Essential Skills for Designers - Masking Online Course
Essential Skills for Designers - Masking Online Course
Course Overview
This course is an in-depth exploration of masking in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. We’ll start with basic concepts, then move on to each of the software applications exploring the masking techniques that are common and unique to each of them.
Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign CS6 or later required to follow along with included project files.
Presenter Info
Martin Perhiniak is a Certified Adobe Design Master and Instructor He worked as a designer for companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, Sony Pictures, Mattel, and DC Comics. He is currently working in London as a designer and instructor, as well as providing a range of services from live online training to consultancy work to individuals worldwide.
Martin’s Motto
“Do not compare yourself to your role models. Work hard and wait for the moment when others will compare them to you”
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 20:39
1 Introduction
2 Basic Concept of Masking
3 Basic Masking Workflow
Chapter 2 MASKING TECHNIQUES WITH PHOTOSHOP 53:17
1 Masking Adjustments
2 Creative Masking Example
3 Masking with Gradients
4 Masking Hair
5 Masking Objects
6 Effects with Vector Masks
7 Clipping Mask
8 Retouching with Masking
9 Advanced Masking with Multiple Masks
Chapter 3 MASKING TECHNIQUES WITH ILLUSTRATOR 04:40
1 Clipping Mask
2 Opacity Mask
Chapter 4 MASKING TECHNIQUES WITH INDESIGN 11:35
1 Image in a Frame
2 Clipping Mask with Frames
3 Feather Effects
Masking, put simply, is the art of isolating an element in an image from its background. It is one of the most essential concepts in graphic design and is the foundation for working with layers non-destructively. Although simple in concept, masking can be difficult to do well–but once you understand some essential concepts, this indispensable skill will open the door to many design options.
More of what you will learn from this course:
1) It is possible to use gradients in Pixel Masks for fading images out similarly to Feather effects in InDesign.
2) The best combination for selecting hair in Photoshop is Color Range with Refine Edge with the Smart Radius option enabled.
3) Masking can be used for creative compositional effects too. Try using a pixel mask on a Black and White adjustment layer and assign a stroke and drop shadow on it to create an interesting image in an image effect.
4) A good example of using clipping masks in Photoshop is when you clip an image layer onto a text layer. This way the image will be only visible inside the text.
5) There are two types of masks in Illustrator: Clipping mask and Opacity Mask. The main difference between them is that you can only create transitional or feathering effects with Opacity Masks.