Fill Layers: Solid Color (and masks)

One of the most helpful tools in Elements are the fill layers. In this post I will focus on the "Solid Color" fill layer.

1) Open up your image. I will be using the image below. 

2) Now go to Layer - New Fill Layer - Solid Color.

3) Name your layer (I named mine "water") and choose a color (I chose a light blue "#8a9bf0").

Now, one of the awesome things about Fill Layers. You can change them any time your want!

4) Simple go to Layer - Layer Content Options. You can change the color again.
Next, lets see how we can use fill layers to edit our images.
5) Select your fill layer and change the blend mode to "Soft Light".
6) Take a look at your layers palette, see your layer mask thumbnail? I have outlined it in red for the purpose of this tutorial.

7) Make sure your fill layer is selected and click on the "Brush Tool" (B). Make sure your foreground color is black. In case you do not know what foreground and background colors are I have labeled them for you below.

8) Now choose a brush type and paint! You will notice where ever your paint in black, the layer below shows through. If you accidentally painted too much black change your foreground color to white and paint over the areas that are showing though, these areas will be covered up by the fill layer once again.
Basically "black" is used to erase the fill layer and "white" is used to show the fill layer.
9) Take your  "Paint Bucket Tool" (K) and once again making sure your "fill layer" is selected, fill it with black. You can completely see the layer underneath with no color tint whatsoever. Now fill it with white, your "fill layer" is back!
Now that you have mastered this whole black and white business, let us try something more complex. Gradients.
10) Click on the "Gradient Tool" (G) and set your gradient settings similar to mine. The main thing to make sure is that your gradient is black and white.

11) One again make sure your "fill layer" is selected and make a gradient any way you want. I have drawn my gradient from bottom to top as shown below.

10) Now only the water and sky have that bluish tint. I like the water, however I am still not satisfied with the sky. Create a new "fill layer" I am naming this fill layer "sky" and I am using a light purple (#b910ff). I am setting the blend mode to "Multiply".
11) Now select the Gradient Tool (G) and this time click "Edit".

12) Now click once on the "Color Stop" slider, so you will be able to view the "Color Midpoint" slider. Drag the "Color Midpoint" slider to the right like I have done above. This will make it so that there is more black in your gradient so more of the color fill layer will be erased.
13) Draw your gradient from bottom to top. You can hold the "shift" key while drawing the gradient so the gradient will be straight.

14) Below you can see exactly how my layers are and also how the masks look like.

15) You can merge the layers by going to Layers - Merge Visible.

You are done! Also, I hope you did this tutorial with the sample image I posted on the top. Also besides ending up with a nice looking image, I hope you use fill layers, masks, and gradients to make other pictures great too. Please remember to experiment with different blend modes, colors and gradients.