12 name your Layers...
...or at least group your layers and
name the group so you can find the
layers you need. This is so important
to keeping friendships in a studio,
because when you hand off a file
with 300 layers all called “Untitled”,
you can be sure you’re going to feel
a world of hate from your colleagues.
You’ll save so much time for both
you and others, by knowing where
everything is in your document.
14 block with the lasso
I prefer using the Lasso tool over the
masking tool. It speeds up the blocking
process when you lay down the first
values and shapes of a painting. It also
means you can use big texture brushes
with more control. Immediately after
creating the first selection line, hold down
Shift+Alt. This enables you to create
straight lines when you click from point to
point. You can create more shape detail
or carry out corrections later on.13 keep a reference
copy on show
Having a second window of your
document open can serve as a full-
size reference. Go to Window>
Arrange>Open new window for
[DOCUMENT NAME]. Hit Ctrl+0 so
you can see the entire piece. This will
stop the need to zoom out all the
time to see the progress on your
piece. It also deters you from working
too far into the details early on.create a lasso selection...
...and paint with textured brushes and
various colours for an interesting base!August 2017 91
Artist insight Awesome shor tcuts