Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3: Advanced Tools

So after doing some basic cosmetic changes to the photo, I will need to use some more powerful tools to change the content. As I mentioned in the last post, I find this program to be equally powerful but more intuitive than PhotoShop. The Learning Centre helped me to get to grips with some of these new capabilities.

One useful tool is the Clone Brush. Firstly, you must pick a source with a right click. Then, when you left click, the source will be replicated to the new destination. This is the best tool for removing distracting objects. As you can see from the image, I used it to remove the largest patch on the floor surface.

For smoother parts of the picture, the Smudge Brush is a quick and efficient way to blend colours together. To do this you click a source and you drag it to the destination. This spreads the colours evenly across the brush stroke that has been made.

To remove the shadow from the photo, I first selected it with the Magic Wand tool. I then fine-tuned the selection with a combination of the Lasso tool and the wand, using Ctrl and Shift to Deselect and Select respectively. When the shadow was completely selected, I used the clone brush to eliminate the shadow.

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The first attempt at my front cover is very nearly completed. It won't be the finished draft, but my new skills will certainly increase the quality of the first draft.