The Power of Layers

The heart of Photoshop, and what makes it such an incredible and versatile program, is its use of layers. By working with layers, you have an unlimited amount of control over your images. There seems to be nothing you can’t accomplish in Photoshop, and it’s because of the power of layers.

Again, I assume that you already have an understanding of layers and how they work. But just in case you need a quick refresher, think of layers as sheets of transparent cellophane paper that you can stack on top of one another. You can paint whatever you want on each individual sheet, but the image as a whole is what you see when all the sheets are combined.

One of the most important lessons I learned early on was not to be afraid to have tons of layers in my images. It is not uncommon to have up to 20 layers in a PSD (Photoshop Document) file. In fact, I sometimes work with images that have 50-plus layers! The only downsides to having so many layers are that your PSD file will be large and, depending on the amount of RAM you have on your computer, it could potentially cause problems. In addition, too many layers can get confusing to work with if you don’t label and link them properly. However, PSD files tend to be working files that are not typically used as textures, so file size is not really an issue (unless you have a computer with less than 100MB of hard drive space!).

The clearest advantage to having multiple layers is that you can have individual control over the elements in your image. The same concept is used in compositing for postproduction of feature films. Each element that can be separated out from the background is kept on its own layer. That way, if four different explosions are being composited on top of the footage, it’s very easy to tweak each individual explosion and not worry about affecting the entire scene. This also prevents the need to re-render the entire scene and all the elements along with it. Each element can be color corrected, transparency adjusted, or transformed without affecting the rest of the image.

The same advantages hold true for you when working in layers in Photoshop. Of course, you need to be smart and not go to the extreme unless you need to. If you have a metal plate with 200 rivets around the border, do you really need each rivet to be on its own layer? Probably not. But in situations where you have major features that you know you might want to tweak once you see them in the game, keep them on their own layers. If you don’t give yourself the control that layers provide, you might end up kicking yourself later for not doing so.

Using layers along with the hide and show options (the eyeballs to the left of each layer) in Photoshop also lets you keep multiple versions of a texture all in one file. Let’s say you created a painted wood texture for your scene. Without much effort at all, it’s easy to duplicate the original layer and change its color. Do this a few times, and now you have several versions of the texture that you can show to your art director or quickly test in the game. Figure 4.1 is a good example of this technique.

4.1. Using layers to store multiple images in one file.

Another advantage to using multiple layers, and a more artistic one, is blending and adding depth. It’s rare for the layers I create to be 100% opaque. Using transparency on layers enables you to subtly blend elements, which results in a more cohesive and textured image. Whether I’m creating metal, wood, stucco, or nearly any textured surface, I frequently use many layers with varying opacities to get the right look. Layering textures on top of one another also gives the image more depth, and ultimately makes it more interesting to look at. Blending textures is also a fast way to add detail. If you took the time to hand paint all these changes, you’d have your hands full. In Figure 4.2 I’ve started with a basic metal texture. By adding and mixing layers, I can capture certain features of each metal and blend them to get the exact look I’m going for.

4.2. Using layers and opacity (transparency) to give textures more depth and character.

This method also gives you realistic texture because you are combining elements of real images and photographs, capturing the details and subtleties that are tough to create on your own. You’ll find that the more layers you have, the more deep and complex the image becomes.

Creating Layers

There are several ways to create new layers in Photoshop. Here are a few common methods.

First, you can go to the Layer menu, and choose Layer>New>Layer. You can do the same thing using the Layers palette, which is in the lower-right corner of the screen. At the bottom of the Layers palette is a small icon that looks exactly like the New Action icon we discussed in the previous chapter. Figure 4.3 shows the Create New Layer icon. Also, whenever you copy and paste an element, a new layer will be created that contains that new element.

The opacity of each layer can be controlled in the upper-right corner of the Layers palette. Opacity is shown in Figure 4.4.

In addition to being able to control the opacity of layers, each layer can be composited or blended with dozens of modes. To the left of the Opacity setting in the Layers palette is a field that says Normal. If you open that pull-down menu you’ll see all the modes that Photoshop can use to blend your layers (Figure 4.5). Multiply, Lighten, Darken, and Luminosity are a few of the blend modes that I use most. Try them out and see how each one changes your image.

We’ll talk about layers more as we move through the chapter. Now let’s talk about some of the most often used features in Photoshop for painting textures.

4.3. The Create New Layer icon in the Layers palette.

4.4. Each layer has its own opacity.