The magic wand tool is a powerful feature in Adobe Photoshop that allows users to select specific areas or objects within an image with just a few clicks. This tool is found in the toolbar on the left side of the Photoshop interface and is represented by an icon that resembles a magic wand. To access the magic wand tool, simply click on its icon in the toolbar or press the keyboard shortcut "W". Once selected, the magic wand tool can be used to make selections based on color or tone. It works by sampling a particular color or tone and then automatically selecting areas of similar color or tone within the image. To use the magic wand tool, click on the desired area of the image.
To use the magic wand tool, click on the desired area of the image. Photoshop will automatically select all areas that closely match the color or tone that was clicked on. The tool's tolerance setting determines how closely the color or tone must match in order to be selected.
The Witches
Roald Dahl did not believe in babying children, often forming images in their heads that pushed from childish vision to surreal terror. The same could be said for Guillermo del Toro, a craftsman who does not believe in holding your hand, no matter how old you are, and understands the sheer power of fantasy. Years ago, del Toro started working on a stop-motion film of Dahl’s The Witches, already adapted once in 1990 by Nicholas Roeg. That project fell apart but del Toro’s love of challenging scares remains in the 2020 version of “The Witches,” as he co-produced and co-wrote (with Kenya Barris and the director) this version, now directed by a very different technical master, Robert Zemeckis. A victim of the pandemic, this once-theatrical blockbuster is now landing on HBO Max today, just in time to terrify children into staying up all night on Halloween. To its credit, it has some of the most unapologetically scary imagery in family entertainment in a long time, reminding one of its source material and, at its best, of Zemeckis’ work with twisted visions like "Death Becomes Her" and even the darker edge of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". Some of the writing gets a bit clunky, the ending is pretty horrible, and there’s a performance at the center that kind of sucks in everything around it like a black hole, but most of that won’t matter to viewers of “The Witches”: They’ll be too scared to care.
AdvertisementChris Rock narrates “The Witches,” introducing viewers to the basic foundational truth of the story that follows: “Witches are REAL!” He explains how all those other stories of monsters and legends are nonsense . but not witches. They actually do prowl the shadows of this world, and they hate nothing more than children. Their purpose is to literally destroy as many kids as possible, and our narrator knows this because he had a personal encounter with the Grand High Witch herself, and he’s going to tell you about it.
Flashback to our hero Charlie (Jahzir Bruno) as a boy, orphaned by a car accident and sent to live with his grandma Agatha (Octavia Spencer). A major change from the source material here is not only transferring the action across the pond to Alabama in the late 1960s but adding a subtext of Southern race relations in that era. It’s sadly underdeveloped as an interesting theme to unpack, but the fact that Charlie and Agatha stand out in the action that later unfolds at a high-priced hotel makes them feel like underdogs in a different way.
That action doesn’t really get going until Agatha learns that Charlie saw a witch. She believes him, and goes into further detail about the history of witches, revealing that her childhood friend was turned into a chicken by one of them years earlier—the image of a scared child literally becoming a giant bird for the rest of her life is the first one here that could have your kids waking you up in the middle of the night. She also previews the visual facts of witches—gloves to cover their claws, talons instead of feet, a smile that stretches so far that it turns demonic—that Zemeckis then unloads with typically impressive visual acumen. He may have left his mo-cap films of the ‘00s behind, but that experience clearly influenced this project, which often has so many visual effects happening at the same time that it feels like a live-action cartoon.
AdvertisementTo overcome an illness, Agatha takes Charlie to a fancy hotel, where it just so happens a massive coven of witches have assembled to discuss their plan to rid the world of pesky children. The conference is led by The Grand High Witch, played by a heavily-accented, scenery-chewing Anne Hathaway. There are times when it feels like Hathaway is in an entirely different film from everyone else, going for broad camp more than the rest of the cast, which also includes Stanley Tucci as the hotel manager. At its best, it reminds one of Cruella de Vil, a huge character surrounded by ordinary ones. She preens and prowls through the movie, often stealing it from everything around her.
There’s a centerpiece sequence in which Charlie first encounters The Grand High Witch that’s easily the film’s best. After making clear her intention to turn all children in the world into mice, the witches find a hiding Charlie, and the tension and striking imagery is pure nightmare fuel for anyone under 12 (and most people older than that too). Hathaway drives a fun and yet honestly threatening sequence that the film struggles to match in its second half.
