Photoshop woes...

I am having no end of trouble with Photoshop at the moment I am trying to edit a particular image from our BBQ the other night, and I'm following a tutorial... but there's something I can't do... the tutorial calls for:

e need to use a layer mask to erase the effect from the areas that are not the skin. Select the top two layers and press Ctrl+G or go to the Layers menu and select Group Layers to group the layers. Then, add a layer mask by going into the Layers> Layer Mask menu and selecting Hide All.

I can't do any of the above... Photoshop won't let me select the 'top two layers' and then when I thought I had (obv not) - I couldn't find the layer mask bit. I found something very similar in 'Vector Mask' - but that didn't work - even though it had the 'hide all' function (and was the only one that did).

This is why I hate using Photoshop - I'm just too thick to understand 90% of it... and my copy seems to have different menus and wording to other people's...

Please can anyone help before I actually crack up?


xx

Highlight one layer and then with the shift key pressed highlight the next layer (they have to be next to each other). Whilst both layer are highlighted go to the "Layers" menu and select "New" which will open up and you should see "Group From Layers" which you should select, give a name and OK.

You now select the little icon at the bottom of the layers display that looks like a washing machine and click on it. that should do it.

Steve

Thanks for trying to help Steve - but the first step failed - it won't let me select more than one layer... I've tried pressing control and pressing shift... nothing works Bloomin' thing!!!

xx

Try creating a new blank document. Add 2 new layers above the background layer and try to highlight the 2 new layers.

If that works then in your original document there must be something strange about you layers. You're not trying to group the background layer?

Steve

No - not trying to group the background... I'm not even trying to select it ...

Tried the new doc. and it didn't work then either - so nothing strange about my layers in this picture... just something strange with my photoshop *figures*.

xx

Another way may be to create a group by clicking on the little folder icon at the bottom of the layer palette and then try dragging you required layers into it.

Steve

You are a genius!

xx

ARRRGH! Why do I always run into problems?!

Select back the Group layer mask by clicking on the black thumbnail in the layers palette. Select the brush tool and paint over the skin to make the smooth skin effect visible over those areas that you paint.

It won't let me paint - says the layers need to be merged in order to do that.

xx