RP Tutorials - - UNDERSTANDING LAYER MASKS

Flora · #1 04-22-2005, 05:20 AM

A beginners Tutorial for better understanding Layer Masks in Photoshop [details]

palms1 · #2 04-22-2005, 05:50 AM

thank you for your tutorial on layer masks, i have read through and will probably read through again, This is a subject i had very little knowledge of and very little understanding of but now can go and practice

Flora · #3 04-22-2005, 05:59 AM

Hi palms1,

Welcome to RP!

Thank you so much for your feedback!!!

Your post lets me hope that everything has uploaded right (images and all...)

Glad if this Tutorial can be of help and please, after you have read and, maybe, tried it, let me know if there are confusing or unclear points so I can correct them .... Layer Masks can be a very 'confusing' topic!!!

Bob Mc · #4 04-22-2005, 09:32 AM

Thanks for the great tutorial. I'm just starting to work on masks and your work is very clear and well written

DannyRaphael · #5 04-22-2005, 12:04 PM

One of the BEST I've seen anywhere, Flora. Well done!

Flora · #6 04-22-2005, 03:39 PM

Hi Bob Mc,

Welcome to RP!

Thank you so much for your kindness.

Danny,

Thank you for your great comment .... Reading a post here, brought me back to my initial 'confusion' about Layer Masks ....

GOLDCOIN · #7 04-22-2005, 03:48 PM

FLORA...Simply wonderful. Thank you for such a clear & detailed tutorial!

Only pix 13 failed to open for me..?

Flora · #8 04-22-2005, 03:53 PM

Hi GOLDCOIN,

Thank you so much for your great feedback!

I've just changed Image 13 (I had uploaded the wrong one....) and maybe you were reading the tutorial during the procedure ... Could you, please, check again and let me know?

Thanks in advance!

vinniesworld · #9 04-22-2005, 04:50 PM

Great job Flora, everything showing up fine here.

Janet Petty · #10 04-22-2005, 07:03 PM

This is an awesome tutorial. It is well written, simple yet effective. It is easy to follow and easy to understand. I just spent the better part of the semester helping students try to understand the power and control they have with layers and masks. I wish I had had your tute two weeks ago. Books written by the "pros" often don't put this complicated topic on a level for newbies. Your tute does. Thanks Flora.

Janet

Flora · #11 04-23-2005, 03:27 AM

vinniesworld, Janet,

thank you so much for your great feedback!

So glad you found the tutorial 'easy to follow and easy to understand' .... This is exactly what I was aiming to ...

winwintoo · #12 04-23-2005, 08:42 AM

Good tutorial Flora - where were you when I was trying to learn

I no longer have Photoshop, I'm using Photoshop Elements which doesn't have a layer mask like Photoshop does, so I've had to learn a new way of doing the same thing, but strangely, it's much easier.

Here's what I do.

In Photoshop Elements (PSE), create a color adjustment layer in a solid color that contrasts well with the image (I like to use bright yellow or bright blue), especially the parts you would like to select. Leave the blending mode at Normal, but set the opacitiy at something like 80% so you can just see the image through the color.

The color adjustment layer does have a layer mask and now you can paint with black to "scrape" away the color over the part you want to select. If you've "scraped" away too much, paint with white to put the color back. When you're satisfied that you've scraped away the right amount of color, hold down the Ctrl/Command key and click on the color adjustment layer in the layers palet and the part of the layer that is still colored will be selected - allowing you to switch to your image layer and get rid of everything you don't want by just hitting delete, or you can easily reverse the selection if you want to copy your selection and paste it to a new layer.

PSE doesn't have channels but you can save your selections and combine them or subtract them.

Here's a picture of it in action.

Take care, Margaret

Flora · #13 04-23-2005, 09:57 AM

Hi Margaret!!!

Thank you so much for your kindness!

....And thank you VERY much for showing the way to do it with PSE ....A lot of people here will be very happy about it!!!

Hope you are well...

Take care...

P.S. how about writing a PSE tutorial on this topic?

winwintoo · #14 04-23-2005, 10:29 AM

I would like to do a tutorial on that but right now I'm up to my ears writing scripts for my tv show.

We filmed the first two episodes this past week without a script - they told me I wouldn't need one - and I was very disappointed with my performance, so now I'm trying to make it more structured. I'm hoping they will scrap the first two episodes and film them again.

I keep coming here for inspiration even if I don't have time to post

Take care, Margaret

Flora · #15 04-23-2005, 10:34 AM

WOW Margaret!

A celebrity!!! I didn't know that!!!
What is your show about??

Take care...