MY DIGITAL
WORKFLOW
A WORKSHOP BY LOIS VAN BAARLE // LOISH
loish // workshop 2
IMPORTANT
This PDF is for your personal reference during the workshop. It
outlines the steps to create the different assignments, so you can
review them after the demo.
Please do not distribute it outside of the workshop!
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loish // workshop 3
Workshop structure: day 1
STARTING POINTS IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
01 FINDING YOUR STYLE 02 SKETCHING DIGITALLY 03 CHARACTER CREATION
listing and understanding our inspirations, most simple breakdown of my digital drawing how to create a character, from sketch to
thinking about our goals & aspirations process, warming up color version, using an efficient technique
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Workshop structure: day 2
DIGITAL PAINTING
04 FLOW IN COMPOSITION 05 COLORS FOR DIGITAL PAINTING 06 PAINTING & RENDERING
understanding ‘flow’, how to direct the eye color theory, role of color, creating color how to paint, add detail, ‘sculpt with color’,
around a digital painting thumbnails for your painting and add finishing touches
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loish // workshop
Defining your style
5
A METHOD
Our
Services 1 MAP OUT YOUR INSPIRATIONS
List 2-3 of your biggest artistic inspirations
List
Investment generally results in
acquiring an asset, also called an
investment. If the asset is available at
2 FILTER YOUR INSPIRATIONS
List 2-3 things that you like most about these
inspirations.
a price worth investing, it is normally
3
expected either to generate income,
or to appreciate in value, so that it
MAP OUT YOUR PRIORITIES
can be sold at a higher price invest What are you trying to convey with your artwork, in a
Investment generally results. literal sense?
income, or to appreciate in value, so
4
that it can be sold at a higher price An
investor may bear a risk of loss of LIST YOUR THEMES
some or all of their capital invested What themes, moods and genres play a role in your
work?
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ASSIGNMENT
01 FINDING YOUR STYLE
Using the worksheet, map out your inspirations and artistic priorities.
Introduce yourself to the group with the results.
TIME // 15 MINUTES
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The idea behind this worksheet is to be mindful of what we want to achieve
when we start our creative process. What inspires us the most, and what
makes us really enjoy drawing?
Focus not only on what you want to learn, but also what you love.
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MY DIGITAL WORKFLOW \\
02 SKETCHING
DIGITALLY
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Sketching process
A QUICK OVERVIEW
ROUGH SKETCH
1 On separate layers, I do a very simple sketch. If
needed, I add a more detailed one on a second layer.
2 COLORS ON A SEPARATE LAYER
On a layer below, I block in the colors.
3 MODIFY COLORS
I then use color editing tools to modify the colors so
that they blend together more nicely.
4 ADD FINISHING TOUCHES
I use a simple shortcut to easily paint in some finishing
touches. www.loish.net
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SKETCHING DIGITALLY:
PROCESS
01 SETTING UP WORKSPACE
canvas size: minimum A3 in size, 300 DPI
pick the brush tool and select a brush with some texture
create a new layer
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02 SKETCH
quick, smooth lines
don’t worry too much about the details
ok to stylize
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03 BLOCK COLOR LAYER
create a new layer underneath lines
block in the silhouette
lock layer transparency
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04 COLOR IN
color in using brush tool
use lasso & gradient tool for gradations
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05 MODIFY COLORS
use hue/saturation to change color of lines
search for a color that blends well with color layer
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01
06 GROUP / DUPLICATE / MERGE
group the layers
duplicate group, hide the bottom one
merge the top group (ctrl + e)
set the layer mode to ‘multiply’
02
IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE
This layering technique is something I’ll
return to repeatedly throughout this
workshop, so keep it in mind!
03
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07 ADD DETAIL
make your brush size smaller
lower the opacity and flow, test
paint in the details using alt+click
you can erase edges to clean as well
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08 MODIFY COLORS
use color balance to experiment with colors of overall image
play with sliders until you get a nice effect
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09 PAINT FINISHING TOUCHES
make your brush size smaller
lower the opacity and flow, test
paint in the details using alt+click
focus on area that needs most detail
add some darker + lighter colors, plus finishing lines..
IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE
Alt+click is something I’ll return to
repeatedly throughout this workshop,
so keep it in mind!
10 DONE!
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ASSIGNMENT
02 SKETCHING DIGITALLY
Do 2-3 rough warm-up sketches that align with the themes from the previous
assignment. Take the strongest sketch and color it in using the digital
sketching process.
TIME // 30 MINUTES
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MY DIGITAL WORKFLOW \\
03 CHARACTER
CREATION
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character creation
A QUICK OVERVIEW
CONSTRUCTION
1 I use a simple technique to construct the character,
focusing on creating movement and a lively pose.
2 HAIR & CLOTHING IN MORE DETAIL
On a separate layer, I draw in hair and clothing, trying
different things to see what works best.
3 BASIC COLORS
I block in basic colors on a layer below, and play
around with the color scheme until I like what I see.
4 ADDING DETAIL
I merge all layers and paint in detail, focusing on the
areas to which I want to lead the eye. www.loish.net
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CHARACTER CREATION:
PROCESS
01 CHARACTER CONSTRUCTION
use simple body construction
focus on line of action & movement
don’t sweat the details (yet)
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02 HAIR & CLOTHING
create a new layer
draw hair - test what works best
think of hair in terms of ‘clumps’ , not strands
focus on shapes & rhythm
draw clothing - be mindful of detail distribution
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03 MORE DETAILED LINES
create a new layer & pick a darker color
work out the sketch in more detail
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04 FINAL LINEWORK
create a new layer & pick a darker color
now you can sweat the details
be mindful of detail distribution
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05 BASIC COLORS
group / duplicate / merge
on a new layer, block in colors
be mindful of color distribution & accents
use hue/saturation to change color of lines
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06 BASIC SHADING
create a new multiply layer and pick a light color
add some simple hard shadows to your sketch
use hue/saturation to modify shadow color
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07 MERGE & ADD DETAIL
group / duplicate / merge
pick a more ‘painterly’ brush
start blending and painting in more detail
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08 COLOR CORRECTION - IF NEEDED
if you feel like colors need to be changed, do it!
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09 MERGE & ADD DETAIL
EYES
more contrast than the rest of the image
want them to stand out
clear ‘gaze’
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10 MERGE & ADD DETAIL
EYES
more contrast than the rest of the image
want them to stand out
clear ‘gaze’
HAIR
add loose strands
ribbon style highlights - apply sparingly
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11 MERGE & ADD DETAIL
EYES
more contrast than the rest of the image
want them to stand out
clear ‘gaze’
HAIR
add loose strands
ribbon style highlights - apply sparingly
LINES
add darker lines, but only in some areas
blend in some color lines
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12 FINISHING TOUCHES
add a shape, gradient or shadow to complete image
smooth out some areas
final color modifications
13 DONE!
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ASSIGNMENT
03 CHARACTER CREATION
Think of a character that fits into your theme. Do some very quick, rough
sketches using steps 1-2 of this process, experimenting with the different
character design principles.
Pick the strongest sketch and finalize it using the rest of the steps. Try to pick
a pose that says a lot about this character’s personality.
TIME // 1.5 HOURS
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MY DIGITAL WORKFLOW \\
04 FLOW IN
COMPOSITION
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composition
A QUICK OVERVIEW
CHARACTER SKETCH
1 I use the character construction technique from
yesterday to sketch the basic pose of the character.
2 SKETCHING ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS
On a separate layer, I add the background, decorative
elements, props, etc. I keep this as simple as possible.
3 MULTIPLE THUMBNAILS
I repeat the process, challenging myself to draw the
same image in a few different ways.
4 SELECT 1 & ADD DETAIL
I pick the strongest sketch and work out the details a
little more. www.loish.net
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KEEP IT SIMPLE WORK SMALL FOCAL POINT
The most important thing about If you create small thumbnails, you Arrange all of your elements in such
sketching out your digital painting - have a better sense of whether the a way that the eye is led to the focal
keep it simple. Details can be added image is working from afar point - often the face.
later on.
