DESCRIPTION: Use Format / Calculation to create a composite image using a mask.

This tutorial was inspired by a series of excellent pdf masking tutorials. I have used my own wording, images and ideas.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Open all three images. Note: they are all the same size - this way they all show up in the Calculation dialogue box. The horsemask.jpg is already grayscale. Masks can only be created using grayscale images. Drag any masks you make to the Easy Palette to store.

2. Click on the marble1.jpg and open the Calculation dialogue box via Format / Calculation. It should look like this:

3. Click on the Background drop-down box and select marble2.jpg.

4. Click in the little Mask box and select horsemask.jpg from the drop-down box. I initially used a ufo file type. Either will work. The dialogue box will look like this:

5. Before clicking OK, play around with the Operation drop-down box - there are some great effects lurking in there. Click on Always and then use your keyboard arrow keys to cycle through. You can also switch the Foreground and Background marble images and set the Channels to see what you can come up with.

Operation / Always:

Operation / Difference:

6. To try out some of the masks in the Easy Palette, close the horsemask image and click on marble1 image again. Click on the New Image icon and in the dialogue box choose black canvas and click on Active Image to keep all images the same size.

7. In the Easy Palette Object Libraries select Mask Library. Choose a mask you like. I chose S12 in the Star library. Double-click to bring the selection into the black document.

8. The trick here is not to drag this mask object into the workspace to create a new document but to keep the same size throughout. So create a new white, same as Active Image, document as above and drag the star onto it. Using the Pick Tool, Centre Both. Right click Merge All.

9. Format / Data Type / Grayscale. Close the original and save the star as ufo. Click on marble1.jpg. Open the Calculation dialogue box again. Go through the steps to create a final image you like. I came up with this using Operation / Difference and upping the Contrast a bit.

10. Two of my sunset images plus a mask create the final little image lower right:

It is very easy to make your own mask for this tutorial - draw in black paintbrush on a white canvas. Work out what your other two image sizes will be. Ctrl A, Ctrl Shift O to make an object of your drawing. Drag it onto a white canvas the same size as the others, resize the object itself if you wish, Merge All, convert to Grayscale. The horse I used here was very rough so I simply painted in black around the outside to give a nice finish and added a longer mane and tail. Even masks from the EP can be added to or taken from using e.g. the paintbrush after merging. Also try Format / Invert to change the look of the final mask.

Thank you for trying out my tutorial :). I hope you've enjoyed it.

Hillie © 2005