Elena Rossi
Painting with layers in digital art is a great way to experiment with different effects and textures. By using layers, you can create complex images without the fear of damaging your original work. This is because each layer has its own set of pixels, which can be manipulated independently. You can adjust the opacity and blending mode of each layer to create unique effects and ensure that only the desired areas are painted. Additionally, you can add layer masks to control the spillover and confine the paintbrush to specific areas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Painting layers in Photoshop | Use larger brushes without spilling outside the base painted area by creating a new layer and clipping it to "base colour" by holding down Alt and clicking between the layers. |
| Painting layers in Paint.NET | The order of the layers is important. Opaque pixels on a higher layer will obscure pixels on lower layers. Only one layer can be active at a time, and drawing operations are only applied to the active layer. |
| Painting layers in physical media | Use transparent pigments, thin layers, and sanding to create multiple visible layers. |
What You'll Learn
Using a layer mask
Layer masks are a useful way to hide or reveal parts of an image without erasing them. They are especially handy when combining multiple images or removing objects from a photo. Layer masks are resolution-dependent bitmap images that can be edited with painting or selection tools. Vector masks, on the other hand, are resolution-independent and created with a pen or shape tool. Both types of masks are nondestructive, allowing for re-editing without losing pixels.
To create a layer mask, first, select the desired layer in the Layer palette. Then, create a selection area of the portion you wish to keep or hide. You can do this by using the Layer menu and selecting Layer Mask, followed by Mask Selection or Mask Outside Selection. A layer mask thumbnail will appear next to the layer, indicating the visible and masked areas. Alternatively, you can use the Mask Outside Selection icon directly from the Layer palette. If no selection area is specified, the entire layer will be masked.
Once your layer mask is created, you can edit it by clicking on its thumbnail in the Layers panel. The foreground and background colours will assume default grayscale values. To hide parts of the active layer, paint the mask with black. Conversely, to reveal parts, paint with white. Painting with grey will make the layer partially visible, with darker greys increasing transparency and lighter greys making it more opaque.
You can also use the Brush Tool to paint a mask, allowing for a softer blend between layers. Adjust the brush's opacity and flow settings to achieve the desired effect. Opacity refers to the transparency level of the brush, while flow controls the rate at which paint builds up with each stroke. By using a low opacity and/or flow setting, you can gradually build up colour without affecting the underlying layer.
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CTRL + left-click the layer thumbnail
CTRL + left-clicking the layer thumbnail is a quick and easy way to work within an already painted area in Photoshop. This method allows you to use larger brushes with certain effects without the brush spilling outside the base painted area.
When you want to add shadows, lighting or reflections to an existing paint layer, such as a car body, you can use this shortcut to easily select the whole base painted shape. This way, you can create certain effects without the brush leaving the base painted area or shape.
Additionally, you can create a new layer above and clip it to the "base colour" by holding down Alt and clicking between the layers. This technique allows you to paint on a separate layer while staying within the confines of the base colour. As it is a separate layer, you don't have to worry about damaging anything on the base layer.
Furthermore, you can experiment with layers, adjust transparency, and try different blending options such as overlay, colour, multiply, screen, and addition. You can also use the layer properties to adjust the opacity and fill of a layer to create various effects. For instance, to paint the glow of a fire on a tree, you can open a new blank layer, set it to colour dodge, and then adjust the layer's fill and opacity accordingly.
Overall, CTRL + left-clicking the layer thumbnail is a handy tool for working within specific areas of a Photoshop project while maintaining the integrity of the original layer.
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Add a new layer above and clip it to base colour
When working with an already painted area in Photoshop, you can add a new layer above and clip it to the base colour. This will allow you to paint on a separate layer while staying within the confines of the base colour. To do this, hold down Alt and click between the layers. This way, you can use larger brushes without worrying about the brush spilling outside the base painted area.
Additionally, you can use the lasso or magic wand tools to select the whole base painted shape. However, this might seem redundant when the painted area is already defined in the layer. Another option is to add a layer mask over the top, which will cover any spillover from painting with a large brush.