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CREATING COMPOSITIONS:
PROCESS
01 ROUGH SKETCH
work small on a larger canvas
don’t worry too much about the details
ok to stylize
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02 SKETCH ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS
keep it simple - use shapes
think mainly in terms of the ‘line of action’
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03 ADD A LITTLE MORE DETAIL
lower opacity of other sketch layers
on new layer, work out the detail a little more
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04 MULTIPLE THUMBNAILS
on the same canvas, draw 1-2 more versions
try a different angle or composition
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05 PICK ONE
choose the composition that is working best
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06 ADD MORE DETAIL GRADUALLY
upscale the sketch and work out details
start with character and gradually add more detail
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06 ADD MORE DETAIL GRADUALLY
upscale the sketch and work out details
start with character and gradually add more detail
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06 ADD MORE DETAIL GRADUALLY
upscale the sketch and work out details
start with character and gradually add more detail
07 DONE!
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ASSIGNMENT
04 FLOW IN COMPOSITION
Yesterday, we created a character. Think of a way to convey this character in
a digital painting, either with decorative elements or in a scene.
Create 2-3 rough thumbnails for your idea. Choose 1 and work out more
detail.
TIME // 30 MINUTES
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MY DIGITAL WORKFLOW \\
05 COLORS FOR
DIGITAL PAINTING
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choosing colors
A QUICK OVERVIEW
SET A BASE COLOR
1 I set sketch lines to multiply and use the flood fill tool
to set a base color. I tweak with hue/saturation.
2 ADD GRADIENTS
I use the gradient tool to add color transitions, and
introduce new values to the piece.
3 DRAW COLORS
I set my brush to a lower opacity/flow, and block in
some of the additional colors, adding more contrast.
4 MODIFY COLORS
I use selective color, replace color, color balance and
hue/saturation to tweak the color scheme. www.loish.net
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CHOOSING COLORS:
PROCESS
01 PREP YOUR CANVAS
take your most successful thumbnail sketch
copy/paste to a new canvas
duplicate 2-3 times across your canvas
give each thumbnail it’s own group
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02 BASE COLOR
start with your first thumbnail
pick a color that fits your concept.
try to make it deep, rich or bright.
tweak with hue/saturation to get the right tone
change color of sketch lines to match
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03 ADD GRADIENTS
set gradient tool to transparent BG, lower opacity to
60-75%
add a secondary hue to your image with gradients
add some contrast with darker/lighter values
keep in mind the ‘flow’ - where do you want
the viewer to look?
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04 PAINT IN COLORS
set your brush to a lower flow/opacity
paint in some new colors - quick & rough
blend slightly with alt + click
think about where you want your color accents
and where you are leading the eye
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05 MODIFY COLORS
use selective color to modify the colors.
if needed, use replace color to tweak specific colors
try to get a good balance of warm & cool
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06 FEATHERED LASSO TOOL
set lasso tool to feather 100px or more
select specific areas
use color editing tools to modify these areas
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07 MULTIPLE COLOR SETUPS
try the same process 1-2 more times
experiment with a different base color each time
try different value variations
08 DONE!
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ASSIGNMENT
05 CHOOSING COLORS FOR DIGITAL
PAINTING
Make 2-3 color setups for your composition sketch from the last assignment.
Challenge yourself to try different base colors, different value setups and
different color accents. Try to work as fast as possible.
TIME // 30 MINUTES
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MY DIGITAL WORKFLOW \\
06 PAINTING &
RENDERING
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painting & rendering
A QUICK OVERVIEW
ADD LIGHTER VALUES TO FACE
1 I use colors already on the canvas. If I add new colors, I
avoid making them just lighter than the base.
2 WORK ON THE HAIR
I use the steps described earlier to work out the hair in
some more detail.
3 MOVE OUTWARDS
I then start slowly working in more detail, gradually
moving outwards from the focal point.
