A color/coloring question

I haven't used Photoshop in a good handful of years and I recently got back into the work of things.

I still remember how to do some abstract brushing with black and white opposite layers which you then blend together. I want to broaden my horizon and will be reading alot of tutorials in the near future.

As of now I was trying to remember a coloring a technique I use to use. It could consist of several layers. I believe they were fill layers, covered with a solid color. You'd then add a layer mask (It might have been vector but I'm pretty sure it was layer) and selected hide all. After that you'd take a grunge brush and brush on the mask to reveal the color you selected in certain parts of the piece. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it just doesn't look right for some reason. Maybe I need more brush layers but I don't know. Does anyone have any experience using this method? Or something similar.

Also does anyone have any other coloring suggestions? This is the way I've known to do it all my life

Well something like that is using gradient maps. Basically you pick a gradient map and then you mask over anything you don't want colored that way. then you set the Blending to soft light or anything like that. Least thats how i do it...It helps to get all the colors close to the same. I dunno you seem like you know a bit of what your talking about so i would experiment with em.

ahh yes layer masks..

right i'll do a quick tutorial which i think is that technique

First make multiple layers each one consisting of one colour or if you'd like a gradiant of colours.

Secondly select each layer separately and select this:
http://xs116.xs.to/xs116/07265/layermaskerwoj.PNG

For each layer to create a vector mask.

Once each layer has it's own vector mask select each layer mask and fill each one with black completely.

Finally, selectively place white brush marks on the layer mask on any layer to reveal what's behind the mask.