Preserved Topic: Quick Mask

Quick Mask mode lets you edit any selection as a mask without using the Channels palette and while viewing your image. The advantage of editing your selection as a mask is that you can use almost any Photoshop tool or filter to modify the mask. For example, if you create a rectangular selection with the marquee tool, you can enter Quick Mask mode and use the paintbrush to extend or contract the selection, or you can use a filter to distort the edges of the selection. You can also use selection tools, because the quick mask is not a selection.
Start with a selected area and use Quick Mask mode to add to or subtract from it to make the mask. Alternatively, create the mask entirely in Quick Mask mode. Color differentiates the protected and unprotected areas. When you leave Quick Mask mode, the unprotected areas become a selection.
P.S.H.

I use it more than a channel because you can see your picture while you work on it, let?s see what do I do with Quick Mask:

1.) Nice Frames: I change to quick mask and make a square selection (always being sure that the Selected areas in the quick mask options is selected) and fill that selection with black (gray scale: to set the quick mask opacity, so black is a complete selection, while white is not a selection at all):



2.) Apply a filter to make the frame shape: i?ll work with diffuse, several times, till i get something like this:



3.) You can now exit Quick Mask mode and you?ll get a selection with the same shape than the quick mask;


Applying another filters or any other technique to change the quick mask shape will affect our selection, so, work on it to get the frame that you want!
What i do is to copy that selection and make a new document and paste...


Another thing that i like to do is to repair some areas of X picture, like a portrait like this one:




So, enter into quick mask mode and select the dark area, trying to blur with the bright area:



When you exit quick mask you?ll have a selection to work with soft edges, which means that you can play around with levels and curves or whatever in just that area without a big contrast with the rest of the image:



There are many more applications, but now i want to go to eat....

My english is very bad, so i hope that it helps in any way.........


[This message has been edited by Wakkos (edited 08-29-2001).]

You can also use it well with any time you need to get furry objects, just use the airbrush and a soft brush to soften the edges of the fur and make it look good