layer masking now has a ghost image

[helenapalma]

I have a Mac desktop running latest and Photoshop cc 2015. It is over 2 years old, and has 16GB of RAM. Its SSD hard drive has 75GB free out of 250GB. The last time I shut down was just before posting this thread. I rarely run a cleanup program.

 

So it's been a while since I've edited and I'd say I am very proficient but I had a baby so who knows anymore....but I still know how to use my layers and brushes!!! I had created a layer with a mask and was just masking out something on the right side because content aware wasn't great and I accidentally went too far over my son's hair..so I inverted my brush to black and instead of going back to the top layer there is now a "GHOST" image...I can just not worry about it and start over and not go that far over but why is it doing this??  I reset my brush tool btw.

 

(and I'm about 4 months overdue calibrating and my son totally messed with my brightness-please forgive this)

Edited February 7, 2016 by helenapalma

[Nicole]

Your brush opacity is set at 30%, it needs to be at 100%. :-)

[helenapalma]

oh i meant to write that I had changed that to 100%! even hardness and it didnt help!

[Damien Symonds]

What is the purpose of the layer you're masking there?

[helenapalma]

Bad content aware fill..instead of cloning I usually just create another layer, move the photo over, add a mask and mask away and then flatten it. (don't kill me if that's bad, it's just how I've always done it).

[Damien Symonds]

No that's fine, perfectly legitimate.  Just checking.

If you Alt-click on the mask thumbnail to show it in black and white, is it pure black in that problem area?

[helenapalma]

Damien, I just figured it out...the black brush wasn't truly "black". That's strange...I reset my brush but hadn't checked that. 

 

And I see you just replied!!! Thank you..I'm sorry to have bothered! I thought I was losing my mind.

[Damien Symonds]

For the record, this is mentioned in the FAQs

[helenapalma]

oh!! I thought I covered my bases! Will look closer next time!

[Damien Symonds]

But gee, don't worry about "bothering"!  It's what I'm here for.

[helenapalma]

I appreciate it, Damien! Just a rookie mistake and I don't like making those.

[Damien Symonds]

Hell, I make it all the time, and I'm way past rookie.

[helenapalma]

ok, I feel better! And thank you again!