why layers?

[memento27oasis]

I don't quite get why you need layers, most tutorials require you to make like 3 new layers, why can't you just work on top of the regular image, the 'background'?

[anuj]

No offense, but if you don't understand layers then you should be working in MS Paint. Each layer is its own separate entity. You can work, rework, erase, and modify separate parts of a piece using layers instead of having to restart every time you f*ck up.

[jacob.]

Layers revolutionized the whole computer graphics industry. They allow you to individually work on pieces of art.

 

If you've used photoshop as often as I have you'd know that you can apply 'styles' to them. Blending options, drop shadow, opacity, etc. If you're trying to apply certain styles to text only, well, good luck selecting pixels. If everything were in one layer then the style would be applied to the whole thing.

[Phalanxe]

No offense, but if you don't understand layers then you should be working in MS Paint. Each layer is its own separate entity. You can work, rework, erase, and modify separate parts of a piece using layers instead of having to restart every time you f*ck up.

Exactly. For example, in traditional painting, if an artist makes a mistake then they must find a way to fix it without ruining what they have already done or start over. Using layers on photoshop or whatever other program, you eliminate the problem by seperating your art into seperate sections. The sections break down your work so that if you make a mistake on one part, you only have to redo that one part and not the whole entire piece again.

[memento27oasis]

Thanks for the info, I just started working with Photoshop 7.0 and it's quite confusing. I've been using the tutorials at good-tutorials.com and that helps. After messing around with it, I think I get it now.