Painting a layer having a Hidden Power's layer mask active in PE2?

[Rich10]

I am making a collage using PE2. I have a background layer (solid color) and then each photo is on its own layer with a layer mask used from the Hidden Power Tools. I was hoping to use the mask to paint with black on each photo to make each of them irregular shaped and remove excess parts of each photo. To do this, I turned off the visibility of all layers except the one I was working on. So, on the layer I was working on (highlighted), the image was visible and the rest of the layer was transparent. I would now like to remove parts of the photo by making those parts opaque by painting with black and have the parts painted over, reveal the background layer color. This works fine except some of the transparent parts of the layer also are painted black, which covers the background layer color and changes the background layer color, which I don't want. So, what I need to be able to do is select just the image on the layer and not the tranparent part of the layer so I can paint just on the image and not on the transparent part of the layer. I tried using "Select All," but the whole layer is selected (image plus transparent part).
How do I select just the image part of the layer and not the transparent part of the layer, so I can paint with black just on the image and not be concerned about the black paint getting anywhere else on the layer besides the image?
Thanks.
Richard Hirschman

[Rich10]

Well with a little help from a guy named Chuck, I figured out what I was doing wrong. Sorry if you wasted your time reading my first post. However, as I will describe below, I am still curious about another part of that post.
It was a newbie error on my part. I forgot to click on the mask icon when painting. Sorry about that.
I am still curious about another part of my first e-mail. As I described there, I can't seem to figure out how to highlight just the image and not the tranparent areas in a layer with a layer mask. Do you have any suggestions on how I can do it? I have no particular technique in mind to use it at the moment. I am just wondering if it can be done.
By the way, as you many of you know, those Hidden Power Tools by Richard Lynch are terrific - even for just being able to use a layer mask in PE2. (I have no connection with Richard Lynch.)
Thanks again.
Richard

[gina]

Hi Richard,


You just have to click in the transparaent part of your layer with the magic wand. This gives you the selection of the transparant part of your image. With "Ctrl-shift I" you invert the selection and this should give you your image.
I hope I could have helped you. Maybe some other folks have other interesting ways for you

happy hunting

gina

[Rich10]

Hi Gina,
Thanks for the tip.
Richard