Frustrated tying to use a Layer Mask

EOS_JD wrote in post #3642351
White Reveals, Black Conceals..... You have it the wrong way round.

When you create a layer mask, generally the mask is white. So paint black on the mask to hide portions of the layer.

You can select the layer mask and fill it with black then you use the brush tool with the foreground set to white to reveal parts of an image.

Depends what your particular task is. Once mastered your editing will improve a lot.

Sorry I was the wrong way round, but what I was really getting at was that the OP appeared to be clicking on the layer thumbnail rather than the mask icon.

Roy Mathers wrote in post #3642382
Sorry I was the wrong way round, but what I was really getting at was that the OP appeared to be clicking on the layer thumbnail rather than the mask icon.

Yes I saw that although if he was clicking on the image and painting with the brush tool, he would be painting over the image in whatever colour the foreground was. that's what made me feel he had selected the mask but was painting over the mask in the same colour the mask already was (ie white)

EOS_JD wrote in post #3642417
Yes I saw that although if he was clicking on the image and painting with the brush tool, he would be painting over the image in whatever colour the foreground was. that's what made me feel he had selected the mask but was painting over the mask in the same colour the mask already was (ie white)

True - perhaps we need a fuller explanation?

Roy Mathers wrote in post #3642462
True - perhaps we need a fuller explanation?

Of what? There's plenty of sites on the web giving info on the use of layer masks.

http://www.lunacore.co​m …shop/tutorials/​tut003.htm

try this one.

I meant a fuller explanation of exactly what the OP was doing.

Roy Mathers wrote in post #3642536
I meant a fuller explanation of exactly what the OP was doing.

sorry Roy. it ooks like he was following a video tutorial.

If he tries the above link it may make things a little clearer. Took me a few goes to start getting it and even then a few more goes for it to really click into place.

Yes. the best way is to just keep trying and learn from experience

Roy Mathers wrote in post #3642582
Yes. the best way is to just keep trying and learn from experience

Yes after a while you will get it.

You can also change the color of the mask itself,by holding down the Alt key,in which case you will see a black mask instead of a white one.Then that changes how you paint on the image,and also which color to use.

That link explaines masking quite well. Nice.
One addition: If you click on the mask in the layers palette, then hit \ or * (depending on PS version), the mask is shown as a Quick Mask.
Sometimes usefull...

René Damkot wrote in post #3642619
That link explaines masking quite well. Nice.
One addition: If you select the mask, then hit \ or * (depending on PS version), the mask is shown as a Quick Mask.
Sometimes usefull...

You can also turn the mask into a selection by holding down the control (command) key and clicking on the mask.

Bsmooth wrote in post #3642612
You can also change the color of the mask itself,by holding down the Alt key,in which case you will see a black mask instead of a white one.Then that changes how you paint on the image,and also which color to use.

Yes I mentioned that earlier in the post that if you have a black mask this hides everything on that layer and white will reveal what you want to see. The only colours you will paint are white ort black or grey.

the grey will reflect opacity. With white as 0% (showing layer) and black 100% (hiding layer - or parts of a layer)

Made my above post a bit clearer (I think) to make a distinction between 'Clicking the mask in the layers palette' vs. 'making a selection'.
'Select' probabely wasn't the best word I could have used

You can also make a selection on an image and turn it quickly into a layer mask by selecting the layer mask icon. it will show the selection as white and the remainder hidden as black.

EOS_JD wrote in post #3642373
If you are trying to put a head on a subject, I usually select the head (and a portioon of the image around it) from another image and copy it (control c) then I paste it into the new image and use the move tool to align it properly myself. Switch the new layer on/off to get the alignment right.

If you don't have CS3, have a look see at the Adobe tutorials on CS3's new features. They keep making gitty reference to "how it used to be done". The new "autoaligh" feature works for a formal since the background is identical and most of the stuff is the same. I'll give your method a try (and that link a read).

Now; I've flattened out the image and on to my next mystery.

My Kubotu Artistic Actions II is having trouble getting THAT painting to work, sigh. I've used this 1000 times on CS2, double sigh. Oh well, off to work. What I need is "tutorials for dummies", that warn of all the common mistakes - 'cause I seem to make them all.