ABSTRACT
The topics of QuickMask and Extract were covered only briefly in Chapter 13, because we want you to learn thoroughly the best method-layer masks. You still
need to use the selection tools, so you can modify and create your layer masks. Once
you have a selection of marching ants, all you need to do is choose a layer, and use the
command Layer >> Add Layer Mask >> Reveal Selection. This creates a grayscale
swatch to the right of the active layer when that command was invoked. Once you
have a layer mask you can Alt [Option] click on the layer mask to see what it looks
like. You can work directly on the mask using brushes to improve your mask. Ctrl
[Command] click on a layer mask, and you select the white pixels of the layer mask.
You could use a Select >> Modify >> Contract, then Select >> Inverse, and fill that
with black to mask deeper into your image. Think of the layer mask as a transparent
material over a spotlight. Paint on a mask with black to hide parts of the image, or
white to show the image. Because you paint on a mask, the original image is left
