Opacity question

3rdPlanetPhotography

maybe a simple one but here goes.

I'm using Photoshop CS and I've placed a B&W layer over a color background. I'm using the erase tool to erase some of the B&W so the color shows through.

Here's my delima:

I change the opacity on my eraser so the colors aren't so strong (say to 50%). When I erase it looks great, however, when I overlap the erase tool then I get lines where the opacity doesn't work and I get 2 erase marks with 50% opacity and streaks.

Does anyone know how to make the erase tool so the opacity will stay 50% and not make these stripes?

Thanks in advance.
kc7dji

cletus

kc7dji wrote:

maybe a simple one but here goes.

I'm using Photoshop CS and I've placed a B&W layer over a color background. I'm using the erase tool to erase some of the B&W so the color shows through.

Here's my delima:

I change the opacity on my eraser so the colors aren't so strong (say to 50%). When I erase it looks great, however, when I overlap the erase tool then I get lines where the opacity doesn't work and I get 2 erase marks with 50% opacity and streaks.

Does anyone know how to make the erase tool so the opacity will stay 50% and not make these stripes?

Thanks in advance.
kc7dji

I'm having a hard time visualizing what's happening. Could you post an image so we can see exactly what's going on?

digismile

Doing it this way will be quite hard. With the eraser opacity at 50% just means that you are taking away half of what is remaining before you erase. What happens when you overlap your strokes, the area being erased for the first time is being reduced at a 50% rate, but the part that you are overlapping continues to erase further. This is what causes the streaks. Even at 50%, if you go over the same area over and over, you will eventually erase away to nothing.

Probably an easier way to create the same effect is to add a layer mask to the layer on top. Set it to reveal all. Now depending on whether you're trying to expose a little or a lot you have a number of choices on how to proceed.

Brushing with 100% Black will hide that portion of the top layer. A 50% gray will show 50% of the top and 50% of the bottom, just like what you were trying to do with the eraser. The advantage to the layer mask is you can paint back more white to reveal more of the top, or paint back more black to reveal the bottom. It's like being able to unerase.

Regards,
Brad

P.S. Using a large, soft brush should help with the streak problem.

3rdPlanetPhotography

digismile wrote:

Doing it this way will be quite hard. With the eraser opacity at 50% just means that you are taking away half of what is remaining before you erase. What happens when you overlap your strokes, the area being erased for the first time is being reduced at a 50% rate, but the part that you are overlapping continues to erase further. This is what causes the streaks. Even at 50%, if you go over the same area over and over, you will eventually erase away to nothing.

Probably an easier way to create the same effect is to add a layer mask to the layer on top. Set it to reveal all. Now depending on whether you're trying to expose a little or a lot you have a number of choices on how to proceed.

Brushing with 100% Black will hide that portion of the top layer. A 50% gray will show 50% of the top and 50% of the bottom, just like what you were trying to do with the eraser. The advantage to the layer mask is you can paint back more white to reveal more of the top, or paint back more black to reveal the bottom. It's like being able to unerase.

Regards,
Brad

P.S. Using a large, soft brush should help with the streak problem.

Brad,

Thank you so much. It took me a bit of playing to really understand what you were saying but I've finally got it. That works wonderful!!! Thanks again.

kc7dji

digismile

Glad you figured it out! It was very late for me and I can see know that the later it got, the more I rambled:D .

Brad

kc7dji wrote:

Brad,

Thank you so much. It took me a bit of playing to really understand what you were saying but I've finally got it. That works wonderful!!! Thanks again.

kc7dji

3rdPlanetPhotography

heres the result

digismile wrote:

Glad you figured it out! It was very late for me and I can see know that the later it got, the more I rambled:D .

Brad

After working (short time) with it and playing around I got this... thanks again for the help.

GREAPER

And just for the record, using your first method, it will not erase more than 50 percent unless you release the mouse button then press it again. If you hold it down and move it around it will erase 50 percent of what is there. If you release it and press it again it will erase 50 percent of whats left, and so on.