INTRODUCTION
Photoshop Elements offers many ways to select an object.  Most of the selection tools will be used in this lesson.  The purpose is to color or erase the background.

PROCEDURE FOR ACQUIRING IMAGES
View this lesson on the Web (http://leisurevillage.us/nt/classnotes.html) > select one of the pictures flower1, flower2, flower3 as instructed below > right-click the picture + Copy.  With Photoshop Elements open, click Edit + Paste.  If this doesn’t work, right-click the picture + Save Picture As > save to Desktop.  Drag the picture file to Photoshop Elements.

SELECT WITH THE MAGNETIC LASSO TOOL AND SELECTION BRUSH TOOL
Acquire flower1 > double-click the Hand tool (expands flower1) > select the Magnetic Lasso Tool (from the Tool bar) > rapidly drag the tool all the way around the flower, click and reposition the tool at sharp edges > open the Selection Brush (from the Tool bar) > select Add to selection on the Selection bar > set brush size to about 10 > click and drag to move the marching ants from flower outward > hold the Ctrl key and click to move it in toward the flower.  Click Select + Inverse (this selects everything except the flower) > set tool size about 100 > click and drag to color all areas outside the flower.  Click Set Foreground Color and pick a nice background color > select the Paint Bucket Tool > click the colored areas (fills the background with selected color).  Hold Ctrl key and tap D key to remove marching ants.

SELECT WITH MAGIC WAND AND SELECTION BRUSH TOOL
Acquire flower2 > select the Magic Wand Tool > set Tolerance to 30 > select Add to selection on the Selection bar > click around on the flower until most of the outer edge of the flower is selected > select the Selection Brush tool > erase marching ants inside the flower and, if necessary, move them to the edge of the flower > click Select + Inverse > select a background color > select the Bucket Tool > click the colored area.

SELECT WITH MAGIC WAND AND LASSO TOOL
Acquire flower3 > select the Magic Wand Tool > set Tolerance to 50 > click the flower > select the Lasso tool > select Add to selection on the Selection bar > draw a free-hand loop around the yellow portion > select the Zoom tool > draw a rectangle around the yellow portion > select the Selection Brush tool > move marching ants line around outside of yellow portion > click Select + Inverse > set tool size about 100 > click and drag to color all areas outside the flower > select the Magic Eraser tool > click the colored areas (this erases the background).

CONCLUSION
These are the most useful tools for selecting an object and the means of coloring the background (flower1 and flower2) or erasing the background (flower3).  In some cases you may find it necessary to use all methods on the same project.

GOOD WEB SITES
LEISURE VILLAGE: http://leisurevillage.us
BILL’S HOME PAGE:  http://bzus.com