Beginner's Guide To Masks - Affinity Photo Tutorial

Masks are one of the most important and foundational skills to understand when you start to learn retouching and editing in Affinity Photo. I use layer masks in every edit that I do, so it's a good idea to get a good understanding of masks early on. You can use masks to cut subjects out of from the background, retouch skin, color grade certain parts and many other things. In this video, I'll walk you through the basics of masks in Affinity Photo. Thanks for watching!
Gear I use to make take photos and make videos:
kit.co/TheMich...

[@STIboots]

Thank you for the real life example around using masks around the eyes. It will work wonders for a project I am working on right now.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michaelkelly6583]

Thank you, Michael. This was super clear and helpful for this newbie!

[@MichaelSturgill]

You're very welcome!

[@zoltanpuskas4722]

Nice job on your explanations---to the point with clarity!

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@jeffk412]

Excellent! no wasted time and very clear! Exemplary!

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you very much!

[@lerkkweed]

Thank you! Extremely well presented and helpful.

[@bradwilson1237]

very well done video. I would say if people have not had much experience with AF Photo/Designer/PS/AI you did go "a bit" quick...but very good diction, very good grasp of what is doing what. Great examples of what does what! But overall, I'm a NEW FOLLOWER!!!! I taught myself this stuff with no previous "graphic design" help but a very strong photography background (thanks Dad!!!) so I feel like the "eye" for stuff helps. Keep going, I'm IN!!!

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you for the feedback and the nice words. I really appreciate it!

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

Rite Michael Dude, Nicely done, good tip with the alt/mask! TFS, GB :)

[@maze400]

This was the most straight forward video I've seen on masking in Affinity photo. I have had an issue of blank (missing pixels) when I close photo's I've done edits on in Affinity photo, any ideas? Literally they show up as white spots or white strips in the photo...

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you very much. I can't say I've ever run into that issue before, so I don't really have a solution. The only thing I might suggest is uninstalling Affinity Photo and installing it again. Other than that, I'm afraid I'm not sure how to help

[@thomastuorto9929]

On the edges of the photo or selections? If so, there is a way to show where you brushed so to speak. Maybe click inside the mask icon in the layers panel & hold the alt down or something like that. Remember seeing it in a couple of vids a while back.

[@BomJimmy]

Wow, quick yet detailed tour to masks. Subscribed your channel to get more.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Awesome, thank you!

[@JHuntPhotography0]

thank you

[@MichaelSturgill]

You're welcome!

[@videogamesare1]

Hugely helpful I forget how masks work every year as a hobbyist.

[@SKLSNAPS]

I recently purchased AP and what I notice is that the adjustment layers, as you stated in your video, automatically generate a mask (opposite to Photoshop). Only confusion and question I have is when do you create a mask yourself (by hitting the mask button) and when you don't have to because it's already generated. Another thing I noticed and what makes it confusing to me is that when you create for example a new curves adjustment layer, and it creates a mask automatically, you are still able to add a mask to that even though it already has a mask on that layer. Though it's great to have options, when are you using what and for which purpose?

[@MichaelSturgill]

I know when I switched to Affinity Photo, I always added a mask to an adjustment layer, mostly because it was just habit for me. You can really do whatever makes the most sense to you. However, if I'm adding an adjustment layer now, I won't add a layer mask to it if it already has one. I stopped adding masks to adjustment layers because I wanted to keep my layers as simple as a could, so in my mind the fewer things I had to add and group, the better. But either way, you'll still get the same effect. Thanks for the comment. Hope this helps!

[@michaelleski7480]

Great question, the one at the bottom of your comment. This comes in handy when wanting to group/compound masks and add effects based on their blend ranges in complex situations/composites. Sadly I don’t have an example but that’s it:)

[@SKLSNAPS]

@@MichaelSturgill I certainly agree on the efficiency, less is more.......I create spare channels for almost all my selections, load them and then choose an adjustment layer. Not quite there yet knowing what to do when it comes to adjusting an existing spare channel selection, but I'm learning on the job so to speak...

[@ccudjoe89]

Comes in handy if you're sorta batch editing too. instead of having to erase and redraw masks on multiple layers, you can kinda do the clipping mask version and stll have a localised adjustement with the auto generated mask.

[@auggiebendoggy]

I have such a hard time learning masks. I used Picture Publisher for years and to mask something you would either paint, magic want, or point to point brezier curves then click mask and it would create an object (which is like making a new layer). So as in your example of the girl standing, how do you mask her our in a perfect way?

[@iemwill9429]

what would be the difference between the regular mask and the new empty mask?

[@MichaelSturgill]

A new mask layer will create a mask that reveals the whole image by default (a mask filled with white). An empty mask will generate a mask without revealing anything (a mask filled in with black). Hope this helps!

[@swaha55]

Thank you for this video. But I just want to select a person in a photograph and place a rectangle behind the person so you see the background around the rectangle and the person is in front of the rectangle. I selected the whole photo layer, then selected the person using the select brush tool, then created a mask layer from the whole photo layer with the selection. But when I add a rectangle layer and basically try to put the rectangle behind the person (Selected mask layer) but in front of the rest of the photo, I cannot get that 3 layer effect with the rectangle in front of the background but behind the person. Do you have any videos showing this?

