(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: I had a reply from another gimp user: he wrote
I think this person did not have GIMP opened while answering, here is why
(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: Want to change a human iris to a cat's iris?
Place a mask on the layer. Erase the iris.
Create a new layer. Draw the new iris.
If I understood what is written, it's on the human eyes that you place a mask because this person tells to draw the new iris on a new layer
If you create a new layer it will be automatically be on top of the human eye as it's not specified to put that new layer below the human eye layer, thus you do not need a mask on the layer below(human eye) as the layer above (cat's eye) will cover the layer below (human eye)
(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: Turns out you like the human eye better? Fine.
Turn off the cat's iris layer. Now disable the mask on the original artwork. Viola.
Thus disabling/turn-off only the top layer will suffice "recover" the human eye
(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: For example, when you knew you had to erase the iris, how did you know which layer to pick?
I’m going to play with this idea with a couple photos
Even though, this example was wrong or poorly explained, It does not really matter if you pick a white or a black (in the beginning), if you add a mask with the wrong color (black instead of white), just go to the top menu Colors > Invert, and black will become white.
(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: how did you know which layer to pick?
The mask will be always on the top layer (the layer you want to see thru to see the layer below), because the mask is to make things transparent (part of the layer transparent it is assigned), WITHOUT deleting that part of the image, (you can put a mask on a group, but not today
)A mask also gives you a lot (I mean like a lot - a lot ^1000) more control than just erasing,
For example your are not happy with the edge of the subject you have isolated with a mask, it's too harsh -> just blur a bit the mask using the filter gaussian blur, then use the curves on the mask to fine tune the edges
(12-12-2023, 11:27 PM)Richie1027 Wrote: If this makes sense to anyone, let me know how you knew which TYPE of layer mask to use!
, experience, practice, I am not speaking just to chose a black or white mask, you are just starting but you will discover that you can make a mask from a channel, from a selection, you can copy past a black and white layer to a mask and so much more, take your time, experience layer mask by trial and error.In all case do NOT HESITATE to ask us here, each member can give their "mask" experiences, which will grow yours
A good example of mask > https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Layer_Mas...on-example (and there are 3 good links at the bottom of this tuto as well about mask)
Last but not least, some useful command to see what you are doing on a mask or to disable it.
Ctrl + Alt + Click on the mask, will show the mask on the canvas, thus allowing you to fine tune your draw without guessing, the mask now will be surrounded by a green color in the layers' dialog for you to know that what you see on the canvas is the mask, not the image
Ctrl + Alt + Click on the mask is a toggle switch, do it again and the mask will return to "normal"
Ctrl + Click on the mask is to disable it, now it will only show the layer like it does not have a mask, thus no need to delete a mask especially if you worked hard on it. The mask now will be surrounded by a red color in the layers' dialog, for you to know that it's disabled
Ctrl + Click on the mask is also a toggle switch, do again a Ctrl + Click on the mask and the mask will be re-applied
About the wording... make your own, long ago I got the same problem, I even though that the wording was inverted
Just remember,
white color on a mask show the layer where the mask is on it,
black color on a mask shows the layers below.
Patrice