tutorial: fill layers in PS
This is a tutorial for Photoshop, later versions including 7 and CS. Basic knowledge of PS is expected in order to follow this tutorial. This is very image-heavy; dialup users are warned.
There are three types of fill layers: solid, gradient, and pattern. While you can use other methods to get the same results, their main drawback is that you can't go back and edit the colour, gradient, or pattern later on.
You'll have to create a whole new layer instead of merely double-clicking on the layer in the layer palette and adjusting it to precisely whatever you want. Therefore, fill layers are a better choice for complete control over your layers and adjustability later on.
A. There are two ways to add fill layers to your image.
Method 1: from your drop-down selections up top, click Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color or Gradient or Pattern
Method 2: from your layers palette, click the little black and white circle at the bottom and then select Solid Color, Gradient, or Pattern
B. Solid fill: select "Solid Fill" and a window will pop up, and your image will fill with colour. Select whatever colour you want, and click OK. You can also input RGB or hexadecimal colour codes for exact matches to colours you might have that information for.
C. Gradient fill: select "Gradient" and a window will pop up, and your image will fill with the default gradient. Click the gradient strip to change the gradient.
Another window will pop up. Click on the preview of whichever gradient you want.
You can also create your own gradient, or make adjustments to the premade gradients, by clicking on the tiny squares under the gradient strip and experimenting with the colour window, hexidecimal code, or RGB data.
Once you've selected your gradient, you can also adjust its settings. You can change the type, angle, and scale of your gradient by experimenting with the settings in the gradient window.
D. Pattern fill: select "Pattern fill" and a window will pop up, and your image will fill with that pattern. Click the pattern square to change the pattern you want to use. Another window will pop up, with a selection of patterns. Choose one, and your image will fill with it.
Now that you have solid, gradient, and pattern layers, they work like any other layer. You can switch layer modes, use masks, or rasterize them to erase bits of them. The following icon was made using the three layers shown above, set to different modes, masked, etc.
I hope this tutorial will help you make the most of your digital art in Photoshop. If you make anything guided by this tutorial, I'd love to see it!