Create a mask and subtract a specific part

[Haris1977]

Greetings!

I am relatively new to photoshop but i came accross this:



I want to change the color of the space betwwen the red box and the black boxes. I know how to create the mask (for the red box) but when i try to create masks for the other 4 boxes it wont let me (i know i do smth wrong here)

How can i subtract the middle one and change its color?

 

[JeffK]

You can work on the mask you've already created and just use your brushes to edit the mask.

Here I've masked out the red bordered area from the rest of the image (note I duplicated the image and turned off bottom layer to only show the edited area):



Now using the selection tool you prefer - I used the pen tool - select those three boxes:



With the mask selected, go to Edit > Fill > Black



Click OK and then those boxes will be masked out:



Now you can choose a color fill layer and clip it to the masked layer - I've just popped in a purple:



Finished:



Simpler - just use a selection tool to choose the gray surrounding area and place it on another layer:



Again add a color fill layer above the selected layer, add a color, and clip it to the layer below:



Finished (the red border is still there since I didn't choose it):



If you want to change colors, just change the color in the fill layer...

Hope this helps and I've answered your question.

- Jeff

 

[thebestcpu]

HI @harrison121
I that it is more the art of selections as there are many ways to go about creating a selection.
Here is another way.

- Duplicate the Layer for creating a mask
- Using Magic wand (at relatively low tolerance setting) select the red boundary and fill it with black


- Delete the selection and make a selection in the area of between the black and the red (now black) outer boundary with a fairly high tolerance setting (I used 192) to catch all the variations of white in that area.



- Then just delete the temporary Layer used to create the selection and there you go. You could fill any color into that selection in the original Layer or in a sepearte Layer depending on your needs.



Lots of ways to go about it. Hope this gives you a direction to consider.
John Wheeler

 

[Haris1977]

Thanks all for your replies. I ve managed to do it simpler, by creating a mask (by using the subtract from selection option).

Then i filled the inside with my color

 

[IamSam]

Both @JeffK and @thebestcpu explained to you how to subtract from the selection on a layer mask.

I ve managed to do it simpler, by creating a mask (by using the subtract from selection option).

What did you use to "subtract from the selection"?

I know what it is!
The Marquis tools...........in this example, the Rectangular.


The Pen Tool or Shape Tool?


How and what did you use to make the selection that you used to subtract????

You had to make a selection in order to subtract from a selection.

What tool did you use? The Rectangular Marquis Tool? The Pen Tool? Did you use an existing layer(s) that was not described or made available in your original post? Opt/Alt + Cmd/Cntrl + click layer thumbnail?

Please explain so that future readers of this thread will know what you did!

Thanks!

 

[Haris1977]

I forgot to say that i am using photoshop cs3 version. But i guess the steps should be similar in main photoshop version
What i did:

a) i duplicated my background layer. I gave it a "mask" name (or whatever you want)
b) i selected "subtract from selection" from main menu



c) in "mask" layer i started creating first my "red" rectangle (i chose the polygonal lasso tool) and after that my 3 black rectangles (all in one mask). When i finished all of them, i hit the "add the mask" button (down right, right of fx button) to create the mask (with all of them)
d) i chose the mask and started to paint my color with the "Brush Tool"

 

[IamSam]

Excellent! Thanks!

There are so many ways to accomplish the same outcome in Ps. None of which are any easier, it's just which one is easiest for you! Accuracy is most important for me, so I would choose the most accurate method rather than the easiest.

Is it possible to post a link to the texture set you are trying to edit?