Paintstorm Studio — Masks & Selections

🎨 Paintstorm 🎯 Precision 🧱 Non‑destructive

Selections are your “masking tape,” masks are reusable stencils. Together they let you paint boldly without fear.

Goal: Use selections (lasso/poly/curve), feather and expand/contract, and convert selections to masks for non-destructive editing.

Home › Lesson: Masks & Selections

From selection to mask

Create a selection to target an area, then turn it into a mask so the protection persists. Think of it like cutting a stencil once and reusing it.

flowchart LR Lasso["Lasso / Poly / Curve"] --> Feather["Feather / Expand / Contract"] Feather --> Convert["Convert to Mask"] Convert --> Clip["Clip to Base (optional)"] Clip --> Paint["Paint safely inside"] Convert --> Refine["Refine mask (paint black/white)"]
Selections shape where you can paint; masks make that selection reusable and editable.
ActionWhyMetaphor
Add/SubtractGrow or carve the selectionMasking tape overlaps ✂️
FeatherSoften the borderBlurred tape edge 🧻
Grow/ShrinkExpand/contract regionThicker/thinner tape
InvertProtect the opposite areaFlip the stencil

Hands-on practice

Clean fruit rims

Use the Curve selection to outline the rim of a bowl. Feather 2–3 px, then glaze color on a clipped layer — crisp rim, soft interior.

<!-- Steps (escaped) -->
1) Curve select the rim
2) Selection > Feather 2–3px
3) Convert to Mask on a new layer
4) Paint highlights without spill

Recolor without damage

Convert a fruit silhouette to a mask, then paint on a layer set to Color blend mode — hue shifts, values stay.

<!-- Setup -->
Base (fruit silhouette)
Mask: from selection
Above: "Color" mode layer for glazing

Marching ants are temporary

Selections vanish when you deselect; masks stay, save with the file, and can be painted black/white to edit.

<!-- Mask painting -->
White = reveal
Black = hide
Gray = partial (feather)

Demos & visual aids

Lasso Polygon Curve Sorry, your browser does not support inline SVG.
Pick the right tool for the edge: organic (lasso), straight (poly), smooth (curve).

Non-destructive flow

flowchart TB Select[Select] --> Feather[Feather / Grow / Shrink] Feather --> Mask[Convert to Mask] Mask --> Clip[Clip to Base] Clip --> Paint[Paint / Adjust] Paint --> Tweak[Refine Mask]

Interactive — mask painting canvas

Toggle a circular mask and adjust feather. When mask is ON, you can only paint inside the circle; feather controls edge softness.

20 px

What you’ve learned

Next step: Continue to Symmetry & Kaleidoscope to create decorative motifs for patterned still lifes.

⬅ Back to Blending & Smudge Continue to Symmetry & Kaleidoscope ➡