Photo 11

Sue Leith

Clone Transform Exercise

The goal of this exercise is to practice copying one area of an image into another using the clone stamp tool. This includes matching and/or changing the shape, size, rotation and dimensions of that object using the Transform command. We will also use a “sandwich” technique to make the image more realistic.

Instructions on how to do this exercise are on the back but, as usual, try to do it yourself before looking.

Open “Red Door Image” and “Lamp”

1. Copy the actual light fixture from the Lamp image using the Clone Stamp tool to a new blank layer in the Red Door image. After copying, close Lamp image without saving.

2. Erase, or hide, all areas of the wall around the lamp, leaving only the lamp visible.

3. Resize the lamp and rotate it, so it looks like it’s swinging sideways.

4. Position the lamp over the window to the left of the door.

5. Make a copy of the entire window and hide the glass so it looks like the lamp is behind the window. Careful not to hide any of the green area of the pane – only hide the glass area of the window. Leave some of the glass area partially visible so the window looks more like dirty glass in some areas.

Save as yourname.clone.psd and drop in drop box.

How to do the Clone Transform Exercise

1. --With the Red Door image targeted, add a blank new layer by clicking on the new layer icon in the bottom of the layers palette (looks like a folded sheet of paper - 2^nd from right) or go to Layer > New Layer in the top menu bar. Name the layer Lamp.

----Use the Clone Stamp Tool and Opt click inside the Lamp image at the top left of the lamp post – making sure you see the tool turn into the circle with the cross in it (so you know you’ve targeted the source) Move to the Red Door image, making sure you are working on the new layer you just created, hold down your mouse. As you move the mouse a copy of the lamp should appear in the Red Door document. Don’t worry about the size or where you put it for now.

2. --Using the eraser and or any selection tool you like (select then delete or, select an area then erase) to carefully erase everything but the pole and the lamp. Remember you can click once then hold down shift and click again to erase a straight line between two points. This task may be easier if you turn off the eye on the background layer. Alternatively, you may add a mask to the Lamp layer and paint with black to hide the wall area, rather than erasing it. Your choice.

3.--Use the Free Transform function (Command T) to scale the lamp to a smaller size. Grab the corner anchor point and drag in. Holding Shift, or Shift and Opt, will keep the proportions. (It is your choice if you want to keep or change proportions – be creative!)

Next, move your mouse outside the selected area in the corner until you see a double headed arrow, use that to rotate the lamp. When you have it the way you like, double click inside, hit enter or click on the green arrow in the options bar to make it so.

Alternatively either click your right mouse button inside the transform box or use Edit > Transform > Scale, then Edit > Transform > Rotate for the same results. If you make a mistake, click on the red circle with the line through in the options bar. If you like your changes double click inside the selection or click the check mark in the options bar.

4. –-Use the move tool on the lamp layer to reposition the lamp.

5. --Using any selection tool you like (rectangular marquee will work especially easily) and MAKING SURE YOU ARE WORKING ON THE BACKGROUND LAYER- make a broad selection around the window. It’s ok to include part of the wall. (You could copy the window onto another layer using the clone stamp tool if you check Sample All Layers in the options bar.)

----Command J will copy then paste the selected area of the window to a new layer. Position the new layer above the lamp layer in the layers palette. Name it window copy.

----Make sure you are working on the new layer, and add a layer mask by clicking on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette (2^nd from left – looks like a rectangle with a circle in it).

----Paint with black, on the layer mask, in the glass area to hide it. (Do not paint over the pane, if you do, switch to white and paint back the pane in the layer mask.) You can either paint freehand or select and feather, and then paint. Make sure to paint some areas with gray (a lower opacity of black). This will make it look like some glass is still there and a little dirty.