Photoshop Mask Tutorial (03/11/07)

Step 1 : Start with a Picture


Step 2 : Left Click the Background Layer with the Mouse and while holding the left mouse button down drag to the new layer button(one next to the trash can) in the Layers Palette (Lower Right Corner) .


Step 3 : Click on Layer (Top Menu) then Click on Layer Mask and finally Reveal All (You should see something like the below Picture)


Step 4 : Well Not Actually a step but you should see a white box in the Layers Palette (that is the Mask) See Below

Step 5 : Look at the Above Picture again and see the Polygonal Lasso Tool is selected...please select that thank you

Step 6 : Outline the object that you want using the Polygonal Lasso Tool and when finish you should see a floating Marquee around the object (See Below)


Step7 : Click on Select and then Click on Inverse (See Picture Below)


Step 8 : You should see something like below when you do


Step 9 : We're getting Close I promise...now click on edit and then click on Fill (See Below)


Step 10 : You should see something like below, but wait before you push OK, make sure that the black in the toolbar Palette (Side Left) is in
the Foreground (Top of the White) and that you have Foreground Color Selected before pressing OK (See Below)


Step 11 : Your Done, but I will tell you what to do to double check to see that you did everything correctly, so click Select and then Click Deselect (Short Cut Ctrl-D)
See Below :


Step 12 : Then Click the Eye in the Background Layer in the Layers Palette (Lower Left Screen) See Below :

You're Done......

Some final comments, you don't have to use the polygonal lasso tool for there are many other tools (brush, pen, lasso) that you can use. Just remember to select the mask (Lower Right Hand in the Layers Palette where the mask should be when you created it) and that Black takes that part of the picture away (masks) and white puts that part of the picture back (unmasks). You can also use very shades of grey to take that picture partially away giving varying degrees of a transparent look to it (a great way to make fog for instance). Just make sure you select the mask before you want to mask something, it's very easy not to do that first, but you'll find out when it doesn't come out right. :-)