3DTOTAL PUBLISHING

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Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 7. © 2015, 3dtotal Publishing. All

rights reserved. No part of this book can be reproduced in any form
or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher.
All artwork, unless stated otherwise, is copyright © 2015 3dtotal
Publishing or the featured artists. All artwork that is not copyright of
3dtotal Publishing or the featured artists is marked accordingly.

Every effort has been made to ensure the credits and contact information
listed are present and correct. In the case of any errors that have occurred,
the publisher respectfully directs readers to the www.3dtotalpublishing.com
website for any updated information and/or corrections.

First published in the United Kingdom, 2015, by 3dtotal Publishing.

3dtotal.com Ltd, 29 Foregate Street, Worcester WR1 1DS, United Kingdom.

Soft cover ISBN: 978-1-909414-25-9

Printing and binding: Everbest Printing (China)
www.everbest.com

Visit www.3dtotalpublishing.com for a

complete list of available book titles.

Deputy editor: Jess Serjent-Tipping

Proofreaders: Melanie Smith, Marisa Lewis
Lead designer: Imogen Williams
Cover designer: Aryan Pishneshin
Designer: Aryan Pishneshin
Managing editor: Simon Morse
Contents
Foreword by Ken Barthelmey 08 Mythological Creatures 158
Introduction 10 Paint a Slavic spirit 160
Create a Filipino witch 166
Vehicles 12 Master the Greek Charybdis 170
Design a dynamic desert vehicle 14 Craft a Chinese monster 176
Craft a post-apocalyptic car 24
Create a dune car 30 Matte Painting Techniques 182
Create a hovering spaceship 36 Create a simple set extension 184
Craft a colossal floating vehicle 44 Integrate a 3D element 194
Develop a vehicle for land and water 52 Alter the atmosphere 206
Illustrate a powerful deforestation vehicle 60
Environments 216
Stylized Female Characters 66 Create a tsunami scene 218
Research and develop to a unique brief 68 Create a post-earthquake city 228
Create a stunning ballerina 74 Craft a swampy settlement 238
Craft a period drama female 82 Paint a fantasy forest 246
Paint Helen of Troy 88
Gallery 250
Pin-up Girls 96
Paint a racing-car driver 98 Index 281
Craft an army girl 106
Render a steampunk character 112 Artist Bio 284
Illustrate a vintage-style girl 120
Render a WW2 girl 126
Paint a stylized scientist 132

Speed Painting Techniques 140

Establish effective atmospheres 142
Create a narrative illustration 148
Improve your creativity 152
Foreword

Ken Barthelmey
Freelance Creature & Character Designer
www.theartofken.com
 © Ken Barthelmey © Ken Barthelmey

There is no exception, we all want to take new techniques, this book covers a rich range Every artist at some point needs a charge for
our skill sets to the next level. Artists spend of knowledge to help boost your own artwork. their creative batteries, and this wonderful
hours learning new software and techniques. Watching the step-by-step working process, collection of imagery will inspire and motivate
We want to work faster, create better quality along with following in-depth explanations from you. This book’s beautiful layout makes it an
work, and simply come up with a unique the industry’s finest, is a precious resource and enjoyable and fast read so you will quickly gain
style. It can take years to reach that goal. one of the best ways to improve your skills. a better understanding of the fundamentals
so you can refine your own techniques based
I always compare this personal artistic 3dtotal Publishing has been creating outstanding on the information this book delivers.
journey with an infinite staircase you material for those looking to improve their
want to walk up. When you have reached artistic ability for over a decade, so it is my Artists never stop evolving; we constantly learn
a certain level every step is going to be distinct honor to have been asked to write new things. So use the escalator instead of the
inevitably harder to achieve. Digital Painting this foreword, since their previous titles have stairs and crest your next artistic achievement.
Techniques: Volume 7 is your escalator! been a big part on my artistic journey.

Here talented artists invite you to have a In fact, the Digital Painting Techniques
look in their toolboxes. Whether you are a an series helped me to improve my own
intermediate artist looking to improve your techniques in a very splendid way. Self-
understanding of the fundamentals, or an taught artists in particular will find
established industry professional developing this edition extremely valuable.
Introduction
They say that you learn something new Well you just might find them within the 288
every day, but as a developing artist looking pages that you hold in your hands. Covering
to make their way in the ever-expanding a plethora of approaches and subject matter,
and growingly competitive entertainment Digital Painting Techniques continues to be a
industry, learning “something new” must-read for any digital artist looking to improve
every day just might not be enough. the quality of their work, diversify their portfolio,
and streamline or improve their workflow.
Making progress and improving as any sort of
artist can be really difficult. It requires devotion, So why settle on learning something
the will to try something new, and an ability to every day; why not push the boundaries
pull yourself out of your comfort zone. But where and learn lots of things today?
do you start? What differing approaches suit your
ambitions as an artist? All of these questions Simon Morse
come easily, but where do you find the answers? Managing editor, 3dtotal Publishing

FREE RESOURCES
Download your free resources for this book
www.3dtotalpublishing.com
© Donglu Yu
Vehicles
A strong vehicle design should be no less full of trucks, buggies, and spacecraft, perfect for
character than your characters! There are many traversing desert wastes and alien atmospheres.
ways to make a vehicle memorable, striking, From early sketches and silhouettes to the
and more than just a means of travel. In this final details and decals, you’ll learn how to
section we’ll look at designing futuristic cars, create a vehicle that goes that extra mile.
Vehicles | Design a dynamic desert vehicle
This step-by-step tutorial will cover the inspiring image from just a few sketches. I
design of a desert vehicle/buggy using usually look for shapes and silhouettes that
Photoshop, from the early concept sketches suggest balance and serve as inspiration.
to a final rendered illustration. The idea is
that the vehicle should look usable in the real I’ll now show you how to develop a
world but have a post-apocalyptic style. sketch using lines and silhouettes. You
can use both methods combined.
To begin with and to be able to visualize
the desert buggy idea, I made sketches of 01: Idea generation – option 1
various concepts and designs to reach the To work with shapes or silhouettes I draw with
final one. I was inspired by several films when the Lasso tool as if it were a pencil or another
choosing the range of colors and designs: sketching tool. As I try to create a buggy, I draw
Elysium, Mad Max, and The Book of Eli. the shape of the wheels with the Lasso tool
(image 01a) and at the same time suggest at the
When selling a concept, it is useful to use other elements and details surrounding them
images as support or as an example of what (the cockpit, cannon, fenders, and so on).
we are selling. The more detailed and striking
the images, the better the outcome. Now that I have a few silhouettes, I give some
volume to the parts that I want to highlight in
Almost every time I need to create a design order to get a better idea of the design. Using a
I make quick sketches to get visuals that soft brush, I illuminate the main areas to give a
Ignacio Bazán Lazcano inspire me to create the final image. I little more information to the silhouette. Finally,
Senior Concept Artist usually do between four and six quick I use a Hard brush to define the key parts of
Software used: Photoshop sketches because I find that I can get an the design with suggestive lines (image 01b).

14
 Design a dynamic desert vehicle

Lasso tool

Brush blur
01a

↑ I use the Lasso tool to create a range of silhouette thumbnails

01b 02a

↑ To get a better idea of the design, I lay down some simple lines and volume ↑ Generating ideas through sketches creates a more finalized design

“I work with silhouettes when

I need to generate many
concepts quickly, but when
I’ve almost reached the idea
I’ve been thinking about in my
head, I prefer using single lines”

02: Idea generation – option 2

You can also create sketches from lines, looking
for basic geometric shapes until you reach a
balanced sketch. This is the traditional way
to generate an idea. Generally, I work with
silhouettes when I need to generate many
concepts quickly, but when I’ve almost reached
the idea I’ve been thinking about in my head,
I prefer using single lines (image 02a).

When working on a project such as a game or

02b a movie, it’s common that parts of several of
the best sketches are selected and put together
↑ You can cut and paste elements from your sketches to create a final sketch
to create the final sketch (image 02b).

15
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

“For the drawing to be more

accurate, I build the design up
from geometrical shapes”
03: Illustration
Now that I have selected a design from
my thumbnails, it’s time to prepare the
base for defining my final drawing.

I’ve always thought that the best way to sell

a concept is by way of illustration. Not only
does it show the working concept design, 03a
it also tells a story through a situation,
↑ I make a quick thumbnail sketch of the whole scene
adds a background, and perhaps also
includes some character information in
order to make our idea more interesting.

First I make a thumbnail – a small drawing

with just a few lines. The idea here is that the
buggy is the protagonist, so in terms of the
composition of the drawing, it will occupy
most of the canvas space (image 03a).

Once I have the scene sketched out with lines,

I create a grid with perspective lines to create
a solid, more realistic design. For the drawing
to become more accurate, I build the design up
from geometrical shapes so that I can better
estimate any design problems. Then I add lines
to the design on a new layer (image 03b).

