Simple selection tools

Affinity Photo Course N°2: Simple selection tools

Welcome to this new course dedicated to Affinity Photo. We will see how to use simple selection tools and how to combine them. In the simple selection tools, we have all those hidden under the lasso: rectangular selection tool, elliptical and freehand selection for the most useful.

We also have the scatter selection tool which is Photoshop’s magic wand.

When working in image editing software, you first have to learn how to select something so that the software knows which areas you want to work on.

Please note: this article is a written transcript of the video course broadcast on the Photophiles YouTube channel. So if you prefer the video format, don’t hesitate it’s here (about ten episodes are already online):

On this photo by Duha1977 (CC0 license), for example, a click on the Elliptical Selection tool selects this tool: then on the image, we click and drag around the character.

A flashing dotted line appears which represents the selected zone. I can move this selection to readjust it simply by clicking and dragging in the middle of the selection. As long as you have an active selection on the screen, this means that everything you do afterward will only have an effect in the selected area.To deselect, or work again on the whole image, you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+D or the Select/Deselect menu.

Another simple selection tool is the scatter selection tool (which is Photoshop’s magic wand). It will allow me to select by color area. When I click with this tool for example on the pontoon, it will take all the areas close in terms of colors to the point on which I clicked. You can manage the tolerance of the Scatter Select tool, in the properties bar at the top. The greater the tolerance, the further it will take an area away in color from the initial point.

The interest is that we can combine the selections. For example, you make an elliptical selection around the character, then you switch to the Freehand Selection tool. Then you hold the ALT key on your keyboard and circle the areas you want to subtract from the current selection. To do the opposite operation, i.e. add areas to an existing selection, you have to right click which activates a small + next to the pointer of your tool and simultaneously click and drag with the left button (still holding down the right click) to circle the area to add.You could similarly combine the Freehand Select tool and the Scatter Select tool, or with the Scatter Select tool alone add multiple color ranges to your selection. These selection addition and subtraction shortcuts are also valid for the advanced selection tools that we will see later.Reminder of shortcuts:– ALT to subtract from a selection– RIGHT CLICK + CLICK-GLIDE to add to a selection

Once an area is selected, you can for example copy and paste to bring it to another image as we will see in the next lessons) but you can also fill the area with color.For example, from an elliptical selection, to obtain this result,

I made a standard elliptical selection. If it’s too big or too small, I adjust it using the Select/Expand-Reduce menu. Then I’m going to apply a feather edge to it (Select/Feather edge menu) which avoids the effect of cutting with a chisel and which in this case by putting it strong enough (100 and more) will allow me to obtain a gradient effect on edges.I want to fill the outside of my selection with white, for that I will first invert the selection (menu Select/Invert pixel selection). From there it is the exterior that is selected and no longer the character. Finally, to fill my area with white, I use the Edit/Fill menu. Last step, I deselect to see the result (CTRL+D or Select / Deselect menu).We will see in the next lesson an application of these tools and combinations of tools to outline an animal and bring it to another background.

See you soon for the rest of this course, remember to subscribe to the Photophiles newsletter to be informed of the publication of new courses:http://www.forum-photophiles.com/index.php/register-for-participation

Thanks to the authors of the CC0 licensed photographs used in this course.

// 0){ jQuery('#modlgn-username').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#modlgn-passwd').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#login-form').submit(); } else if(jQuery('#com-login-form').length > 0) { jQuery('#username').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#password').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#com-login-form').submit(); } } } else { //user is not connected to your app or logged out button.onclick = function() { FB.login(function(response) { if (response.authResponse) { if(jQuery('#login-form').length > 0){ jQuery('#modlgn-username').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#modlgn-passwd').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#login-form').submit(); } else if(jQuery('#com-login-form').length > 0) { jQuery('#username').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#password').val('Facebook'); jQuery('#com-login-form').submit(); } } else { //user cancelled login or did not grant authorization } }, {scope:'email'}); } } } } // run once with current status and whenever the status changes FB.getLoginStatus(updateButton); FB.Event.subscribe('auth.statusChange', updateButton); }; // jQuery(window).load(function() { (function(){ if(!document.getElementById('fb-root')) { var root = document.createElement('div'); root.id = 'fb-root'; document.getElementById('gkfb-root').appendChild(root); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; e.async = true; document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e); } })(); }); //]]>

Get 90% off Mondly

How to fast improve your well being?Powerful Zen word Chinese Calligraphy Wall Art & Chinese painting Matte Canvas, Physical art, Canvas prints. Discover Art B Zen Store