Painting on black layer mask?? Help please (CS5)

I've read a few tutorials now. Tips for making eyes pop more in portraits, tips for high pass sharpening certain objects.

All of these say to add a layer, then add on a layer mask, then paint with a white foreground color and a soft brush. Problem I run into is I can't paint onto anything for some reason. I'm currently reading this 400 page CS5 book and I still don't get it. I watched videos on youtube and I followed the same steps (IMO) and it still doesn't work.

anyone have any tips?

Make sure you have the mask selected in the layers palette. It will have a white border around it when it's selected. You can change the mask from reveal all or hide all by using Ctrl+i. Be sure to check your brush settings on the top toolbar as well, opacity, flow, mode, etc.

OK, after selecting the layer mask, there are two magic shortcuts:

The first is "D", which resets the default foreground and backgound colors. You may have been working with, say, another foreground color; clicking "d" sets the defaults back to the foreground as black and the background as white.

The second is "X", which switches the the foreground and backgroun -- in the masking realm, white as the foregronnd and black as the background.

These two shortcuts are arguably the two most handy shortcuts to know when working on a mask.

Of course, you can use the color picker if you really want to go to the trouble!

hawkeye60 wrote in post #11770450
Make sure you have the mask selected in the layers palette. It will have a white border around it when it's selected. You can change the mask from reveal all or hide all by using Ctrl+i. Be sure to check your brush settings on the top toolbar as well, opacity, flow, mode, etc.

Ok I've done that, and I found reveal all and hide all in the layers menu, but I can't select it.

I have the white square around around the mask but I can't select to reveal or hide anything..

also, when I mess around with it lots and finally get to paint (don't know how I even managed that), it doesn't paint in white, it just reveals the photo underneath it.

When you brush using a mask, you often don't see the white/black in the actual mask because you are working with small areas on a large image so say white would just be a tiny white dot until you do a large enough area.

If you really wanna see something, alternate between Alt-Backspace and Ctl-Backspace and see if the mask color alternates between the foregrond color and the background color (so switching between the Hide/reveal functions).

As to showing the mask over the actual image, try Alt-clickMask and see how it works for you.

When the layer mask is selected the foreground and background colors will reset themselves to black and white.

Max Powers wrote in post #11770761
also, when I mess around with it lots and finally get to paint (don't know how I even managed that), it doesn't paint in white, it just reveals the photo underneath it.

OK, you've got it, you just don't realize it yet!

When you paint on the mask you don't see the color of the brush strokes in your edit window, you just see the "effects." What the heck does that mean? Well, "White reveals, Black conceals" -- Any part of the mask that is white will cause the corresponding part of the image that is on the same layer as the mask to be revealed -- that is, to show up. Any part of the mask that is black will cause the corresponding part of the image that is on the same layer as the mask to be concealed -- result? you can see the layer below it. That's exactly what you're trying to accomplish.

To get more fancy, paint on the mask with a low-opacity brush. As a result the masked layer becomes semi-transparent.

So to use your example about eyes, in very simple terms, take a portrait and duplicate the image onto a second layer. Really sharpen it. Great, the eyes "pop" but the skin looks like heck. So add a mask and make the entire mask black, making the sharpened layer disappear. Now take a white brush, set it to a low opacity (20%, say), and start painting over the eyes, gradually revealing the sharpened layer in that area. You may not fully reveal the sharpened eyes, just bring them into view enough to make them look bright and sharp. (Disclaimer: That's just a crude example -- probably not how an accomplished artist would do it. )

If you want to have some fun with some very basic masking with some creative photohraphy, check out the Multiple personalities thread -- a fun way to learn how to get up and running!

https://photography-on-the.net …ht=multiple+per​sonalities

Alright, thanks for all the help guys. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this. I guess I saw a video and the guy made it seem so simple. When I followed the exact same steps I couldn't reproduce the same thing the same way.

I'm going to give it another shot now. Hopefully I come back with good news!

I'm stuck at work now and just want to go home and try this. I'm also going to try that multiple personalities thing.

Just came across this new blog post by Rick Sammon entitled "Selective Sharpening in Photoshop CS5". Might help to show you how the layer mask is used; hope it does not confuse things further.

http://www.ricksammon.​info …ing-in-photoshop-cs5.html

Also one clarification to what I posted yesterday: "...and start painting over the eyes..." -- be sure you have the layer mask selected and are applying the "paint" there (not on the image).

Success! I was able to pull off the multiple personalities thing!

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated! I now understand layers and masks much better.

Very cool! Getting started is half the fun! From here, well, take your time climbing up that learning curve!