04: Composition
To make the drawing even more interesting, I try
to balance out the composition by adding other
vehicles and objects. This enables me to achieve
a more complex image while simultaneously 03b
generating a much deeper relationship
↑ I lay down some perspective lines and, on a new layer, build up the vehicle design
between each of the compositional elements.

04

↑ Repeat design elements around the composition

16
 Design a dynamic desert vehicle

05a

↑ Position the light source to determine where the shadows and highlights will fall

In order to make an interesting composition

it is good to have repeating elements on the
canvas to generate other ways of reading the
design without disturbing the main object in our
composition. The sum of these elements must not
hinder but instead must enhance the illustration.

“I paint using more pressure in

the areas where I want to mark
shadows, but those that are
closest to the light source will
need less pressure ”

05: Volume
Now I need to establish where the light source
comes from. In this case, as it’s an external
light source from the sun, the spotlight will
be located at the top right (image 05a).

Following the basic geometric shapes of the 05b

drawing, I mask the outline of each object in
↑ Use the Lasso tool to create clean lines for the mask
the scene with the Lasso tool and click the New
Layer Mask button in the Layers panel to create
a mask that reveals the selection (image 05b). closest to the light source will need less pressure CC). Then in the Control drop-down menu under
Afterwards, I add volume to the areas with a soft to create highlights (image 05c). To set up your Opacity Jitter, set the brush to Pen Pressure. You
brush. I paint using more pressure in the areas pen pressure, go to the Brush Presets menu and will now be able to control the Opacity of your
where I want to mark shadows, but those that are check Other Dynamics (or Transfer in Photoshop brushstrokes by the amount of pressure you use.

05c

↑ Paint a range of values using pressure control

17
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

Color base

06 07a

↑ The Color Picker is useful for choosing complementary base colors ↑ Painting the base colors on a Multiply layer allows you to still see the line art

06: Choosing the base color palette

Once you have defined the lights and shadows,
you can choose the first colors. It is important
to know where the scene takes place (indoors,
outdoors, in a cave, in the jungle, and so on). In
this case, the desert will provide key information
to know what the predominant colors are. I select
sandy, warm, orangey tones and cool, pale blue.

07: Painting the base color

The first thing I have to do to color a drawing is
apply the base color. In this case it will be blue
for the sky and light brown for the ground. I open
a new layer on Multiply mode. I start painting
by covering the entire surface of the canvas 07b
without hiding the base drawing (image 07a).
↑ Use the Lasso tool to select the areas of highlights and shadows

I then mark the item’s volume with color. I

use dark brown and blue for the shadows and “Select the different fascias the initial lines to the final detail – always to be
brown with yellow to indicate the highlights. I and, with a Soft Round brush, guided by the light source to create contrast.
choose the parts that interest me with the Lasso paint the shadows and
tool and apply the required pressure with the highlights in response to the Start with a geometric shape which you can
Brush tool to paint the shadows and highlights direction of the light source” draw your wheel into to keep the perspective
of each object, in order to separate every little consistent. Then, using the Polygonal Lasso
design detail using contrast (image 07b). 09: Painting a wheel tool, select the different fascias and, with a Soft
To summarize what we have seen so far, I'll Round brush, paint the shadows and highlights
08: Blending colors show you how to paint a tire step-by-step, from in response to the direction of the light source.
In this step I use a specific color for each
Color base Local color color mix
part of the buggy (local color). This color will
base
blend with the base colors (brown and blue) +
orange
to create new shades in the palette. To better
demonstrate this step, I have shown a simple
painting example in the image on the right here.
Final detail
Using a basic geometric shape (in this case
a cube), I paint with brown and blue (base
color) and apply orange and gray (local 08
color), so that you can see the color transition
↑ Select local colors that will blend with your base color
and the ultimate effect of this process.

18
 Design a dynamic desert vehicle

Next, with a hard-edged brush, paint the Geometric structure Polygonal Lasso tool Follow the light
finer details such as the tread on the tire. On
a Multiply layer, begin to paint the tire using
your chosen local colors. Finally, add some
final details using the hard-edged brush.

10: Detail Work the volume

Soft brush
To polish a picture you must concentrate
Detail with lines Multiply layer mode Add more shapes and detail
your energy on the main focal point of the
composition. Using the light source guide, I work
over every shape and volume, giving importance
to what's closer (a more polished area) and
lowering the level of detail for everything further
away. The central part of our composition
will be the most detailed (image 10a). Stiff brush
Give detail with color Stiff 09
brush
↑ Step-by-step process to paint a tire
So far, I’ve worked on the entire painting zoomed
in at around 21% to enable me to see the full
canvas at all times, without losing any detail, and to see your image as a whole. From now on I repeatedly go from the general (zoomed-out)
controlling each brushstroke applied (image 10b). will zoom in to around 45%, to add finer details to the particular (zoomed-in) to control the
to each shape and design areas more precisely, entire image without fixing my eye for a long
During the first stage of painting you must work polishing every stroke (image 10c). During the time in one area. If you follow this process and
zoomed-out to avoid getting lost in details and process of polishing every shape and detail, I’ll general rule, you will reach a good solid result.

10a 10b

↑ 1: Foreground has most detail; 2: mid-ground less detail; 3: background least detail ↑ At the beginning of the painting process, stay zoomed-in at around 21%

10c

↑ To add detail to different areas, zoom in to 45%

19
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

“I use the Eraser tool to remove

the effects of the Gaussian Blur
on the areas I want to have
Same contrast
more definition” Same contrast
Same contrast

11: Contrast and distance

In this instance, I realize that many of the items
shown in the drawing are mixed together and
generate noise because they have the same level
of detail or contrast (image 11a). To separate
the shapes and generate a better reading of 11a
Same contrast
the entire illustration, I tweak the contrasts.
↑ Areas where I noticed that the contrast was too similar

To do this I mask certain parts of the vehicle and

the background, using the sky color (gray-blue).
I create a new layer in Lighten mode and paint
all those selected areas with a soft-edged brush
(image 11b). This helps me to create a sense
of separation between the forms, while also
creating a greater sense of distance (image 11c).

12: Blur effect

As the scene is still very noisy and full of details,
I decide to select the entire image and hit Copy
Merged in order to create a new layer of the entire
collapsed image (image 12a). Next I apply a blur
effect to this layer using Filter > Blur > Gaussian
Brush lighten
Blur to help reduce the noise (image 12b). Brush lighten

I use the Eraser tool to remove the effects of the

Gaussian Blur on the areas I want to have more 11b
definition. This way the focus will be on areas
↑ On a layer set to Lighten, I paint the areas of similar contrast
not affected by the blur effect (image 12c).

11c

↑ The result of this process

20
 Design a dynamic desert vehicle

12a 12b

↑ Select Copy Merged to copy all the layers together on the clipboard ↑ The Gaussian Blur preview window shows the result of the effect before you approve it

Erase area

12c

↑ Select the main areas of focus with the Lasso tool to delete the effect

Pro Tip
Happy with the traditional treatment and
loose brushstrokes, I call the concept finished.
Remember that the most important part is to Depth of field something simple with believable lighting,
focus on the direction of your light source to Ensuring that your image has a sense of the lens blur filter or the “Gaussian Blur”
determine the focal point, tell a story, and turn depth is the first step in capturing the filter on that layer will be sufficient enough
your illustration into a tool to sell your ideas. viewer’s eye. While foreground elements to enhance the depth of field. A blurred
enhance the depth, the same can apply background will be less distracting and
to the background. By painting will help to make the focal point “pop”.

21
Vehicles | Craft a post-apocalyptic car
When I begin a concept, gathering references is 01: First rough sketch
one of the important starting points for me. It There are several ways to start a concept:
puts me in the right mindset and mood and I am mood boards, loose pencil sketches,
also able to see what has already been done. thumbnails, or even playing around with
a 3D application. In this case I start with a
In terms of the elements of post-apocalyptic simple and loose sketch. I already have a
design, there will be loads of rusted clear vision of the design and style in mind.
metal and heavy engines/machinery.
I find that www.cgtextures.com and After gathering a couple of references, I start
freetextures.3dtotal.com are great sources to draw in the first lines of the car. When I
for reference images and free textures. draw or paint I always use my second monitor

Markus Lovadina 01
Senior Concept Artist
↑ I have already figured out the design in my head so it is now time to sketch it out on the canvas
Software used: Photoshop

