Okay, layer masks then. This is one of the things you really need to get the hang of - makes a lot of things much easier.
1. I'm using the original Rodman picture again.
2. Add a layer mask to the image - go to the tab at the bottom of the layers palette. You can see it says 'add layer mask' there - it doesn't show my mouse pointer though. Just hover over the icons and it will show you which one it is - it's the square with the circle in the middle.
3. You can now see that there is a white box next to the little image in the layers palette. This is the mask.
4. Basically with a mask you paint out the bits you don't want to see with black - you're not actually painting the image - just the mask (as long as there is a little blue border around the layer mask and not the layer).
5. The great thing with layers is that if you make a mistake - here I've slipped and wiped out his body - you can fix it.
6. All you do to correct it is to change the brush to white and paint back over it. This removes the part that you masked by mistake.
You have to make sure you are painting in totally black or totally white or it doesn't make a total mask - kind of like having a brush of low opacity.
Great tool though. Practise with it and it will be your friend.
I'm using a laptop right now and it's not ideal but a mouse is okay. For detailed stuff I have a graphics tablet which is great - lots of fine control. It's best to zoom in and change the size of brush you use too.
[/b]"As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any condition be brought under English domination. It is in truth not for glory, nor for riches, nor for honour that we are fighting, but only and alone for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life." Arbroath, 1320.