drawings

[charlieb]

hey guys...noob back again.

Im starting to get the hang of this stuff...I just had a couple quick questions:

When doing a drawing do you kep the background on one layer and then everything else on a different layer? Or do you keep everything on seperate layer? (ex. eyes, mouth, hair, etc..)????

Also, another problem Ive been running into is, sometimes I need to use the lines of one path as lines of another path, so that I dont have a seperate stroke overlapping...is there a way to do this? (if that makes sense)

thanks guys

[TORCH511]

To address your questions:

1) There is no right or wrong answer here. How you do a lot of things in Illustrator largely depend on what you are comfortable with and what you find fast and easy. Me personally, most of the time I will keep related objects on their own layeres. I use layers a lot. And I typically expand when I am creating, and as I finish parts of a work, condense back down. I love layers. So use whatever you are comfortable with.

Not quite sure what you want for #2. I believe what you are trying to say is using part of a path for 2 different paths so that you do not have a section overlapping. If that is what you mean then... No, there is no way to do that. Having the overlap typically will not create a problem. The other thing you can do is modify the section that would be overlapping so that it is hidden under the the top path (will only work if path is filled) This is called a trap. There may be other solutions but again, not real clear as to your intention.

Hope that helps.

[rookie]

I tend to group colors (tones) on the same (seperate) layers. Skin tones on one, hair and darks on another, shadows and highlights on another. Like torch say's it's really a matter of personal preferance.

[charlieb]

Does anyone know of any tutorials on how to achieve the look of the eyeballs on this site:

http://www.johnschwegel.com/portfolio.htm

Ive been messing around with radial gradient but just can't seem to get it right...this is very similar to my style of art.

[charlieb]

also, if i scan a sketch, and want to trace with the pen tool...should the placed picture be on its own layer?

[TORCH511]

That is really up to you and is purely a matter of preference. I personally find it easier and is what I do. But again it is not a hard fast rule.

What I like about it is the ability to mark the layer as a template, dim the image and set the layer not to print. You can also hide and unhide easier without effecting your work. But I can do most of that on an object layer.

NEVER hesitate to use layers, they are a good thing.

[micke]

charlieb,

Sure, place your scan on the base layer. Go to layers options (or double click on the layer name), name the layer "Template", click on template and if you dim the template layer its often easier to trace. It will be automatically locked, but if you want to move it or change the size later you can temporarily unlock it in the layer palette.

When you are ready to draw, option (alt) click on new layer, which brings up the layers options. Give your layers descriptive names (this is more important than you may think, because you can find things faster if you don't have to see what's on layer 12 next week or next month).

If you want to use part of a path to start another shape, copy the path to its own layer by selecting the path and option (alt) dragging the selection box in the layers palette to another layer. Option dragging the selection icon ( the small box to the right of the layer name in the layer palette copies the path. You will see a + sign appear as you drag it with the option key down. This will place the cop in the same position it was on its original layer. Copy & paste will paste the path in the center of the artboard. If you just move the selection icon, it will move selected paths to another layer. If you then want to cut the copied path, you can delete segments or use the scissors tool.

Hope this helps. Layers give you power when working on complex illustrations!

micke