Layer Masks - 1

Layer Masks - 1

Learn how to harness the power of Layer Masks in Photoshop.

When to use

Layer Masks are incredibly useful any time that you want to hide or reveal parts of an image.

Instructions

Layer Mask Basics

• Open the image from the resources folder.
• Double-click on the 'Background' layer and rename it 'DO NOT ENTER SIGN' before clicking 'OK' to apply the changes.
• Now that the layer has been unlocked, click on the 'Layer Mask' option found at the bottom of the Layers Palette to apply a mask.
• Press 'B' to switch over to the Brush Tool and make sure that the 'Opacity' and 'Fill' of the brush are all the way up to '100%'.
• Make sure that you have a solid black foreground color selected.
• You can now begin painting over parts of the image with your black brush and it will remove the areas you're painting on top of. 
• As you paint, you should start seeing the underlying transparency grid behind the photo.
• By painting with solid white, instead of black you will be able to bring parts of the image back.
• Working with Layer Masks in this way is considered a non-destructive way of working because it allows you to retain all of the original photo information as opposed to simply using the Eraser Tool (E) and erasing the background.

Removing a Sky

• Click on the Adjustment Layer Icon and choose 'Solid Color' to create a new fill layer.
• Drag this layer below the photo of the sign.
• Click on the 'DO NOT ENTER SIGN' layer with the Move Tool (V) to make sure it's active.
• Switch to the Magic Wand Tool (W) and click any area of the sky.
• To grab the rest of the sky, go to the Select Menu and choose 'Similar'.
• With your selection still active, press Command/Ctrl+Delete to fill the mask with your background color, which, in this case, is solid black.
• If your foreground color is solid black, you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt/Option+Delete to do this instead.
• You should now see that the sky has been removed, revealing the solid color layer below.
• Notice in your layer mask thumbnail icon that all of the sky is filled with black, and the parts of the image that remain are appearing in white.
• If you accidentally removed parts of the image that you didn't mean to (such as the bolts and screws on the sign) you can switch back to the Brush Tool (B) and paint over those areas with solid white. 
• This will be easier if you zoom in (Command/Ctrl and the '+' key) and then use the Hand Tool (Spacebar) to navigate around the image. 
• You can also quickly change the size of your brush by using the left and right bracket keys on the keyboard.

Removing Extra Elements

• To remove the trees in the lower left, or the buildings on the right, you can use the Brush Tool (B) to paint it out with solid black.
• You can also use one of your other selection tools such as the Lasso Tool (L) to make a freehand selection around the trees and then fill the shape with black.
• To remove the buildings, use the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) to click and make a point, and then continue to follow the lower right edge of the sign and go all around the buildings before closing the shape.
• Once you've closed the shape you should see the marching ants to indicate your active selection. 
• From here you can use the keyboard shortcuts to fill the layer mask with solid black. 
• Press Command/Ctrl+0 to Fit to Screen and you should now see everything has been removed except for the sign. 

Refining Your Masks

• If you hold the Control Key and click on the layer mask thumbnail, you can disable or enable the visibility of your mask.
• You can also click on the 'Select and Mask' option, which will open a new window.
• From here you can select the 'Refine Edge Brush Tool' and brush along any of the edges that you'd like to clean up.
• Using this may not be 100% necessary for straight edges, but this is a great method for making selections with hair, fur, or feathers that have semi-transparent areas.
• Click 'OK' or 'Cancel' in the lower right corner of the window to close out of it.

Inverted Layer Masks

• Select your 'DO NOT ENTER SIGN' layer and press Command/Ctrl+J to duplicate it.
• Hold the Control Key and click on the layer mask thumbnail icon, and then choose 'Delete Layer Mask' to remove the mask.
• Next, hold the Alt/Option Key and then click on the Layer Mask Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.
• You will notice that the layer mask is now filled with solid black, which hides the entire image.
• Instead of using a black brush to paint out the areas we want to hide, we can instead use a white brush to paint in the areas we want to reveal.

Hints & tips

• Using Layer Masks in Photoshop is the best way to hide or reveal parts of an image in a non-destructive way.
• You can apply Layer Masks to individual layers, group folders, Adjustment Layers, and more.
• The key thing to remember when it comes to Layer Masks is that painting with black will hide part of an image, and painting with white will reveal part of an image.
• Instead of adding a regular Layer Mask, you can also add an Inverted Layer Mask to a layer by holding the Alt/Option Key and then clicking on the Layer Mask Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.