290 chapter 8 ■ ZBrush Movies and Photoshop Composites
point of the image in sharper focus than the
other regions (Figure 8.49). Instead of using the
eraser, which permanently alters the image, we
will use a layer mask.Masks
In Photoshop, it is always best to use masks to remove
part of an image instead of erasing because the Eraser
tool destroys pixels while a mask only hides them
from view. You can always alter the mask if you
decide you need more clouds in an area.- To create a mask, make sure the cloud layer is
selected and choose Layer → Layer Mask →
Reveal All. This will create a layer mask attached
to the foreground clouds layer. Alternately you
can select the Mask icon at the bottom of the
Layer menu. - The mask will appear as a white box next to
the cloud layer. In Photoshop, white in a mask
appears to be transparent and black appears
opaque. Select the Paintbrush tool and the color
black. Make sure the mask is selected by click-
ing it once in the Layer menu. A small rectangle
appears around the layer mask when it is active. - Start painting on the image, and you will notice
it makes the cloud layer disappear while the
mask begins to show your black strokes. To
restore the cloud area, just switch to white. If
you want to view just your mask, Alt-click the
mask icon in the Layer menu and your mask
will become visible (Figure 8.50); to restore the
regular document view, Alt-click the layer mask
icon again. Paint out the clouds around the face
and eyes as this is the center of interest. You can
let them remain around the shoulders and ears. - Add an overall noise layer by pasting an image of
any random texture. This can be rusty metal, old
paper, or even a rock face. Any natural surface
with random patterns will suffice. The idea is to
unify the image with a single layer of noise. Load
the noise.psd file again from the DVD. Add
this layer above all the others and set the blend-
ing mode to Overlay. You will want to dial back
the opacity to make the effect very subtle. You
can also experiment with the soft light blending
mode. This will create a more subtle effect and
sometimes works better with some images.
Figure 8.49 Set the blending mode to Overlay and erase
in the face area.
Figure 8.50 Alt-click the mask icon in the Layer menu to
view your mask.