Record an action 1. Open a file. 2. In the Actions panel, click the Create New Action button , or choose New Action from the Actions panel menu. 3. Enter an action name, select an action set, and set additional options: ... 4. Click Begin Recording. ... 5. Perform the operations and commands you want to record.
MASKING
-Select a layer. Highlight the layer you wish to mask. Make sure the layer is visible.
-Select an area. Using the the Marquee tool (press M to select it), select the area you wish to reveal.
-Create the mask. Click the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers palette. (Alternatively, from the Layer menu, choose Layer Mask, then Reveal Selection.)
-Fine tune your layer mask. Sometimes you want something a little more than a simple vignette, and do a little Photoshop magic with a layer mask. Here's how to do it.
-Set up your document's layers. We place the larger image on the background layer, and the person's image with the small mountain in the layer above it.
-Draw your selection Instead of using the Marquee tool, use the Pen tool (Press P to activate). Draw a path around the area you want selected, then adjust using the Direct Selection Tool (A).
-Convert to path. When you're satisfied with your selection, right-click on the path and choose Make Selection..."(Set the selection values as desired.)
-Click the Layer Mask button. The selected area will remain, and the unselected area will be masked, revealing the layer below it.
-Edit the layer mask. If you should decide that you wanted more of the top image left in, you can paint the mask to reveal more of the top image. Select the Brush tool (B), set the foreground color to white, and paint back in the part you wish to keep. * In this case, the foreground water was brought back into the image, and the mountain was adjusted to be more visible. * Black is 100% transparent, and white is 100% opaque.

BRUSH
-Open a new file within Photoshop (File > New..), and make it approx 500 X 500 pixels. The resolution doesn’t matter.
- make sure it has a white background.
- Open a picture of whatever it is you want to make a brush out of.
- generally do this in one of two ways. I make a white layer beneath the photo layer, then just use the lasso tool or eraser to “erase” around it.
- You’re going to want to have all white surrounding that picture so that when you make the brush, it doesn’t end up with the background
- Now, under the top menu, under “Edit” click on
- That’s it! Really! Open a new file and play around with your new brush. It will be listed in with all the others that you had currently active.
- Again, go in to Edit>Define Brush Preset and create your brush.
- So, here’s the last part of the tutorial. Saving your new brushes as a set.
- (highlighted in red on the picture to the right), then choose “Save as..”. Now, you’re going to want to put this in the right directory, so that it will automatically load up in your list of brushes whenever you start Photoshop.
- Choose an appropriate name for it, and you’re done!