[SightX]

Just curious as to how many layers you all work with when working(in Photoshop). Is it good to use alot of layers or keep it all on one or two? I tend to spread mine out over quite a few so if I screw up its easy to correct. And that Music post.....lol, you all listen to some interesting music.

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- NSM - SightX

[Snakebyte]

I can use between 70 - 80+ layers

Kevin Moore www.fantasy-anime.org

[[Shizo]]

Usually if its more than 2 i flatten the image LOL! Layers are mess!

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Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you!

[Tinusch]

I use a separate layer for each section of the image. For example, I use one for a person's eyes, one for his eyebrows, one for his hair, one for his neck, one for his shirt, one for his hands, etc... Pretty much one for each color, or just one for each part that needs to be shaded individually. I usually end up with around 30 layers.

[Dhabih]

i hate too many layers....i like working on the background layer only,....and then sometimes if i wanna test something out i start a new layer. Also i do use layers if i want to add an overlay of colors or things like that. But i rarely have more than 4-5 layers.

-dhab

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http://www.sijun.com/

[Muzman]

I usually have about 4 or 5 at any one time; but there can be literally thousands over the life of the pic. I'm always making new ones, trying stuff out, mergeing it if it works or deleting it if it doesn't.
I also don't have a background, it's all layers with the bottom one being a flat colour that gets changed quite a bit

[[Shizo]]

less layers beats more layers!! HAA HAA HAAAA dieeee... i kis u lol

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Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you!

[A.Buttle]

Depends really. If I'm compositing something really complex, I'll use as many layers as I feel are necessary. This usually is in the 20 to 40 range. Because PS will only allow 99 layers, I workon each part in a sperate file then combine them while still rough enought that I can make it all work.

If I'm painting, then it rarely gets above 6 layers or so.

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And remember, gravity is not your friend!

Joe Dillingham
[email protected]

[SightX]

Thanks ALOT for all of your feedback everyone. As for me, I tend to work with 5-15 layers. I have just started this last couple of months doing digital art...so allot of it looks pretty iffy...(I did a bit of Still Life�s before...booooooorrrrriiiinnnngggg). I really want to get in to Concept Art, it has so much to offer as far as a long-term job goes...anyways. I may even be bold enough some day and post something.....heh....now that is funny

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- NSM - SightX

[faustgfx]

when i hit the new layer button in the layers palette, in my current piece.. it displays a threateningly nasty "Layer 129" ... odd, since it's only got 3 layers at the moment.



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--
http://www.faustgfx.com
icq#35983387
the owls damn sure aren't what they seem.

[dennison]

i try to work with less layers as possible since every layer consumes more memory and disk space so it's usually 1-2 but i do have a lot of alpha channels for selections, which is less memory and space-instensive

[Danny]

I guess I'm with Dhabih on this one. Too many layers are crap. When I'm painting, I can't stand having any more than just the background layer. Having more layers usually results in me painting on the wrong layers. Multiple layers are nice when you want to try something out that requires a lot of tweaking, but that's as far as it goes for me. Gimme the background layer any day!

Danny


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[email protected]

[spooge demon]

The more layers, the less rez you can run, so it is a trade off. Layers for commercial work are great, cause you never know what they will come up with next.

Some plan is better than no plan, so I try to keep layers organized by depth, as in object overlap, background to foreground. Also, those really bad ideas are good to keep on a layer until your head clears

[Binke]

well, when I do webgraphics, I usually use 15-20 layers, depending on how advanced the picture is. And i think it's pretty good to use layers when doing webgraphics, there isnt really any reason why you should not.

But when I do CG paintings, i always forget to use layers
so it usually ends up in 5-7 layers. Layers can be good, because if you have painted something, and you change your mind about it, you can just delete the layer it is on, without destroying the whole pic.

[[Shizo]]

No actially i now know why some people use layers and some dont. See Binke said if you did something and wanted to delete it you could delete the layer, but why not just paint over it or fill it? Because people who use layers prolly use more effects like layers set to "Darken" or "Multiply" that stuff, so for example they have a grid set to dodge over a blue color and you couldnt paint over whole grid (unless you wanna waste 4 hours hehe)

But.. it never happened yet that i wanted to delete something If i dont like some part, i just add something or modify it so it balances out an dlooks sweetley

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Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you!

