TUTORIAL - Digital Figurative Painting from OFDW - by Rebeccak

#1

Thought I’d post up a quick demo from the digital painting I did for the OFDW 002 here…hope it helps. :slight_smile:


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  1. Note: I painted this image for the most part rotated 90 degrees clockwise ~ this helped me to better find shapes and proportions. Here I started with the face, and then outlined the figure in black on a gray bkgrd.

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[left]2. Roughing in the shapes.
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[left]3. Sort of looking paint by number at this point. :slight_smile:
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[left]4. More paint by number work, roughing in the values.
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#2

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[left]5. More roughing in of values and tweaking values relative to one another.
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[left]6. Lightening and refining the figure.
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[left]7. Additional refinement.
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[left]8. Additional refinement and attempts to correct the drawing.
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#3

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#4

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>>Click for Hi-Res Version<<

[left]~Rebeccak
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#5

This is great Rebecca! Thank you.:slight_smile: I was wondering how you did the coloring after you did the greyscale. I like the coloring very much in this image.

#6

How very odd that the bounce and rim light on her back seems brighter in the coloured version. DO you know why that happens? Did you use a complementary colour for the background?

Btw, I’d also like to know about the colouring process. I’m going to do that myself too soon. :smiley:

#7

Samanthie,

Thank you! :slight_smile: This really isn’t a totally finished piece…but I was pretty happy with how far I got with it, and so I colored it rather quickly by just masking the figure and placing two separate layers set at 50% Opacity with the Blending Mode set to ‘Color’ on each layer. The figure’s blending mode layer was a desaturated reddish brown and the bkgrd’s blending mode layer was a dark desaturated green. It’s a quick and dirty way to finish off the coloring. I’d like to go back and finish this in color sometime in the future. :slight_smile:

Jan-Mark,

You’re right, I didn’t notice that. Well, I guess depending on the Blending Mode you’re using, the color of your layer, and what’s on the layer beneath it will all affect the end result in different (and sometimes unpredictable) ways.

Check out Stahlberg’s complete coloring demo on his website ~ he goes through the how tos pretty thoroughly.

Cheers, :slight_smile:

~Rebeccak

#8

impressive! thank you for sharing it. I read stahlbergs amazing tutorial about that coloring style - but I must admit I never understood it =/
I would love to see a colored backround too- if you ever find the time for it please post it too =)

#9

hagarun,

Thanks! The coloring bit is actually fairly easy ~ working up the grayscale is the harder bit. :)

Here is a really quick demo I did early on in the OFDW 002 to demo this technique ~ it’s not super pretty, but it shows the basic steps.

1. Create Grayscale image
2. Create Layer which is filled with a color with Blending Mode set to 'Color' in Photoshop
3. Lower the Opacity of the Layer (if desired)
4. Paint on your blending mode layer, masking areas out if necessary

[img]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b380/rebeccak5/Open%20Figure%20DrawingWkshp_002/fast-example.jpg[/img]

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Hope this helps! :slight_smile:
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Cheers,

~Rebeccak
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#10

Rebecca you are an amazing person-you really put so much efforts into this all I guess I have to bake you some nice cookies for that! :wink:

Thank you for the quick “insight” I´ll try that method later this evening =) -looks a bit similar to oils? at least my learning-oils-for-dummies" says that I have to start with an “under drawing” (dunno if this is the right word for it- sorry for my english :frowning:

#11

hagarun,

You Europeans never cease to amaze me! Apologizing for perfect English when your average American (including me, I’m ashamed to say) speaks only one language! :slight_smile:

Thanks very much for the compliments! Mmm…cookies, lol!! :slight_smile:

‘Underdrawing’ or ‘underpainting’ is exactly the right word. :slight_smile: It is indeed how traditional artists used to work, and some still do ~ by painting a value study first, and then gradually building up transparent washes (in the case of digital work, transparent layers) that are thinned with turpentine or some other agent.

Yep, it’s cool that Photoshop works in this way…and if they come out with an ‘Oils for Dummies’ book, I will be the first in line to buy it! :slight_smile:

Cheers, :slight_smile:

~Rebeccak

#12

thanks =) Im always frightened people wont understand what I write =)

well deserved compliments and… I couldnt resist… cookies :thumbsup:

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Hehe I ll be the second one to buy such a book - its really hard to find tutorials or books for traditional media these days - mine is from an artist called jose m. parramon- which is usefull for a noob like me.

I found that painter has amazing traditionall effects but I cant help I m a “layer junkie” :scream:

Ah Im really spaming your thread sorry! goes off visiting mommy now :wink:

#13

hagarun,
Oh my gosh, this is the best present ever! Is that your drawing? Wow, very cool!!! :bounce:

Thank you! And I am a ‘layer junkie’, too! :slight_smile:

Cheers! :slight_smile:

~Rebeccak

#14

glad you like it =) yes, did that quick as replacement for real cookies :wink: Well I think I did too much children illustrations the last month :scream:

hehe maybe you have to start a “self helping group for layer junkies” one day :wink:

#15

hagarun,

That’s right, I had forgotten that you posted that awesome piece with the fairy on the mushroom on the Children’s Book Illustration thread!! We’d love to see more of your work there, if you are allowed to post it! :thumbsup:

Self help group, lol…yes, my name is Rebecca…and I’m a Layer~a~holic. :scream:

Cheers, :slight_smile:

~Rebeccak

#16

Thanks, you words are always really motivation to me =) hehe that mushroom (Im still scared of him) I didnt get paid for the job so I could show as much as I want too but they are more for very young children and a bit more simple than the bookcover, so I think they dont match in here =/

Layer-a-holic haha I have to remember that for future use :applause:

#17

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