Adjustments on mask layer

[marble51]

Hi, I hope I am describing this correctly (Affinity Photo).

I am using one image as a mask layer for another image so as I paint with the black brush the mask layer shows through. All standard stuff.

However, I often need to match the colours, etc., of the upper layer so I attempted to use the adjustments (HSL, Brightness/Contrast, etc.) but I can't figure out how to stop Affinity Photo from adjusting the whole image (both layers) when I just want to adjust the mask layer.

I'm sure this must be something simple but being so simple I can't find a tutorial which explains how to do it.

[firstdefence]

Try making the adjustment layer a child of the image mask layer, that way it will only affect that layer, or group the mask layer and adjustment layer.

[marble51]

14 hours ago, firstdefence said:

Try making the adjustment layer a child of the image mask layer, that way it will only affect that layer, or group the mask layer and adjustment layer.

I am sure I have tried that but I went back and tried. I am now somewhat confused because I don't have an adjustment layer. I have a Background layer and above that I have the image I want to show through and that has a mask layer as a child. If I try to apply ajustment to just that mask layer, it goes ahead and applies the adjustment to the whole image (all layers). There is no adjustment layer.

Correction: Sorry the adjustment layer does appear after the adjustment has been applied so, as you say, I can drag that on to the mask layer and it works as I wanted it to work.

Thanks. Sorry for the confusion.

[marble51]

Now I am wondering if there is a way to avoid that step of dragging to the child layer? This is why I didn't realise it was possible in the first place.

Isn't there a way to select just the mask layer and apply adjustments to it without having to create an adjustment layer first and then make it a child of the mask layer?