How do I erase what I drew with the clone stamp tool?

[colbykeyz]

I just used the clone stamp tool do draw in a bunch of planets in outer space. I want to erase some of them. How do I do this?

[JJMack · Accepted solution]

If you cloned stamped into a new empty top layer you delete the cloned layer. If you cloned stamped into you images actual pixels you destroyed the original pixels the stamping replaced them. If you have not closed  the document you may be able to backup in history.  If the history states have been reused but you have not  saved the changes over the file you opened  you can revert the document or reopen the file. If you have saved the changes over the original document file you need to use your old backup for the image/

[colbykeyz]

So I would have to make a new layer for each planet?? Thats so annoying.

[Conrad_C]

No, you can usually make one new layer and add all the new planets on that, leaving the original layer untouched in the back. Then if you want to erase some planets but not all, you can do that and the original layer will be revealed where you erased.

The key to this is that in the options bar at the top when the Clone Stamp tool is selected, use one of the options that samples other layers. That way, the tool samples the layer below but paints it on the new layer on top.

Using “non-destructive” techniques like that are preferred, so that it’s easy to back out of mistakes at any time.