Paper title: DSDN144 Digital Photographics

Exercise: Using the Layer Masks

1. Open the Big Brother and Woman images in the Layers exercise folder

in the course folder. Position the files so you can see both easily on your

monitor.

2. Select the Move Tool and drag the Woman image onto the top of the Big Brother image. You will notice that Woman converts to greyscale as it

has been placed within a greyscale mode image.

3. Double-click on the words Layer One in the Layer Palette to rename it

Woman.

4. Click on the Add a Mask button (second from left) at the bottom of the

Layer Palette.

5. Click on the Gradient Tool and select Foreground to Background in the

Gradient Picker and Radiant from the options (along the top of the

screen).

6. Make sure that the Foreground colour is black and the Background colour is white.

7. Click on the centre of the woman’s face and drag to the bottom edge of

the image. Notice how the Layer Mask icon on the Woman layer shows a

mini version of what the mask you just created looks like.

8. You can use the Move Tool on the Woman layer to shift her face so that

her eye lines up with the eye Big Brother.

9. Now click on the centre of her face and drag just a little to the left. Keep

repeating this whilst experimenting with varying angles and drag lengths.

However, do not repeat more than 15 times or you will not be able to do

the next stage of the exercise.

10. Using the History Palette, go back to the stage Add Layer Mask.

11. Swap the foreground and background colours by either clicking on the little

bent arrow or the little squares next to them, or by pressing X on the

keyboard. Repeat stages 8 and 9.

12. You can change the angle of the woman’s face to align her eye over the

background eye by going Edit then Free Transform (Control + T) and

rotate to your liking. You may need to zoom out of the image so as to see

the frame of the Woman layer.

13. Look at the Layers Palette and make sure that there is a little white frame

around the Layer Mask icon of the Woman layer.

14. Click on the Brush Tool and paint on the image. Swap around the

Background and Foreground colours and brush over the area you just

painted.

15. You paint with Black to add to the mask and with White to subtract from

the mask. Experiment with the blending of the two layers through painting

with either black or white, as well as various opacities of both.

16. If you hold down the Alt key and click on the Mask Icon on the Woman

layer, you can see the actual mask itself (Alt click on it again to return to

normal view).

17. When you have the image blended to your liking, flatten it by selecting

Flatten Image from the side pop-out menu on the Layers Palette.

18. If you want to keep the image, save into your own folder.