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Creating and Using Masks IV: Snake
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Creating and Using Masks IV: Snake
Created by: Kawliga

 
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To follow this tutorial, you'll need to download the attached file on the left and unzip the image to your hard drive.
 
Open "/tutorial/html/tut7eff/maskssnake.jpg" from your download.
 
We will now make a mask of this outline: Go to Masks || New || From Image:
Source window = This Window
Source luminance = checked
Invert mask data = checked

Now save this mask: Go to Masks || Save to Disk, save as "snake.msk".

Delete the mask: Go to Masks || Delete, choose "No" when it asks if you want to merge with layer.
 
Using the Magic Wand tool, select the area outside the snake:
Match mode = RGB Value
Feather = 0
Tolerance = 23
Sample merged = unchecked
 
Click on the Flood Fill tool:
Blend mode = Normal
Match mode = None
Tolerance = n/a
Opacity = 100
Sample merged = unchecked
 
Set your foreground style to Solid Color (click on the arrow in your foreground style box and choose the icon on the left), then click into the foreground style box and set your foreground color to black. Your foreground texture should be set to None.
 
Click into the selection to fill it with black.

Now we invert the selection: Go to Selections || Invert. You should now only have the snake selected.

We'll feather the selection by 2 pixels: Go to Selections || Modify || Feather by 2.
 
Change your foreground color to white and click twice into the selection to fill this area with white.
 
Deselect with Selections || Select None. You should now have a silhouette like the one on the left here.

Now, we make another mask: Go to Masks || New || From Image, uncheck "Invert mask data", leave the other settings the same and click on OK.
 
Now you should have a white image on a transparent background. Lets get a clearer view of this mask: Go to Masks || View Mask. Your image should now look like the one on the left.

Go to Masks || Save to Disk, name it "snakes.msk".
 
OK, now we're going to make the actual image ;o). Open a new image 188x210 pixels, transparent background.
 


Load your snakes mask: Go to Masks || Load from Disk, select "snakes.msk".

Change your foreground color to a medium to dark green. Click on your Flood Fill tool, don't change any of the settings.

Now click into the image to fill with dark green.
 
Make a new layer, name it "outline".
 
    Load your snake mask: Go to Masks || Load from Disk, select "snake.msk".

Change your foreground color to black and click into the image to fill this layer with black.

OK, we can't have the snake just hanging in the air like that, so we'll add a background.
 
Make a new layer, name it "background", and drag it beneath "Layer1" in your layer palette.
 
You can fill this layer with whatever you like. If you wish to use the background provided with the download, open "/tutorial/html/tut7eff/background.jpg" now.
 
    Click on your Flood Fill tool. Change your foreground style to Pattern (click on the arrow in your foreground style box and choose the second icon from the right), then click into your foreground style box and choose "/tutorial/html/tut7eff/background.jpg" from the Pattern drop-down box.
 
Now click into your snake image to fill with the background – and you're done!

Just make sure you delete the masks and merge them with your layers once you have your final image: Go to Masks || Delete and click on "Yes" when asked if you want to merge the mask with your layer.