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How should I put a character above the background or panels?

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azure_monitor

Right now, this is what I'm doing.

From top to bottom, here are my layers.

"Character Lineart" (reference layer)
"White Fill"
"Background, Panels, etc."

I fill in using white on the White Fill layer, sometimes adjusting with marker/pen, sometimes adding a glow effect with airbrush. This covers whatever's below. Sometimes, because I'll have several elements like characters, backgrounds, background effects, motion lines, panel borders, and so on, I'll need 5-6 White Fill layers per panel.

Is there a more efficient way to do this? What is the best workflow for this? Thanks.

Published date : 2 years ago

Updated date : 2 years ago

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Answer

l__Doug__l

2 years ago
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There are many ways to accomplish order in your digital art. Everybody likes "their way", because they sorted it out over time and with experience and they "grew up" in their art developing that "way". So it becomes natural, intuitive, for that person. So you'll find many suggested work flows and setups on the internet. Take what you find, try it out, combine things and find your "way". =)

Here is how I do it.

!!! Organize your Layers !!!
Use Folders, use Folders within Folders ("nested" folders) and as many Layers as you need to do your work, and are able to keep straight in your head. I have heard some artists say they try to use as few layers as possible because they accidentally work on the wrong layer, but I tend to go overboard with a lot of layers, such as with doing Highlights & Shadows on a Main Color layer... Some do all that all on one layer, I use three..

So, it sounds like you're doing a comic? Multiple panels & Panel Borders? I would;
Keep the Panel Borders layer on top of everything on a Layer of their own
Make a Folder for each Panel,
--In that folder, make a folder for each Thing in the panel.
----Then in the folder for the Thing, make the layers you'll use for that Thing.

See first attached image

If you do a comic with a lot of art, many, many panels, you may want to lay out the thumbnails of your comic, then do each panel as it's own separate canvas / file.
Then when the panel is done, Merge visible to New Layer (Right-click on your Layers Panel should bring up a menu with this option) and only copy a single flattened Layer image into the comic strip for each panel.
This will save on computer memory and file size of the final comic.

This keeps everything separate and freely movable and editable. That's the beauty of Digital Art: non-destructive changes and Ctrl+Z.

The second image of the helicopter; Look at the scroll bar at the right side of the Layers Panel... SO many layers, only 3 panels.
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