Color Emphasis

WI State Standards:

AA Cr10h
Investigate: Engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and research through elements and principles of art and design studio practices and processes.
(aesthetics / problem solving)
AA Cr12h
Make: Create works of art that introduce students to media, care of tools, and basic craftsmanship skills.
(skills)
AA Pr10h
Develop meaning: Create s body of work incorporating personal, historical, and contemporary art to communicate one or morepoints of view.
(aesthetics / communication)

Learning objectives

graphic problem solving
creative project: planning and executing
manipulating images
editing tools

Emphasis is an area or object within the artwork that draws attention and becomes a focal point.

You can achieve this effect by using many approaches. In this assignment we are going to use COLOR to make viewer focus on one area of your artwork.

Start with finding an interesting color photograph. Decide what you want to emphasize an make the focal point.

examples

STEPS

Open image in Photoshop.

Duplicate the background layer by dragging it down to "New Layer" icon at the bottom of Layers palette.

This is what your Layers palette should look like.

Two identical layers (images).

Next step is to remove all color from the top layer.

Image > Adjustments > Desaturate.

This will remove all colors from the pixels.

Now it is a black-and-white photo.

You are going to erase a part of the top layer to reveal colored background.

Choose Eraser tool from the Tool box.

Set Eraser’s hardness to what you think is appropriate for your particular artwork. Setting hardness to 100% gives it sharp edges, setting it to 0% gives it soft edges. You can choose anywhere in between too.

Set Eraser’s opacity to around 50%. This way you can erase gradually and make less mistakes.

Change the brush size based on the area you want to erase.

To change the cursor brush size shortcut is to press [ or ] keys on your keyboard.

Use small strokes to start erasing.

Save!