Texture Masks

Texture masks let you control modifier strength spatially using painted or image textures. Paint directly in Blender or load external images to define where modifiers apply.

How Masks Work

  • White (1.0) = Full effect
  • Black (0.0) = No effect
  • Gray (0.5) = 50% effect

The mask value at each strand's root position is multiplied with the modifier's strength. So if Clumping is set to 0.8 and the mask value at a strand is 0.5, the actual clumping for that strand is 0.4.

Mask Controls (Per Modifier)

Every modifier has these mask controls:

  • Mask checkbox — Enable/disable the mask
  • 🖌️ Paint — Enter Texture Paint mode to paint the mask
  • 💾 Save — Save the painted mask and apply it
  • 📁 Load — Load a mask from an image file
  • Invert — Flip black and white

Creating Masks

Method 1: Paint Directly

  1. Click 🖌️ (paint) next to the modifier's mask checkbox
  2. Blender switches to Texture Paint mode on your scalp mesh
  3. Paint white where you want the effect, black where you don't
  4. Click 💾 (save) to apply the mask
  5. Enable the mask checkbox

Method 2: Load an Image

  1. Create a mask in any image editor (Photoshop, Krita, etc.)
  2. White = full effect, black = no effect
  3. Match your mesh's UV layout
  4. Save as PNG or TIFF
  5. Click 📁 (load) and select your image

Method 3: Procedural (Bake)

  1. Create a procedural texture in Blender's shader editor
  2. Bake it to an image texture
  3. Load the baked image as a mask

Painting Tips

Brush Settings

  • Strength 100% for hard edges
  • Strength 30–50% for soft gradients
  • Build up gradually with multiple passes
  • [ and ] keys to resize brush

Techniques

  • Base layer first: Fill entire mask with white or black, then paint the opposite
  • Gradients: Use soft brush, low strength, multiple passes
  • Hard edges: Use hard brush, 100% strength, single pass
  • Blending: Soft brush over edges to smooth transitions

Common Uses Per Modifier

Clumping Mask

  • More clumping on crown, less at hairline
  • No clumping on bangs or sideburns
  • Gradient from full to none at edges

Frizz Mask

  • More frizz at edges and perimeter
  • No frizz along part line
  • Flyaway zones at specific areas

Coil Mask

  • Curly areas vs straight areas
  • Varying curl intensity by region

Cut Mask

  • Shaped cuts (bob, layers)
  • Length variation by region

Density Mask

  • Thinning at temples and crown
  • Dense at back and sides
  • Bald spots or patterns

Flow Direction Mask

  • Strong flow in styled areas
  • No flow where you want natural direction

Separate Masks for Clumping

The Clumping modifier has three independent masks:

  • Main mask — Controls overall clumping strength
  • Curl mask — Controls the curl effect within clumps
  • Noise mask — Controls the noise effect within clumps

Each uses distinct texture names to prevent conflicts between modifiers.

Mask Resolution

| Size | Use For | |------|---------| | 512×512 | Low detail, fast | | 1024×1024 | Medium detail (recommended) | | 2048×2048 | High detail | | 4096×4096 | Ultra detail (slow) |

1024 is usually sufficient. Higher resolution uses more memory but adds more detail.

Troubleshooting

Mask Not Applying

  • Check the mask checkbox is enabled
  • Verify your mesh has UV coordinates
  • Try reloading the texture
  • Regenerate hair after loading mask

Mask Looks Wrong

  • Check Invert toggle state
  • Verify texture orientation matches UV layout
  • Make sure texture is grayscale (not color)

Mask Too Harsh

  • Use soft brush with gradients
  • Add gray values instead of pure black/white
  • Blur texture in an image editor

Mask Too Subtle

  • Increase contrast
  • Use more pure white/black, less gray
  • Increase the modifier's base strength