Masking

[Blacknight]

I thought I had seen a thread that covered masking in some detail, but I can't find it. I posted a "question" on masking in the "Cover Girl" restoration challenge area, but I think it is buried there as I have not gotten any reaponse. Basically I guess I need to know what to do with the mask once you have it.

[Doug Nelson]

Well, masks have many possible uses, but as far as that particular Challenge goes, you simply include it as a separate file with your submission.

Do a good job. Most people missed out on the fact that the mask was the real Challenge

[jeaniesa]

BK, as far as how to save the mask as a separate file, I simply clicked on the alpha channel (mask) to make it active, then chose "select all" and copied it. Then opened a new image and pasted the mask into it. Then flattened. There may be an easier way to save the mask as a file. If so, I'd like to know too.
Jeanie

[Blacknight]

I'm learning that even though I believe I am making myself clear as to what it is I am asking, I am, in fact, not. Let's see...

After saving the mask, which I have done, I then want to complete the reason that I made the mask in the first place...so that I can put a different background behind the "Cover Girl." I drag and drop the mask from its separate file on top of the "Cover Girl" picture.

THEN WHAT? How is the different backgrount introduced into the image?

[Doug Nelson]

The easiest way is to create a layer mask and paste your mask into it. Then whatever bg you have chosen will show through (assuming it's under your model layer).

But remember the Challenge specifies to leave her existing background intact.

[Blacknight]

Ok - here's an unadjusted (except for an auto levels) Jennifer just as an example. I have found a way (maybe it's THE way, but no one has told me so I tried several ways) to put in a different background using a mask.

I duplicated the red channel, and (sorry - don't know the PC way) COMMAND-clicked the red copy channel, which creates the marching ants. I then hit the Q key for a quick mask.

Using a giant brush set to 100% everything, I brushed the sweater and some of the hair. I then hit Q again to see where the "ants" were, and since they were outside the sweater now I filled the selection with white.

I did a SELECT ALL and copied, then clicked on the RGB channel, went to layers, and hit PASTE (which put it above the background layer).

Back to channels, and COMMAND-clicked on the Red Copy again to select white area, then back to layers again, still on the B/W layer.

Now the rest of this might just be available in PS7, I'm not sure. I double-clicked on the B/W layer I just pasted, and this brought up the LAYER STYLE menu (also under LAYERS, LAYER STYLE).

At the bottom of the list on the left there is an option for PATTERN OVERLAY. There are tons of patterns you can load in from the application, or you can create one yourself. I loaded in a grid pattern, and set the mode to Hard Light just because I liked it. Hit OK.

Hit DELETE, which should make Jennifer in all her color appear.

The beauty of this, to me, was that there was NO painting in the wisps of hair with the Wacom pen or anything. I liked it with a dark background, but I also tried it with a lighter one, and the hair looks just as good (where it didn't with the version I put up for the CHALLENGE on this pic because I played for a long time with the Wacom pen selecting the strands of hair and it looked like it - BAD!).

I don't know if this is the "right" way or what, but I don't think I've seen any better looking background-substitution pics even with those separate programs that are supposed to do this "hard" masking for you.