24
 Craft a post-apocalyptic car

02 03

↑ I modify the car into something post-apocalyptic ↑ Picking the right color at the beginning of the painting will speed up the process

for the references. I pick the standard Round about what could be added and what will work 03: Blocking in the first colors
brush with the pressure setting on (Shape or, more specifically, what will be believable. Happy with my line drawing, I create a new
Dynamics > Size Jitter Control: Pen Pressure) layer. I block in the colors with a round
and start to sketch the base shape of the car. I draw the elements the same way I did the textured brush. I will use this same brush
My focus now is just on the overall shape – no initial sketch – with a simple Round brush, just to paint the entire concept. This enables
details, no gadgets ‒ just the shape of the car. set to a larger size to help me see the shapes me to focus on painting and to not have
better. There is no real rule on how to work as to worry about what brush to use next.
“I really enjoy ‘scribbling’ efficiently as possible, but for me and on this
around. Later on, there will be particular concept, I really enjoy “scribbling” When I select the colors, I have a mood
enough time for me to focus on around. Later on, there will be enough time for board open. The colors are pretty much
the color, details and textures” me to focus on the color, details, and textures. inspired by a huge engine reference. Post-
apocalyptic aesthetics already tend to give
02: Sketching the modified elements I paint in rough lines that suggest ideas of barbed a nice color palette: red, yellow, brown,
As you can see, the sketch is pretty loose and wire, tanks, and additional metal plates. All green, blue, and a hint of purple.
far from being precise. I’m still focusing on the these elements should be attached to the car
overall shape of the original car at this stage. as if they were collected somewhere separately When I block in my colors I mostly use the
and then randomly fixed onto the car. Color Picker to get different shades. If a brush
When everything is in place, I’m able to bring is set to Transparency and you paint over
in the first post-apocalyptic elements. Those Happy with the rough ideas, I am able other strokes, this area provides enough
elements are still rough and just give me ideas to move on to my first color pass. information to pick your next color.

04: First details for the basic shape

I keep painting with the same brush and on
the same layer. There is no reason to have
multiple layers – at least not for now. Painting
with this brush already gives me some nice
subtle details and textures. After blocking in all
colors it’s time to define the light direction.

The light is coming from around the top

left, which means I have to have the darkest
area on the far back (right) of the car. There
will be some ambient lights added later
on, but let’s keep it simple for now.

I create a new layer and paint in some dark

04 gray underneath the car for my first hint of a
shadow. To stop the shadow being too harsh
↑ Finishing the color pass for the basic shape of the car and starting to define light direction
I use the Smudge tool to soften the edges.

25
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

05 06

↑ Blocking in the first of the post-apocalyptic elements and playing with extra ideas ↑ More scrap is added and the first textures are applied

“Keep picking textures for the selection by pressing Ctrl+H, switch to the newly a gun or just randomly collected scraps. The
car. It is absolutely necessary created layer, and paint over the fence area with bag is painted on a new layer and with the
that the car has a rusty look” a brighter color. I remove the selection and erase same textured Round brush I used before. You
areas that aren’t necessary with a textured eraser. can already see the noise from the texture.
05: First scrap details
Now the main base shape of the car is The good thing about the textured eraser is that I always try to keep my light direction in
done and the colors are set. It is now time the texture keeps and deletes areas randomly. mind. A quick lightbulb sketch could be quite
for the fun part – all the scrap details. You’ll never get the same result with a non- helpful. All the textures you see on the car are
textured eraser. As you can see, there is a hint of again from www.cgtextures.com. The main
I create a new layer and duplicate the initial texture on the side of the car. I use a texture from reason to add so much texture to the concept
sketch. The sketch is then put on top of the www.cgtextures.com and set the layer to Soft is to get a realistic, dirty, and used feeling.
color block and the transparency reduced to Light. After that, I reduce the transparency until
about 20%. This gives me enough details to start it has just a hint of texture/rust. I use the same I make the hazard stripes on a new layer. I
with the proper detailing. As mentioned, when technique to achieve the texture on the bonnet. use the Rectangular Marquee tool, fill the
designing a post-apocalyptic car, I like to keep in selection with a bright yellow, tilt the selection
mind that all elements should be gathered and 07: Textures, textures, textures about 36 degrees, and duplicate the layer
attached randomly to the car; there is no real I keep picking textures for the car. It is absolutely a few times. I merge the layers, then create
purpose for most of the elements, except for a necessary that the car has a rusty look. A a new one below and fill it with black.
few, such as the battering ram at the front of the highly polished car will be not believable. To
car or the armor plates on the front window. get a more DIY feeling, I add a sort of plastic The rear of the car has some kind of tank; this
bag on the roof of the car. This could contain could be filled with water or fuel. I think it is
On a new layer, I start to paint in the rough
shapes of the pipe, the battering ram, and the
framework of the front window, all made with
a simple Round brush. I’m still not focusing on
details, because I know that most of the details
will come with the textures I’ll use later on.

06: First textures and more details

More fun to come. As I said, I’m trying to paint
the whole car with just the Round brush, but
at this point I use a customized brush for the
fence on the side windows. To make the fence
brush fit I create a new layer, paint in the fence,
and transform it, so that it fits the perspective.
07
Then I create a new layer. I click on the previous
↑ Adding quite a lot of different textures to the car
layer (with the fence) to get a selection. I hide the

26
 Craft a post-apocalyptic car

08

↑ I add some more details and change the colors by using one of the layer effects

quite important to have some sort of story Levels correction option. You’ll find it in the will be used for any military activities or if it is
at the back of your head. If you have to pitch same spot you find the Color Balance. just a scout car. You see it’s a simple concept,
this concept to your art director, you should but it already gives a couple of possibilities.
have at least one or two answers ready. Happier with the look, I create another layer
and paint in some loose versions of a skull, I merge the car layers again and duplicate the
“The car is a tad too dark and which will be used as a decorative element for layer. After that, I set the layer to Color Dodge to
too moody, so I increase the the battering ram and the side plate of the car. get some nice highlights. 100% is a bit strong,
yellows and reds in the lights so I reduce the transparency to about 20–25%.
and reduce the blues in the 09: Final touches
mid-tones” I have the feeling that I’m pretty much done. The It is possible that this concept will be given to
concept is detailed enough to sell the idea or a 3D artist to be modeled, so I do some loose
08: Final details and color tweaks could be used as a base for further explorations. line drawings of the front and the back view
With pretty much everything in place it is time The colors match the location idea I have in of the car, just to give some hints and ideas to
to add some final touches to the car. I merge mind and the car has a post-apocalyptic feel the modeler. Most of the information is already
all the layers – except the shadows below the to it. The next step would be to decide if this provided by the orthographic view of the car.
car and the background ‒ into one. I make a
selection by holding Ctrl and clicking on the
layer of the car. With it selected, I pick the Color
Balance effect from the bottom of the Layer
palette and start to modify the colors. One good
thing about Color Balance is that you can modify
lights, mid-tones, and shadows separately.

The car is a tad too dark and too moody, so

I increase the yellows and reds in the lights
and reduce the blues in the mid-tones, as well 09
as in the shadows. I use the same selection
↑ Rear and front sketches for the modeler
to brighten up the whole image with the

27
 CHECK OUT
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Vehicles | Create a dune car
In this tutorial I will share my step-by-step When I speak of “content” I am usually referring
process for designing and rendering a to the actual design of the object/subject I am
futuristic dune car concept in Photoshop. developing. By “presentation” I mean painting,
Similar to most of my design and concept rendering, 3D modeling – anything to make
work, I like to separate the process into the picture pretty to help sell my content.
the following two phases, which should
(for the most part) not overlap: The reason for this separation is that I am a
sucker for pretty pictures and always get carried
1. Content away with rendering before nailing a decent
2. Presentation design first. Whenever I develop a design, I

Matt Tkocz 01
Senior Concept Artist
↑ Leave no stone unturned when figuring out a design
Software used: Photoshop

30
 Create a dune car

intentionally limit my tools and perspective

choices to the bare minimum in order to
avoid getting distracted by cool reflections,
fancy angles, bounce lights, and so on.

There are many artists and designers out

there who have the ability to work on
both simultaneously. They can produce a
gorgeous painting while at the same time
generating a strong design. However, I’m not
one of these people, so I prefer to keep the
process as neat and organized as possible 02
so that I don’t stumble along the way.
↑ This is the thumbnail that best serves the needs of the design brief

01: Thumbnailing
Almost always, my first step is line sketching. It is Appropriateness is about context. Does it doesn’t sacrifice points from the other three
a very old-fashioned way of approaching a design serve the story? Is it appropriate for the target criteria. Of course, there are exceptions, so feel
but, to me, drawing is still the most intuitive way demographic? Does the style match the rest free to take these notes with a grain of salt.
of communicating thoughts rapidly. When I do of the intellectual property? To me, this is the
these kinds of scribbles, I think of them more as most important need a design has to fulfill. 03: Environment
notes rather than drawings because their purpose I compose a rough placeholder environment
is to put down thoughts – not to look pretty. Believability essentially means functionality. Is from photographs. You can use ones from
the design’s realism convincing in the context your own library or source them from free
Another thing that I do in this step – of course – is of the story? Does it look familiar enough so texture sites. The reason I start introducing
to look for reference images. The images I look for that the audience will understand and accept an environment at this early stage is that
can range from functional details like suspensions it in the context of the intellectual property? seeing the vehicle in a context will hopefully
or pistons, to more literal references of real- inspire me with further design decisions.
world examples of existing dune buggy designs. Aesthetics deals with how pleasing the
I always try to find the obscurest possible design is to the eye. Are the proportions, I very rarely present designs isolated against a
sources for my reference images in an attempt stance, silhouette, and composition neutral background because seeing something
to stumble upon something more original attractive? Does it look badass and fun? in its natural habitat is an easy way to double
than I would by just using a search engine; if check whether or not it fulfills the design brief
everyone always referenced the same images, If you are working to a specific brief for a client, at first glance and also whether it works within
all designs would end up looking the same. uniqueness is, for my money, the least important an environment. Plus, it’s a good way to sell
need a design has to serve. If the design is your client on the design, as only a few can
02: Design iconic and individual that’s great, as long as it resist the charm of a full color illustration.
When I feel like I can’t come up with any
more designs and sketches, I pick my
favorite few thumbnails and try to squeeze
every last bit of potential out of them by
warping, tweaking, stretching, combining
them, and so forth. I try to make sure that
I don’t overlook something valuable.

