Blending Pictures Smoothly in Photoshop: A Layer Mask Tutorial
Program(s)+version: Photoshop 7+
Involves: Layer Mask, Quick Layer Mask, Blending
Translatable: GIMP (so I hear)
Steps: 4
Difficulty: Easy
As far as picture blending goes, the Layer Mask is one of the most useful tools out there for everyone from beginners to experts.
What does a Layer Mask do, precisely? Basically, a Layer Mask works like the eraser tool but if you make a mistake, it's easier to correct. You don't have to worry about your History Palette or how many steps back you can take. I prefer masks to the eraser for this sole reason.
This post is here to give you a simple sample of how this is achieved.
First, let's take a look at the Photoshop Workspace, in case you don't know or need reminding of what your Layers Palette and the lot are; I'll be talking about them in this tutorial, so make sure you know your way around the program. Here's what mine looks like. I use Windows XP with my own settings, so don't panic if yours doesn't look exactly the same, the basic stuff is still there. If you can't find the palette you're looking for, go to Window-->(the name of the palette).
So, let's get cracking.
1. I started off with these two pictures. I opened them in Photoshop and then opened a new file (Untitled-1). I made the background of that new file black, but you can have anything (or nothing at all) on the background, it doesn't matter; I find that blending on black works best most of the time, but experimenting with background is always good.
Next I pasted both of my pictures into Untitled-1 (take the Move tool, click on the picture and drag, or right click on the Layer palette, choose Duplicate and "Untitled-1" from the drop down menu). Arrange the pictures the way you want. Make sure that each picture is its own layer. Now my Layer Palette looks like this.
And Untitled-1 looks like this.
2. So, now to using the Layer Mask.
Select the layer on top (in this case "blah") from your Layers Palette. Then find the Layer Mask symbol, a square box with the circle in the middle, from the bottom of the Layers Palette. (Layer Mask can also be "switched on" by going to Layer-->Add Layer Mask-->Reveal All, but I prefer this quick button.)
Click on the button. Now your Layer Mask is activated and you're "in the layer mask mode", so to speak, using the tackiest term ever. The layers now look like this.
See that small white box next to your layer icon? That's your mask, basically. When you have it activated (chosen by clicking), you're using the mask, and any painting you do will be done to the mask, not to the picture in the layer.
You can get out of "the layer mask mode" by clicking on the small icon of the layer next to that white box in order to work normally again (to get back to the "mode", click on the white box again). But let's not do that yet, keep the layer mask mode on for now.
3. Next, make sure that your foreground colour is set to black. To put it metaphorically, black is the colour that shadows (=hides) parts of your layer and so makes them invisible.
Choose the Brush tool from your Tools Palette. Go to the Tool Options Bar and choose a brush. I usually use Airbrush - at first at quite big a size (35px-65px) and then smaller when/if I start working with greater detail - because I think that Airbrush guarantees the smoothest result, but you can use any brush you want as long as the colour is black. Using different custom brushes can achieve very interesting effects.
Generally, it's not a good idea to have the opacity of the brush at 100%. I usually set it around 40%-60%, sometimes even lower.
4. So now we've got our brush, the colour set to black, and the mask mode on. Start drawing with the brush with short strokes along the edge of the picture or on whatever the area is that you want to erase.
If you make a mistake, no problem. Just change the foreground colour to white - shed light to the shadows, to continue the metaphor - and apply the brush on the area you want to get back. Then continue erasing by changing the colour back to black again.
Note: The Layer Mask only applies to one layer individually, which means that you have to create a new layer mask for every layer you want to edit.
Results:
From
...to
HINT: The Layer Mask is fantastic for blending textures, brushes and adjustment layers.
HINT: You save yourself a lot of effort if you combine the layer mask and the technique used in this tutorial.
HINT: Right-clicking on the Layer Mask icon will bring out extra options, such as Discard Layer Mask and Apply Layer Mask.
Pictures: The Dresden Dolls; Marcio Simnch; Paolo Roversi.
