Creating Opaque Figures.

[Oh for Chrissake!]

Hi folks.

Layer 1: I draw a smiley face. One circle for the head, two eyes, one mouth in a smile.

Layer 2: A pure red background.

If I put Layer 1 on top of Layer 2, the pure red background will show through. I want that smiley face to be opaque, white preferably, so I don't see the red in the background.

Before you answer with "just use the paintbucket"...

I am drawing black and white figures much more complex than smiley faces, so the paintbucket is too clumsy, even when I combine it with the Paintbrush tool. These black and white figures are layered on top of more complex backgrounds than pure red. Basically, I am creating a comic book and I want to move my charachters around until it looks right.

What I've tried:

1. I put my character figure layer (#1) over a an empty layer (#2).
2. Then I select layer #2. Layer #1 is still visible on top of Layer #2.
3. Then, with Layer #2 still selected, I Lasso Tool around the exact borders of the character in layer #1.
4. Layer #2 is still selected, and I do a "Layer / Select Inverse", and delete.
5. Beautiful. Now my black and white comic book character on Layer #1 has a matching white background (formed from Layer #2).
6. I merge the layers. Beautiful. Now I can move him around the page.
   
   My question (finally!): is there an easier way to do what I've been doing? Can I Lasso Tool two layers at the same time? Or cut two layers at time? I've dillied around a lot and still come up flat.
   
   Thanks in advance!!
   
   Jesse

 

[dv8_fx]

You can only lasso/cut one layer at one time.

Depending on what you want to do, one can up with shortcuts for mundane tasks. I can't quite picture what you're up to.... can you post an image of your character? When you say white background, do you mean white colored character or a white background behind the figure?

 

[Oh for Chrissake!]

You can only lasso/cut one layer at one time.

Depending on what you want to do, one can up with shortcuts for mundane tasks. I can't quite picture what you're up to.... can you post an image of your character? When you say white background, do you mean white colored character or a white background behind the figure?

Character with a white background.

 

[Stric9]

I would use a solid layer fill and a mask. You can always unlink the mask to move it where you want it to be if you don't have it where you want it.



Using the move tool you can move the mask where ever you like it and even transform it.