Very Newbie Questions

Hi,
I'm very new to photoshop, so I'm warning you now that I will be asking very remedial questions. I plan on taking a course in January, but I need to create a design by the end of the month for a contest where I work. I can just sketch something, then scan it to send in, but I downloaded a trial of photoshop and got pretty far with my design. I'm becoming addicted to photoshop now.
Anyway, here is my very first plea for help:
I'd like to cut out a background using the elliptical marquee tool, which I can do fine with ONE ellipse. I'd like to position TWO ellipses perpendicular to each other to form sort of an inverted "T", somehow group them, then use that shape to cut. Can that be done somhow?
Thanks to anyone who can help!!!!

OK,
I figured out the two ellipse problem. Looks great. Now, is there a way to lasso or marquee a curve (besides using pen tool with points and bending... i suck at that). If not, I guess I'll just have to practice using the pen tool.

hi,
first i am a novice also... and curious what meathod you used....
on something like what your discribing... what i do is put each ellipse on a seperate layer and then rearranging/rotating them the way i want, i would then merge the two layers.....

i bring this up because at that point i can then use the magic wand and click on the transparent part of the layer and then do a inverse and that would select the "T" and from there you can do what you want...

does that help you....

jbro said:

OK,
I figured out the two ellipse problem. Looks great. Now, is there a way to lasso or marquee a curve (besides using pen tool with points and bending... i suck at that). If not, I guess I'll just have to practice using the pen tool.

thx, Jerry.
I noticed the icons at the top for subtract, add, intersect with selection. that's how i did it. I will keep your way in mind, though!