High Pass Filter Advanced

I have posted earlier tutorials on the High Pass filter to sharpen photos, especially mobile phone photos. This tutorial is an improvement on the other ones. It will show how to apply the High Pass Filter and to what degree.

This is a photo of a bull on a Calcutta street which I took with my mobile phone camera. You can make out that the details are not sharp. Let's have a closer look.
This is a closer look at the bull. You can make out that the details are not clear. The High Pass filter will fix that. Step 1 : Look at the Layers pallette. There is only the Background layer. Press CTL+J on the keyboard. This will duplicate the Background Layer. A new layer -- Layer 1 forms over the Background layer when you press CTRL+J.
Step 2 : Go to Filter>Other>High Pass.

Step 3 : The High Pass filter dialogue box opens.
The image is filled with 50% Gray.
Step 4 : Drag the Radius slider in the High Pass slider to the right till the outlines of the image become visible.
This is how the image looks. The outlines of the image are visible. Step 5 : Now click ok in the High Pass dialogue box.
Step 6 : Click where the arrow points to, to change the Blend Mode from the pop up menu. From the popup menu click on Overlay.
The image looks sharper now. Step 7 : Now press CTRL+J and Layer 1 is duplicated into Layer 1 copy. Let us see the result.
The image becomes even more sharper. This is another photo I took with my mobile phone camera. It is a hand-pulled rickshaw. They had been banned, but some still run in central Calcutta. Here too the details are not sharp. You cannot expect it with a mobile phone camera.
Step 1 : I have duplicated the Background layer by pressing CTRL+J.
Step 2 : I have applied the High Pass filter. The outlines of the rickshaw are visible. I will click ok to apply the filter. Step 3 : I have changed the Blend Mode to Overlay.
The photo is much more sharper.
Step 4 : I am now duplicated the Background copy layer by pressing CTRL+J and a Background copy 2 forms.
The rickshaw looks even more sharper.

Some details have become two sharp and pixellated. Look at the arrows.

Step 5 : Since I am working on Background copy 2, the layer is highlighted. I am clicking on Background copy layer keeping SHIFT key pressed. This also highlights it. Now press CTRL+E. This will merge the the two layers.
Step 6 : The two layers are merged into Background copy 2. Now I am changing the Blend Mode to Overlay.
The image is not affected by the steps above.
Step 7 : Click the Add Layer Mask radio button and a Layer Mask forms next to layer thumbnail on Background copy 2.
Click on the Brush Tool.
Step 8 : Click where the white arrow points to and the Brush presets will be revealed. I have clicked on Brush 13 therefore the Master diameter shows 13 pixels and I have set the Hardness at 10%
Step 9 : In the top panel lower the Opacity of the Brush to 80%.

Step 10 : I am using the Brush to erase the pixellated parts.

The sharpened image. That is all.

Read More

Beard with Photoshop

I have been asked to post a tutorial on creating a beard. You can make a clean shaven person bearded with the help of a brush that is found in all versions of Photoshop. It is quite easy to do. Just follow the steps.

Step 1 : I have opened this free stock photo of a clean shaven man. I will add the beard.

Step 2 : In the Layers panel you will find only a single layer -- the Background layer with a thumbnail of the image.

Step 3 : Click the New Layer button and an empty Layer 1 forms. The Layer 1 will be used to create a beard and moustache.
Step 4 : Click on the Zoom Tool.
Step 5 : I have zoomed in on the face with the Zoom Tool. Now to select the Brush Tool.
Step 4 : Click on the Brush Tool to select it.
Step 5 : In the top panel look at the right. You will find the icon that the red arrow points to. Click it.
Step 6 : The Brushes pallete opens.
Step 7 : Now click on Brush no 112. See the arrow. This will select the Brush. Step 8 : First click on the Brush Tip Shape then check Shape Dynamics and Scattering. Lastly drag the Spacing slider to the left. I have dragged it to 20%. It will depend on your image. This is a high resolution free Stock Photo. I have downloaded it for free from here. You can do it too.
The site is http://www.sxc.hu/index.html After you have applied the settings click where the blue arrow points to and the Brushes pallette will disappear. (It looks a bit different in Photoshop7). To make the Brush Tip small press the [ (Left Bracket key) and to make it bigger ] (Right Bracket Key). You will be required to switch between a large and a small brush tip constantly.

Make sure that Foreground Color is set to Black and Background to White. If it is not press 'x' then 'd' on your keyboard.

Step 9 : I am using the brush to paint the beard.
There's the beard.
Step 10 : I have made the brush smaller and painted in the moustache.
Step 11 : Just brush over the edges to prevent it from looking unkempt.
Step 12 : Click the Add Layer Mask button and a layer mask forms next to the layer thumbnail on Layer 1.

Step 13 : Click the Brush Tool again and then the icon on the top panel at right.

Step 14 : Look where the white arrow points to. Click the tiny black arrow.
Step 15 : This dialogue opens. Click on Reset Brushes.

Step 16 : As soon as you click on Reset Brushes this dialogue box opens. Click OK.

Step 17 : In the Brushes pallette uncheck Shape Dynamics and Scattering. The pallette then will look like as above. Close the dialogue box as shown in Step 8.

Step 18 : Now click where the arrow points to on the left of the top panel.

Step 19 : When you click where the arow points to it opens the Brush presets. I have clicked on Brush 13. It is a hard brush. In the controls above you can see that Hardness is set to 0% and Master Diameter to 13 pixels.

Step 20 : With the brush tool gently erase parts of the moustache that have overlapped onto the lips and beside the chin. You can erase because a layer mask is in place.

The clean shaven man now has a beard. Easy is it not? Now what do you do if you want a greyish beard. You can do that too.

Step 1 : Bring up the Brushes pallette. Check Shape Dynamics, Scattering and also Color Dynamics. Close the pallette.

Step 2 : Click on the White Background color.

Step 3 : This brings up the Color Picker. Click on a Grey shade at the left. Click ok in the Color Picker.

Step 4 : The Background Color has changed to gray.

Step 5 : Paint the beard and moustache.
Step 6 : I have lowered the Opacity to 70%.
And you have a gray beard.
Step 7 : I am changing Blend Mode from the popup menu to Screen.

Step 8 : And now he has a white beard. You can make the color of the beard color you want. That is all. Try is out.

Read More