When judging a design I usually consider four

categories (in the order of importance):

1. Appropriateness
2. Believability 03
3. Aesthetics
↑ Giving the design context in the form of an environment can inform upcoming design decisions
4. Originality

31
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

04 05

↑ Blocking in the big masses instantly helps you to judge its proportions and silhouette ↑ Resisting the urge to begin rendering adds valuable time to the design process

“I don’t worry about the 3D

volumes of the car as much as Pro Tip
the 2D graphic read” Double check values
Many designers and artists prefer to figure out
04: Block in the values of their designs and paintings before
Here I begin to block in the big shapes of the they jump into color. That approach never
vehicle to get a better feel for its proportions. quite worked for me as I have trouble finding
I do this on a layer between the background colors that match the previously chosen value.
and sketch layer. Looking at it as solid shapes
helps me to judge the vehicle’s proportions Instead I keep a grayscale adjustment layer on the very top of my image so that I can quickly
and visual weight more easily. I don’t worry double check my value structure. Every once in a while I just enable this layer to be able to
about the 3D volumes of the car as much judge my values more easily. If I spot issue areas, I disable the grayscale layer and deal with the
as the 2D graphic read at this point. I can problem in color.
always figure out the final shape later.

The other day I was at the airport in Singapore first place. As I’m tweaking the shapes and integration with the vehicle. I push and pull
and saw those little golf-cart-like buggies driving proportions therefore, I always keep an the values of the image to increase the scale,
around the terminal. When I saw their puffy eye on my original sketch, constantly re- depth, and clarity of the vehicle’s silhouette.
little wheels I thought those could look great evaluating to make sure I maintain the gesture You can do this by using adjustment layers
on my dune car, so I took a quick photo and and energy from the original thumbnail. and moving the value sliders or by altering the
dropped them into my piece. I select the wheel curves until you reach the desired effect.
in the photo using the Polygonal Lasso tool and 06: Integration
copy and paste it onto my image (Ctrl+C and I take a break from the vehicle design to I’m not very happy with the mood of the
Ctrl+V). Then you can use Edit > Free Transform spend some time on the environment and its image and try to push it to something
to scale and skew to fit it in with the image.

05: Refinement
I merge (Layer > Merge Down) all the layers of
the vehicle’s body so that I can work on it more
intuitively and quickly. Generally speaking
I always try to work with as few layers as
possible in order to avoid overwhelming myself.
In this step I fix symmetry and perspective
issues, as well as refine the shapes more.

This is a tricky step in the design process.

While I’m trying to fix some of the design
flaws and perspective issues, I must be careful 06
not to venture too far from the aspects of
↑ Adding some drama to the environment can help make the whole illustration more dynamic and exciting
the sketch that got me attracted to it in the

32
 Create a dune car

07
08
↑ Adding a subtle hint of reflectivity with clear coat layers is all it takes to start defining
the 3D volumes ↑ Adding detail and areas of high contrast selectively can help lead the viewer’s eye

much more dramatic and less inviting by 08: Details and effects 09: Orthographic views
darkening the sky and casting a big shadow I further subdivide and refine big shapes, adding Whenever making orthographics, I usually start
on the mountains in the background. color and value variations as well as cut lines off with the most descriptive view. In the case of
and more photo details. When adding cut lines, I most land vehicles, that would be the side view.
I cast a soft shadow on the foreground to separate constantly remind myself that I’m not designing Once I lock the main shapes in the first view, I
it from the middle ground and further increase the lines but rather the shapes of the surfaces, project out the hard points to the top and front
the sense of depth. The car’s cast shadow by dividing them with the added cut line. view. From here it’s usually a lot of going back
gets some attention to make it wrap more and forth between the different views; adjusting,
realistically around the rocky ground surface. The majority of the important decisions have detailing, transferring, and re-adjusting.
been made at this point so all that’s left in the
“Another way to indicate 3D process are the final details, polishing, and I don’t go out of my way to stay 100% true
form change is by adding making the illustration pretty. I also apply a to the design I had already figured out
highlights. I use them sparingly dust layer to the vehicle in order to ground it in beforehand ‒ if I see an opportunity for
at this point. I only add subtle its environment more. I add some effects such improvement I’ll go for it and adjust the
highlights to indicate form as a dirt pass (added with a Scatter brush) and illustration later on. I try to stay flexible and
changes that can’t be indicated some blur to the lens (Filter > Blur > Lens Blur). work organically until the design is complete.
with a sky reflection”

07: Volumes
Once I’m more or less satisfied with the 2D
graphic read of the image, I begin to define
the volumes. For this I add a simple clear coat
layer to the body of the vehicle allowing me
to “sculpt” the 3D shapes of the design. I also
change the color of the vehicle to red to make
the cool tones in the reflections pop more.

Another way to indicate 3D form change is by

adding highlights. I use them sparingly at this
point as I don’t want to render just yet. I only
add subtle highlights to indicate form changes
that can’t be indicated with a sky reflection.

I add secondary photo details such as

headlights and a driver, painting on top 09
just enough details to integrate them
↑ Orthographic views ready to hand over to a 3D modeler
convincingly into the illustration.

33
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Vehicles | Create a hovering spaceship
I like to tackle all of my images as if lot more fun if I bring four paintings to a
they were screen grabs out of a movie, speed painting stage – then I can really see
treating the image as a moment in time which ones are worth my time or not!
rather than as a presentation piece. Both
methods are good, but creating theses key 01: Photo research and inspiration
frames is where I have the most fun! I start by looking at real-world examples,
using Flickr (www.flickr.com) to find
My process is very organic. I don’t hesitate Creative Commons images. Note this isn’t
to change things at the last minute if it required for concepts you would do in a
improves the composition or the story. studio or for a freelance client, as it’s an
Adding or removing a detail, color shifting, internal communication and it’s not the
editing a character, or tweaking tones “product” itself you’re selling as a design
can dramatically change the story. consultant, but it’s important to have
permission for promotional pieces for print.
I don’t want the viewer to get all the answers
directly in the painting. I try to engage I look for images with strong composition:
the audience into figuring out the story wide angles with lots of perspective work –
themselves – there’s just a frame of the great for making an impressive picture and
main action and hints of a back story. creating a sense of frozen motion to show
off scale and context. Images shot using a
Producing lots of images really quickly is telephoto lens have this “graphic” quality
Efflam Mercier something that helps me a lot. It’s easy to which I really enjoy; as the person is really far
Concept Artist become frustrated when you spend hours away and super zoomed-in, the perspective is
Software used: Photoshop on a painting and it’s not working. I have a reduced to an almost orthographic image.

36
 Create a hovering spaceship

To anyone who wants to be a concept

artist, I would suggest you learn and
practice photography on the side – it will
improve your image-making skills a lot.

“I try to achieve the same

‘power’ in my composition,
without the artificially
composed look that concept
art often has”

02: Visual notes/thumbnails

Now that I have the photos, I take my
sketchbook and start making thumbnails
while thinking about the photos I’ve
selected. I try to achieve the same “power”
in my composition, without the artificially 01
composed look that concept art often has.
↑ Reference images to generate composition ideas

You’ve probably heard about the rule of thirds

a thousand times. At one stage, I became 03: Efficient photo compositing As games and visual effects become more
aware that pretty much 90% of my portfolio In terms of technique, I keep this very and more detailed over time, the tool of
was heavily relying on placing elements on simple; I work on only two layers, painting communication is photo references.
thirds, and this has sort of become a concept on top of the photo with a simple Chalk
art trope. It’s something I’m trying to get brush, sampling colors from the image. Sometimes even before any thumbnail sketches
away from now; if you have the same issues, are completed, the art director will collect a
try to play with these alternative rules: At this stage I spend 15 minutes on each large number of images from Pinterest (www.
image then move on to the next one. I pinterest.com) and, just by talking, we are
• repeat shapes that overlap and show depth don’t hesitate at all to make big changes able to get a good amount of art direction
(you don’t always need lots of perspective); and transform things around. done. As a result, this eliminates the need
for countless variations upon variations.
• make objects so big that they are Using photos is an extremely powerful
cropped out of the frame; tool in concept art for AAA games and I tend to just provide one or two directions
VFX – in my freelance and studio work, and then the director might ask me to
• place the camera upside-down/looking up, I’m asked to start from a photo pretty combine my design with some of the
changing the way we usually look at things. much half of the time. Why is this? shapes from another reference.

