With Corel Painter & Adobe Photoshop

By Brad Grigor
 Digital Painting – the emerging art form in
which traditional painting techniques such as
watercolor, oils, impasto, etc. are applied
using digital tools by means of a computer, a
digitizing tablet and stylus, and software.
 Digital Art – an umbrella term for a range of
artistic works and practices that utilize digital
technology
 No mess
 Less waste
◦ You consume materials only when you print
 Virtually unlimited flexibility & options
◦ Can do things not achievable with traditional media
 Direct workflow for prints, web sites, books,
publications, merchandizing, etc.
◦ Reproduction costs are much lower
 No physical storage of “originals”
 Can “Undo”
 “The Art World” doesn’t get it (yet)
◦ Still hung up that the “Original” is a computer file,
not a tangible entity
◦ Still hung up that the work is easily reproduced
◦ Still hung up on misconception that “it’s too easy,
just push a button and the computer does it all”
 Steep learning curve
◦ Heavy on technology
 High cost of entry
 Computer $1500+ TIPS:
1. You might already have a
 Tablet 300+ suitable computer.
2. You can “farm out” the
 Software 500+ printing
3. Many inexpensive and free
 Printer 1000+ software options exist. E.g.
 ----------------- Adobe Photoshop Elements
and Corel Painter Essentials
 TOTAL $3300+ are bundled with cameras
and tablets.
 TIPS:
1. PC or Mac – they both
work fine.
2. Get as much power as
you can afford. Digital
Painting is fairly
demanding.
3. Don’t be overly
swayed by Apple’s

Mac
clever “I’m a Mac”
ads.

PC
 TIPS:
1. I recommend getting
a genuine Wacom
tablet.
2. Intuos is the “pro”
series, but the
“Bamboo” or
“Graphire” will also
work (with somewhat
less functionality).

Wacom
Tablet
 Corel
Painter
TIPS:
1. The software is your
focal point. Painter and
Photoshop have the
greatest industry
Adobe support.
2. On a budget? Consider

Photoshop Corel Painter Essentials,

ArtRage Deluxe or Adobe
Photoshop Elements.
However, these
programs have less
power and fewer
features.
 13” x 19”
$700 - $1000

