Photoshop help

[NDA]

I've forgotten how to do something in Photoshop - very annoying.

It's how to delete part of a layer, for example two tripod shot images of a car, one with the bonnet open, one with the bonnet shut. I want to delete the open bonnet...

I'm using Elements 8

Many thanks.

[K12beano]

Tippex?

[markmullen]

Layer mask and paint out the bit you don't want.

[Stu R]

Yup, layer mask it.

[Simpo Two]

Or eraser.

[NDA]

Simpo Two said:

Or eraser.

That's what I'm trying to do... but without success.

I have two photos, one over the other, but the eraser is just showing the checkerboard rather than the image underneath.

I used to know how to do this, but have failed!

[Stu R]

Sounds like you're erasing the background layer, leaving no pixels.
the layer you're erasing should be on the foreground.

Layer 1, image you want to use, layer 2, image you want to delete bits from. Select eraser, voila.

[Simpo Two]

You will need the layers window open of course

[NDA]

There's obviously something I'm not quite getting right...

I have my background layer (car bonnet open)
I have my 'layer 1' (car bonnet shut)

The eraser tool is not revealing the background layer.

20 more minutes and then I give up!

[flat-planedCrank]

NDA said:

There's obviously something I'm not quite getting right...

I have my background layer (car bonnet open)
I have my 'layer 1' (car bonnet shut)

The eraser tool is not revealing the background layer.

20 more minutes and then I give up!

I'd use a layer mask too

But if you want to use the eraser, make sure layer1 is selected then use the eraser. I'd actually hide the background layer (the small eye icon near the layer name) as it can be easier to see what parts have been erased.

If you're still hazving problems then check the eraser settings, eraser size, etc.

[Simpo Two]

NDA said:

There's obviously something I'm not quite getting right...

I have my background layer (car bonnet open)
I have my 'layer 1' (car bonnet shut)

The eraser tool is not revealing the background layer.

20 more minutes and then I give up!

You need to select the layer you want to work on by clicking on it in the layers window.

If the background (with padlock) is staying stubbornly at the bottom and you need to move it, right click 'duplicate layer', then delete the background, then you can shuffle the duplicate.

And check the opacity of the eraser tool - maybe it's on 0%!

[NDA]

Ok will try that - many thanks.

PC now being hogged by children.

[VRSAndy]

At the top you probably have 'erase al layers' checked. Uncheck it.

[andy-xr]

I always use layer masks for this, black brush, away you go

[Pickled]

andy-xr said:

I always use layer masks for this, black brush, away you go

+1

And when you go over a bit you didn't mean to, swap to white and paint it back in.

[NDA]

I'm trying to find an online tutorial on Layer Masks - I can't see any reference to it for Elements 8.

Strangely I used this technique a lot in the past (hood open etc) but over the past couple of years have forgotten how to do it.

[Pickled]

Open both pics, copy one over to the other, it should paste it in as a new layer (I always copy the background as a new layer as well) then apply mask and paint away with black brush.

Found this with a simple google search

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lWgnl4IcGg

[flat-planedCrank]

NDA said:

I'm trying to find an online tutorial on Layer Masks - I can't see any reference to it for Elements 8.

Strangely I used this technique a lot in the past (hood open etc) but over the past couple of years have forgotten how to do it.

This looks to be a decent tutorial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA8TgyTruV8

[NDA]

Will follow those.....

Thanks.

[NDA]

Solved in the end - but by a very clunky method of erasing and then dragging the partly erased image over the background image.

Quite a fiddle.