It's time now for your Part 4 project, which I'm calling Clipping Mask Magic. You've learned a lot in Part 4, so now's the time to put your knowledge to work by creating a project that you're proud of. I gave you a lot of files to choose from for this project, so I divided them into folders to keep them better organized. There's a folder for photos with five beach photos. If you live in a different location, such as in a city or on a farm, no worries! It's fine to use your own photos. If you don't have your own photos simply pretend you work for a travel agency and need to make an ad for a great vacation at the beach.

You also have seven papers to choose from for your project. Each paper is 12 x 12 inches at 300 pixels per inch. There are three new clipping masks, but you can also use clipping masks from prior lessons on your project. There are five beach themed elements. The three bottom elements are 3-D, so you'll want to add a drop shadow if you use them. The compass element is a flat element so I don't recommend a drop shadow. The gull can either have a drop shadow or not, depending on how you use it. If you do use a drop shadow, increase the distance and size and lower the opacity to give a sense that the bird is flying off the page.

Here are the project parameters. You're free to choose any files or images to create a clipping mask project. They can be from the Part 4 lesson 8 practice files, or practice files from previous lessons, or your own digital photos and artistic files.

Your project should include the following: Create a new 300 pixel per inch document of any size. Just keep in mind that the paper is 12 x 12 inches, so I wouldn't create a document bigger than that. Clip either a photo or paper to a clipping mask. Use at least one artistic element. Use at least one type layer and be sure to save your project. That's it. When you finish your project feel free to view the Watch Me Create video to see what I did for my project.