The Magazine
Tutorials5 min read
Layer Masks, Explained Like You Have Never Used One
The single most useful thing in the app, and the most avoided. Ten minutes here will change how you work.
KU
Kai Underwood
Craft Editor ·
A layer mask is a sheet of glass over your artwork. Paint on the glass with black and you hide what is under it; paint with white and you bring it back. Nothing is ever deleted. That is the entire idea.
Why it beats the eraser
The eraser is a decision you cannot take back. A mask is a decision you can rewrite forever. Hid too much of that shadow? Paint white, it returns. This is how professionals stay fearless, because nothing they do is permanent.
- Add a mask to any layer and paint black to hide, white to reveal.
- Use a soft brush on the mask for gradients, perfect for fading a sky or blending two photos.
- Clip a texture to a shape, then mask the texture to control exactly where it lands.
The eraser is a promise. A mask is a conversation.Kai Underwood
LayersTutorialsNon-destructive
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