02 03

↑ I always carry around a Moleskine sketchbook to record visual notes ↑ I choose top-left; top-right was cool as well but the bottom ones look artificial

37
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

“I like it when images look

cinematic, so I take the
Crop tool and extend the
composition horizontally to
provide more room for the
action”
04: Tweaking the composition
and extending the frame
I like it when images look cinematic, so I take
the Crop tool and extend the composition
horizontally to provide more room for the action.

I call “widescreen” anything that is wider than

16:9 in ratio (your screen is most likely 16:9 too).
Anything that is wider creates black bars on the
top and bottom of the screen because it’s unused.
Unconsciously, we associate any picture with a
wider ratio with films we’ve seen. 2.35:1, 1.85:1,
and 3:1 are very popular film width/height ratios.

When you use the Crop tool to extend, you will

probably get a checkerboard transparency
showing underneath. One simple trick I use to fix
this is to Ctrl+click on the painting/photo layers,
then use Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection.

Next I press Shift+F5 which brings up the Fill

menu. Select Content-Aware in the Use drop-
down menu – this will now automatically
fill up the areas with details and colors
sampled from the picture. You might have
some weird artifacts, but most of the job is
done – no more transparent areas here!

05: Replacing the background

Painting realistic clouds is incredibly time-
consuming and integrating photos of clouds
into a painting is tricky. To create clouds I 04
often take the shapes from photos then paint
↑ I wanted to keep the shape of the ship extremely simple to create a more striking composition
them with my own values. I use Select > Color
Range to isolate the silhouette of the cloud,
then use the selection as a layer mask on a three brushes in addition to the Warp tool. I add ripples on the water or wind bouncing off
new layer and paint with my own colors. I use the normal dust, then with another color I add surfaces. The zone of effect is the area this
a Chalk brush to get the hard-light shapes, fast-flying dust puffs with a speedy brush, and is affecting, and with the perspective, the
then the Smudge tool for soft transitions. finally some flying dirt. In the process I always delimitation of the blast can look very sharp!
Lastly, I add a soft gradient in Lighten mode. follow the logic of helicopter or jet landings:
directionality, turbulence, and zone of effect. Once this is done I realize there is a bit too much
06: Adding atmosphere and dust contrast, so I add a Lighten layer and take a big
I realize that as the spaceship is arriving, dust First, you have to choose the direction. Soft brush and paint the whole area in a beige,
and dirt will be lifting off; to paint this I use two or Turbulence is a wave-like motion, like dusty color. I also hint at some atmospheric

38
 Create a hovering spaceship

perspective on the distant spaceships by

adding some light blue at low opacity.

07: Reviewing the story and staging

At this stage, I look back at the image and critique
it. Is it a clear, simple story? Are some details
conflicting with others? Is it logical? I judge the
quality of a story by how many times I can ask
“Why?” and find a logical answer. As long as
people keep looking at the image and coming up
with their own stories, the system doesn’t break.

Chalk brush Scattered brush I ask myself as many “why” questions as

with Smudge tool I possibly can. Why are these spaceships
hovering, about to land? Why do these planes
05 look very old – is it an abandoned airfield?
Maybe the spaceships are moving the planes
↑ Painting in clouds with a photo I took in Brittany, France. The weather is bad but the clouds are gorgeous!
to somewhere else, which could explain
what the cables straps are for. The more you
ask, the more you can test your image.

“I’m not an engineer so I

couldn’t figure out a functional
and logical way to have rotor
blades inside these triangle
Speedy brush Dust brush Flying dirt brush Edit > Transform > Warp shaped ships, so instead I went
for jet exhausts!”

Pro Tip
Your process is the best for you
Use 3D, don’t use 3D; use photos, don’t
use photos; start with line art, start with

06 thumbnails; maybe go straight to painting,

go with the flow; don't rely on intuition
↑ Create dust and atmosphere – which options should you choose?

Every artist has a biased view of what is

the “right process”. Some of my favorite
artist don’t even paint much; some always
start with lines; some use 90% 3D.

Personally, I kind of like everything

Shadow – but not for too long! I switch a lot
between tools and methods to solve
problems. I treat painting like a puzzle.

Try everything and stick to what

07 makes you have fun (and money)!

Shadow

↑ I make notes on the painting, most of the time only mentally, but you can add them on a separate layer

39
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

08: Painting the rocket exhaust

This one is very practical; I realized in step 07
that I needed something to stop the spaceship
from falling. I’m not an engineer so I couldn’t
Brush mode: Linear Dodge (ADD)
figure out a functional and logical way to have
rotor blades inside these triangle-shaped
ships, so instead I went for jet exhausts!

I take a color that is very red, and a tiny bit

more towards orange than purple. I create
a new layer and set it to Add mode, paint
big strokes with a medium-soft brush, then
color-sample the resulting color. I paint in the
Colors to sample
areas closer to the source of the light, each
time color-sampling the brightest area – it
will automatically shift toward yellow then
white, in a very natural and realistic way.
08
For the blurring effect, I use the same smudging
↑ I’ve sharpened a lot the “hot white” area, reinforcing the sense of light
technique from step 05 – a Chalk brush with
Scattering in the Smudge tool, smearing
color across to create the “heat blur”.

“You can use the Filter Gallery,

but it leaves its mark – it’s
probably better to do the
simplification by hand, giving it
a human touch”

09: Polishing
Remove clutter! I take out two guys –
three is enough and it’s hard to read
their silhouettes. I just paint on top with
the colors that would be behind.

I also darken the guy closest to the camera to

make him separate from the other soldiers;
he hasn’t been hit by the blast yet. Having the
shadow from the ship was cool, but I needed to
make it readable, so I bent the physics a bit here.

You’ll note that I’m still tweaking the

composition in the polishing phase. The
ships were going in conflicting directions
but I wanted them to go the same way; it
will make the image more powerful.

I also take the edge off all the details coming

from the photo elements, as they always 09
come with a lot of unnecessary noisy areas.
↑ Making the last tweaks to the image
You can use the Filter Gallery, but it leaves

40
 Create a hovering spaceship

its mark – it’s probably better to do the

simplification by hand, giving it a human touch.

“I take a scan of real film grain

and put it in Overlay mode to
break the digital look – this
helps to hide the differences
between the photo and
painted areas, rendering them
invisible”

10: Finishing 2.0

I eliminate or tone down the distracting
bits: strokes that are very small and sharp
and have lots of value contrast. I use
Paint Daubs or Median or other filters to
“group” those small brushstrokes or photo
details together by averaging them.

I go to Channels and do a horizontal Motion

Blur on the blue channel and a really small
Gaussian Blur (0.3 pixels) on the green.

I take a scan of real film grain and put it in

Overlay mode to break the digital look – this
helps to hide the differences between the photo
and painted areas, rendering them invisible.

Then I press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E to get a merged

copy, go to Filter > Camera Raw, and increase
the Clarity slider. I put a layer mask on this
merged copy, then paint in the areas that I want
to accentuate. I keep it subtle because it’s easy
to ruin a composition instead of improving it.
10
You can see my final image on the next page.
↑ Making subtle differences with filters

Pro Tip
Improve your taste! time, and a guy who is a specialist
As the techniques concept artists in photo editing is going to have
use are becoming more and more perfectly integrated photos.
widespread, you’ll find that your taste
is going to matter more and more. So why do they still hire concept artists? Taste!
My advice: watch all the movies in the IMDB
A 3D artist is always going to get better top 250 films (www.imdb.com); by the
meshes and textures, a guy who really 250th you’re going to get a much better
knows painting will achieve better sense of why we still watch those films,
brushstrokes and shape designs any sometimes 60 years after their release.

41
Vehicles | Craft a colossal floating vehicle
Colony-La Paz is inspired by the overcrowded In this tutorial you will learn the techniques
cities of South America. It’s a concept in a I apply to every day concept art for film, TV,
distant future where we can see a kind of and videogames. At the first stage (initial
floating city that looks like a huge air vehicle. composition), we are going to see how
the image starts to develop. I will start the
What I have in mind is not a utopian, neat, composition using black-and-white silhouettes
and perfect future, but an arid, dusty, and to understand the values, setting up the type
messy place – the consequence of some of lighting and the places where I’m using it,
of the current environmental problems and arranging the elements in the scene in a
plaguing many of those cities. tidy way. In addition, I will give the scene a

Juan Pablo Roldan 01

Concept Artist
↑ In this first step I define the main silhouettes and the focal point. It's not necessary to add any detail yet
Software used: Photoshop

44
 Craft a colossal floating vehicle

rhythm and sense of depth of field through

the correct use of scale and repetition.

