Description

Lesson 8: Remove backgrounds with layer masks in Photoshop CC

We all get used to using the erasers to remove parts of an image we don’t want; the magic eraser is especially fun to use. But, the erasers can only be used in certain situations. Using the eraser is a destructive process with Photoshop which means we are getting rid of the pixels in our image we are erasing.

In this tutorial you are going to look at one of the most essential features in all of Photoshop – layer masks. Using layer masks is a non-destructive process because the pixels we are trying to remove are not being destroyed, as you will see the pixels are still there even if we can’t see them and we can bring them back!

We will cover what layer masks are in this tutorial, how layer masks work, and why you might want to use a layer mask. Some people think using layer masks is difficult but if you can tell the difference between black and white and can paint with Photoshop’s Brush Tool, you already have all the skills you need.

You will receive the following:

• 19 page step-by-step handout instructions to create scene and an additional practice exercise
• Giza .PSD file
• Camel, clouds, and Giza Sphinx images to follow the instructions

[responsive-flipbook id="layer_masks"]

These lessons are all high-school/adult learner tested. I have used these lessons with hundreds of students, some with thousands of students. Many of the online tutorials are meant for intermediate or more advanced users and will skip steps. I have added steps and images to make the lesson easier to follow, these are not 1 page lessons. They are between 10 (for the simple ones) and 20 pages each! If you let me know of a step you would like added I will add it in and send you the updated file. I try to create these so my students have the least amount of questions possible.