Creating custom edges

a simplified version

Based on Photoshop Users TV episode 28.

1. Use the rectangular marquee tool to select part of the photo

2. create a new blank layer and select that layer

3. Go to Edit... Fill .. and in the "Use" pull down menu, I chose foreground color which happened to be white

4. Deselect ( Command D )

5. Go to Filter... Distort.. Displace

6. Change both vertical and horizontal scales to 20

7. then navigate to Applications... Adobe Photoshop.. Presets.. textures

8. chose " frosted glass"

9. hold down the Command key and click on the layer1 thumbnail ( the white area is selected)

10 delete layer 1 ( the selected edge is still there )

11. duplicate the background and create a layer mask for the new layer

( if you hide the background, the edge becomes apparent)

12. add a drop shadow to give the edge a more defined look

13. duplicate the layer with the mask ( and edge)

14. on the new copy, click on the link between the layer mask and the image

( this allows the edge to be moved separately)

15. make you have selected the layer mask of the top layer and choose free transform ( Command T)

16. move, resize or warp this edge to suit your needs

17. click on the layer mask for the first layer and create an adjustment layer

18. I changed the saturation and lightness on this photo

19. hold down Command and click on the thumbnail of the first layer mask ( this selects it)

20 . Choose Select... Inverse

21. next press Command.. Delete

Smoothing skin texture

Based on Photoshop User Tv episode 28

This can be used to smooth out any texture or small blemishes in portraits

1. copy the background layer ( Command J)

2. apply a gaussian blur to the top layer

3. create a layer mask

4. make sure the foreground color is black and use a brush to erase the blur around the eyes, mouth and any where else you choose ( in this photo, I only left the blur on the cheeks

** hold down option and click on the layer mask, this shows you where you have already used the brush tool

before

after

Using Color Range to select and change

1, Open image and copy the background

2. use the oval marquee tool to select a part of the image ( in this case, the sky).... this just narrows down the area photoshop has to look at

3. choose Select.... Color Range

4. Use the eyedropper to select the area of color you want ( it helps if the area is a uniform color but use the slider bar to widen or narrow the range you want

5. create a layer mask

6. use the adjustments window to make whatever changes you want

before

after