How to blend two images together using a custom shaped gradiant

[metta]

I have one image on top of another and I want to blend them together.

I know you can do this by drawing black on the layer mask. What I want to do is get this black blur on my layer mask:


I know I could use the gradient tool to draw on the layer mask to create this effect, but the gradient tool only has a circle. As you can see I need kind of an elongated circular gradient. I was able to create the above gradient using the shape tool and adding an inner glow effect. I just cant figure out how to add it to the layer mask.

Any help would be great thanks!

 

[IamSam]

If the elongated blur is on it's own layer, just hit command + click it's thumbnail, this makes a selection of the blur (gradient included).

Press D on your keyboard. Then highlight the layer that has the layer mask, make sure to select the layer mask by clicking on it, then hit command + delete to add the black selection to a white mask OR hit option + delete to add a white selection to a black mask.

 

[IamSam]

One thing I just discovered is that the Inner Glow effect from a layer style will not transfer to the mask using the method I described. You need to create the gradient another way.

 

[Tom Mann]

Maybe I'm missing something, but won't the following, very simple procedure give you what you want?

1. With the layer stack visible and the desired layer selected, click on the button at the bottom, "add layer mask".

2. Alt-click on the new layer mask to display its contents (which will be all white at this point).

3. Select the "rounded rectangle" tool. Make sure its set to "pixels", the radius is set to some value greater than the desired width of the line, and the foreground color is black.

4. (optional) If you want it to be at some angle other than 0 or 90 degrees, use the "move" tool ("V") to rotate the round capped rectangle.

5. Apply whatever type of blur (or other manipulation) you want.

6. Click back in the main thumbnail for the top layer to see the results.

Attached is an example where I put a blue layer, above a yellow layer, above a white background, with different blurred oval masks on the two upper layers: a simple Gaussian blur on the mask for the yellow layer, and a motion blur (more or less in the long direction) on the mask for the blue layer.

HTH,

Tom

PS - Note: If your project can be done in Illustrator, numerous types of "end caps" are available for lines, not just semi-circles as described above.

 

[Tom Mann]

Or, for that matter, if you like paths, more or less follow the same procedure as before and use the line tool again, but this time, set it to "path", and a very narrow width, and then stroke the path in the layer mask view with white using the settings of the brush tool to determine the softness, e.g., the red layer I added to the previous image.

Lots of ways to do this.

T

 

[Tom Mann]

PS - Sorry, I just re-read your original post and see that you wanted a mask that is mostly white with a dark line, whereas I described the opposite. I don't think you should have any problem switching it around, LOL.

 

[chitkaran]

Is this what you looking for ?



if yes,,, then read further...


Here's how I did it..







NOTE: Make sure you click on the mask and NOT on the image thumb itself... we need to work on the layer mast as requested.




Right Click







The Foreground color should be black... select Foreground Color and Click OK



Final Result.




Before you deselect... you can add further 'Gaussian Blur' and achieve the desired result.

 

[IamSam]

From the Original Post.

I know you can do this by drawing black on the layer mask. What I want to do is get this black blur on my layer mask:


I know I could use the gradient tool to draw on the layer mask to create this effect, but the gradient tool only has a circle.

As you can see I need kind of an elongated circular gradient.

I was able to create the above gradient using the shape tool and adding an inner glow effect.

I just cant figure out how to add it to the layer mask.

Any help would be great thanks!

I really must have misunderstood what the OP wanted.

 

[samuelfletcher]

From the Original Post.

I know you can do this by drawing black on the layer mask. What I want to do is get this black blur on my layer mask:


I know I could use the gradient tool to draw on the layer mask to create this effect, but the gradient tool only has a circle.

As you can see I need kind of an elongated circular gradient.

I was able to create the above gradient using the shape tool and adding an inner glow effect.

I just cant figure out how to add it to the layer mask.

Any help would be great thanks!

I really must have misunderstood what the OP wanted.

I'm not sure if I follow but if you're trying to take the white/black image and use it as a layer mask you could copy it, hold ALT and click the layer mask in question and then paste it into the layer mask. Then you just ALT + click on the layer mask to exit layer mask editing.. sorry if I'm missing what you're trying to do!

 

[Tom Mann]

Hi Sam - Here's my take on what went on.

The OP's question seems to have two parts
-------

(a) Make an oval shape, ie, a rectangle whose smaller dimensions are capped by semicircles, not an ellipse; and

(b) Use the shape developed in (a) to make a layer mask with (1) a dark area on white, not (2) visa versa, the inverse.
​

-------

Sam's first post clearly taught how to get a shape like this onto a layer mask, both option (1) and option (2), but didn't say anything about making the shape itself. Sam's second post noted that using an inner glow, as initially mentioned by the OP, wasn't the way to go.

Chitkaran's post showed how to make a blurry ellipse, not a blurry rectangle capped by blurry semicircles. This is not what the OP wanted. Chitkaran then used it to to make (b2), not the requested (b1).

My 1st and 2nd posts described methods to make the requested shape, ie, (a) - a blurry rectangle capped by blurry semicircles, and, as part of that description, illustrated using it to do (b2), but unfortunately, not the requested (b1).

A minute or two later, I realized the OP specifically asked for (b1), so, in my 3rd post in this thread, I commented on that, and since converting (b2) to (b1), ie, inverting a layer mask is trivial -- just select it and hit cntrl-I -- I assumed the OP would easily figure that out on his own.

T

 

[metta]

Thanks for the help guys! It's awesome to have such knowledgable and helpful people answer my question