[Award Winner] Tutorial~The Mystery Behind the Mask ~ Photoshop Masks +

[Badger]

Okay, So what can you do with masks that apply directly to mapping?
The answer: A whole !@#$ load of stuff. This particular excersize will deal with a simple pattern and layer mask and how you can manipulate the mask to gain a desired effect.

I started a new psd file with my custom web setting, which I will be using over and over again (6"x6" 150 dpi with a white background.)

The first thing we have to do is create a seamless forest pattern. So here is how you do that. (small note: for anything professional you do, you should try it at 600dpi and a broader selection, what I use here is for tutorial purposes and not meant to look very pretty.)

Create a new file, 1"x1" 300 dpi is what I used here, then start to draw in some trees. Stay away from the edges of the picture. Once you have some trees in the middle run the offset filter (Filter>Other>Offset) you can play around with the settings some or use the ones I did (+137, -178 with Wrap Around checkmarked)

Then go in and start making some more trees in the center (always keep to the center) and use CTRL + F to run the filter repeatedly until you have filled the whole thing in. Then save the pattern (Edit>Define Pattern)


Go back to the original file you created for your map. Create a new layer (CTRL + SHIFT + N) named Forest. Or optionally you can just go to Layer>New Layer Fill>Pattern and choose the pattern you just made. I prefer this option to Edit>Fill>Pattern because you can adjust the scale of the pattern you are using. I scaled this one down to 40%

With the mask highlighted go down to you mask button and ALT+Click the the layer mask which will add a Vector mask, Right click on this new mask and choose Rasterize and you will then have a black mask over the pattern you just layed down (It will disappear, don't freak out )


Choose a nice soft brush and make sure your layer mask is selected, Your foreground color should be white, then brush in a nice sized forest or two.


Zoom in and touch it up by switching between your black and white colors to edit out stray edges.


Once you have that done, create a new layer underneat the Forest layer, then paint in some tree trunks to give it that ISO feel.


Granted this particular forest isn't that great, but I did it in about 15 minutes (the entire tutorial excersize) but hopefully you can see how this process can work for mapping.