Digital BW, The Print

I would go into automask mode. Draw your S curve (or whatever). Fill 
one side with black. Then do a large gaussian blur.

You should end up with a mask a long the lines of what you are looking 
for. But in those cases I usually just end up painting a mask with the 
airbrush (using a brush size of ~100-650 depending on the image size)

-mikeH


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" <
mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Carolyn  Frayn 
> <carolyn@u...> wrote:
> (snip)
> > 
> > Yes, I'd like to use my 1200 for the Piezo, I'll be sure to get the 
> CIS,
> > thanks... A guru I ain't, just been doing this a while.  I had a 
> Commodore
> > 64 before I got my first little Mac!  It's all your fault I'm 
> posting so
> > much, nice to "meet" people with the same interests... it's bloody 
> addictive
> > though!
> 
> Yep!!
> 
> > > Here is a question you might be able to answer for me. One of many
> > > things that drive me nuts in Photoshop and have lead me to believe
> > > that no photographers were involved in designing the program.
> > > 
> > > In the darkroom one of the most important tools is a piece of
> > > cardboard to use for dodging and burning during printing. Some 
> people
> > > just use their hands. One of the most common things is to burn in 
> the
> > > sky using the cardboard to mask the foreground. The sky gets 
> burned
> > > down as a gradient from the top. However, I typically bend the
> > > cardboard slightly or even into an S shape achieving a gradient 
> burn
> > > that follows a curved path. As far as I can tell Photoshop only 
> does
> > > gradients along from a straight line or as a sphere. Is there 
> anyway
> > > to create a gradient off of a free hand curve or path?
> > 
> > I don't think you can create a gradient from a path, I've only seen 
> what you
> > have described plus diamonds etc... the gradient itself does not 
> curve,
> > would be nice though!  I'll look into it.
> > 
> > I would try making the canvas bigger than the image, using the 
> magic wand
> > tool with a very large feather... (it maxes at 250 px) draw your 
> curve or S
> > shape across, then go a bit outside of the canvas, up, across and 
> down the
> > other side to join the beginning of your curve. Click the layer 
> mask button,
> > fill with black. If the feather is to much then re-do. If the 
> feather does
> > not give you enough transition maybe try blurring it or filling 
> with 50%
> > gray instead of black. Also you can unlink the mask from the image 
> and move
> > the mask up or down to find the best place for the transition.
> > 
> > I suggested making the canvas bigger so that the feathered edge of 
> the
> > selection that will follow around the two sides and top will not be 
> in the
> > image.
> > 
> > Don't know if that is what you're after? Or if my writing made 
> sense. Please
> > let me know.
> 
> 
> That sounds like it should work. I will give it a try and see how it 
> goes.
> 
> Thanks,
> Martin