At the second stage (color and texture

integration) I’ll explain how to extract color from
a picture and start to generate materials for the
vehicle that should look rusty and corroded.
I’ll also define the ambient and key light that
will help me to reinforce the focal point to read
and understand all the elements in the scene.

Finally, in the last stage (enhancing and 02

final tricks) I’ll add more detail to some
↑ Now I add new planes to generate a strong sense of scale and depth
key elements and also share some useful
tricks to add more realism to the scene.
the image with a good sense of depth and scale It’s now time to add some color, defining
01: Silhouettes, initial with the illusion of atmospheric perspective. the way the light will affect the elements in
composition, and rule of thirds the scene. First of all, I choose the ambient
Before starting I highly recommend that you At this stage it’s very important to set up the light tone. In this particular case, the light
keep in mind the initial idea or concept of focal point of the ship and the zones that will comes from the sky (skylight). Therefore I
what the image will be. In this particular case, be affected by the light. Push silhouettes a choose a bluish clear tone that I apply to the
I imagine a massive air vehicle that is crossing little bit further; add some cables, TV antennas, background, the upper part of the ship, and
above a polluted and overpopulated city. I and crowded houses in the background to the majority of elements in the scene.
want to show some balconies and house roofs make them clear enough for the viewer.
in the image. The goal is to create a simple but Then I define the key light. In this case, it’s the
effective composition with a strong depth of field 03: Lighting, color, and texture light that comes from the sun and the most
by using repetitive elements and atmospheric A common problem you may encounter is important light that I’m using to highlight the
perspective in a wise and careful way. defining the lighting and the color of an image. points where I want to generate more interest
Eventually, practice will help you to enhance in the scene. As you can see in image 03, I apply
I define the main silhouettes in the scene: the the pieces with interesting color diversity and the light to the focal point that is already set
ship, the city, and the character (to establish accurate and believable lighting. One of the up (the houses that stand out from the ship).
the scale of the scene). Following this method techniques that I strongly recommend when
is really handy because it allows me to locate you’re a beginner is to define the ambient I also add some light to the front of the
the elements in an easy and quick way and to and key light at an early stage. Keep in mind houses in the background and in the
make decisions regarding the composition. that the key light will be used to highlight foreground as well. The key light determines
the main focal points in the scene. the direction of the cast shadow.
I use the rule of thirds to define the point
of convergence. As you can see in image
01, the upright intersection is my choice
for the focal point. You should be mindful
that at this early stage I set up the concept
of the scene using silhouettes, so it is
not necessary to add any detail.
Ambient Key
light light
02: Atmospheric
perspective and values
I now separate and add more planes to the
image. I use, in this case, up to five different
grayscale tones. The foreground uses the darkest 03
tones and the middle ground and background
↑ In this step I define the ambient light and the key light of the scene
the lightest. Using tone distinction provides

45
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

“Gather a significant number

of reference images according
to the concept and idea that
you want to convey. This will
help you to clarify what you
want to do regarding the mood,
materials, atmosphere, color,
and lighting”

04: Textures 04
I now gather some texture images and pictures
that I’ve chosen previously in a folder called ↑ I gather a group of texture images and pictures that I will use to add color and shape to the elements, as well as to
generate a strong sense of realism
“references”. I will use all these images later
on to extract some elements that will help me
to clean up the scene and to add more detail Another point to be mindful of is what sort of them carefully, trying my best to keep a
to the concept. Besides using color, photo image you’re going to create or what are the nice balance and to avoid overdoing it.
textures will help me to generate believable requirements from the client you’re working for.
materials and to achieve a realistic scene. Usually, when it comes to concept art for film or I choose the texture I want to edit, placing it
TV, the art direction looks to accomplish a realistic in a new layer on top of the silhouette that
The images have been downloaded from www. image. The correct balance between texture will be affected (in this case the silhouette
cgtextures.com. I always suggest doing some and painting helps me to achieve that goal. of the ship). Now I work with a mask in the
intense research prior to the image production in texture. Hold the Alt key between the two
order to gather a significant number of reference 05: Texture integration layers (see image 05): this links the layer which
images according to the concept and idea that It’s now time to start enhancing the image contains the texture to the silhouette itself.
you want to convey. This will help you to clarify with textures and color. I start to work on
what you want to do regarding the mood, the materials for the ship. I use dusted Now that the texture is inside the confines of the
materials, atmosphere, color, and lighting. and corroded metal textures and integrate silhouette of the ship, it’s easy for me to edit it.

Alt

Layer mask

05

↑ Blending the textures by using a Layer mask to give the ship a realistic aspect

46
 Craft a colossal floating vehicle

Before I start I need to be sure that the mask

is selected and is filled with black. Then, with
the Brush tool, I start to paint with white. I use
black as an eraser. Using different opacities
with the brush will allow the image to appear,
adding to the silhouettes, texture, and color.

06: Extraction
I continue incorporating more elements from
textures and pictures that I’ve previously chosen
into my scene to give the vehicle a realistic look.
As you can see in image 06, I add some textures to
the buildings to give the impression of a floating
city. I also select elements such as the tankers to
represent some sort of engine or exhausts that I
will use as elements that generate air pollution.
For the background, I use a photograph of an
overcrowded city of small buildings and narrow 06
streets to generate strong depth and scale.
↑ I add elements such as fronts of buildings and networks of tubes to enhance the vehicle and to generate more realism

I previously modified all the texture images with

the Color Balance tool to create a similar and smoke and dirty steam. This smoke will help I now use Filter > Add Noise to emphasize
coherent color palette for the final scene. I also to separate the foreground and also generate more dust particles in the environment. I
used Levels to adjust the lighting of the textures. some more depth to the environment. also apply this particular filter to the smoke
that comes out from the ship engines.
07: Pollution and smoke effect What I do in this case is use a Smoke brush
For this step I focus on the smoke effect and with some yellowish and dark tones to I must point out that you should be really
pollution in the scene. I take advantage of create the polluted and dirty atmosphere. careful when applying noise to an image
the textures that now look like chimneys When I’m happy, I proceed with a smooth – make sure that you don’t exaggerate
coming from the vehicle. I want to try to Round brush with about 40% Opacity to the filter as it will ruin the image or lose
create the illusion that the ship is giving off add more smoke to the entire scene. the effect that you originally wanted.

07

↑ I work on the smoke and dust that will pollute the scene

47
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

the zones that don’t have any sort of detail, strong anchor point where the viewer creates
“Small pipes placed in the
such as the houses that surround the ship. a link between him and the image. I want the
bottom of the ship near the
character to look at the ship; this instantaneously
center of interest, the logo, and
It’s important to be consistent in terms of the draws attention directly to the focal point.
some infographics are subtle
light direction and to take advantage of new
details to enhance the scene
and contribute to the realistic elements (such as cables and street lamps). “I use the Color Balance tool
look that I want to achieve” If I arrange them logically, it helps to draw for the color correction and to
the viewer’s attention to the focal point. add a warmer color in the mid-
08: Foregrounds tones and a cold tone to the
At this stage, I focus on combining textures Small pipes placed in the bottom of the shadows in order to reinforce
and color for the houses and balconies in ship near the center of interest, the logo, the ambient lighting effect
the foreground. To do this, I carry out exactly and some infographics are subtle details even more”
the same process as I did with the ship that enhance the scene and contribute to
and the background ‒ integrating textures the realistic look that I want to achieve. 10: Final effects
and extracting interesting elements from Once the image is complete in terms of
the pictures such as cables and walls. I also work on the character, adding detail to detail, it’s time to apply some filters and
his clothes and working on the volume and final adjustments. You can see each of the
Remember to adjust the color and lighting of lighting to make him more convincing. As a five stages of the final effects that I carried
every element to maintain the color coherence human element, the character provides a out in image 10 on the next page.
and the overall mood of the scene.

