creatures One final brush setting to be aware of is Texture. I use this a lot to help break up my brush marks, and it’s worth spending some time experimenting with this area of the brushes palette to see what kind of effects can be had. Again, the Photoshop defaults are perfectly acceptable in most situations, particularly the Texture Fill and Rock Pattern sets.
Sketch I begin by sketching out a rough idea for my image (Fig.01). I’ve decided to paint something fun for myself, so I’ve chosen a fantasy demon
Fig.03
Fig.04
character, but that’s as far as my concept goes
Once I’m happy with the placement of values
at this stage so I just doodle around for a while.
in the composition, I’ll begin to define the
The hunched-over pose was suggested by
significant forms a little, again working with just
imagining the character’s spiteful, covetous
a couple of tones to keep things bold (Fig.03).
personality; I find it really helps to try and get
I take the opportunity to tweak the position of
into the spirit of the image I’m working on
the demon’s hand here, so he appears to be
so there’s a fair amount of face-pulling and
looking more directly at its contents. What is
growling going on while I scribble away. As you
he holding? It needs to be something bright to
can probably see, I’m not that fond of working
draw the viewer’s eye to that point, but I still
with lines, so as soon as I have something that
haven’t decided quite what it should be. I often
feels right, however rough, I’m ready to move
leave trivial elements like this undecided as I
on.
find it helps to keep me interested in the picture as it progresses. Generally speaking though,
Fig.05
Va l u e
this is bad practice and I’d recommend working
Here’s where the painting begins. I’m much
things like this out thoroughly at this stage.
happier here than with a sketch, and I’ll often begin a piece by jumping straight into this
Unde r - Pa in t ing
stage. I create a new layer, filled with a mid-
Next, I duplicate the painting onto a new layer
gray, and proceed to block in a tighter version
which I then set to Multiply, with the Opacity
of the image working mostly with a large,
dropped to around 70%. On the layer beneath,
hard-edged brush (Fig.02). I’ll click my working
I begin to lay down some basic colors (Fig.04).
layer off to reference the sketch every once
I want the overall color scheme to be quite
in a while, but I’m not concerned with tracing
cool, but with some warm tones in the demon’s
any part of it – I’m looking here to refine the
flesh to pull him out of the background, so I
idea into a strong composition. Ideally, I’m
begin by filling the base layer with a gray-green
trying to compose an image that can be read
color. On top of this, I work some lighter tones
by silhouette alone for maximum impact, so
into the background with a large, soft brush
I’m working with just two or three mid-to-dark
to strengthen the character’s silhouette – I’m
tones. I think I’d consider this stage the most
adding some bluish hues here to cool off
important part of the painting process – these
the green base. Now it’s time to work on the
basic values are the “bones” of the image and
demon, so I roughly block in the character’s
if it doesn’t work here, no amount of work with
form with a desaturated purple to give a little
color or detail will rescue it.
contrast with the green/blue background,
Fig.06a
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Chapter 04