17” x 22”, Rolls

$1500 - $3000
TIPS:
1. Art printing needs
something larger than
letter or legal size.
2. Look for at least 6
“colours” in separate ink
Wide/Large Format cartridges.
24” and larger
3. Consider “farming out”
$2800 and up
your printing to a
qualified shop.
 More powerful  Superior brush
selection features “engine”
 Better masking  Larger brush library
 Better layer features  Nicer colour picker
 Many more filters  Mixing palette
available  Blenders
 3D features*  Wet paint and
 Prepress features impasto effects
 Automation,  Surface texture
scripting features  Generally more
 Integration with “expressive”
Adobe Creative Suite
*Extended edition
 File>New: 600x600 pixels  Brush Presets to try:
 Swatches Panel: Choose a ◦ Airbrush Pen Opacity Flow
colour ◦ Spatter
 Brush Tool (B) ◦ Rough Round Bristle
◦ Watercolor Loaded Wet Flat
 Brushes Panel (F5): Choose Tip
brush style ◦ Chalk
 Apply brush stroke to ◦ Charcoal Large Smear
canvas ◦ Scatter Leaves
 Vary pressure and tilt to see  Layers
effects ◦ Make a new layer
 Adjust brush settings in ◦ Layer Blend Modes
Brush Panel  Keyboard shortcuts:
◦ Change brush size: [ ]
◦ Zoom: Ctrl-Space
◦ Pan: Space
◦ Rotate Canvas: R
 File>New: 600x600, Paper Color  Brush styles to try:
White ◦ Pencils, Grainy Variable Pencil
 Color Panel: Choose a color. ◦ Pastels, Square Hard Pastel
◦ Note the Hue wheel, Sat/Value triangle ◦ Oil Pastels, Variable Oil Pastel
system ◦ Digital Watercolor, Soft Broad Brush
◦ Make sure the “Clone Color” stamp is ◦ Oils, Flat Oils
off! ◦ Blenders: Soft Blender Stump
 Brush Tool (B)  Mixing Palette
 Choose a brush style: Brush Category ◦ Apply colours
+ Variant ◦ Pickup colours
 Apply brush stroke to canvas  Layers
◦ Note the brush “ghost” shows shape ◦ Make a new layer
and orientation of stylus ◦ Layer Composition Methods
 Vary pressure and tilt to see effects ◦ Gel vs. Normal
 Adjust brush settings on Property Bar  Keyboard shortcuts:
◦ Resat vs. Bleed ◦ Change brush size: [ ]
◦ Zoom: Ctrl-Space
◦ Pan: Space
◦ Rotate Canvas: E
 File>Open: Choose appropriate size  Select Digital Watercolor, Soft Broad
for painting, Paper Color White Brush
 Make a new layer for the sketch  Select suitable colors and paint on
(Sketch) the Wash layer
 Select a dark gray colour ◦ Adjust brush size to stay within sketch
◦ Ensure “Clone Color” stamp is off lines
◦ Apply multiple strokes to build up color
 Select Brush Tool (B) ◦ Increase Opacity on Property Bar to
 Select Grainy Variable Pencil increase the colour intensity
 Make an outline or gesture sketch on  Make new layer and position it below
the Sketch layer Wash, name is Salt
 Enhance with Square Hard Pastel  Select interesting complementary
brush colour
 Gradient Tool  Use Digital Watercolor to wash paint
 Gradient Selector: Orange Flame over the Salt layer
 Apply gradient to Canvas layer  Select Digital Watercolor, Salt brush
 Make new layer and position it below  Paint with Salt on Salt layer to make a
the Sketch, name it Wash nice “cloudy” background
◦ Ensure Composition Method is Gel
 File>Open: Choose a photo  Use large brush size to
to “rough” in the painting
 File>Quick Clone  Use smaller brush size to
◦ Creates a duplicate of the bring out details
photo with “Tracing Paper”  Choose a Blender, e.g. Soft
turned on
Blender Stump
 Brush Tool (B)  Work with Blender to
◦ Ensure “Clone Color” stamp is
enabled smooth out the painting
 Choose appropriate brush  Can apply different brush
category, variant, e.g. styles, e.g. Charcoal,
Chunky Oil Pastel Pastels or Chalk
 Paint over the Tracing Paper  Then use Blender to smooth
the brush strokes together
 Toggle Tracing Paper (Ctrl-
T) to see progress
 File>New: 600x600 pixels  Duplicate (Ctrl-J)
 Edit>Fill: Black  Image>Adjustment>Hue/Satur
 Text (T): add some White text ation: Hue -40
 Stamp Visible (Alt-Shift-Ctrl-E)  Set layer Blend Mode to Color
 Edit>Transform>Rotate 90° Dodge
CCW  Merge Down (Ctrl-E)
 Filter>Stylize>Wind: Wind  Filter>Liquify: Use Forward
From the Right Warp (W) to create flames by
 Apply filter 2 more times (Ctrl- dragging and wiggling the text
F, Ctrl-F) upward
Edit>Transform>Rotate 90°  Move text layer to top, set text