[Qory]

Well, personally, I mostly do web graphics, and I end up with about 8 layers, which I merge together from time to time, but I usually have 4-8 going at any given time. The reason is that I can add text, a drop shadow, and pretty much anything else without it leaving a permanent mark on the image.. Just look at dhabih's titlebar at the top of this page (if you came here through his site). I mean, if I was making an image with that many elements, then I would keep everything on a seperate layer... the 10000101011's would be one layer, the text another, the green lines/cirles another, and so on... then when I got a nice background, I'd merge it to one layer (plus the background, so that I could change the overall color if need be) and then add new layers for the text... it all depends on opinion, mind you... but that's mine!

Qory

[[Shizo]]

what you making Ko? i thought maybe you could make us a 10000x8000 pic for our Bum story in Random musings thread LOL (Word Game)

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Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you!

[nova]

I usually like working right on the background layer, because it's more close to actually working on paper or painting, which is what naturally comes first to me. Though if I'm experimenting or plan to make adjustments that could take more than 20-30 history states, then I use a seperate layer. If I'm adding a bold lighting effect or something that would dramatically change things, another layer there. Also in the case of schemes, for example if I'm not yet decided on eye colour, I use a seperate layer. I usually end up with 4-7; it really depends. I have an image I'm working on right now that's highly experimental because it's a new technique for me, and have around 19 layers.

..but that's just a splink on my working style, I'm sure no one cares




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* * * ** Nova
ICQ: 54240962

[Ko]

When I paint on my PC:
I use mainly the background for painting...
Additional layers are just for trying out stuff... well... just like some people have
allready stated!

But at work life is different:
Here I use a fast G3 Mac loaded with RAM!
And Photoshop gobbles up every last bit of it + a large chunk of my harddrive.
I often work at sizes 5000x3500 (A3 300dpi).
Here I easily use 30+ layers with layermasks
and whathaveyou...
500 MB PSD-files are a pain in the A*beep!
I do a lot of complex compositing, for some
interesting clients.

Ko

[Visigoth]

I usually use around 3 - 4 layers in my images -- I'll do my initial construction lines on the background, then create a new layer to do the actual fine-line drawing on, a layer above that for shading, and then a final top layer for any color. It usually works pretty well, without being bloated hehe

~{V}~

[Pixelator]

My experience is quite different. I usually start with the final Image and then I begin erasing and removing layers till I get this shiny white background. Then, and only then, do I know that my work is truly done. (I hope this helps, and if you would be interested, I can create the
�Any Image To White in 10 minutes or less� tutorial,
Followed by the
�Any Image To Black in the same amount of time� tutorial)


[This message has been edited by Pixelator (edited March 23, 2000).]

[SightX]

Pixelator: After all this time I was thinking that I was doing it right.....thanks for showing me the White...I mean light.

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- NSM - SightX

[micke]

I never work with more than ten layers....
I feel that i loose controll of the picture
if i do that. i think that i work with max
4 layers. that's the most common for me..


-Mikael

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-Mikael Noguchi-

http://www.katode.org/noguchi/

[immi]

Holy cow! Some of you guys are nuts! I start drawing on the wrong layer when I have 4 layers, I can't imagine what I'd do if I had 10. And some of you dudes are using 20, 40, 80? Woah!

[SightX]

OH! Another question Is is possiable to move stuff from one layer to another? I have wondered this but have not found any way except copying and pasting.....

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- NSM - SightX

[Brain]

SightX, you can drag the layer you want above the layer you wish to combine it with and Merge Down (Ctrl+E)

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Brain
http://brain.gamekey.com/

[Oscar Alexander]

Like Immi, I always start messing around in the wrong layer too... Pretty stupid, I know. Anyway, I try to keep my layer-count as low as possible (2-10).

[B]

i normally start with a background layer.then add another layer to do a sketch on, then the next layor set to multiply to color it, then another layer for another part of the sketch,. then depending on how 3d i want it to look,. i add a few more layers , then slowly merge down as i see fit, untill i'm at about 3 layers this way i can set it to overlay, screen, or any of these other affect to change the image, just by keeping it the same,. if ya get what i mean..


b