4 FINER DETAIL
I add the smaller, finer details, like loose strands of
hair, sharp highlights, etc. www.loish.net
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PAINTING & RENDERING:
PROCESS
01 PREP YOUR FILE
take your color thumbnail and upsize to
minimum A3, 300DPI - preferably larger
warning: only upscale at a very early point
in your process, when you will paint everything,
otherwise there is too much quality loss
be sure to use the group / duplicate / merge
technique at various points in your process,
to observe whether your work is improving as you
paint.
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PAINTING & RENDERING:
PROCESS
01 PREP YOUR FILE
I’ll be using this image as an example - different from
the previous steps, but it’s a better example of my
painting process.
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02 ADD MORE CONTRAST TO FACE
or to the area that is the focal point
pick a highlight color from the canvas
if you want to introduce a new color to your
color scheme, try picking one with a different
temperature or saturation as the base
blend in these highlights and start painting,
without over-blending
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ADD MORE CONTRAST TO WHOLE
03 IMAGE
Repeat previous process for other areas of the image
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04 WORK ON THE HAIR
use ribbon technique to add highlights to the
clumps of hair. apply sparingly
add some bounce light to shadows for a
glossy effect
add loose strands to strategic areas
on a separate layer, add slightly lighter loose strands
over the clumps. apply sparingly
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05 MOVE OUTWARDS
Move outwards, gradually adding more depth to
various elements of the image.
Try to be mindful of detail distribution - don’t apply
the same amount of detail everywhere
Keep brightest contrast and highlights for focal point
only
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06 FINER DETAIL
Reduce brush size and add very thin, small detail
Leave this to the very end so that you can be
selective about WHERE to apply this detail
Make sure that you can still see the detail
at normal print size
07 FINISHING TOUCHES
Almost done...
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ASSIGNMENT
06 PAINTING & RENDERING
Take your strongest color thumbnail and begin creating your finalized digital
painting with it. Sculpt with color, but be sure to focus the detail on the focal
point of your piece.
Right before the end of this workshop, I will give you some tips for the final
touches.
TIME // 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES
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FINISHING TOUCHES
A FEW SIMPLE TIPS
GAUSSIAN BLUR
Duplicate your image, blur it, and then
mask areas of it to emphasize focal
point. Mimics camera effect
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FINISHING TOUCHES
A FEW SIMPLE TIPS
GAUSSIAN BLUR
Duplicate your image, blur it, and then
mask areas of it to emphasize focal
point. Mimics camera effect
ADDING TEXTURE
Literally copy/paste an image of a
texture, and set layer mode to ‘soft light’
or ‘overlay’. Erase to blend.
www.loish.net
loish // workshop 71
FINISHING TOUCHES
A FEW SIMPLE TIPS
GAUSSIAN BLUR
Duplicate your image, blur it, and then
mask areas of it to emphasize focal
point. Mimics camera effect
ADDING TEXTURE
Literally copy/paste an image of a
texture, and set layer mode to ‘soft light’
or ‘overlay’. Erase to blend.
GRADIENTS
Use gradients with layers set to ‘screen’
and ‘multiply’, and then lowered
opacity, to enhance lighter or darker
areas. Use subtly & sparingly
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07 RESIZE YOUR IMAGE FOR WEB
Never post your high resolution work online
Resize to web - I always do 700 pixels width
using ‘Image Size’ option
DO NOT save over your existing file - save as a new
version
add a signature or watermark to your image
08 DONE!
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ASSIGNMENT
06 PAINTING & RENDERING
Add some simple finishing touches to your piece and save for web. If you feel
your piece is not yet complete, continue working on it at home - digital
painting takes lots of time!
TIME // 15 MINUTES
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loish // workshop 74
Gumroad tutorials
GUMROAD.COM/LOISH
FULL BODY CHARACTER PORTRAIT
A tutorial covering what we learned on day 1, with
more tips on finishing touches & painting
CREATING A DIGITAL PAINTING
My full process for creating a detailed digital
painting
Students of this workshop may contact me personally
and get these tutorials for free, to stream from the
Gumroad site at any time.
info@loish.net
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loish // workshop 75
GET CONNECTED
QUESTIONS?
Keep in touch if you have questions after this workshop!
@loishh
info@loish.net
@loish.fans
www.loish.net
@loisvb
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THANK YOU!
