Using Adjustment Layers as Clipping Masks

Topics covered in this Photoshop tutorial:

Adjusting the color/brightness/contrast of specific areas in an image, Using Adjustment Layers with Clipping Masks

Exercise Preview

Bag photo by Derick McKinney and Background photo by František G. on Unsplash

Exercise Overview

In this exercise, you’ll learn how to use clipping masks with adjustment layers to make color/brightness adjustments to specific parts of an image.

Placing a Photo Onto a New Background

1. From the Photoshop Class folder, open 5C Bag.jpg.

   Look at the direction of the light, which is shining down on the bag from above. This is important when combining images so your final result is believable.

2. In the Layers panel rename the Background layer to bag.
3. Go to File > Place Embedded.

4. Navigate to the Photoshop Class folder and double–click on 5C Background.jpg

   Before we accept the size and position, notice the direction of the light, which comes from the side. To make a convincing final image, we need to have the direction of light match, so we’ll rotate the image:

   • Position the cursor outside the background image.
   • Hold Shift (so it snaps every 15°) and drag clockwise so the lighter part of the image ends up at the top.
   • Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) (to resize from the center) and drag any resize handle and pull out until the image covers the entire canvas.
   • Double–click in the photo to accept the size/position.

5. In the Layers panel:

   • Rename 5C Background to background
   • Drag the bag layer above the background layer.
   • Select the bag layer.
6. Choose Select > Select and Mask.

7. In the Properties panel on the right:

   • Next to View click the thumbnail and choose Overlay
   • Set Opacity to 50%
   • Below Opacity set the Indicates menu to Selected Areas

   Now the red overlay indicates parts that are currently selected.

8. In the Options bar at the top of the window:

   • To the right of Select Subject click the down arrow and choose Cloud (Detailed results).
   • Click Select Subject button to use the cloud version.
9. In the Tools panel on the left, select the Brush tool .

10. Most edges are good, but some need touching up. Use what you’ve learned in previous exercises to clean up the selection, keeping the following in mind:

    • Zoom in as needed so you can get a better look.
    • In the Options bar at the top of the window, click on Add to selection or Subtract from selection as needed.
    • Adjust your brush size as needed using the [ or ] keys.
    • Adjust the brush hardness as needed by holding Shift and using the [ or ] keys (or click the Brush thumbnail in the Options bar).
    • Paint over areas that need fixing, keeping in mind that red parts are selected, and other areas are not selected.
    • To see how it looks on the background, next to View click the thumbnail and choose On Layers.
    • If needed, adjust settings like Feather and Shift Edge.

11. When your selection is done:

    • At the bottom of the Properties panel (you may have to scroll down), expand the Output Settings and set Output To: to Layer Mask

    • Click OK (at the bottom right).

Adding a Drop Shadow

1. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a layer style button , and from the menu, choose Drop Shadow.

2. Set the following:

   • Opacity: 100%
   • Angle: 90°
   • Distance: 150 px
   • Size: 250 px

   Click OK.

Changing the Color of the Background

1. In the Layers panel, select the background layer (so our next layer will be created on top of this).
2. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Create new fill or adjustment layer button and choose Hue/Saturation.

3. In the Properties panel, set the following:

   • Check on Colorize.
   • Hue: +225
   • Saturation: +23

4. In the Layers panel rename Hue/Saturation 1 to bg color

Adjusting the Bag

1. Let’s adjust the bag’s brightness/contrast. In the Layers panel, select the bag layer.
2. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Create new fill or adjustment layer button and choose Curves.

3. In the Properties panel, brighten the shadows and darken the highlights by adding points to the curve like this:

   

4. This adjustment layer affects all layers underneath it, but we only want it to affect the bag.

   Hold the Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) key and position the cursor on the divider line between the Curves 1 and bag layers (as shown below). When the cursor changes to then click once.

   

   Now the Curves layer only affects the bag!

5. Let’s make the bag’s color warmer so it stands out more against the blue background.

   In the Layers panel select the layer thumbnail (the icon to the left of the white mask thumbnail) for the Curves 1 layer.

6. At the top of the Properties panel, click on the RGB menu and choose Blue.

   As shown below, add a point in the middle of the line and drag down to make the image less blue (which is more yellow).

   

   Notice this change only affects the bag because the adjustment layer is clipped onto the bag layer.

7. In the Layers panel, rename Curves 1 to brightness and color

Color Saturation

1. Let’s make the bag’s color more saturated. In the Layers panel, select the topmost layer.

2. Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and at the bottom of the Layers panel, and then click the Create new fill or adjustment layer button and choose Vibrance.

   NOTE: Make sure you hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) before you click the button or else the next step won’t work.

3. Because you held Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) you’ll see an options dialog:

   • Check on Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask.
   • Click OK.

4. In the Properties panel set Saturation to +35

   This should only affect the bag’s color because of the clipping mask.

5. Do a File > Save As a Photoshop document named yourname-bag.psd.