Cat Eyes - a simple detailed photoshop lesson

Step 5: Layer masks

oooooo k....

Select one of your cat eye layers, then click on the little grey box with the white circle in it at the bottom of your layers pallet. (see image)

This creates a layer mask!!!

A layer mask allows you to make areas of a layer invisible. It is like erasing, but it doesn't actually erase anything (this comes in handy in more advanced techniques - learn it now, use it wisely and often)

So, how does it work????

See that white box that appeared on your selected layer? That is your mask (technically an alpha channel -a visual representation of transparency: black is transparent, white is opaque, 50% grey is 50% transparent etc...)

See that little broken outline around the little white box? That means that you are editing the layer mask, not the image itself. Go ahead, click on the picture of that layer. The broken outline will move to the other image.

Ok, enough playing around...click on the mask again.


Select your brush by pressing b.

select your default brush colors by pressing d.

flip your brush colors so black is in the front by pressing x.

(These are called shortcuts or hotkeys btw)

Press ] a few times until your brush is about the size of your eye, then hold Shift and press [ a bunch of times. Your brush will appear to have gotten smaller, but its edges have just been softened.

Now, use your brush like an eraser removing the fur from around the eye. If you 'erase' to much, just press x to switch to white and paint that part visible again.

OK!! now we are getting somewhere!