Help with Image and Background!

[haileys8957108]

Hello! I want to put this background I have into the photo of the transparent Elephant! I've looked up countless tutorials and can't find anything! Someone help please! Once again, I want to take this background and put it inside of the transparent Elephant, so that the end result will be the transparent elephant filled with the background. HELP!

[Bojan Živković · Accepted solution]

If I can understand you correctly, please follow this instruction:

1. Delete Layer 0
2. Move Layer 0 copy above Layer 1
3. With Layer 0 selected pres Ctrl/Cmd + Alt/Opt + G to create clipping mask (you can also use: Layer > Create Clipping Mask)

[haileys8957108]

Thank you, this worked perfectly! This saved me, you're the best!!

[Trevor.Dennis]

Place the pink layer above the elephant layer. Right click the pink layer, and choose Create Clipping Mask

[haileys8957108]

Thank you so much, this is amazing and so straightforward! You rock!

[Trevor.Dennis]

There are other ways, and perhaps a more valuable skill to learn.  This method uses a Layer Mask and they are fundermental to using Layers in Photoshop.

The Pink layer is still above the Elephant layer in the layers panel.

Ctrl click the Elephant layer which will load it as a selection.

Now select the Pink layer and click on the layer mask icon (highlighted in Red).

This will add a layer mask to the pink layer with the shape of the elephant in white, and the rest of the mask in black. 

We say Black Conceals and White Reveals.  Where the layer mask is white it shows the content of the layer.  Where it is black it shows the layers beneath it in the layer stack.

You should perhaps have a play to get used to them.  Can you see how the layer masks are showing segments of all three layers?

Note that there is a double outline around the green layer's layer mask.  That shows that anything you paint will go on the mask.

In this shot the double outline is around the layer's thumbnail, and my brush stroke is on top of the green.