I have downloaded / received a few PSD's from Reinman and one from Claf; and I have noticed they use something I never have -- clipping masks. It appears, from an untrained Photoshop user like myself, that clipping masks group the layers together within a set so that adjustment layers, etc don't affect other sets of layers. Can anyone elaborate on this or explain how to use these masks?

I'm trying to learn more about masks in general, because they are something I don't use all that often; and from recent playing/experimenting with others PSDs and just messing around on my own, I can see how useful they can be!

...I thank anybody that provides links to their PSDs or provides them for learning purposes. It's very helpful to see what others do!

Any help is very appreciated. Happy chopping! I'm looking forward to getting back into PSC in mid December!

--Kris

A clipping mask is a great way (one example) to keep shadows where they belong.

HOW TO CREATE A CLIPPING LAYER? There are a few ways, but the way I like doing it is add a layer ABOVE where you want the new layer to fall on. NOTE: the lower layer should be a cut out layer - not an image that covers the whole frame. (1)

So you got an cut out image and now you have a new blank layer above it. If you take a brush, for example, and paint fuzzy gray fill over 1/2 of the image in the lower layer you'll notice that it cover OUTSIDE The boundary of the lower layer shape (2). HERE'S THE FUN PART... put your mouse cursor on the line dividing the two layers you just made (the lower layer with your main image and the upper layer with the "gray fuzzy stuff" on it.) With you mouse on that dividing line between these layers (It turns into a Pointing Finger Hand thang) hold down your ALT key (or MAC equivalent) and you'll see the cursor turn into a funky overlapping circle thing with an arrow pointing out the side. Right CLICK! The upper layer jumps to the right with a nifty angled arrow pointing to the layer below. In the image the gray fuzzy should ONLY be over the shape below (3). Where the lower layer image ISN'T the Gray Fuzzy ISN'T. This keeps the upper layer ONLY in the place where the lower layer is.

I've added a fuzzy WHITE highlight to the top side to finish whatever the hell this thing is! (4)









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If you have trouble figuring out that Between Layers Cursor Pointy Thing, you can also go to LAYER menu and choose Create Clipping Mask (clipping layer).

Also, for the final image I changed the Blending Mode of the Fuzzy Gray Stuff to MULTIPLY - it allowed the face graphics to not get washed out and stay sharp with all that Gray Fuzzyness overtop of it. . .

Okay - I'm gonna stop here before I add an accordion to this chop. Anyways, I gotta go listen to my Thomas Dolby records now!

Reinman! Thank you so much! I understood everything you said. Thanks for taking the time to make this small tutorial -- it's very much appreciated. I think I understand more about clipping masks now. I'm sure I'll use this technique in the future and also experiment further!

Thanks again.

If anyone has more to add to this, please feel free! I'm up for learning as much as possible on this great site.

--Kris

Am I just *really* perverted, or does that clipping mask cursor look a bit odd to anyone else?

Thanks for the tip, Rein..I worked with it and learned something new.

Nicely done Mr.R
this needs to go on the tuts page.
VERY Nice!

Yer all welcome...!

I'm be happy to format it for the TUTS page - I'm not sure if I remember how to do that though... I'm getting old and I'm thinking of having a Compact Flash memory card slot installed in my forhead to help with my medium term memory issues!

HA! me TOO! I can't wait till that becomes a reality.

Howdy!

So on the recommendation of a few of you fine folks I've done up a full sized tutorial on this topic - basically an expanded version of what I posted at the beginning of this thread as per GoatMan's request.

CLICK HERE

This is the temporary link to the mock up (which hopefully will find its way onto the normal TUTORIALS link here at PSC.)

Cheers!

Excellent work, Reinman! It's very cool of you to make that available to everyone! Thanks a lot.

Excellent stuff, sir Rein! You should run for Prime Minister.

What? Do I LOOK like an IDIOT!?!?!

Er, um.... don't anyone answer that.....

Y eah, sorry, rein. My bad. What if you just ran for the hell of it?