I draw a group of houses and buildings with a Pro Tip use sketches with analog painting such as
wide range of colors to add a little bit of detail Experimentation watercolor, oil painting, or acrylic; take your
to the image. These new elements are located I suggest that you experiment with different own pictures and use them as a starting
in different planes to create a sense of depth methods when creating a concept. Try point for a concept or to extract elements
and scale. Repetition will give the illusion that different types of brushes, shapes, and from; use textures from pictures or don’t use
those elements vanish into the horizon. silhouettes, blending textures with painting, them at all. Eventually, experimentation will
messing around with shapes, and using 3D provide you with a variety of alternatives
09: Detail and enhancing software. Sometimes start with a black- to solve any sort of problem. This will be a
This stage is just about adding more and more and-white sketch or directly from color; plus when you have a professional job.
detail to the scene. I need to create and polish

08

↑ I start to use repetition to add a sense of depth and scale to the scene

48
 Craft a colossal floating vehicle

09

↑ I work on polishing and adding final details to the scene

At this point in the process I think that For stage 3 I use Smart Sharpen, an awesome Finally, I create another layer on top of everything
the image looks acceptable, however I tool that can be used to make the details with a neutral gray tone. Then I go to Filter >
want to reinforce the detail and realism. stand out and define the image. Filter Gallery > Grain. I set this blending mode
I therefore decide to apply a color to Soft Light with 30% Opacity. This provides
correction and add some adjustments. Next I decide to create a new layer on the image with a natural and subtle grain with
top of the merged image and fill it with a an interesting variety of colors (stage 5).
I use the Color Balance tool for the color dark, solid blue. I set the blending mode
correction and to add a warmer color in to Lighten and with around 30% Opacity. I “I use Smart Sharpen, an
the mid-tones and a colder tone to the use this trick here in order to get rid of any awesome tool that can be used
shadows in order to reinforce the ambient pure black elements in the shadows by to make the details stand out
lighting effect even more (stage 2). giving them a more bluish tone (stage 4). and define the image”

Original Color Balance Smart Sharpen Lighten layer Filter > Grain > Soft Light

10

↑ I apply some useful tricks and effects that will provide the image with an interesting look

49
Vehicles | Develop a vehicle for land and water
My task for this concept is to design a 01: Getting started
fast and agile personal vehicle that is I don’t often have a clear idea of where I want
maneuverable across both land and water. to take a given design brief right off the bat,
In this tutorial I wanted to deal with the and even if I did, the first idea is rarely the
thought process when being presented best. So as expected, I am not blessed with a
with a design problem. I will therefore focus brilliant epiphany this time around either.
on my personal internal approach and the
issues I keep dealing with when struggling Hoping to stumble upon something of value, I
my way through the design process. just start sketching mindlessly. I simply begin

Matt Tkocz 01
Senior Concept Artist
↑ I draw my initial ideas from a side perspective
Software used: Photoshop

52
 Develop a vehicle for land and water

02a 02b

↑ I pick my favorite parts from my initial sketches ↑ Adding an environment as context

to lay down shapes that I think look cool. I “I’ve found the best way to On top of that, putting your design in the context
don’t hesitate to let myself be inspired by counteract this impulse to of a full scene will aid the final presentation
whatever ridiculousness comes to mind. jump ahead is to stay away of your concept and therefore help to get
from any rendering tools as it approved by your client (image 02b).
In the first sketching stages I prefer to stick to long as possible. That’s why
side views because this type of vehicle reads I prefer to sketch with lines 03: Translation and shapes
most clearly from the side, and drawing in instead of shapes” The step I find most difficult is taking my
perspective is hard ; it’s difficult enough to scribbled sketch to the next level and nailing
come up with a decent idea without having to take the time to tweak the design as best I can down the design; once you start cleaning
struggle with fancy perspective drawings. in the early stages. I’ve found the best way to up your scribble to turn it into something
counteract this impulse to jump ahead is to usable, you run the risk of losing the energy
02: Decisions and patience stay away from any rendering tools as long of your initial sketch. You start drawing on
I would say the most important step in the whole as possible. That’s why I prefer to sketch with top of your sketch, trying to fix its flaws and
design process is deciding on the direction that lines instead of shapes. It helps me to resist problems, and the next thing you know it looks
the concept is going to go in. A bad choice at this the temptation of jumping into the rendering nothing like your original sketch. All the initial
stage will lead to an eternity of pain and suffering! process before my design is ready (image 02a). appeal is gone and all that’s left is rubbish.

So I look at my sketches and pick the bits I recommend always working on at least two There is always going to be a certain amount of
and pieces I think have potential, and projects at the same time. That way, you can disconnection between the first sketch and the
decide to do some sort of hot-rod-inspired take breaks from a particular design and work final design. The trick is to find a good balance
hover bike with exposed engine parts. on something else to avoid tunnel vision. of creating a thoughtful 3D form, while staying
Jumping back and forth between multiple true to the appeal of the original sketch.
I think it’s important that you are able projects will help you judge your work more
to pitch your concept to someone in one objectively and make it easier to spot flaws. As you can probably tell by the discrepancy
sentence. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous between my sketch and my final result, I’m
that pitch might sound, as long as it gets Because nothing in the world exists isolated on far from a master of this task. What usually
someone excited. If you can’t simplify your a white background, I try to ground my design in works best for me is to use my sketch as
concept into one line, you might not have some kind of environment early on. The chosen a loose guide rather than a blueprint. I
a concept at all, just a flashy image. context will hopefully inform further design refer back to it until the design is nailed
decisions when it comes to the composition, down, but I try not to be a slave to it.
Often I get carried away and find myself jumping color, and mood of the final piece, as well as
ahead into rendering too early, without having the vehicle itself. Having an environment will When in doubt, I never hesitate to ask
found a halfway decent design first. I therefore also help describe what kind of vehicle it is my design buddies for advice, as they
constantly remind myself to slow down and without me having to explain everything. usually know more than I do!

53
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

When attempting to translate a rough

sketch into a legitimate design, I was always
taught to deal with it in abstract shapes
first. By this I mean that I try not to think
about what it is that I’m drawing, but only
about the shape it has. The goal at this
stage is to find a combination of strong
graphic shapes that go well together.

At this stage I pretend I am designing

a 2D composition of abstract graphics
and ignore the fact that I am designing
a vehicle (I would do the same with
characters, props, or environments).

04: Volumes
When I am satisfied with the graphic 03
appearance of my design, I begin to
↑ I focus on the abstract shapes of my design to try to translate the sketch concept accurately
define the 3D shape by introducing
a basic light source that I use to
“sculpt” the volumes of my design. graphics across the surfaces is a nice way you can always cast a shadow across a
to define the different sections. If you shape to define its volume. In this way you
Another invaluable tool to define the don’t want to put permanent graphics on can describe the shape without altering
volumes is, again, graphics. Wrapping your design solely to describe its form, the design of your object permanently.

04

↑ Defining the 3D shape of my vehicle

54
 Develop a vehicle for land and water

05a

↑ Add small details to make your design more believable

“To accomplish this, all you

have to do to create a realistic
image is include plenty of
recognizable, functional, and
informative detailing”

05: Believability
An important step in selling your design is
to convince the audience that your concept
could be reality. The crazier your concept,
the harder you will have to work to make
it look believable. To accomplish this, all
you have to do to create a realistic image is
include plenty of recognizable, functional, and
informative detailing. Small things like fuel
caps, turning signals, exhausts, intakes, rivets,
decals, instructions, material changes, and
so on make all the difference (image 05a).

The easiest thing to do is to look at reference

05b images of the type of vehicle you want to design
and make a list of everything you see. In my case
↑ Using reference images, I add further elements to my hot-rod-inspired design
I am trying to design a futuristic hot rod. I look at

55
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

pictures of existing hot rods and write everything

down: flame decals, chrome parts, candy paint,
exposed engine parts, and so on (image 05b).

“Modern technology such as

the internet not only makes
reference images accessible
to everyone, but it also gives
us the opportunity to use
photography directly in our
work”

Fortunately modern technology such as

the internet not only makes reference
images accessible to everyone, but it
also gives us the opportunity to use
photography directly in our work.

I don’t know anything about engines or cars

in general and although it would be nice to 05c
know this, I decide the best option would be
↑ I use photos of engines to enhance my design
to use a few photos of engines I find online

06

↑ I create a more painterly look in the hope that this will appeal to my client

56
 Develop a vehicle for land and water

07

↑ If a client approves your concept, you should be prepared to have to produce an orthographic design for it

and place them on my rendering. Later I just of the illustration to make sure the design 07: Orthographic designs
paint back on top of the photos to blend is displayed at its full potential. Let’s just imagine that a client approved
the photos into my work (image 05c). my concept; this is where the tedious
Depending on who you’re presenting part begins and you may have to
“In order to get the desired your concept to and what that person’s produce an orthographic design.
approval, you must spend background and taste is, you will have to
some time on the presentation pick a medium for your final illustration. Luckily I was wise enough to paint my
of the illustration to make sure illustration pretty much in side view.
the design is displayed at its Some art directors like looking at sketches This way I have already constructed one
full potential” and understand them well; others of the three orthographic views. I just
like the look of painterly illustrations need to trace it with some line work and
09: Approval or photorealistic 3D renderings. then project the important “landmarks”
Sadly, all the work I’ve done on this concept so far of the design over to the top view.
is only the very first step of the design process. As It’s therefore a plus if you know who the person
of this point, my illustration was merely a pitch is that you’re presenting to. Of course, having the I leave the front view for last because
for a concept, waiting to become a fully fleshed- ability to present your concept in a way that will in this particular example it os
out design one day in the future. But before that appeal to them can’t hurt either, be it sculpting, the least descriptive view.
can happen, this pitch-illustration has to be painting, drawing, 3D modeling, or tap-dancing.
approved by the client, art director, production Depending on who you work for, you might
designer or whoever it is that you’re answering to. In my case I decide to make it look a little have the option of building a basic 3D proxy
painterly because many people seem to respond model instead of drawing the orthographic
Now, in order to get the desired approval, you to that hand-crafted quality. Whichever route views. It all depends on the client, your
must spend some time on the presentation you go, just make sure it’s badass at the end. personal abilities, and preferences.

