The lasso tool is a great to use when you need to make selections of a particular selection. While it is just one of the selection tools Photoshop/Elements has to offer, it is my favorite.
Lassoing an area is pretty straight forward. You click the tool, then draw around the area you want selected.
What I want to share about today is function and necessity of the feather when using the lasso tool.
So, say you want to select a person’s face so you can brighten it. Or, there is a color cast on the face/neck and you select that area. BUT, what you should be doing first is setting the feather, which blends the edit/change in with the pixels around it.
If you are not paying attention to the feather, your edited area may stand out, with a defined start and stop. Or, if your feather is too large, the edit may only be applied to a very small part of your selection and too much of it blended in.
Sorry the pictures don’t match up. There is a story there, but I am too tired to tell it.
Okay, when you go to use the lasso tool, keep the double box icon selected, because that will allow you to choose multiple areas in the image.
BEFORE you make your selection, you need to set your feather. Not sure what size feather to use? Here is a good rule of thumb:
- Big area selected = big feather (a whole body might be 80 or 100 px)
- Medium area selected = medium feather (a face might be 30 px)
- Small area selected = small feather (eyes might be 10 px)
- Smaller file size = smaller feathers (make all of the above smaller for a 72 dpi image)
Remember! You need to set your feather BEFORE you make your selection.
After you set the feather, and make your selection, then you can do your adjustment/filter. With adjustment layers, you will notice that the adjustment creates a black mask, and ONLY the area selected will show the change. However, you can utilize your brush and draw out the change in other areas if you need.
Below is a 10 minute video tutorial walking you through using the lasso tool. Hope it helps and have fun lassoing!
Would you like to dive into PSE a little deeper? I offer video workshops which are great for those with a busy schedule, and also affordable workflow and creative actions which will help save you time when editing.
