Part VI Artistic Effects IN THIS PART Chapter 19 Distorting Images Using Transformation Effects, Liquify, and Vanishing Point Chapter 20 Applying Filters Chapter 21 Combining Images 27_584743-pp06.indd 61927_584743-pp06.indd 619 5/3/10 10:40 AM5/3/10 10:40 AM 27_584743-pp06.indd 62027_584743-pp06.indd 620 5/3/10 10:40 AM5/3/10 10:40 AM 621 CHAPTER Distorting Images Using Transformation Effects, Liquify, and Vanishing Point IN THIS CHAPTER Transformations Puppet Warp Liquify Vanishing Point D istorting images sounds so traumatic that it’s hard at first to think of anything but special effects when you hear it. On the contrary, most image distortions are simple functions such as resizing them or adjusting the perspective to make up for lens distortions. Many of the distor- tions and transformations available in Photoshop are helpful when creating image composites. Using skew, warp, or vanishing point can change the way you perceive an image and make it blend better with other images. This is especially true of layers that are not composed of images. Text and other vector layers can be transformed and distorted for the same reasons. You can use vanishing point to place text in perspective on any surface in an image. You can warp and distort shapes to give them the appearance of motion or just to give them the appearance of three dimensions. The big news in this chapter is the all-new Puppet Warp transformation added to Photoshop CS5. It goes way beyond the standard Warp transforma- tion to give you unprecedented control over specific areas in any image. Using Transformations Transforming an image can be anything from rotating it or changing its size to making it completely unrecognizable by warping or skewing the pixels until nothing is where it belongs. Some of these changes are basic fixes— rotating an image that’s been captured in portrait mode, scaling a placed image so it fits with the original document, or fixing perspective problems caused by camera mechanics. Other transformations are all about creating artistic effects—tugging and pulling objects and anatomy so they no longer look like the original captured image. 28_584743-ch19.indd 62128_584743-ch19.indd 621 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM Part VI: Artistic Effects 622 Note Most transformations can’t be performed on a background layer because it’s locked. Double-click the back- ground layer to change it into a standard layer. n New to CS5 is the Puppet Warp tool, which gives the Warp tool a whole new dimension and you as a user much more control. Not only does it include a mesh with several more control points than the standard Warp transformation, but you also can use pins to lock or maneuver the control points so the only pixels that move are the ones you want to move. The importance of the reference point When you choose any of the transformations, a bounding box is created around it. Notice that in the center of most of the transformation bounding boxes, you see a crosshair, as shown in Figure 19.1. This crosshair is called the reference point. The reference point indicates the area of your image that is stable. For instance, when you rotate an image, it rotates around the reference point. If the reference point is in the center of your image, it rotates in place. If it is placed on a corner of the image, the image rotates around that corner. The same is true of the Skew, Distort, and Perspective transformations. If you want the center of the image to be stationary while you perform these transformations, center the reference point. If not, you need to move the reference point. FIGURE 19.1 The reference point makes a difference in how the transformations affect your image. Reference point location Reference point 28_584743-ch19.indd 62228_584743-ch19.indd 622 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM Chapter 19: Distorting Images 623 You can move the reference point in two ways. You can use the reference point location and click any of the circles shown to change it to black, moving the reference point to that location. You also can simply drag the reference point into any other position on your image. Scale Scale simply changes the size of whatever you have selected, whether it is a layer or an active selec- tion. You’ll probably find yourself scaling frequently. Whenever you are combining more than one file, you commonly need to scale one or the other of them so they are a good size match. Even ele- ments such as a text or shape layers can be scaled. To scale, choose Edit ➪ Transform ➪ Scale to create a bounding box around the selected layer and then drag any one of the handles in any direc- tion to make the selection bigger or smaller, as demonstrated in Figure 19.2. To scale proportion- ally, hold down the Shift key while using one of the corner handles. This constrains the height and width percentage. If you know at what percentage you want your selection, you can type a width and height percentage in the appropriate boxes in the options bar. Click the link button to con- strain the proportions. FIGURE 19.2 You can scale a selection using the handles on the bounding box or by typing a percentage. Width and height percentages Handles Link to constrain proportions 28_584743-ch19.indd 62328_584743-ch19.indd 623 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM Part VI: Artistic Effects 624 Caution If you have an active selection in your image when you activate a transformation, the selection is targeted for the transformation instead of the entire image. n Rotate You can use the Rotate option to straighten a photo, tilt a photo in a collage, angle text, or any number of things to create the look you want. You probably don’t want to use this option to turn a photo that is lying on its side due to being taken by turning your camera or scanning in a photo sideways. The Rotate (180°, 90° CCW, 90° CW) Degrees options farther down the Transform sub- menu are much faster. To rotate a selected layer, choose Edit ➪ Transform ➪ Rotate. A bounding box is placed around the image, and whenever you hover over a handle, you see a two-sided arrow, as seen in Figure 19.3. Click and drag your mouse to the left or to the right to freely rotate the image. To constrain the rotation to 15-degree increments, hold down the Shift key while you rotate. You also can type a specific degree to rotate the selection in the options bar. FIGURE 19.3 The Rotate transformation Rotation angle Double-headed arrow 28_584743-ch19.indd 62428_584743-ch19.indd 624 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM Chapter 19: Distorting Images 625 Skew The Skew transformation allows you to move the corner handles independently of one another to pull or push the pixels in that corner closer to or away from the reference point. This transforma- tion actually morphs the pixels in the area that is being pushed or pulled by merging them or dou- bling them so it looks as if the image is still contained in its entirety in the skewed shape. Skewing text is more constrained. Rather than each corner being moved independently, the sides move together to create a sheering effect. An example can be seen in Figure 19.4. To skew a selection, choose Edit ➪ Transform ➪ Skew. A bounding box is created, and you can pull on the corners to transform them. You also can type a degree of skew in the options bar. This constrains your image to being skewed as a whole rather than one corner at a time. (Keep an eye on those numbers when you are dragging one corner; in order to skew just one corner at a time, not only the skew degree, but the relative position of the reference point changes.) FIGURE 19.4 Pull on the corners to skew an object. Set skew Distort Distorting an image works much like taking a printed photograph and bending this way and that to make it look different. Distorting in Photoshop works better, of course, because you can make more dramatic distortions without creating any wrinkles. The Distort option can make your selec- tion look angled, bubbled, or squished. Choose Edit ➪ Transform ➪ Distort to create a bounding box around your selection. Use the han- dles to distort freely, as seen in Figure 19.5. Note If you have just created a path, such as the shape that is being used in the distort example, you find that the Edit menu contains the option to Transform Path, rather than Transform. n 28_584743-ch19.indd 62528_584743-ch19.indd 625 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM . Part VI Artistic Effects IN THIS PART Chapter 19 Distorting Images Using Transformation Effects, Liquify, and. dimensions. The big news in this chapter is the all-new Puppet Warp transformation added to Photoshop CS5. It goes way beyond the standard Warp transforma- tion to give you unprecedented control. bounding box or by typing a percentage. Width and height percentages Handles Link to constrain proportions 28_584743-ch19.indd 62328_584743-ch19.indd 623 5/3/10 1:02 PM5/3/10 1:02 PM Part VI: Artistic