Wow...so I told myself that I wasn't going to do any complicated pictures for this class (since everything is fast pace and focused on learning), but I suddenly felt driven to do a portfolio piece. So...please give me feedback ~(preferably anything that might be wrong, or bothers you. Be direct please, I won't be offended.)
The topic for this weeks Illustration Friday was Slither. (Yah, I know it was a stretch. :P haha) Honestly this scene reminds me alot of me when I was younger. I used to tear electronics, mechanisms, etc apart constructively to see what made them work, or how they fit together. (Though I usually couldn't put them back together again...haha)
The topic for this weeks Illustration Friday was Slither. (Yah, I know it was a stretch. :P haha) Honestly this scene reminds me alot of me when I was younger. I used to tear electronics, mechanisms, etc apart constructively to see what made them work, or how they fit together. (Though I usually couldn't put them back together again...haha)
Process:
- Came up with an idea.
- I made thumbnails. (lots of them)
- Did several studies I call 'framing' or breakdown the composition utilizing lines of connecting relationships.
- Did a rough full size sketch. (utilizing the framing from step 3)
- Did another full size sketch (Slightly breaking away from the framing to be more balanced now that I put the characters in.)
- Trace the sketch from step 5 on new piece of paper, then finalize sketch.
- Trace sketch from step 6 onto tracing paper (as with any sketch step, I made changes as I went)
- scan in trace from step 7, print off 4-5 copies (for future value and color studies)
- With the print off, I did a value exploration with a 2B pencil.
- Trace tracing paper sketch onto Watercolor paper with pencil (lightly.)
- I inked the linework with ink and nib.
- Scaned the linework in at high resolution.
- Then I did more tests with the gristly oil technique on watercolor scrap paper.
- Tape the inked drawing to a board and begin to paint with burnt umber* (utilizing the value study.)
- I finished the painting, actually only utilizing burnt umber. I ended up not using white. Then letting the painting dry, I scanned it in.
- placed the previously scanned lines, and finished painting in the same file, and line them up together.
- Duplicated and desaturated the painting, and since I did such a good job with my painting I did not need to fix value.
- Made a new layer, and painted my color flats on it.
- Duplicated the desaturated painting...and began to select colors on my color flat layer, then clicking on my duplicated layer I called "shoot in the dark" adjusted the Hue/saturation and then the Colorbalance. (I called in shot in the dark because I did not do any color comps...so I made the color scheme up as I went...not always a good idea)
- Made several additive layers set on Hard light, to add dynamic colors, or to tone down the gristly texture.
- Duplicated my desaturated layer again, put it above everything, Colorized it and utilized it to sync my picture together.
- the end.
What did you think of my blog process this time? Clean, cut period. If anyone wants clarifications I will reply.
The gristly painting has got to be the best I've done...which is ironic because after I finished painting my masterstudy, earlier this week, I vowed I would never try this with oils again (course I also said that after using Photoshop for the first time).
Technique: Baically I've learned that the texture like is caused by seperating the pigment from itself, which creates the gristly afffect. For this painting I used a stiffer brush, and got incredibly predictable results (unlike my masterstudy). For the inking I utitlized a differnt nib, which gave me more control, and seemed to work better on the watercolor paper.
Random thought: For years I thought detailed intracate artwork was spontaneous, and easy. I also thought that most artists did exactly what they envisioned in their head. I guess as an artist we are trying to bridge our imagination with real life, but at least for me what ends up being my best work were the ones that evolved away from my original idea and initial imagination picture (that blasted stepping into the dark/faith concept...geez.)
(!) Special thanks to Maho Garner for translating the article about Masamune Shirow for me!!!
I really like your process that you are using. Your blog entry is a little easier to read too. They always have been good, I like the detail. Some quick critiques, more later: 1) The snake is not scary, too obvious. I think that maybe it should come from the deep darks of the image. I assume that you should have done more preliminary sketches to work out where your major elements would be placed. 2) More definition. The texture technique is great but utilizes a rather arbitrary lighting system. Planning some light direction would make it easier to stick to rendering solid forms with predictable lighting patterns. This is particularly important to have a good base lighting layer when you dirty things up. 3) This definition will help in the robot too. Took me a while to see it, but I guess the slow reveal is good.
ReplyDeleteOne thought on process. What if you did the line drawing, scanned it and then did your paint on a piece of vellum that you could see through to the line drawing. I imagine the vellum might have enough tooth to it to brush around the oil. That way you could pick and choose how much of the line layer to use when it is totally independent from the value/texture. This way you could also do two or more paint layers. One where you focus on value and one where you focus on texture and then use elements from both. By mixing all of the layers in Photoshop through masks you could decide that you need more of one layer in a particular area than another. Maybe that would be a good process for me to demonstrate.
Mike ~ Here is the link for the perspective info you were asking about the other day. I came across it & thought you might want it :)
ReplyDeletehttp://media.massiveblack.com/downloads.html#aurelie
Here is the name:
Carl Dobsky
Perspective – Volumes One & Two
if you go to the link ~ just scroll down till you find it. I think for both video's its $40 total, but you I think you might like it.
Thanks Tifani. I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteMr. Babcock, if you could do a demo with the process you suggested that would be great. I think I understand what you are suggesting, however I'm not sure what you mean about selectively choose my lines.