Layer masks

[Ferlin]

I've been learning about the layer masks from the tutorial and am getting more comfortable with them. In the pic I am showing I used the gausian blur 2 different ways on the man. I wanted the bubbles with the houses - can you tell theyre houses? - to look more like bubbles.Maybe I should have use the levels for more contrast on the bubbles. I don't really know how to use highlights yet on the bubbles but I can see that the tutorials explain it further. Mark, your tutorials are power packed.
Ferlin

 

[theKeeper]

Thx Ferlin. [honesty]

That's exactly what Layer Masks are used for. You've got it.

Highlights for the bubbles would require you adding a new layer and putting the highlights on that.

May i suggest you use a Radial gradient for that?
If all your bubbles are on one layer, do this... Add a new layer above the bubbles layer. Ctrl-click the bubbles layer to create a selection of them. Grab the radial grad tool set to white as foreground, black as background. In the Options Bar, change the blend mode to Lighten. Now apply the grad tool to each bubble selection one-at-a-time, starting the tool right where you want the main highlight to be on the bubble. Drag the tool outward to just beyond the bubbles edge, and release the mouse button at that point.

Do this for each bubble.

If you want to see exactly what purpose the Lighten blend mode serves here, set the tool's mode back to normal and apply the same technique as above.

 

[wbiss]

Yep, Mark's tutorial on layer masks is a real winner Ferlin... and I'm glad to see that you're putting it to good use!

For anyone interested, here's the link for the tute http://photoshopgurus.info/intermediate/layer_masks/layer-mask_effects.shtml

:} Mark!