[@MichaelSturgill]

I don't have a video showing this exactly. I do have a video that shows how you can cut a subject out of the background, which you might find helpful. One thing I can recommend is that when you use the selection brush, once you have a rough selection, go up to the top bar and click on refine. From there you can fine tune your selection and there will be a dropdown called output. From that dropdown, select new layer with mask. After you apply that, you can place a rectangle behind the subject by just putting a rectangle layer below the layer that was made with the selection brush. I hope this helps!

[@markshirley01]

How do I select just the mask - I have a image masked in a rectangle but I want to change the height of the rectangle but it keeps squashing the image inside.

[@MichaelSturgill]

You can click on mask thumbnail and that should just select the mask. Otherwise, you can hit the carrot on the layer and that should show the mask as its own layer that you can click on. Hope this helps!

[@markshirley01]

@@MichaelSturgill no its a rectangle that I have drawn and then placed a image inside but `I can't select the rectangle only it selects both the image and the rectangle Its driving me nuts as I can't find an answer online

[@darrenbivings4227]

How can I realigned a models eyes-(Iris's) that are slightly misaligned? One eye is showing white under the iris while the other is not in Affinity Photo?

[@JerryDell-j3s]

Hi Michael, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem using the masks. I duplicated what you did in this video and I am able to reveal the background layer but when I switch to "white" the mask does not erase the background when I drag my brush over the previously made brush strokes. Any ideas? Thanks, Jerry

[@MichaelSturgill]

When you say "reveal the background" are you talking about showing a part of the mask that was previously painted on with black? Without knowing your exact clicks, I would say just make sure you have the right mask layer selected, make sure you are painting with pure white, and make sure you are using the brush and that it in the tool settings bar up top, that you are painting with the right opacity and flow. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

[@JerryDell-j3s]

Hi Michael, Thanks for the ideas. I verified all were correct but after 4 hours of poking around the app I found the problem. Under the brush selection for flow, hardness, etc there is a "more" button that allows different brush types and blend modes. The blend mode was set to "darker". Well, that didn't sound right to me, so I changed it to "normal" and viola! The mask now works in both reveal and conceal modes!

[@aevoss]

How do you do auto mask like Lightroom does? It find the subject automatically. Thank you.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Unfortunately Affinity Photo doesn't have that feature yet. I do have another video where I show how to get a good selection of your subject if you wanted to check that out. Hopefully they'll implement a similar feature soon

[@tbg3111]

A bit over my head, but I appreciate the straight forward delivery albeit it was just a touch too fast being a newb user. The real life example just got me started on possibilities, but I was hoping for a few more to get it to sink in. TY!

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

Actually the opacity will add to itself each time you stop and then paint over the region, whereas the flow will show more as you keep moving over the region without stopping and starting.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Very true. I know I explained that a bit weird in the video. Thank you

[@robinlowe8015]

Hi Michael, Im pretty new to AP2 having a bad time trying to understand MASKING, yes its probably easy for most but not me. Tyring to follow your tutorial and with others, but yoiu always start with the background on layers pallet and a pixel layer, how do you get this pixel layer on the layers pallet I can work out but when I try to put a MASK on it doesnt sit underneath the pixel layer with a step to the right?? mine just sits under the pixel layer and im unable to do anything with it???????? Can you help please???

[@MichaelSturgill]

No worries! I'll help out as best I can. It sounds like the masks are being created as their own separate layer instead of being part of the group. This can happen if you don't have a layer selected when you click on the mask button. You should be able to click and drag the mask layer into another pixel layer. You just have to click and drag onto a layer until you see that layer be highlighted and when you release it should be part of that group and only affect that layer. I hope this is the solution to the problem. Hope it helps!

[@brucemooney1277]

Leaving Photoshop after 15 years, Im finding a bit hard to ajust to Affinity... Im used to locking/unlocking the mask as it strikes my fancy. With Affinity Photo, whenever I try to move the layer around, the mask fallows (even though its locked)... Any tricks?

[@MichaelSturgill]

Making the switch from Photoshop to Affinity Photo can definitely take some getting used to, especially after 15 years. In Affinity Photo, when you lock a mask, it prevents changes to the mask itself, but it doesn't lock the relationship between the mask and its layer. So, when you move the layer, the mask moves with it, even if it's locked. You can try taking the mask on the layer and dragging it so it's above the layer it was on. Then you can move the layer you need to move and when you are done you can put that mask back as a child of the layer. I hope this helps!

[@paolinobindi8903]

how do I create the blue pixel layer???

[@MichaelSturgill]

Create a new pixel layer either in the layers panel or on the top bar (Layer > New Layer). Then you can take your paint bucket tool, select your color, and fill in the layer with that color.