Note: Tutorial originally posted here 2004-11-15.
Involves: Layer Mask, Quick Layer Mask, Blending
Translatable: GIMP (so I hear)
Steps: 4
Difficulty: Easy
As far as picture blending goes, the Layer Mask is one of the most useful tools out there for everyone from beginners to experts.
What does a Layer Mask do, precisely? Basically, a Layer Mask works like the eraser tool but if you make a mistake, it's easier to correct. You don't have to worry about your History Palette or how many steps back you can take. I prefer masks to the eraser for this sole reason.
This post is here to give you a simple sample of how this is achieved.
First, let's take a look at the Photoshop Workspace, in case you don't know or need reminding of what your Layers Palette and the lot are; I'll be talking about them in this tutorial, so make sure you know your way around the program. Here's what mine looks like. I use Windows XP with my own settings, so don't panic if yours doesn't look exactly the same, the basic stuff is still there. If you can't find the palette you're looking for, go to Window-->(the name of the palette).
So, let's get cracking.
1. I started off with these two pictures. I opened them in Photoshop and then opened a new file (Untitled-1). I made the background of that new file black, but you can have anything (or nothing at all) on the background, it doesn't matter; I find that blending on black works best most of the time, but experimenting with background is always good.
Next I pasted both of my pictures into Untitled-1 (take the Move tool, click on the picture and drag, or right click on the Layer palette, choose Duplicate and "Untitled-1" from the drop down menu). Arrange the pictures the way you want. Make sure that each picture is its own layer. Now my Layer Palette looks like this.
And Untitled-1 looks like this.
2. So, now to using the Layer Mask.
Select the layer on top (in this case "blah") from your Layers Palette. Then find the Layer Mask symbol, a square box with the circle in the middle, from the bottom of the Layers Palette. (Layer Mask can also be "switched on" by going to Layer-->Add Layer Mask-->Reveal All, but I prefer this quick button.)
Click on the button. Now your Layer Mask is activated and you're "in the layer mask mode", so to speak, using the tackiest term ever. The layers now look like this.
See that small white box next to your layer icon? That's your mask, basically. When you have it activated (chosen by clicking), you're using the mask, and any painting you do will be done to the mask, not to the picture in the layer.
You can get out of "the layer mask mode" by clicking on the small icon of the layer next to that white box in order to work normally again (to get back to the "mode", click on the white box again). But let's not do that yet, keep the layer mask mode on for now.
3. Next, make sure that your foreground colour is set to black. To put it metaphorically, black is the colour that shadows (=hides) parts of your layer and so makes them invisible.
Choose the Brush tool from your Tools Palette. Go to the Tool Options Bar and choose a brush. I usually use Airbrush - at first at quite big a size (35px-65px) and then smaller when/if I start working with greater detail - because I think that Airbrush guarantees the smoothest result, but you can use any brush you want as long as the colour is black. Using different custom brushes can achieve very interesting effects.
Generally, it's not a good idea to have the opacity of the brush at 100%. I usually set it around 40%-60%, sometimes even lower.
4. So now we've got our brush, the colour set to black, and the mask mode on. Start drawing with the brush with short strokes along the edge of the picture or on whatever the area is that you want to erase.
If you make a mistake, no problem. Just change the foreground colour to white - shed light to the shadows, to continue the metaphor - and apply the brush on the area you want to get back. Then continue erasing by changing the colour back to black again.
Note: The Layer Mask only applies to one layer individually, which means that you have to create a new layer mask for every layer you want to edit.
Results:
From
...to
HINT: The Layer Mask is fantastic for blending textures, brushes and adjustment layers.
HINT: You save yourself a lot of effort if you combine the layer mask and the technique used in this tutorial.
HINT: Right-clicking on the Layer Mask icon will bring out extra options, such as Discard Layer Mask and Apply Layer Mask.
Pictures: The Dresden Dolls; Marcio Simnch; Paolo Roversi.
Note: Tutorial originally posted here 2004-11-15.