Editing and anchoring a copy of a shape drawn with pencil tool

[Gully]

I am very inexperienced with GIMP and it seems like my problem is very basic, so I apologize if this is a trifling question. I am trying to draw a pair of bird wings. I used the Paths tool to draw my initial wing shape and it was fine. My plan was to take that shape, copy it, and use a few other tools to draw the opposite wing. I have attached an image of my starting shape and 2nd screenshot that sketches out the intent of my next step. From the history in that screenshot, you can see that I Selected the starting shape, used the Flip tool, and then moved the new shape into a position that would approximate the opposite wing. No matter if I used Paste (as various  methods) or anchor or what, I cannot for the life of me, figure out how to make the new shape appear in the layer as a permanent image/drawing/whatever. I've tried various methods with Paste, like As New Layer, and/or duplicating the layer, but when I anchor or merge down the layer, the new drawing disappears like it wasn't there to begin with, even though I have not changed the foreground color.

I have been at this particular task for 2 hours. I could have hand drawn the opposite wing (I could have hand drawn 10 pairs of wings) by now, but I am trying to learn a little about GIMP's tools and processes. It seems like a powerful software and knowing some basics seem useful. I thought I understood some basic concepts of GIMP, but I guess I don't. 

I apparently have no idea how to do what I want. What is the correct process for using a starting shape as a layer, editing it (like Flip or Rotate or Handle Transform), and pasting or anchoring or merging the new shape into the starting the layer?

[Blighty]

(11-06-2019, 07:30 PM)Gully Wrote: I am trying to draw a pair of bird wings. I used the Paths tool to draw my initial wing shape and it was fine. My plan was to take that shape, copy it, and use a few other tools to draw the opposite wing.

The problem is that you have only one layer (named Background).

The steps would be:
1. Draw the wing shape with Path Tool (subject says Pencil Tool, in the text it says Path Tool?)
2. Create a new transparent layer. Name it Wing. (Click the New Layer button in the layers dialogue).
3. Make the path visible and have the Wing layer active.
4. Edit > Stroke Path. Set Line Width. Foreground colour will be used.
5. Duplicate the Wing layer (Click the Duplicate button in the layers dialogue). (Called Wing Copy)
6. Use the Flip Tool to flip the Wing Copy layer.

You should now have 3 layers: Background, Wing, Wing Copy.

[Gully]

(11-06-2019, 08:04 PM)Blighty Wrote: The problem is that you have only one layer (named Background).

Ahhh... I did not realize that I need a new layer for certain types of edits/transformations.

(11-06-2019, 08:04 PM)Blighty Wrote: The steps would be:
1. Draw the wing shape with Path Tool (subject says Pencil Tool, in the text it says Path Tool?)

Yes, you're right. I actually used both Pencil and Path to make the first wing shape.

I finished my image. I wanted to use the Handle Transform along with Flipping and Moving the 2nd wing and I had to make more layers. I don't know the exact steps I used, but I built on the steps you suggested, like adding a new transparent layer and making edits and then making a duplicate of the edited layer. Thank you very much for the help.

I included the final layer. You can see that the history of the steps is very long for all added layers and edits in those layers. You can also see that the Tools dock gets into a bug after I take a screenshot of the GIMP window: the tools all disappear. I'm not worried about that, I will just save the layer and restart GIMP.

Thanks again for the help!