CW color to Black
 Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur: 5px  Layer>Rasterize>Type
 Image>Adjustments>Hue/Satu  Erase (E): large soft brush, top
ration: Colorize, Hue 40, portion of letters
Saturation 100
 With Rectangular Marquis (M): select bottom
half of “FIRE”
 Edit>Copy Merged
 Edit>Paste (becomes new layer)
 Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical
 Move (V) to slide the reflection layer down
 Edit>Transform>Perspective: drag bottom
corners to spread out the reflection
 Set layer Opacity to 20%
 Erase (E): with large soft brush, remove
bottom
 File>New: 600x600 pixels  Set Layer Blend Mode to
 Edit>Fill: Black Screen
 Filter>Noise>Add Noise:  On Layer 1, Erase (E) with
Gaussian, Monochromatic, medium soft brush, Opacity
Amount 15 30, Flow 30, Airbrush,
 Image>Adjustments>Bright remove some areas to make
ness/Contrast: Brightness stars more diverse
44, Contrast 100  Merge Down (Ctrl-E)
 Make a new Layer (Layer 1)  Can repeat above steps with
 Edit>Fill: Black lower Brightness settings
until desired effect is
 Filter>Noise>Add Noise: achieved
Gaussian, Monochromatic,
Amount 15  Image>Adjustments>Levels
: set black point slider to 80
 Image>Adjustments>Bright
ness/Contrast: Brightness
44, Contrast 100
 Make a new Layer  Select all bright star layers and
 Edit>Fill: Use Black Merge (Ctrl-E)
 Filter>Render>Lens Flare:  Set Layer Blend Mode to Screen
105mm Prime. Create a small  Layer>Flatten Image
lens flare and resize it to be  Make a new Layer
slightly larger than the others Set foreground colour to Blue
stars.

Edit>Fill: Use Foreground
Desaturate (Shift-Ctrl-U)


Color
 Set Layer Blend Mode to Screen  Set Layer Blend Mode to
 Move (V) to position the bright Overlay
star where desired.  Set Layer Opacity to 15%
 Duplicate (Ctrl-J)  Layer>Flatten Image
 Free Transform (Ctrl-T) to
resize and move a copy of the
bright star
 Repeat under desired number
of bright start are created
 File>New: 600x600 pixel image  Make a new Layer (Highlight)
 Edit>Fill: Use 50% Gray  Switch colors (X)
 Make new Layer (Drop)  Brush (B): small, soft, paint a white
 Draw large selection with Elliptical daub as highlight
Marquis tool (M)  Free Transform (Ctrl-T): rotate and
 Edit>Fill: Use White stretch the highlight, use Warp to
curve it
 Deselect (Ctrl-D)
 Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur: 10 px
 Reset colors (D)
 Select Drop and Highlight layers,
 Layer>Layer Style>Drop Shadow: right-click, Duplicate Layers
Opacity 70, Angle 90, Distance 15, (Reflection)
Size 20
 Position Reflection layer below Drop
 Select Gradient Overlay: Opacity 60, layer
Foreground to Transparent gradient,
Angle -90, Scale 120  Move (V) to nudge reflection down
 Select Inner Glow: Blend Mode  Set Fill to 30%
Normal, Opacity 20, Color Black, Size  Select Reflection, Drop, Highlight
20 layers and Merge (Ctrl-E)
 Can now free transform and
duplicate to create drops on an
image
 File>Open: Choose the other image
 Copy a water drop to the image
 Set Layer Blend Mode to
◦ Luminosity
◦ Hard Light
◦ Linear Light (depending on the background)
 Reduce Opacity until background texture
looks realistic
 Duplicate and resize as required
 Open image in  Filter>Render>Fibers:
Photoshop Adjust Variance and
 Reset colors (D) Strength
 Make new layer  Free Transform (Ctrl-T):
 Edit>Fill: Use Black Rotate 90° (hold Shift)
and reshape to fit image
 Filter>Render>Fibers:
Adjust Variance and  Set Layer Blend Mode to
Strength Overlay
 Set Layer Blend Mode to  Can vary the
Overlay foreground/background
colours to generate
 Make new layer different effects
 Edit>Fill: Use Black  Experiment with different
Layer Blend Modes
 The Photoshop and Painter Artist Tablet Book
◦ By Cher Threinen-Pendarvis
 Photoshop User TV
◦ www.photoshopusertv.com
 Virtual Training Company
◦ www.vtc.com
 Worldwide Web
◦ There are thousands of tutorials online
◦ Just Google for “corel painter tutorials” or
“photoshop tutorials”
Brad Grigor
Turning Point Arts
ing P
rn Arts o
int
Tu

10849 Olsen Road

Saltair (Ladysmith), BC V9G 1Z8

T: 250-606-7011
F: 888-755-9338
E: bag@bagproductions.com
W: http://www.turningpointarts.com/