Whether you’re entirely new to masking, or a seasoned pro who’s previously used Photoshop or other masking software to cutout an image, make photo repairs or image enhancements, here’s the place to start advance your Fluid mask knowledge and skills.
Our comprehensive tutorials are loosely divided into 3 levels, from a beginners overview and how to create your first cutout, to more advanced masking techniques, including using Fluid Mask as plug-in to Photoshop and workflow techniques to maximize your efficiency. In between , we cover the common difficult subjects such as fine wispy hair masking, and how to deal with smoke or transparency. All tutorials can be downloaded to view offline.
a) Fluid Mask overview
Get an overview of the user interface, the key tools you’ll be using to create your masks and how to get in application help.
b) Auto fills
More detail on the auto-fill feature, a powerful tool to speed up your cutout workflow from the off.
c) Venturing Further
Learn how to quickly adjust and refine your mask – small changes can see big improvements.
a) Patches
Learn how patches can find and treat localized difficult to see edges.
b) Understanding Edge Blending
How format compression can distort edges and what you can do about it using the auto-fill blend mask feature.
c) Feather V Smart Blend
Why smart blending is better then feather blending but not always appropriate.
d) Brushes and Photoshop’s history brush
Using the brushes to remove areas you don’t want and how to integrate Fluid Mask into a Photoshop history brush workflow.
e) The Color Workspace
Another powerful feature. Learn how to select areas using the color picker and histogram to supercharge your workflow.
f) The Forced Edge Tool
How to apply and manipulate a forced edge, when one hasn’t been found for you (sometimes an edge exists only in your mind)!
a) Hair Blending
The basics of how to deal with hair.
b) More Hair Blending
How to handle hair with wispy highlights when photographed in part sun, part shade.
c) Lattices
Two examples of varying difficulty, learn how to easily mask both utilizing the color workspace.
d) Hair Blending Revisited
Using action scripts to speed up your workflow by automating some of the process in Photoshop.
e) Invert and Alpha edit 1
For the trickiest of images, utilize Fluid Mask and Photoshop together to make amazing masks.
f) Invert & Alpha Edit 2
More detail and another example on this more advanced technique.
g) Smoke
Smoke can be tricky a subject. Here’s a tutorial that deals specifically with the challenges it provides.
h) Workflow 1
Removing people for varied backgrounds can sometimes prove a challenge, especially when there’s hair involved. Here is one workflow to speedily deal with this issue.
h) Workflow 2
Submitted by a customer and friend of Vertus – finding edges with inter-reflection and white on white foreground & background, using patches for difficult detail.
All tutorials can be downloaded to view offline here
You can also head over to Vertus blog where there’s further learning resources to be found, including a further tutorial utilising the color workspace, with a work-along training file. You can also download a shortcuts and key commands reference sheet to further speed your workflow.
There’s also a shortcuts and key commands reference sheet available for download, to really get you working smarter.