Displacement Maps Part 2
Welcome to part 2 of the displacement map tutorial. In this tutorial we are going to touch on masking to bring back some detail that was lost when we applied our displacement map.
Displacement Maps Part 2: Layer Mask Welcome to part 2 of the displacement map tutorial. In this tutorial we are going to touch on masking to bring back some detail that was lost when we applied our displacement map. I do like what we have come up with so far using the displacement maps and layer blending, but I find the texture in the subjects eyes distracting. Lets get rid of them! We are going to add a layer mask to our image. Click on ‘Layer 0’ in your Layers Palette to make it active. Then click the ‘Add Layer Mask’ button at the bottom of the Layers Palette.
You will now see a new white box linked to ‘Layer 0.’ This is your layer mask that you will edit to mask out certain areas of your texture. Click on the layer mask to make it active so you are editing the mask and not your image. Then hit the ‘D’ key on your keyboard to reset your foreground and background colors.
We are now going select the Brush Tool (shortcut key is ‘B’.) For my image I am going to use the following settings: Brush diameter 85 Mode: Normal Opacity 45% Flow 60% The settings you use will vary on the effect you are trying to create, size of the area you are masking, and how much you want to mask out.
Lets start masking!
Just so you can see the difference this is the image before the mask.
Notice the tile in the models eyes.
Now with your brush tool start masking the area out. I suggest using short brush strokes with frequent pauses. That way if you screw up you can Undo (Ctrl-Z) just your mistake on not a large area. If you do screw up don’t worry. You can hit the ‘X’ key on your keyboard to swap the foreground and background. Now you can brush over you mistake to remove the mask. Remember to hit the ‘X’ key a second time when you want to start masking again.
My image didn’t need too much masking. As you can see the eye is now sharp and tile free. If this image had more detail or lighter color hair, I might have masked the eyes, hair, eyebrows, and eye lashes. Pretty easy isn't it?
Masking is a topic that can get pretty involved. If you are looking for more information on masking I suggest doing a search on Photoshop masking and I am sure you will get more in-depth results to help you in your Photoshop journey.
Here is another example of what I did using a displacement map and a layer mask.
If you have any suggestions for improving this tutorial or have questions for me, please email me!
Thanks again,
Jesse
Jesse@thirdlifecreations.com