5

It’s not necessary to create every part of an illustration with a single shape. Most of the
time it is easier, and sometimes essential, to use multiple overlapping shapes to create
different parts of an illustration.
For example, the face in the illustration above uses a gradient, but the eyes are a different
solid color. This is only possible using two shapes.
Organizing Objects Used in Multi-Shape Illustrations
You can arrange related layers in a project into groups. When you create illustrations
using multiple shapes, it is helpful to take advantage of the organizational tools in Motion
by grouping shape layers together. In the example above, the objects that make up the
illustration are grouped by category: The shapes that comprise the face are contained in
the “face” group, the shapes that form the right eye are contained in the “right eye” group,
and so on.
Each group can in turn be nested inside a larger enveloping group that can be used to
transform or animate the entire illustration.
In each group, you can use the Bring and Send commands in the Object menu to reorder
objects, controlling which layers are in front of others. By nesting layers that belong
together in the same group, you gain the ability to control the ordering of each shape
group relative to one another. For example, spiky locks of hair should cascade over anime
eyes, and not the other way around.
For more information on controlling group and layer hierarchies, see Reorganizing in the
Layers List. For more information on using the Bring and Send commands, see
Arrangement Commands in the Object Menu.
1171Chapter 20 Using Shapes, Masks, and Paint Strokes