Drawing

When just sketching in Photoshop, what's the best tool to use? I currently use the brush tool, but the lines are all squiggily. Is there a way to even them out?

Also, whenever I try to use a gradient with the paint bucket, it fills up the entire page and not the layer I want. Why?

Thanks.

You can sketch using the brush tool or the pencil tool if you like hard, edgy lines; afterwards just go over it with the pen tool. Google pen tutorials or look on the main TeamPhotoshop site - I think there should be a how-to article for the pen tool.

Gradients fill selections, and when there's no active selection, it's applied to the whole layer. Select the area that you want to have the gradient applied to, THEN use the gradient tool.

Use the marquee tools to select