Clipping Masks and Layer Masking, please

[Henry Stahle]

Stencils are GREAT, I use them a lot, mostly as rulers and guides, not much for masking. These are the advantages of Clipping Masks in the programs I use.

1.The Clipping Mask is invisible, not like the Stencil that covers up and clutters the picture.
2. They Clipping Mask follow the layer object (if it is moved around) inside the image.
3. The layer object with a Clipping Mask can be transformed and distorted, the clipping mask changes and the layers in the clipping remains in the masking.
4. My most use of the Clipping Mask is in my workflow like this: First my line art, next flat fill by (mostly) using the paint bucket each colour on separate layer under the line art, then making a clipping mask for each flat colour, texturing, shading, tinting and so on top of each flat colour. Just like in the picture below.