How is it done?

[nycks1]

I'm not that good with PSCS or Painter and just want some input about these images. Thanks In advance.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by nycks1

I'm not that good with PSCS or Painter and just want some input about these images. Thanks In advance.

Not to worry. Everybody was at one time where you are with Photoshop (or Painter).

Notice in each example the subjects wore clothing to match the border effect -- white (or very light) clothing in one, black (or very dark) in the other.

The following is the Photoshop solution because I'm better versed in PS than I am with Painter 8's implementation of Layer Masks. For those who have Corel PhotoPaint, conceptually the following with work for you, too, using ClipMasks. (Hunter: Is that a sufficiently unbiased statement?)

Below the layer where they are wearing black clothes, a layer was created and filled with black. (Fill with white on the white interpretation.)

Back to the photo layer (what's known as) a Layer Mask was added. (Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal all) Now choose the Brush tool (Airbrush option = on, opacity ~ 50%, flow ~ 50%) and foreground color set to black. Start airbrushing black around thte edges of the image where you want the all-black layer from below to appear. As you go you'll need to experiment with the opacity, flow and brush size settings.

If you goof, switch foreground color to white to restore areas of detail you may have excluded.

When you get some time you might eyeball these tutorials on masking. They really helped me "see the light."

#1, part 1: http://www.shootsmarter.com/infocenter/sa005.html
#1, part 2: http://www.shootsmarter.com/infocenter/sa006.html

#2: http://www.vrya.net/ts/photoshop7.php

#3: http://www.webreference.com/graphics/column23/

Hope this gets you moving...

~Danny~