizing the mask

Before you can apply the Liquify feature to the metal grille, you must rasterize its vector mask and merge the mask and image to create just one image.

1.

In the Layers palette, select the Metal Grille layer in the Images layer set.

2.

Choose Layer > Rasterize > Vector Mask. This converts the circles path, which is a vector graphic and resolution-independent, into a mask that is a raster image and resolution-dependent.

To view a mask by itself, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers palette. Repeat to restore the view.

3.

Choose Layer > Layer Mask > Apply to merge the layer with its mask, creating a single rasterized image on that layer. Notice that there is now only one thumbnail in the Layers palette for the Metal Grille layer, whereas before there were two: one for the image and one for the mask.

Applying the Liquify filter

The Liquify filter applies a hidden grid, or mesh, to the image. By dragging the handles of the mesh, you can distort the image. Turning on the mesh visibility can help you see more clearly how you''''re manipulating the grid as you use the various liquify tools.

1.

With the Metal Grille layer selected in the Layers palette, choose Filter > Liquify.

2.

In the Liquify dialog box, do the following:

In the upper left corner of the dialog box, make sure that the Forward Warp tool () is selected.

On the right side of the dialog box under Tool Options, select a Brush Size that''''s the same size as the holes in the grille (we used 133). Then, for Brush Pressure, select a moderate value (we used 20).

Under View Options, make sure the Show Image and Show Mesh boxes are checked, but that the Show Backdrop check box is unchecked.

NoteActivating the Show Backdrop view option can be visually confusing because it shows the original, undistorted version of the Metal Grille layer in addition to the distorted version you''''re working on. So we will leave it unselected for this exercise.

3.

Drag the brush across and down the image in the Liquify dialog box to start applying the effect.

Notice how the mesh has been distorted by the Forward Warp tool. You can drag the Forward Warp Tool brush in the image some more to create different results.

Removing distortions in the Liquify dialog box

If you want to undo some or all of your distorting work, you don''''t have to cancel your efforts and start over completely. While the Liquify dialog box is open, you have several other choices for removing or reducing distortions from an area or from the entire image. The method you select depends on how much of your work you want to undo.

Press Ctrl-Z (Windows) or Command-Z (Mac OS) to undo your most recent action, but only by one step.

Select the Reconstruct tool at the left side of the dialog box and drag it across an area of the image that you want to restore to its original condition.

Click the Reconstruct button at the right side of the dialog box to reduce the entire distortion by degrees.

Use the Freeze Mask tool to protect an area of the image that you want to remain distorted, and then use either the Reconstruct tool or the Reconstruct button to remove or reduce the distortion of the areas that are not frozen.

Click the Restore All button to revert to the original (undistorted) condition of the image. The Restore All button even restores frozen areas, so it is the equivalent of clicking Cancel, but it leaves the Liquify dialog box open.

You can also select different reconstruction modes in Reconstruct Options and in Tool Options. For more information, see Photoshop Help.

4.

On the left side of the dialog box, select the Turbulence tool (), and drag the brush across another area of the metal grille image.

5.

Move the Turbulence tool to an undistorted area of the image and hold down the mouse button for several seconds without moving the pointer.

As you hold down the mouse button, the grille appears to melt under the influence of the Turbulence tool. Look closely for other differences between the results created with the Forward Warp and Turbulence tools.

6.

Continue to apply different effects to the metal grille. When you are satisfied with the results, click OK to close the Liquify dialog box, and then choose File > Save.