Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The finished critter and tendrils (including feathered ovals blend-
ing the tendrils into the pot)
2 Masking with multiple objects.
Leavens began by drawing the snake and palms indi-
vidually. All the objects were complex, and each was contained within a clip group,
with a single clipping path defining its contour. To create the illusion that the snake
was weaving through the trees, Leavens created an opacity mask for the snake by
modifying a copy of the contour paths for the trees. Using the Make Mask button
would only turn the top tree into a mask, so he needed to manually create the mask.
To do this he selected all three clipping paths used to define the outline of the trees
by holding Shift and clicking each clipping path with the Group Selection tool (or
Shift-click each <Clipping Path> in the Layers panel) and copied them to the clip-
board. He selected the snake's <Clip Group> with the Selection tool (or targeted it in
the Layers panel), opened the Transparency panel, then double-clicked on the empty
mask thumbnail to enter Opacity Mask Mode for the snake's clip group (you'll see a
thick line around the mask thumbnail, and <Opacity Mask> in the Layers panel).
Leavens then used Paste in Front (
-F/Ctrl-F) to paste the copied trees in perfect
registration; then clicked on a Black swatch to solidly fill the semi-transparent out-
lines. The snake now appeared completely behind the trees. Using the Eraser tool, he
erased sections of the mask where he wanted the snake to appear in front of the tree.
When the mask was finished, he clicked on the image thumbnail to exit Opacity Mask