If you are using Clip Studio Paint, you can set your character's line art layer as the reference layer by clicking on the lighthouse icon in the layers panel. Then, add a new layer beneath the reference layer and use the close and fill tool to draw around your character. The colours will only fill in where the line art is and will not spill over to the background.
Creating a new layer for colouring and shading is also a common practice in digital art. For instance, in Clip Studio Paint, you can create a new layer over the linework layer for colouring. You can then use the Fill-in mono pen tool under the Marker option in the Pen sub-tool palette. Similarly, when shading, you can create a new layer above the shading layer and change the blending mode to Screen.
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Adjust transparency and try different blending options
Adjusting transparency and utilizing different blending options are powerful tools for customizing your artwork. Transparency adjustments allow you to control the opacity of objects, layers, or groups, enabling you to create see-through effects and reveal underlying elements. This can be achieved by accessing the Transparency panel in Adobe Illustrator or the Layers panel in Adobe Photoshop. By modifying the Opacity value, you can make objects more or less transparent, revealing the layers beneath.
Blending modes offer a variety of ways to mix the colors of objects with the colors of underlying objects. These modes can be accessed through the Blending Mode menu in Illustrator or the Blend Mode pop-up menu in Photoshop. The default mode, Normal, does not interact with the colors of the artwork. However, other modes like Darken, Multiply, or Color Burn create darker colors, while Lighten and Screen modes lighten the overall color.
To explore blending options in Photoshop, you can choose Blending Options from the Add a Layer Style icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. This allows you to experiment with different blending modes and see their effects on your artwork. Additionally, you can apply blending modes to specific layers or groups in Photoshop, preserving the original blending appearance of other layers.
In Illustrator, the Transparency panel provides more advanced blending controls. Selecting Knockout Group and Opacity & Mask Define Knockout Shape ensures precise design control by preventing objects in a group from showing through each other. This is particularly useful when working with complex artwork involving overlapping transparent elements.
By adjusting transparency and experimenting with blending modes, you can achieve creative and unique visual effects in your artwork. These tools offer flexibility in customizing the appearance of your creations, allowing you to blend colors and control the visibility of different elements within your layers.
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Turn down the opacity of the layer
When painting on a new layer, it is important to remember that you can always adjust the opacity of that layer. This allows you to control how visible the layers beneath it are.
In Microsoft Paint, for example, you can change the opacity of the marker or bucket tool by painting with the marker tool where you want to use the effect, eye-dropping the resulting colour, and using it with a normal tool. You can repeat this process multiple times on the same spot, changing the colour of the marker to get closer to the desired colour.
If you are working with Photoshop, you can add a new layer above and clip it to the "base colour" by holding down Alt and clicking between the layers. This will let you paint on a separate layer while staying within the confines of the base colour. You can also add a layer mask over the top, which will cover up any spillover from your brush.
Another method for Photoshop is to CTRL + left-click the thumbnail of the layer. This will allow you to work within the confines of what was already painted without creating another layer.
If you are painting by hand, you can create multiple layers by building up thin layers of varnish film. You can then paint into the thin varnish film, allowing you to leave some of the former layers visible.
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Frequently asked questions
To paint over an object without crushing its shadows, you can open a new blank layer, set it to Color Dodge, and reduce the layer's fill and opacity. With a low-flow brush, gradually add a bright colour where it's needed. You can also adjust the transparency and try different blending options such as overlay, colour, multiply, screen, addition, etc.
You can add a new layer above and clip it to "base colour" by holding down Alt and clicking between the layers. This will let you paint on a separate layer while staying within the confines of the "base colour". Alternatively, you can add a layer mask over the top and paint with a large brush, and the layer mask will cover up any spillover.
CTRL + left-click the thumbnail of the layer.
The active layer is always highlighted in the Layers Window. Only one layer can be active at a time and drawing operations are only applied to the active layer.
