Green

Background

Character

Drawing Strokes on Layers

To draw a Stroke on Layer 2, click on Layer 2 in the Outliner Editor (highlights blue) and draw

a Stroke in the 2D Viewport Editor.

Figure 6.7

Note: The Pencil

Icon

Stroke on Layer 1

Stroke on Layer 2

Radius: 100px

Radius: 100px

Strength: 0.600

Strength: 1.000

To check which stroke is in which Layer click on the Eye Icons to hide and show the Layers.

The Pencil Icon adjacent to the Canvas indicates that the 2D Viewport Editor is in Draw Mode.

This means a Stroke may be drawn on either Layer, Layer1 or Layer2, which have green Pencil

Icons.

When drawing Strokes and using Brushes the perception will be that you are working in a 2D

(Two Dimensional) Environment laying Strokes on a flat plane surface. The computer Screen has

been depicted as a flat plane when, in fact, it is a view of a 3D (Three Dimensional) Environment.

Drawing on a Layer will, therefore, be rephrased as, Drawing in a Layer.

This 3D Environment may be considered as being divided into compartments; Canvas and

Layers, both of which are 3D Containers. Strokes previously drawn have been laid down (drawn)

inside a Layer and the Layer has been inside a Canvas.

Understanding this analogy will help when assembling a Scene containing characters moving

against a background. To demonstrate this concept a simple Scene containing a character and

scenery will be related to the Grease Pencil Graphical User Interface.

Figure 6.8

A Scene with a character walking with scenery

in the background.

The character is drawn in one Layer and the

scenery in another. Both Layers are contained

within the Canvas.

Imagine the Character walking left to right in

the Scene with the green background behind.

Rotating the view in the 2D Viewport Editor shows the two Layers separated. The Layers are

depicted as cubic volumes inside the Canvas, also a cubic volume (broken red outline Figure 6.9

over).

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