How Does One Color A Layer (Straight Black) With A Photograph/Other Art?

[andrewv41895187]

Hello all,

Because I have the smallest sense of design, I have been elected by my team to carry out all artistic tasks for my college's annual literary magazine this year.

I designed the attached logo for the magazine's 69th year, re-purposing the abstract swirl from our first issue in 1950 (it fits the aesthetic of the era, hmm?), and now, if possible, I want to "color" the marks--the "6/yin," the "9/yang," and the hexagon/nonagon--with a mandala (which I will change to three different colors--one for each [which I know to do]) by dropping one in/atop the marks, to give the whole thing a nice Eastern feel.

If the swirl was not so intricate, I know I could simply merge it with an all-white layer, delete/erase the swirl, insert the mandala, and be good to go, but because it was drawn with what appears to be charcoal, there are a lot of empty spots inside and a lot splashing spots outside that would take forever to hollow out--the magic wand is only so good. As such, I feel there must be a way to simply "color" the area that already exists with, essentially, a photograph. Each shape is its own layer, containing nothing but the blackness: I am at least a little responsible in Photoshop .

Thanks for any and all help,

Andrew

[pixxxelschubser]

I'm not sure if I understand you right.

[andrewv41895187]

That's sweet! (And I would have to know how this is done.)

But now, could you change the green seen in the image on the left to have this mandala (although I'm going to create my own later) peeking through instead? (I know it's a terrible resolution, but just for an example.)

[davescm]

Hi

To remove the white use Blend If in Blending options

Then make a smart object from the resulting black and transparent layer and press Ctrl+J twice so you have three copies.

On each add a layer mask and roughly select around the pattern elements .

Then clip your new colours /patterns to each smart object

Dave

[davescm]

To use your new pattern

Same blend If then smart object step as above . Then clip the pattern to the smart object layer (by Alt clicking on the border between the two layers in the layer panel)

Dave

[davescm]

Actually thinking about it - if you are only going to use this single pattern and want to retain the white then forget the transparency steps and just put the pattern layer above your log and set the blending mode to screen

Dave

[pixxxelschubser]

The same - but a little different

[andrewv41895187]

This looks like the ticket, but I can't suss out the steps--those required before the step of blending options, and the alt+drag, which I understand perfectly.

What is the set up before this? For your Ebene 3 and Ebene 1 Kopie layers--how do you get them as they are seen above, with that extra space to the right as seen in the layer box.

[pixxxelschubser · Accepted solution]

Sorry.

Forget the extra space of the right side.

copy your image nr.1

PS:

File --> new (from clipboard)

Strg+V

copy your mandala image

in PS:

Strg+V

doubleclick the 'space' after the name of your layer in layers palette (e.g. Layer 2 your mandala layer)

and set the blend options as I described (in my last Screenshot)

[andrewv41895187]

Wow, that was easy! I knew there was a way to carry this action out. I feel like an idiot, heh, not knowing how to do it--but how would I? Excellent help from all!

Humbled,

Andrew

P.S. Any help with the mandala would be very appreciated, too.

[pixxxelschubser]

you can learn/explore every day 'new' features in Photoshop.

for your mandala drawing you need Photoshop CC (IMO CC2017 as minimum)

Perhaps it is better to open a new thread for this topic. And for the beginning: Re: Is there any way to use Ps For Mandala(mehndi) Design Drawing.

[andrewv41895187]

A lovely idea.

One more question regarding the original thread before I go:

With the "Blend If" option, I find I cannot drop something in the background now.

If I wanted a black background here, for instance (sorry for the phone-shot, my Photoshop is having problems saving), if I add a layer and paint-bucket-it black, it'll just disrupt what I have going here, dulling the effect by dragging white out of the entire image. In the future, I'm going to drop an alabaster in so the white won't be so stark, although it still looks nice now, I think .

[Trevor.Dennis]

Dave, Andrew mentioned creating his own Mandala design, which sounds like a job for Symmetry.  Can we link to your Tech Wednesday presentation on this open forum?

[davescm]

Hi Trevor,

I've got no objection and it is not under NDA but I'm not sure whether the links are only accessible to ACPs.

Dave