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When you open TwistedBrush, you will see a vertical row of 32 squares between the painting area and the panels that display your art tools and colors. This vertical row is the layer mini-bar and allows quick access to many features of layers. Each square, or layer slot, represents a separate layer that can be used when creating a painting.
When working with one layer, all of the other layers are protected from what is happening in the active layer. The number of layers that you decide to use is up to you and the capacity of your computer’s memory. Some people use one or two layers to create an entire painting. Some people use dozens. However many are utilized, layers offer endless design possibilities.
Here are some important tips to remember when using layers in TwistedBrush:
1. Each empty layer above the opaque background layer is transparent, letting you see through it to the underlying layer.
2. The background layer is the only layer that is opaque. Also, it is the only layer that can't be moved upward or downward. It remains in a fixed position and serves as the foundation of the sketchbook page.
3. The background layer can be made invisible. When in this mode, the opaque nature of this layer disappears and images painted on upper layers can be saved as transparencies. Note: Transparent images should be stored in png or tiff format to preserve details. Later, they can be imported into TwistedBrush paintings for easy inclusion, as though you just painted them into your scene.
4. Layers can be commanded to do a variety of actions, each decided by you.
5. When you add paint to a layer, the painted section blocks downward transparency, but is easily seen through upper layers. The image is visible in the main TwistedBrush workspace, the Layer Panel, and in all of the layers that sit above and below it.
6. You can block a layer, so it isn't visible. You can make it visible again. And you can delete a layer if you don't like what's on it while retaining whatever is on other layers.
Copy and graphic for this page were contributed by TwistedBrush member shutterbuggy ~Rita.
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