Masking, put simply, is the art of isolating an element in an image from its background. It is one of the most essential concepts in graphic design and is the foundation for working with layers non-destructively. Although simple in concept, masking can be difficult to do well–but once you understand some essential concepts, this indispensable skill will open the door to many design options.
More of what you will learn from this course:
1) It is possible to use gradients in Pixel Masks for fading images out similarly to Feather effects in InDesign.
2) The best combination for selecting hair in Photoshop is Color Range with Refine Edge with the Smart Radius option enabled.
3) Masking can be used for creative compositional effects too. Try using a pixel mask on a Black and White adjustment layer and assign a stroke and drop shadow on it to create an interesting image in an image effect.
4) A good example of using clipping masks in Photoshop is when you clip an image layer onto a text layer. This way the image will be only visible inside the text.
5) There are two types of masks in Illustrator: Clipping mask and Opacity Mask. The main difference between them is that you can only create transitional or feathering effects with Opacity Masks.
This title is available in the
Total Training All-Access library.