As great as it can be, “The Witches” lacks the best world-building and depth of some other Dahl material, and Zemeckis can’t quite figure out how to make this story richer. The back half is incredibly thin in terms of plotting, especially when compared to the revelations and sheer technical excellence of that aforementioned centerpiece sequence. There’s a fun bit on a balcony and another in a kitchen, but the movie never achieves that central tension again, even in its final showdowns. And then it kind of peters out to a variation on the same non-ending of the source.
And yet, just like the people who were exactly the right age in 1990, kids won’t forget “The Witches.” There’s still power in the idea that something is out there in the night and wants to hurt you, and it’s telling that this force comes into Charlie’s life after his parents die, removing that layer of parental protection. Ultimately, this feels like minor work for Zemeckis & del Toro based on a minor work by Dahl, but it could be a major work for a kid who sees it at just the right age.
Now available on HBO Max
Roald Dahl did not believe in babying children, often forming images in their heads that pushed from childish vision to surreal terror. The same could be said for Guillermo del Toro, a craftsman who does not believe in holding your hand, no matter how old you are, and understands the sheer power of fantasy. Years ago, del Toro started working on a stop-motion film of Dahl’s The Witches, already adapted once in 1990 by Nicholas Roeg. That project fell apart but del Toro’s love of challenging scares remains in the 2020 version of “The Witches,” as he co-produced and co-wrote (with Kenya Barris and the director) this version, now directed by a very different technical master, Robert Zemeckis. A victim of the pandemic, this once-theatrical blockbuster is now landing on HBO Max today, just in time to terrify children into staying up all night on Halloween. To its credit, it has some of the most unapologetically scary imagery in family entertainment in a long time, reminding one of its source material and, at its best, of Zemeckis’ work with twisted visions like "Death Becomes Her" and even the darker edge of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". Some of the writing gets a bit clunky, the ending is pretty horrible, and there’s a performance at the center that kind of sucks in everything around it like a black hole, but most of that won’t matter to viewers of “The Witches”: They’ll be too scared to care.
The magic wand tool also has additional options and settings that can be adjusted in the options bar at the top of the Photoshop interface. These include the ability to add to or subtract from the selection, as well as options for selecting contiguous or non-contiguous areas. Once a selection has been made using the magic wand tool, a range of editing options become available. Users can apply adjustments, filters, or effects to only the selected area, allowing for precise and targeted editing. Certain tasks, such as isolating objects from a background or changing the color of a specific area, can be achieved quickly and easily with the magic wand tool. In conclusion, the magic wand tool is a valuable tool in Photoshop that allows users to make quick and precise selections based on color or tone. It can be found in the toolbar and provides a range of options for refining selections and editing specific areas of an image..
Reviews for "Advanced Techniques with the Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop"
1. Sarah - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "Where is the magic wand in photoshop". The book promised to provide clear and concise instructions on using the magic wand tool in Photoshop, but it fell short on delivering its promise. The explanations were confusing and lacked proper step-by-step guidance. Additionally, the book did not provide any practical examples or exercises for readers to practice and apply their learning. Overall, I found it to be a waste of time and money.
2. John - 2 stars - I have been using Photoshop for a while now, and I thought "Where is the magic wand in photoshop" would provide some additional tips and techniques for using the magic wand tool. However, I was left disappointed by the book's lackluster content. The information provided was very basic and didn't offer anything new or insightful. The book also didn't include any visual aids or images to support the explanations, making it difficult to follow along. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking to enhance their Photoshop skills.
3. Emily - 1 star - I found "Where is the magic wand in photoshop" to be a complete letdown. The author claimed to reveal hidden tricks and secrets for using the magic wand tool, but all I got was a rehash of basic information that could easily be found in online tutorials. The book was poorly organized and lacked any depth or substance. I expected to learn something new, but I ended up feeling like I wasted my time reading this book. Save your money and look for better resources to learn Photoshop.
4. David - 2 stars - As an intermediate Photoshop user, I was hoping "Where is the magic wand in photoshop" would provide some advanced techniques and insights into using the magic wand tool. However, the book failed to deliver in that regard. The information provided felt too basic and didn't provide anything beyond what can be found in free online tutorials. The lack of practical examples and real-life applications was also disappointing. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed by the content of this book.