Practical Photoshop - UK (2020-01)

(Antfer) #1

KEY COMPOSITING SKILL NO.4 LAYER MASKS
Simply put, a mask lets you either hide or reveal portions of a layer. This is key for all
kinds of composites, as it means you can combine parts of an image with other images
on the layers below, using masks to control which areas are visible or not. The beauty is,
nothing is ever lost, just invisible. Watch the video to find out more about Layer Masks.
When you first add a mask - by clicking the Add Layer Mask icon (or Alt-clicking for a full
black mask) - a little thumbnail will appear alongside the layer. While this thumbnail is
highlighted we can add black over parts of the image to hide those areas on the layer,
thereby making visible the layers underneath. If, after adding black to the mask, we
want to reveal a hidden area, then we simply add white to the mask instead. When
painting with the brush tool, we can flip between black or white by hitting X. What’s
more, adding grey, or painting with white or black at a lower opacity will create semi-
transparent parts, which is vital for seamless blending in a composite like this.


05


ADD A MASK
Next click the ‘Add Layer
Mask’ icon in the Layers panel,
then grab the Brush tool. Hit D
to reset your colors to black and
white, then X to flip the colors
so that black is the foreground
color. Paint with black over the
image to hide the parts of the
blocks layer that appear outside
the face.

WATCH THE VIDEO
http://bit.ly/2ofggt
Free download pdf