[@paolinobindi8903]

Thanks a lot! @@MichaelSturgill

[@antonioruotolo6014]

how to have a silouete of person from a picture removing the background ?

[@MichaelSturgill]

You can use the selection brush to make a selection of your subject and output a mask. I have a video on my channel oh how to cut a subject out from the background if you wanted to check that out. You could fill in that layer or selection with black too if you just want a black silhouette. Hope this helps!

[@darrenbivings4227]

Thank You !!!!

[@MichaelSturgill]

No problem!

[@danlane9917]

how do I paste a black and white image into my mask ?

[@MichaelSturgill]

Good question. The way I know how is if you bring your black and white image in and make sure it's selected then go up to layer on the top bar the from there click on rasterise to mask. Hope this helps!

[@danlane9917]

@@MichaelSturgill Thanks so much for the reply! I will try it. thanks

[@Daniela-pi6dv]

Love it, thank ou! :)

[@MichaelSturgill]

No problem! I'm glad you liked it!

[@KTSpeedruns]

I really wish the user interface didn't make the mask look like another layer grouped under it. Really should show more as an element on the same layer. Adobe got it right. I don't know why they don't just implement the same interface/experience.

[@MichaelSturgill]

I know what you mean. With the release of Affinity Photo 2.0 they changed the UI a bit, so I think it did make it a bit better, but I guess I don't have much of an issue with the way they've implemented it.

[@WoTHeck]

Actually, there IS a way to recover pixels removed with the eraser tool - because all the Erase tool does is black out portions of the alpha channel mask. Simply go to channels, select the alpha channel, and "paint back" any erasures with the paintbrush and white.

[@MichaelSturgill]

While this is true, I still recommend people, especially beginners, use mask layers for the sake of ease and workflow. Thank you for the comment!

[@disruptive_innovator]

Affinity's own website help fails to describes how their masks work as quickly as the first 1 minute of your video. Namely which color hides and which color reveals the masked layer. Thank you.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you and I'm glad it was helpful!

[@lifebydefault]

well done tutorial but the clickbait thumbnail was very misleading. Nothing like the thumbnail was shown.

[@EX2STUDIOS]

I think this thumbnail seems a bit click baity

[@MichaelSturgill]

May I ask what you think makes it clickbait?

[@EX2STUDIOS]

@@MichaelSturgill Yes, I thought it was misleading because I was looking for videos on how to handle black and white masks that you import into affinity, and your thumbnail has a perfect black and white mask fit for a skater I guess, but when you scrub through the video, not only is that thumbnail nowhere in the video but nowhere in the video to you ever enter the mask view which is purely black and white so it just seems a bit off topic, what do you think?

[@MichaelSturgill]

@@EX2STUDIOS Okay, I see what you mean. I made this video to be a beginners guide to masks in terms of what they are, how to paint masks, etc. I intentionally kept it simple and didn't dive into things like importing masks, as that's a more specific use case that many beginners might not need right away. The thumbnail shows the black and white mask because I think that is what most people would associate with masking. I had no intent to mislead or clickbait. I thought it was a good way to present the concept in the clearest way possible

[@M123OCT]

Too fast, man. Slow the pace - this is complicated when you're new to it.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Thank you for the feedback. I will certainly keep that in mind for future videos. In the meantime, is there anything specific you are struggling with that I could help with?

[@M123OCT]

@@MichaelSturgill Thanks for responding. I'm watching Affinity videos non-stop just now, so I'd have to watch yours again and check which bits were difficult to follow (I'll get back to you).

[@jcsfx710]

HOW DO YOU APPLY THE DAMN MASK... STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW TO CREATE A MASK AND APPLY THE DAMN THING... AFFINITY SUCKS WHEN IT COMES TO MASKING.

[@MichaelSturgill]

Can you tell me what you mean by apply the mask? If you are talking about masks work in Photoshop, Affinity Photo doesn't have an apply mask option like Photoshop does. You can just create the mask on a layer and use it from there. This way everything stays non-destructive. Otherwise, if you can click on a mask layer, go up to Layer > Merge down, and it will rasterize the mask into the alpha channel of the parent layer. Hope this helps!

[@jcsfx710]

@@MichaelSturgill I want to isolate a part from an image, want to be able to move it and have nothing but that part so in photoshop I create a mask APPLY IT and have just that part able to move around... here you can't why not ? if affinity is watching this time to add it NOW!

[@MichaelSturgill]

@@jcsfx710 if you create the mask you want and then with it selected go to layer on the top bar then merge down. I think it should achieve what you are trying to do

[@kennyvelez]

Do you mean a quick mask? Or selection mask? That’s different from a regular mask like in this video.

[@jcsfx710]

@@kennyvelez ok maybe that is what i'm looking for and how would you go about it?

[@tangot2]

Right off the bat. "I just have a pixel layer in blue..." Where did that come from? How was it crated? That is not begainners...

[@MichaelSturgill]

I was just using that layer for demonstration. If you'd like to create it for yourself you just have to create a new layer and use the paint bucket tool to fill in the layer with a color of your choice. Hope this helps!