Need help with masks

[chris]

Hi all

I have been trying to get to grips with Linn's masking demo and can understand how the principal works but could do with more info

on using multiple masks and using another picture as a mask.

Many thanks

Chris

[Lin Evans]

Hi Chris,

The thing to keep in mind is that any black and white image can serve as a mask. The black portions will become transparent while the white portions will show those portions of the layer under the mask which correspond to the white portions of the mask. To see how this might work, make a monochrome (desaturated) copy of a color image and use that monochrome image to view the color image.... Myriad different types of masks can be created - your imagination is your only limit.

Multiple masks can be applied to a single image or one can have multiple images and masks inside a mask container. Chris, here's a pte file to experiment with. Try deleting the image inside the mask, then click on undo and delete one mask, then use undo again and delete the image outside the mask, etc. You will find that as I have presented it you have elements of actually three possible images. You have the image outside the mask as the background, the young lady dancing inside the mask and revealed by the Mask1.jpg then also additional elements revealed by the full white mask. As you delete and undo you will get a feel for how this can work to produce many and varied effects. Notice that I have the opacity of the full "white" mask set to 20% which allows Mask1 to give 100% opacity of the face of the dancer yet blended opacity for the background of her shot. Having the background image outside the mask container allows this to happen.

http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/sample1.zip

The best way to learn is to experiment....

Best regards,

Lin