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Layering Images Onto the Canvas

Author: Roger Elliot, Associate Editor

Well, quite frankly, I am amazed at the number of e-mails I received after the first installment of "Digital Art". Seems that a good number of you find this an interesting subject. So here we go on to another offering with the realization that art is meant to be fun and I must admit that I find this type of thing just that...fun! For those who may have missed our first session, let me tell you that the program I am using is Adobe Photoshop 4.0 LE. In this session we will be examining how to "layer" other images onto out painting surface. The little guy in the cart in the painting in session one was done in this manner. That was actually in a painting I had done some years ago. This is neat because it is very much the same as "mixed media" only on the computer. You might wish to manually paint a section to be included in your work. In this session we will examine just how this can be accomplished. Good luck, and lets go! As in the first session, open your program and click "File" then choose "New". When the canvas appears click "Image" and choose "Image Size". Your parameters are likely to come up in "inches". If so, change them to "pixels" and since we will be working "in landscape" set your numbers at 575 for the width and 425 for the height. Click OK and when the enlarged canvas appears click "view" and choose "Fit on Screen". This will open your canvas to screen size. We are now ready to begin!

Tools You'll Likely Use in This Lesson
AIRBRUSH	It's symbol looks like a little airbrush gun.
PAINTBRUSH	The symbol looks like a small brush with a partial handle.
SMUDGE	This symbol looks like a hand with one finger extended.
MARQUEE	Used to "select" an area of the canvas (it's shape can be changed, too)
EYEDROPPER	Used to select a color for your palette from an existing color on your canvas.
ERASER	As advertised, the eraser tool erases pixels from your canvas!

Now using the airbrush tool spray on some blue as we did before. Spray it on in rows like this starting at the horizon and moving up. Change the color to a deeper blue every couple of rows. If you apply it in this manner you will find that your sky will automatically have "action" in it! Nothing is quite so boring as a flat, blue sky. Using the lighter blue at the horizon allows us to begin to build distance into our work.

Next we take the smudge tool and select a large brush size from the "brush tab". Work the smudge tool in little circles working from the horizon up. Be on the alert for "accidents" here. Not bad ones, the good ones! If you see an area accidentally taking on the look you would like, use it! However, if you do not find that "happy accident" the last thing is to run the smudge tool ACROSS the canvas to take out the circles. (brushmarks) Unlike the first painting we are going to do some work on this sky!

Here, I have laid in a couple of clouds. I do this by selecting a white and spraying a bit where I want a cloud. I then use the smudge tool to push the white around until I am satisfied with my cloud. I work the bottom of the cloud out by blending it in tiny circles with the smudge tool. Also, since I wish to "layer" my clouds I have sprayed a little purple onto the bottoms and worked this in with the smudge tool. This "darkness" will serve me well when I begin my next layer of clouds. White against white is nothing! Plan ahead.

I now lay in another layer of clouds. Be aware that these clouds are the purview of the smudge tool. Just spray some white on with your airbrush and then move it around with the smudge tool. Don't overwork the tops of the clouds. Once you have a good "puffy" look get off of the top! Move to the bottom of the cloud and work them out in small circles until they "blend" into the sky. Put as few or as many clouds as you wish in your painting. If you are having fun, fill the whole sky with clouds!!

Here I have sprayed in some hills with blue! Blue? Yep, I want some oomph in this painting! :) However, you might like nice purple ones or even green. Be individual, create your own thing! As you can see I have sprayed in a little white in places and "stirred it around" with the smudge tool. Not too much detail here though. This is background music. We don't want this to play so loud that it drowns out our orchestra! :)

		Now, let the fun begin!! Here is the little "village" I plan to "layer" into my painting! This is from another painting but you could get anything from a magazine, a newspaper, or do as I often do; paint a little scene and scan it in! This works with any image. If this seems like cheating, don't worry about it. We won't be selling these paintings and we are just having fun! You may use your own image or if you are following along and wish to use this one just "right click" on the image and choose "Save image as". Now we need to talk a bit!:)
Once you have your little village or whatever, in file form on your hard drive, you need to copy it to the clipboard. This can be accomplished right in Photoshop. Simply minimize the canvas you are working on and go to "File". Choose "open" and find the "village file". Open it and click on the Marquee tool. It is the tool at the very top, left of the icons and looks like a box. Hold down your left mouse button and drag the box until it includes the entire village. Then go to "Edit" and choose "copy". Bingo, you have it!!

Now we remaximize our painting and go to "Edit", choose "Paste" and the image will be pasted onto your painting like this! There is a reason we are going to paste our layer on at this time. We want to be able to paint the negative space in our painting to match our little layer. But first, we still have some work to do!! We have our own mountains, sky, etc. We need to get rid of theirs!! Stay with me folks, it can be done!

Here it is! I have used the Eraser tool to erase anything that I did not want. The eraser icon looks ,strangely enough like an eraser!! If you are confused about any of the icons just hold you mouse over each of them any it will tell you what they are. What? You say that I also moved it? Yes. This is accomplished by using the Move tool. Uppermost top right in the icons. This allows you to move the layer anywhere you wish! Here I have moved the village to the approximate place I want to use it. Not to worry though, you can move it at any time.

Here I have sprayed in a field behind the village. Again, I'm not going to get too fancy with this painting. You have enough on your plate just learning the program. Each session we will move to loftier heights :). Now we need to talk again! As you can see, I also erased those colorful trees at the base of the layer. I have better ideas for that area! AND I have used the same color for the field as the road through the village. This is accomplished by use of the "Eyedropper Tool". The icon is a little eyedropper. Hold this over any color you wish to duplicate and click your mouse. That easy you have the color you wanted! Another thing: my little village seems about the right size for my purposes but yours may not be. You can size your layer by clicking on "Layer" then "Transform". A dropdown will appear and you need to choose "Scale". A box will appear around your layer and you can pull it to any size you wish.

Next we are going to make our layer "part of the painting". A word of warning! Before you do the next step be sure that you have your layer erased, transformed, or moved to the exact location you want. After we do the next move you will no longer be able to erase, move, or size your layer. As a matter of fact it will no longer be a layer but a part of your painting. This step is necessary in order for us to work on the painting and blend colors into the layer for a "natural" look. Now, if you are sure you have everything in place, go to "Layer" and choose "Merge Down"! This will bury your layer into the painting!

Well, it's beginning to look more and more like a part of our little painting! All I've done here is to extend the road through the village toward the mountains. I did this with just the smudge tool, dragging the road out. I laid in the grass in front of the buildings and I have extended the road into the foreground. And that is a way to layer things into your painting! I leave you now to finish on your own. Fill in the rest of the painting as you see fit. Use your new found skills on the computer to your advantage. In a few days I will finish this painting and we can have the fun of comparing how we finished. If you would like to send me your finished painting, I would love to see them. Have fun!!