Question by Incognito: How do I get my brush to work after layering/masking my photo? I use Photoshop 7.0.1?
After I’ve created my mask and hit the b-key for brush to start brushing over my photo to paint in changes to second (top) photo copy nothing happens. I hit the x-key and try again but nothing is happening. These instructions I rec’vd via email from a Photoshop CS user so maybe the x-key is the wrong one. If I could just get my brush to work on my mask I can then experiment with what I am trying to achieve.

Best answer:

Answer by elapse
Open the photo.
If you don’t have the layers palette open press F7 or click window/layers from the drop down menu.

Then if your on a windows, alt+double click the layer (background layer should be the only layer so far) If your on a mac, option+ double click on that background layer.

This should remove the lock from that layer.

Then at the bottom of the layers palette click the little grey square that has the white circle in it. This should add a mask the the current layer.
http://www.idigitalemotion.com/tutorials/guest/masking/maskicon.jpg

Then press (D) this is to set the default foreground and background colors to black and white if they are not already.

Then press (B) to get your brush. Then click the mask(white square that is next to the layer in the layers palette.)

press (X) to switch foreground and background colors.
(make sure that this sets your foreground color to black)

Then with that mask selected, paint on the layer.

The painted selection should disappear revealing the checkerboard transparency.

Hope that helps.

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