Why I like Layers

A One-Sided Discussion by Tim Reed

(AKA, Dragyn)

Layers are useful tools for any artist. They let you make lines, then color under them, so you don't end up 'coloring over the lines,' or leaving empty pixels/space between the color and the lines.
You can also make them partially transparent, and stack them up for weird shading effects. You can mix colors, add minor details, or add warp, gradient, or blur effects independent to the rest of the image.

Besides that, they let you reconsider what you've placed, and add additional details to the mix.

Take, for example, this fellow, who I have dubbed the Dark Lord of Chocolate. No, there is no reason why I did this.

As you can see, He is wearing a cloak, a necklace (with a skull!), and some sort of weird wristband. What you can't see, unless you're me, is that each and every one of those items is set up in its own set of layers, and that each layer of color has its own shading, and would be "complete" even without the other layers. What this means, to you, is that if I wanted to, I could remove the cloak, the necklace, the wristband, or any combination thereof from the picture, without damaging the fellow who's wearing them.

For the sake of argument, let's say you don't like the way the cloak turned out. I personally don't mind it, but I do prefer him without it, here. I can just turn off the layers (which I have conveniently given names starting with Cloak) which pertain to the cloak itself.

See? No harm done, and the cloak is out of the way.

But what now? Well, say you also don't like the wristband. Just take it off.

Of course, you could have left off the wristband, and kept the cloak and necklace, or just kept the cloak, or any number of things. You could leave off all the extras, if you wanted to.
If you really felt like it, you could even add more things, and make it like some sort of digital dress-up game.

I pity the Dark Lord of Chocolate if you do.

Font Color Hex Code = ff22aa, for the curious. It is very pink. The Font Face (Style) is the default, whatever you have it set to, and I am therefore not responsible for it.

You are at http://canonfodder.virmir.com or some subdomain therein.