PS Selection / Deletion - So Basic I am Missing It

[janusz_mrozek]

I am in need of the lowest level help, apologies but I just can't find

the answer to the simplest possible question...

 

I am sitting here with PS Elements and a PSE book. I have many years

of computer experience but a few hours worth of PSE. I have created a

new layer, selected an area with a Lasso, and inverted. I now wish to

do what to me is the actual selection, namely, get rid of the stuff

that I have selected. The book says, in another context (because

magic eraser, not lasso?), press delete. I do so, nothing happens. I

group layers, ungroup, nothing. I have tried using Erase on the

selection. I am tired of guessing.

 

My larger tasks: 1) select part of the image 2) within that

selection, apply Magig Wand to pick out similar colored areas 3) recolor

 

My results: 1) failure 2) I've had no problems with this tool 3) I

have have decent success with filling but it is due to luck and

exploration and not understanding. I have wasted a number of hours.

 

So a) please tell me that tiny little tidbit of into that I just don't

currently have, and b) moderator, feel free to dump this thread at the

earliest convenience. :)

[janusz_mrozek]

I should add that I have once over the last hours actually succeeded in doing the deletion, but no longer recall the exact command. That enabled me to go on and do the fill in the non-deleted part and get a taste for how all of this is supposed to work.

[brian_mcintosh1]

When you select with the lasso it's the area inside the lasso that's selected. So when you got to inverse it will be the area outside the lasso that is selected. You now need to have the layer, on which the information you want to delete is situated, as the active layer. Check that the layer is highlighted in the layers palette, you should now be able to click on delete to clear the selected area or work on it with the erase tool if you wish.

 

Hope I'm understanding your problem correctly and that this helps. Always remember to have the layer on which you want the result to appear as active.

[beauh44]

Instead of pressing the Del key, try your Backspace key. Good luck!

[janusz_mrozek]

Yes, I had the wrong layer active. Thanks.

 

a) what I fully want to do is to change the color of the sky including those parts intermingled with tree branches. So I want to

i) choose the sky with Lasso, so my later Magic Wand doesn't pick up similar colors in non-sky parts of the pic

ii) within the Lasso-ed zone, apply Magic Wand

iii) fill the chosen area with a different color, just some unsaturated light blue for starters, later trying a gradient fill, later trying a piece of blue sky from another pic on the same day that I have extracted

 

So how many layers do I end up with? Base layer (original image), Lasso selection layer, MWand selection layer, color or other fill layer? Are there more layers? Do I need to duplicate the base layer - it didn't seem to work right just now with only one base layer.

 

b) choosing the correct active layer is such a simple concept, but isnt in my PSE book (by Aaland), at least in the section I was consulting, and I don't think in most such books, at least those I have browsed in the bookstore. Are there any books that would have more of a "principles" orientation instead of a "follow the steps" orientation? Hidden Power for Elements by Lynch?

 

thanks

[john_houghton]

You can use two layers. Duplicate your original base layer and delete the sky area in the top layer to make it transparent. Then create your blue gradient on the background layer. This will show through the transparent parts of the upper layer and become the new sky. You can then adjust the brightness etc of the base layer to best effect. You could also consider taking a photo of the real sky to use instead of the gradient.

 

John