What is your average number of layers, on your finished work?

[Spinester]

I think I usually end up around 15 or so... This is my starting point and I usually end up with a few layers of shades.

Panels
Text layers
Inks
Pencils
Flats
Shades
Textures/overlays
Perspective

[DragonPena]

Always 4 layers, one for black and white artwork, the other formthe colored artwork, other for dialogue bubbles, the last for Sfx sounds and dialogue..
I wish I could put more layers but I do my comics on my tablet using sketchbook pro which only lets me use 4 layers on the biggest canvas size 1649x2660

Btw what's the biggest canvas size in the programs you use? Is there a layer limit?

[blastryoku]

I use CSP and i use a canvas of 9921x14031 pixels, yeah, i like to draw in a very big canvas that way i can resize it in whatever size i want and not losing quality.
I don't know what is the layer limit in CSP.

[Silerna]

Too much layers to count. I got copies of my copies >_>

[DragonPena]

CSP

O.O that's a lot. What's CSP?

[blastryoku]

CSP is Clip Studio Paint, in the west it's known more by the name of Manga Studio 5, CSP's developer is Celsys and the western publisher is SmithMicro.
Though it seems Celsys have found a loophole in their contract with SmithMicro and it has published Clip Studio Paint in english for the west market.
So there are 2 versions of the same software now in the west, Manga Studio 5 and Clip Studio Paint.

[stephensharpe707]

I thought I was bad for layers, it depends on the content of page but it can be anywhere from 15-30ish, not including text.
I have a weird thing for keeping characters and backgrounds separated, so I tend to make a lot more work for myself that I don't show off anyway!

[balalaikayon]

My very average number of layers is 150. It can go up to 250 layers if I need to work on details.

[Strontium]

On every comic page I definitely have the following layers, in order:
- box (stroke outline of the panels)
- the text
- bbs (word balloons) and fill
- sfx
- MW (make white; these are action lines)
- lines (the character lineart)
- clipping group coloring for lines
- color fill for lines
- bgk (background lines)
- clipping group coloring for bgk
- color fill for bkg
- white canvas fill

However there can always be MORE layers, such as when I'm drawing panels that stretch behind the regular panels, glowing effects, any kind of magical energy, and when I need to shade in characters or do gradient and lighting effects. I'd say I max out at 35-40 layers, especially since I eliminate all my sketch layers when I go from [file name lines] to [file name color]

[papayaman1000]

One. If I need to modify my images past the base art, I use Google Drawings.

...Yeah.

[AnnaLandin]

@balalaikayon 150-250? Seriously? o.O That's a LOT of layers. Why do you need so many? Everyone has their own process, obviously - I'm just curious as to what on earth you put on all those layers.

[gateofselidor]

I have 8 basic layers on every page for the art itself, two for the word balloons, and as many as necessary for the dialogue itself. I typically have 2-4 additional layers for special effects or other details specific to that page. So I suppose, excluding the text layers, I probably have an average of 13 per page.

I cel shade my pages, so it's easy to keep things on the same layer clean and separate.

Basic layers:
Panel borders
Ink
Foreground shading
Foreground flats
Background shading
Background flats
Sketch (hidden after inking)
White canvas fill

[noreth]

For comics, with Clip Studio Paint: about 30 layers....

[balalaikayon]

of layers. Why do you need so many? Everyone has their own process, obviously - I'm just curious as to what on earth you put on a

Well, I draw a colored comic and every character has to have it's own separate layers for colors, every detail in the background has to have its own layer, and don't forget layers for shading and special effects. I hate it when everything is in the same layer, because it's frustrating to color and shade.

[windikite]

Hey, you wouldn't be able to point me in the direction of a good screentone tutorial would you? Or maybe a quick overview of what you use for it? Thanks anyway!

[AnnaLandin]

Well, I draw a colored comic and every character has to have it's own separate layers for colors, every detail in the background has to have its own layer, and don't forget layers for shading and special effects. I hate it when everything is in the same layer, because it's frustrating to color and shade.

Oh, okay! Do you feel like you have to put them on separate layers even if, say, character A is on the top left of the page, and character B is on the bottom right?

[goenn]

Woh, screentone tutorial? Sure, lemme PM you

[punkarsenic]

Mine get ridiculous. Most installments, I end up with so many layers on one page that i cant have them all open at once by the time i get to shading i just counted a page with 65 layers and 20 folders. eesh.

[balalaikayon]

That's right, this way it gives me a sense of neatness I like so much

[serenitysquirrel]

Quite a few but am getting better about it.

At the start I sketch each character on their own canvas according to plan, then scoot it over to the main page where I've scribbled my rough layout and thumbnails. All done with a blue or red pencil tool in Manga Studio. Once all my people and things are the right size and where they should be, I erase most of the crap behind them. Then I make a new folder and add my boxes/panel lines.After that, I kill my first thumbnail layer, double check the position of all my character layers with their boxes, bgs/etc. Once that's all good, I combine them into a new sketch layer.

Inks are all one layer these days. Or I might do a bunch of BG/enviro inks on one and people inks on the other to make last minute fine tuning easier.

All the greys are kinda cell style to fill all those in on 2-4 layers so nothing's touching. (Hair on one layer, skin on another, etc all with reason) Shading is done on multiply.