# Adjustment Brush Overlay Mask



## Pete_S (Apr 21, 2016)

Masks in Photoshop can be quickly inverted.  Does anyone using LR (CC) or LR6 know of a way to invert an adjustment brush overlay mask in Lightroom alone?


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## Johan Elzenga (Apr 21, 2016)

Lightroom does not have that option. However, what you can do is first brush the entire image with the biggest brush possible (turn off 'auto mask'), and then switch to the eraser to brush away what you don't want. That is effectively painting an inverted mask.


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## BobMc (Apr 21, 2016)

The Radial Filter does have an Invert, but the Brush does not.

Bob Mc


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## Conrad Chavez (Apr 22, 2016)

JohanElzenga said:


> Lightroom does not have that option. However, what you can do is first brush the entire image with the biggest brush possible (turn off 'auto mask'), and then switch to the eraser to brush away what you don't want. That is effectively painting an inverted mask.


Another tip I've seen, based on that, is to use the Graduated Filter instead of the brush. Drag a very narrow Graduated Filter and position it slightly outside the image edge so that the entire image falls under the part of the mask that is 100% opaque. Then erase the part you don't want.


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## Ian.B (Apr 22, 2016)

just a note there Conrad: to save LR5 and before uses trying to find that or make it work; that is only possible in LR6/CC
The adjustment brush; it's so power if we only slow down learn what it can do for us. Like using it to dodge and burn: over do the brushing and then use a slow flow erasing brush to reduce the effect and soften the edges . The lighter areas in a photo are the most obvious or the eyes are drawn to those areas: edit the image globally to look about right> darken the whole image>now use the adjustment brush to lighten the main subject to suit your thoughts, eyes and mind

That is basically how I edited these 2 very simple pics taken with my walk around town/street camera, the Oly em1/20mm.. The photos are not everyone's cuppa; just something I saw. Top one, taken 1st is my 'favourite' and it has been rotated  . And yes at the same tree. 2nd one posted is the raw file. And 3rd is edited >darkened 1 1/2 stops (about) >then the darkness is brushed away. If I didn't see the 1st photo from a distance I would not have seen the other. The photos aren't important. Just something to do while I'm walking the streets/bush for fitness and I have beaten diabetes 2 along the way.

So most of this editing comes down to adjustment brush.


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## Pete_S (Apr 22, 2016)

JohanElzenga said:


> Lightroom does not have that option. However, what you can do is first brush the entire image with the biggest brush possible (turn off 'auto mask'), and then switch to the eraser to brush away what you don't want. That is effectively painting an inverted mask.



Thank you all for the replies.  The mask all and then erase method is a straightforward workaround and should do the trick for the image that I am working on.


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