Creating Mask layer for Pet Eye (Photo - Win10)

[JohnRob]

I'm using Affinity 1.8.3

My goal is to learn a process for fixing "Pet eyes"  I've stumbled through some attempts and watched a number of videos.  I have had some success however I have some basic questions.  BTW the pixel layer is there because I was playing.  It seems in the photo I was working on the eyes are so bright that they are saturated at white, so no Adjustments can make much of a diffference.

First I would like to state what I believe to be true about layers and perhaps someone can correct me.

• I think Mask's are easy.   Black = not shown White = shown (perhaps gray might be partly shown)
• When combined in a group whatever else is in that group will only show through the "openings" (aka white) of the mask.
• It seems the structure in the layers window is important.  Adjustments "below" the Mask will be applied to the layer below all (in my case "Molly Background")
• If I move "Molly Background" to above the mask group then the adjustments will be behind the background, basically useless.

 

I only partly understand the subtleties of the layer structure and  I don't understand the convoluted path to get where I am.   It seems all the videos (example) I've seen start by adding a "curves layer" for no good reason except it appears to help creating the group the mask will control.  Is there a way to create a group without this step?

Also the layers "structure" seems non intuitive to me. 

• The "group" is not indented at all.
• The Mask is indented two times
• The adjustment layers are indented one time
• The backgound is not indented

It would seem the adjustment layers should be indented from the mask layer.  Am I being picky or is there some logic I'm missing.

Thanks John

 

[Pauls]

The menu item Layer, New group allows you to create a new group layer.

The mask layer is more like a property of the group/layer rather than being a child layer in itself which is why its it indented.