CGTalk - Overview: Technique, Brushes

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brox

09-12-2006, 11:42 AM

Hello friends of 2d digital paintings !

Well, I´ve read a lot about brushes, the sticky post about questions and searching tutorials.
There is one point I really couldn´t find out.

And this point is the question about brushes in relation or connection of using it - how to ?
I mean, which brush you should use for what ?

Hmm, I´ve searched the forum and many other sides to find some specific name of techniques... but I couldn´t find.

Well, I am an absolute beginner in 2d painting, and I only wanted to get an overview - but it´s very hard. So I decided to post this thread here, in hope to find any little help.

1. How are the names of different techniques like Block Shading ?
2. Where I can read about the different techniques with showing some examples ?
3. Which brushes are used for what and how to use it ?
4. The results: What result you will get in using which brushes and technique together ?

I know these questions a really not easy to answer, because there are hundred of different possibilities in using brushes and getting different results. But as an absolute beginner, it would be a great help for me to get an overview.

As example, if someone shows me a image, and he tells me that image was painted with oil, I can imagine and see what it looks like. Is the surface matt, or reflective, are the colors saturated or bleeched out. So, a aquarell image looks really less saturated for me, and I can imagine the difference to a handpainted image with oil.

I only want to get an overview (if possible), and to know how and where I can start with which brushes and techniques to paint that style I would like to paint.

Of course, I know what I would like to paint, but I can´t tell anybody, because I don´t know the words for it, or the technique. It sound really weired, but I´ve never been teached about painting. I only can tell you, photoreal painting is one of my favorite, and I will show you some examples I would like to paint in future (after some years of hard work, training and learning):

from masters like [b]William Bouguereau (http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/art.asp?aid=7):

or from Rob:
http://www.ethereality.info/ethereality_website/paintings_drawings/new/portraits/elena_formal_portrait/elena_formal_portrait.jpg

but also landscape painting which is in this style, smooth and photoreal.
I have no clue what´s the name for and it would be great if I could learn a little bit more about through this forum.

Thank you so much for every little help and suggestions,
bernhard

Lunatique

09-12-2006, 09:21 PM

That particular life portrait of mine was done using only a couple of gouache brushes in Corel Painter (just factory setting brushes, and tweaking them on the fly as I paint).

The key to understanding how to use the appropriate brushes for specific looks is to simply play around with them. One of the first things you should do when learning a new 2D painting software is to try out all the included brushes--just doodle around with them and get a feel for their unique qualities and limitations. Then play around with the customizable settings and see what each parameter does to the brush. After you've done that, you'll have a good idea what brushes can be used for what type of effect. I tend to think of them as smooth edge brushes (gives me a clean edge), soft edge brushes, bristle brushes (for showing brush marks), grainy/noisy brushes (for that scumbling look)..etc (all of this applies to blend/smudge brushes as well). Pay attention to the brushwork in other people's paintings--you'll see how the brushwork is laid down, the direction of the stroke..etc.

The smooth look is very simple--it just take patience and time to work carefully. I don't recommend that way of working, as I've gotten tired of it myself and want to simplify more.

Blocking in something simiply means to fill in large areas of flat values quickly--to get the overall simple composition/shapes/values/colors down in a short amount of time--like a base coat of paint as foundation. It gives you a chance to work out the main values and lighting/colors in early stages before getting into any fine details.

Also look at the sticky threads on top of this forum--excellent instructional material we compiled for the sole purpose of educating people who want to learn about all this stuff.

There's also the d'artiste books from Ballistic Publishing--that portait you posted of mine--there's a step-by-step tutorial of that painting in the d'artiste: Digital Painting book, which I co-authored. It also includes lots of other great tutorials and tips&tricks.

brox

09-13-2006, 01:54 PM

Thank you Rob, for your reply and for your paintings.

Well, I will see what I can find out to get an overview of different techniques, how its called and how different persons use their own personal way.

I´ve bought me a book about old masters, and wow... I was wondering how the guys painted all that stuff with oil more than 200 years ago. Reynolds, Delacroix or David ... it looks like they had the same style like you have today with digital painting.

However, it´s great to discuss all that different techniques here and see what people can paint. That´s really great.

And there are soooo many infos out there, that it´s not easy for me to find a line where I can start. Yep... bloody rookie.... lol;

I will start to find more infos about techniques in digital painting, and I will start painting with easy objects, studieng the light, the reflections and the structure. I think that´s a good way to start, but only one way of hundreds.

Well, at the moment I wish I started painting as a child, but the good news is:
I have time... hehe

O.k. so thanks for every little help, guide and suggestion.
Bernhard

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