Julieanne Kost's Blog

To load the transparency of a layer or the contents of a Layer Mask as a selection, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on a layer or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel. You can then add, subtract or intersect the transparency mask of that layer (or any other layer) to that initial selection by right mouse clicking on the layer thumbnail, or with the following shortcuts:

• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift to add additional layer and or layer mask to the selection.

• Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) to subtract another layer and or layer mask from the selection.

• Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift to create the intersection of two layers and or layer masks.

In this Quick Tip (How to Paste into a Layer Mask in Photoshop CS6), Julieanne reveals a simple technique to paste content directly into a layer mask in Photoshop CS6.

In Photoshop CS6, not only can you use a Layer Group as the bottom of a Clipping Mask (so that you can clip the contents of a layer(s) to the contents of an entire group) but you can also add Layer Effects/Styles to a Layer Group to have the style applied to all of the layers in the Group (as a single unit).

In this Episode of the Complete Picture  (Using Color to Add Emotional Impact to a Photograph) Julieanne discusses how the addition of color as well as  supporting imagery can  help reinforce the mood and message of a composite image that a single photograph may fail to do on it’s own. Discover how to composite images through the use of masking, blend modes, smart objects, gradients and edge effects.

When working on intricately composited, multi layered documents, I often find it useful to check each of the layer masks before finalizing the image. To do this, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click on the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to display it. With the mask visible, check to see if there are any unwanted awkward transitional areas that might not have been visible in the complex composite (a sharp edge from a selection or gradient for example).

In order to automatically convert the transparent areas of a layer into a mask, select Layer > Layer Mask > From Transparency.

After adding a layer mask to hide portions of a layer, it can sometimes be difficult to determine if there are any small bits of the layer that have been accidently left behind. In this case, it might be helpful to temporarily add a layer effect such as a bright red stroke ( Layer > Layer Style > Stroke and click the color swatch to choose a vibrant color) . The stroke will now appear around any small areas of the mask that you may need to clean up. When finished, simply remove the layer effect by dragging the “fx” icon on the Layers panel to the Trash icon).

•Command (Mac) / Control (Win) -click on a layer or layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to load it as a selection.
• Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift to add additional layer and or layer mask to the selection.
• Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) to subtract another layer and or layer mask from the selection.
• Option-Command (Mac) / Alt-Control (Win) + Shift to create the intersection of two layers and or layer masks.

In this training video, (Creative Retouching Techniques and Edge Effects in Photoshop), you will discover how to to completely change the look and feel of a photograph with some simple retouching, creative adjustments, and the addition of edges and texture.

Explore several of the new tools in Photoshop CS3 in this video tutorial (The Creative Composite “Drifting”), as Julieanne Kost walks you though the creation of a digital composite she created based on a personal assignment for the concept drifting.