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Hi everyone here a problem I have, basically I want to remove all white from this image so I can paint beneath the illustration.
When I remove the white using magic eraser or the magic wand I'm still left with loads of 'white enclosed spaces'
< this is my problem. It seems like I'll have to go into the image and use the magic wand individually for each white space?.
Is there an easier way to remove all of the white automatically?
You really don't need to remove the white in that image.
All you need to do is change the Layer Blending Mode to Multiply. Since it's a black and white layer, using Multiply will merely make the black visible and hide the white whenever it is on top of a darker color.
If you still want to go to the trouble of removing the white....
(Window > Channels) : Copy the Blue Channel in the Channels Panel. Use Image > Adjustments > Levels to increase the contrast of the black on the channel.
Command/Ctrl-click this Blue Channel copy to load it as a selection.
Highlight the image Layer in the Layers Panel and then Option/Alt-click the New Maskicon at the bottom of the Layers Panel to create a "hide all" layer mask.
I would still set the blend mode to Multiply for the layer. Then possibly duplicate the layer to further reinforce the black.
Then you can just paint or whatever on any layer below it.....
Channels can be a very powerful way of creating selections. You essentially just have to look for a high-contrast channel, remembering black means selected and white means not selected, similar to a layer mask.
A classic problem! Avoid using magic wand for something like this. It will leave a white/gray border around everything.
Instead just choose the blend mode "Multiply" indicated with a red ring below. This will make all white in the layer transparent. Like printing the layer on a piece of transparent paper.
Now you can apply your coloring in layers below the drawing. In your case (because of the complexity of the lines) I think it would be easiest to manually paint in the areas like you would on paper - making sure to stay inside the lines.
You could use magic wand to combine areas to fill but beware of the contour! You might have to use "Select/Modify/Expand" to make the selection overlap the black lines of the drawing.
This is just a plain magic wand selection:
This is the selection expanded by 1 px (but you will have to choose this value to fit the resolution of your document):
