by
jlwilm » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:36 pm
Well, No and Yes. You cannot create masks willy nilly in basic PSE5, but you can use Elements workarounds or download and install one or several layer ask plugins which give you the willy nilly capability.
Easiest is to create an adjustment layer (that comes with a mask) and then hjack it. Create a Levels adjustment layer, then create the layer that you want to apply the layer mask to and arrange them so that you have the Applied (Target) layer, then the Levels Layer immediately under the target layer, then click on the target layer, (to select it) and do a Layer, Group with Previous. The target layer will be indented and there will be an arrow pointing down to the Levels Adjustment layer (mask)
Now the layer mask that used to work for the original background layer works for the target layer (the layer mask has been hijacked). Where you paint on the Layer mask with black will hide the target layer. What is white will show the original background layer.
Try it out.
I think there is a tutorial or a link to a tutorial down in the tutorial section on using/creating layer masks in Elements.
