# Help with Elements 6 and layers mask - sharpening eyes



## rubbertree (Jan 24, 2009)

What I am trying to do is use a gaussian blur to soften the skin then reveal the sharp eyes. I have Photoshop Elements 6 and downloaded a layers mask.
I have made a duplicate layer of the picture, layers mask, gaussian blur on the layer 1, filled in the layers mask black and then I should be able to select a white paint brush, paint over the eyes to reveal the sharp eyes from the original picture underneith, but yet that isn't working. What I can do is reveal the blur of the skin, leaving the eyes sharp. Is there a way to do it so the whole picture is blurred then I just paint out the areas I was sharp? The way I'm doing it seems to be backwards.
Any advice?
TIA.


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## Overread (Jan 25, 2009)

I might be a bit tired but I don't get your description of how your working.
What I can say is how I would go about doing this (in elements 6 as well ) 

1) duplicate the main layer
2) apply gaussian blur to the copied layer
3) use the brush tool on black to paint in any area on the blured layer where I want the image below to show through - thus paint over the eyes for example to show them as sharp


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## rubbertree (Jan 25, 2009)

That's what I'm trying to do but it's not working!
Is your background layer on the layers mask white or black?
If I leave it white and use a black brush, it does nothing. If I fill in the layer black , the image turns sharp again. Then use a white brush to paint but it paints in the blur so I have to paint out all the skin and leave the eyes sharp. Seems like I should be able to have the whole picture blurred and then paint out the eyes sharp.
Not working for me and I can't figure it out!


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## Overread (Jan 25, 2009)

hmm odd - first does the layer mask for things like levels and contrast layers work as normal? If so it could be the layermask that you downloaded - I know that the one here:
Free Layer Mask Tool for Photoshop Elements (Win/Mac Any Version)
works with elements 6


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## rubbertree (Jan 25, 2009)

Overread said:


> hmm odd - first does the layer mask for things like levels and contrast layers work as normal?



I don't know? I use an adjustment layer for levels and contrast, etc. How do I do this with a layers mask?


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## Overread (Jan 25, 2009)

when you make an adjustment layer for levels and contrast (as well as a few other things like hue and saturation) the layers command for those options attaches a layermask to those layers (the white empty section to the right of the image in the layers pallet). That is a layer mask and works just like any ordinary layer mask - bit of cheek in a way that they give us a limited use layermask


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## rubbertree (Jan 25, 2009)

oh yes, I see what you mean, I thought you were asking about something else... anyway yes, those work fine. And I am sure that site you gave is the same site I downloaded layers mask from.
I must just be missing something so obvious and right in front of my face. I have tried a million times and it just will not work the regular way but works well the way I described above, which seems backwards!


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## rubbertree (Jan 25, 2009)

OMG I figured it out, I figured it out!!
Duh me, I knew there had to be a box checked off or something that I just wasn't noticing... the mode was set to lighten from a previous action I had done. As soon as I put it back to "normal" it worked!
Thank you Overread for working through it with me!


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