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| Introduction | Creating the brush | Using the brush |
INTRODUCTION |
Red-eye removal/restoration is a commonly requested feature of many photo editing programs.
Photo-Paint version 10 has included just such an effect now in the Effects > Color Transform menu. To use this tool you need to create a mask around the red eye first. This built-in effect cannot be applied gradually, just all or nothing. For users of previous versions of Photo-Paint however, the effect is not available.
No problem! Help is at hand.
This tutorial shows you how to create your own red-eye removal tool using almost any version of Photo-Paint, by creating a custom Effects Brush.
Please follow the instructions EXACTLY. After you've created it, feel free to experiment by altering the settings. You might even be able to create a brush that will produce different eye colours during the removal process. Please let me know if you do ;-)
This method was originally posted on the Photo-Paint 9 newsgroup at the Corel web site by David MacDonald.
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Before using the brush
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After using the brush
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CREATING A RED EYE REMOVAL BRUSH |
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Prerequisite:
Create a new image in Photo-Paint. The image must be either RGB or CMYK, not paletted or grayscale but can be any size, resolution etc. |
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1) Select the effects brushes in the tool docker.
(see Figure 1).
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| Figure 1. The Effect Tool in the Toolbox. |
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2) From the Effect Brush TYPE selector on the far left of the Property Bar, select The Hue Effect Brush, the first and leftmost of the two little coloured globes.
(see Figure 2)
(Please Note: The second coloured globe icon is the Hue Replacer - do not use this).
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| Figure 2. The Hue Effect Brush from the Effect Brush Type drop down list on the Property Bar. |
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3) On the property bar set the following (in left to right order) :
- Type: Custom Hue
- Paint mode: Red (this setting is vital - do not vary)
- Nib Shape: Circular
- Size: 10'ish
- Amount: -140 (this setting is vital - do not vary)
- Soft edge: 100
- Anti Alias: On (pressed)
(see Figure 3)
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| Figure 3. The Property Bar settings for the Red Eye Brush |
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4) Now open up the Brush Settings Docker - Either double-click the already selected Effects Tool in the tool box or, from the menu, choose Windows > Dockers > Brush Settings.
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5) In the brush settings dialogue press the Cumulative button on the Stroke Attributes bar.
(This tiny button looks like three blue dots and a brush).
This setting is vital - do not vary it.
(see Figure 4)
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| Figure 4. The Toggle Cumulative button on the Brush Settings Docker. |
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6) Open the Nib Properties in the Brush Settings Docker by clicking the small arrow head on the right of the section.
Click on the Transparency value, then on the tiny slider icon and adjust the grey slider bar value to set Transparency to 90.
(see Figure 5)
You could also just type in this value.
This setting is adjustable, the lower the transparency the more powerful the initial effects of brush but it is strongly recommended you start at this setting.
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| Figure 5. Adjusting the transparency setting for the brush. |
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7) Now save the new Effects Brush. This is done differently in different versions.
In Photo-Paint version10, click the small boxed arrow right on the top right of the Brush Settings Docker and select ‘Save Brush (see Figure 6a).
In Photo-Paint version 9, click the Brush Options icon on the Property Bar (the last icon - looks like a tiny paint brush) and select Save Brush. Type in ‘Red Eye' in the Save Brush dialogue box, then press OK (see Figure 6b).
The Brush Type drop down list in the Property Bar will now have a new brush called Red Eye.
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| Figure 6a. Saving the new brush in Photo-Paint 10 |
Figure 6b. Saving the new brush in Photo-Paint 9. |
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| USING YOUR NEW RED EYE REMOVAL BRUSH |
First of all, find a suitable photo with a red eye. For me this was much harder than I anticipated and I ended up having to search though several years of old photo albums to find one to test it on (so much for popular public requests!)
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- Select the Effects Brush from the Brush Tools Flyout if it is currently not selected, choose the Hue icon from the drop down on the far left of the Property Bar and then choose the Red Eye brush from the Brush Types drop down list (also from the Property Bar).
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- Zoom in on the eye in question on your image, and if necessary, adjust the Nib size of the brush to suite the eye on the image you are correcting. If the eye is fully open (no upper lid covering it, make the brush a little smaller than the size of the iris. If the eye is partially covered, make the brush a little smaller.
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- Use gentle, multiple circular strokes around the eye to brush away the reds until you achieve your desired effect. You do not really need to be very accurate as the Paint mode setting causes the brush to only affect red areas!
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| That's it - simple hey! |
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- David Mutch 6/6/2001
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