Painting layer Masks

Like so many montages, this effect relies on layer masking to create seamless joins between each of the elements that make up the composite image. Layer masks simply enable you to hide parts of a layer – just like using the Eraser tool, only nothing is ever erased as it’s simply hidden behind the mask. after adding a layer mask we simply paint with black to hide parts of the layer, or with white to reveal hidden areas. Just make sure that the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel is highlighted rather than the image thumbnail, otherwise you’ll be painting over the image rather than the mask.