Level up your rendering game with this simple clipping mask trick for perfect lights and shadows!🚀✨, by Kate Artman on YouTube. 1 min.
- Video length
- 1 min
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open your artwork and tap the layer you want the light and shadow to follow, such as your character or object layer, so it is highlighted in the Layers panel.
Tap the plus button in the Layers panel to add a new empty layer directly above it. Order matters, the new layer must sit on top.
Tap the new layer once to open Layer Options, then tap Clipping Mask. The thumbnail shifts right with a small arrow to show it is clipped.
Pick your brush. Use a soft airbrush for glow and a harder brush for crisp shadow edges.
Set the blend mode in the same Layer Options menu. Choose Add or Screen for light, and Multiply for shadow.
Choose a colour. Pale yellow or orange reads as warm light, while blue or purple reads as shadow. Drop the layer opacity to around 30 to 50 percent.
Paint where the light hits, or where it falls away for shadow. Strokes stay inside the base layer shape automatically, so you can be loose.
Refine with the layer opacity slider, or erase with a soft brush to fade harsh edges. Add another clipped layer above for a brighter highlight or deeper core shadow.
Tips and common mistakes
Paint on a separate clipped layer for each light or shadow pass so you can adjust them one at a time.
Build up slowly with low opacity instead of one heavy stroke, since strong light is hard to take back.
If a clipped layer seems to do nothing, check it sits directly above the layer it should follow, not two layers up.
Lower the saturation of your shadow colour so it looks like shade rather than grey paint.
Questions
What is the difference between a clipping mask and Alpha Lock?
Both keep paint inside an existing shape. Alpha Lock works on the layer itself, while a clipping mask lets you paint on a separate layer you can hide, delete or blend without touching the original art.
Can I clip more than one layer to the same base?
Yes. Add several layers above the base and set each one to Clipping Mask. They all stay inside the same shape, which is handy for stacking highlights and shadows.
Why is my clipped layer painting outside the shape?
The clipping mask is probably attached to a different layer, or the base layer has been hidden or moved. Tap the layer, check the indent in the Layers panel and reposition it above the correct base.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
