Layer Masks

Layer masks is a Photoshop feature that can really save you a lot of your precious time. Layer Mask or Masking a layer means to change any picture, into an attractive shape. Normally we use it when something needs to be deleted. It's a cool thing for blending pictures into each other in all kinds of ways. You can even create a frame for your photo & fit the image in that frame. You can design & create that frame or layout yourself. Layer masks allows you to delete (parts of) your design, while allowing you to retrieve this back whenever you want! Using this way of deleting allows you more freedom in your designing, because you need to think less about the consequences of deleting something. If you delete something "the regular way" and after a few hours of designing, you decide that you want it back, you need to redo all previous steps, or decide to leave it as it is anyway.

 
How does it work?

Below is the explanation of the layer masking of an image which has been shown above. We will do this thing by the help of following Step-By-Step Instructions listed below.

Step 1 - Technique

This technique will allow you to change any regular sized photo, into a stylish looking shape. Besides just making the shape, your photo will fit in just right with the cut out. You can design a heart and put you and your g/f or b/f in there for love. There's many other possibilities out there as well like the one we will use here. we will at first fit the theme with a dog picture. I will take a dog paw print and put the photo cut inside it! Check it out above. Make sure you click the image above to view the full size.

Step 2 - Stock Image

First you will need to find a stock image from some site or take a photo yourself! Now you want a picture that has the camera focusing on a person or thing that will look nice in a frame. Don't just take some regular old abstract picture and throw it in some frame or it'll look awful! Above is a stock photo I found at SXC.HU. You can find many images there for free!

Step 3 - Layer Mask

To start this tutorial out, let's add a basic layer mask. To do this, simply duplicate the background layer (stock photo). After that, go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All. Now your photo will probably either be all white or all black and disappear. This is ok! Now find a shape you like or use the lasso tool to make a shape.
         After you have a shape, simply CTRL+click the box next to the layer name in the layers box which will make it a selection now. Then grab your brush tool and using the soft brush at any size, brush all the selection. Make sure you have the black box in the layers box selected or it won't work!

Step 4 - Adding the rest

Now if you have a outdoor photo like I do, you can add some extra leaves or other types of brushes in there. To do this, simply take your brush tool and find the brush you want to use. Then make sure the brush is SCATTERING and brush anywhere around on the layer just as long as you got the black box selected! Hope this has helped you, this Layer Mask technique can be used on many other images / styles instead of just images like the one we experienced here with the dogs picture. Now we will do this with one more picture the Midnight Designs (see below).

Midnight Designs - Layer masks

See the image below which has 3 parts which are top, middle & bottom. The top is the one having green leaves, the middle one having a white hole in the centre & the bottom one having green leaves surrounded by the circle in centre. Basically, it works like the image below, when you apply a mask (middle picture) on your original image (top picture) you obtain the result as seen on the bottom. Black blocks from view, white leaves as it is.

Just like real life, things aren't just only black and white:

Again, black blocks from view, white doesn't do a thing and all shades of gray have an effect somewhere in between (different transparencies)

How do you do it?

Applying a layer mask on a layer is fairly easy: select your layer and click the mask button . Then:

Now you can start working on the layer mask like you'd do on any other layer (brush, (gradiënt) fill, patterns,... & many others!)