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Here’s some more beginner-level knowledge about drawing in Photoshop. Again, it comes with the disclaimer that I am self-taught, so may not be doing things the most obvious way. If you know better, comment below!Also as mentioned before, I run Photoshop 6.0 on a PC. Other versions and Macs may have a slightly differing interface. And see the Recommended Books page for a link to a very good series of Photoshop books which cover all variables.

So, today I am going to talk about layers. I find that the easiest way to visualise layers is to think of the way that old-style animators used to work, with a sheaf of translucent pages stacked on top of one another. Each page might have a different part of the drawing on it, but when you stacked them on top of each other, the components fit together to make a single image.

What are the benefits of working like that? Well, if one part of the image needs changing, you can simply remove that page and substitute another - much easier and quicker than beginning the whole picture again. Of course, in animation, it also means that a single element of the picture could be made to move while the rest remained precisely the same.

In Photoshop, layers work pretty much the same way. You can delete a single layer. You can move it up the ’stack’ so that it’s on top of the other layers, or further back so that it’s behind. You can temporarily see your picture without one or more layers and judge for yourself what it adds to the whole.These actions are controlled via the ‘layers’ palette, which appears automatically when settings are at default. If you can’t see it, go to ‘window’ in the top menu and select ’see layers’.

When you first create or scan a new picture in Photoshop, it will have a single layer, the ‘background’. That’s the way it will stay unless you create more layers. If you draw over your image, it’s still one single layer.

It is a good idea, however, to get into the mindset of making more layers. Then you can tap into one of Photoshop’s greatest benefits for the artist - that of being able to undo your actions with no negative effects to the rest of your picture.

If you immediately go to the Layer menu (at the top of your Photoshop window), you can create a new layer and nothing you subsequently do to your image will affect your original picture. By default, tools such as the paintbrush, the eraser, and the lasso will only effect the layer you are working on (which you can choose by highlighting it in the layers palette).

This means there are some chances for fun effects, such as painting over your image with brushstrokes, and using the eraser to reveal parts of the background. You can also use the ‘move’ tool to shift one layer, allowing for unaligned printing effects.

If you are disciplined about creating multiple layers as you work, you can even factor indecisiveness into your working methods. For example, if you are not sure whether a figure would be better on the left or the right, give him his own layer and you can try it both ways.

A layer does not have to extend over the entire image. By using the magic wand or lasso tool, you can create a new layer from a portion of the image (select your desired area, then go to Layer>new>layer by copy. Remember the copy will be made from which ever layer is currently active in the Layers palette). This layer can then be moved or even, for some fun effects, replicated multiple times. Any action you make will apply only to that layer, so for example, going to Image>adjust>brightness/contrast will allow you to lighten or darken just that portion.

This is just a brief introduction to an enormous subject. If you’re new to layers and you have access to Photoshop, I’d suggest you make a new image, and then:

> Create a new layer

> Draw a bit on that layer

> Try erasing parts of the drawing on that layer

> Select a part of your drawing and create a new layer just from that part

> Move it around or try out the brightness/contrast control

> Create a few more layers and draw on each (first making sure they are active in the Layers palette). Then play with the ‘eye’ symbol on that palette to the left of each layer - this allows you to temporarily see or not see each layer. If you wish to delete a layer, you can do so by right-clicking on it in the Layers palette.

> Click and drag layers within the Layers palette to change which is on top and which beneath. Note that the background layer cannot be moved. It will always be at the ‘bottom’.

That’s my Beginner’s Guide to Layers in Photoshop. What did I miss out?