57
Vehicles | Illustrate a powerful deforestation vehicle
This tutorial is about designing a vehicle that My starting point can be seen in group A of image
can both cut down trees and strip the trunks of 01. I have no idea what the machine should
branches in preparation for logging transports. look like and at this point I haven’t decided
It must be able to traverse uneven ground and how to draw a deforestation vehicle either.
also be capable of clearing a path through
areas that are dominated by gargantuan trees After some interesting shapes come out
and dense undergrowth in order to get to areas of my sketches, I feel ready to draw the
where the trees are small enough to harvest. deforestation machine, so I start to draw
another bunch of thumbnails, concentrating
01: Initial research and thumbnails on the style of the machine (see group B).
I find some photo references of machines
that are already very cool-looking, “I don’t add a lot of small
but I want to push the ideas further to details to make it complex,
develop my own type of machine. just keep it simple with
interesting blocks”
I start from scratch and draw a bunch of
thumbnails. I keep them simple as the purpose 02: Designing with lines
of thumbnails is to find a good shape – we Once I’ve chosen the thumbnail, I start to do the
don’t need to show people the thumbnails. line work, this time on paper. In this step, I only
care about the important details that will be
I’m working in Photoshop at the moment, seen as features of the machine (image 02a).
Ling Yun but you could also do this on paper
Concept Artist with pencils, pens, and brushes. You Next, I scan the line work into Photoshop,
Software used: Photoshop & SketchUp can choose your favorite method. create a new layer, and draw clean lines on

60
 Illustrate a powerful deforestation vehicle

01

↑ Choosing my most successful thumbnails and developing them

top of it. I add more details to this part and

correct the things I feel look wrong. Then I
create another new layer, where I fill the shape
with a light gray and add some shadows to
make it a little bit rendered (image 02b).

“The next step is my favorite:

assembling the components
together. Everything comes
together to resemble what I
imagined at the beginning”

The design work is now finished and I have 02a

enough detail on the machine. I don’t add a
↑ Starting the line work
lot of small details to make it complex, just
keeping it simple with interesting blocks.

03: SketchUp
Since the difficult part is done, the rest of
the steps should be quite simple. An easy
way to move forward is to use 3D, in case
different layout angles are required.

SketchUp (www.sketchup.com) is a very powerful

and inexpensive tool, and we can create simple
models very quickly with it. I make the different
parts separately and assemble them (image 03a).

When I make the 3D model, I don’t really

create a useable in-game model, because it’s
only for a concept. Building the components 02b
can be quite boring, but the next step is my
↑ I draw clean lines on top of my sketch in Photoshop and fill the shape with a light gray
favorite: assembling the components together.

61
Chapter 01 | Vehicles

03a 03b

↑ Individual pieces in SketchUp ↑ Combining the elements together to make a whole

Everything comes together to resemble what

I imagined at the beginning (image 03b).

“You can use texture photos,

or just brushes, to give a rusty
metal look”

04: Final rendering

I now pick a good angle, export it as a 2D
image, and paint over it in Photoshop (image
04a). I then create a new Overlay layer and put
some texture on it. You can use texture photos, 04a
or just brushes, to give a rusty metal look.
↑ I paint over my model in Photoshop
Then I create a new layer (Normal), add more
detail, and refine the harvester (image 04b).
The back view of the vehicle is added as how it functions, which part the harvester
05: Layout we already have the right side view of the is, and what the huge shovel is used for.
I now want to lay out the vehicle as if it’s a drawing. We can see the top, front, and left Lastly, I add the measurements, which aren’t
real concept being worked on by a team. The side; the rear view also shows the scale and really important, but still helpful for my
machine is not totally symmetrical, so I need position of the control room. I add a simple understanding of the concept. Of course the
to show all the sides as if it’s for a 3D artist. description of the machine and think about model can still be modified for future usage.

Overlay with textures Paint over with details Refine details and color 04b

↑ Adding rusty details and paintovers in Photoshop

62
 Illustrate a powerful deforestation vehicle

05

↑ Adding descriptions to the vehicle

06a 06b

↑ I start with black and white to think about the mood and basic set
↑ I use an Overlay layer to put in the basic colors

06c 07

↑ I add plants to the background ↑ Once the background is ready, I paint the machine

Pro Tip
to change without hurting the image. I give it a tree roots, grass, and shrubs, and then
greenish color to make it like a forest (image 06b). I paint the freshly cut wood to show the
Create a mood piece purpose of the machine. And it’s done.
Try painting a quick mood piece to help Now I paint over details on a Normal layer.
you concentrate on the mood and the I think about the reality of the forest, add a The beginning is the most important part of
storytelling of your environment. lot of plants under the big trees, and refine creating a design to me; I always spend more
the background mood (image 06c). time on it. When I draw the thumbnails I try
to find a cool shape that really inspires me,
06: Creating the environment 07: Painting the machine then I think about the detail design. Coloring,
Fortunately the model is ready to be composited, and final touches texturing, and rendering is the last thing to do;
so I don’t have to paint the machine again. I start When the background is established, I it will be very fast if everything else is settled.
the background first, using just black and white can go to the machine itself. I paint over it
to think about mood and the basic set. I suppose as I did for the design rendering, making “The beginning is the most
it’s a huge forest, as the brief said (image 06a). it rendered into the environment. important part of creating a
In this step, I apply the background colors. I use The environment still looks empty – it design to me; I always spend
an Overlay layer to put in basic colors; it’s easy lacks foreground elements – so I add some more time on it”

63
FREE RESOURCES
Download your free resources for this chapter
www.3dtotalpublishing.com/resources
Stylized Female
Characters
In this section we’ll take a look at techniques for learn how to create custom brushes to speed
designing and painting female characters, from up your painting workflow, how to design a
elegant aristocrats to ballet dancers to the Greek character concept to fit a brief, and how to
mythological personality, Helen of Troy. You’ll render different fabrics, skin, and more!
Stylized Female Characters | Research and develop to a unique brief
The assignment for this concept was to My strategy is simple when I do concepts:
portray the effects of wealth on human just let the story of the image take center
evolution. Although science fiction, it is rooted stage and try to support it with the design.
in speculative science – without extreme It seems straightforward, but subtle
pressures from the environment, how can the differences can make or break the storytelling;
human body react and change? How can we every aspect from facial expression to
make this visually interesting as a concept? decoration needs to be considered.

Art and science aid each other in understanding. 01: Initial thumbnails
Science inspires artists, while artists can help As mentioned, before I begin painting I start
crystallize ideas with their imagery. I feel the with intensive research. This assignment is
most fun way to approach briefs like these challenging in that the effects of wealth on
is academically, so I do as much research on human evolution are not obvious. In order to
evolutionary theory as I can – and then go wild! make something visually interesting, there has
to be a good amount of gross evolution to make
The ideas behind a concept are just as important a physical change in animals – developing the
as their execution, and the more information ability to breathe under water for instance.
I gather, the more inspiration I will have. I
definitely discovered things that I would not Wealth is not a large environmental pressure,
have assumed before I began that helped me to and so it would not cause a direct physical
develop my concept. I get to pretend that I have adaptation in humans. It is comfortable
Devon Cady–Lee a degree in evolutionary biology, but at the end for an animal to be wealthy, so why would
Concept Artist & Illustrator of the day, the imagination is king and I will do it change? These are the questions that I
Software used: Photoshop what it takes to ensure the image is appealing. ask to begin with and try to answer.

68
 Research and develop to a unique brief

01 02

↑ Just get marks on paper so you can start thinking about them! ↑ This silhouette represents my favorite thumbnail, omitting details of the clothes

Pro Tip
Start with strong ideas before you even
begin a concept. It doesn’t have to be
elaborate; it just has to be clear and
concise. The more complex your story,
the more complex your character will
be to execute. Illustration is ultimately
about expressing your ideas to other
people; test others to see if they can
read the same story from your character
that you want them to see. This will help
put in to perspective what you need
to do to make your design clearer.

poised stance. I want to show something regal

about this character in the way she stands,
03 maybe even something a little pompous.

↑ She has a slightly judging but calm expression on her face to make her feel disconnected from the audience
03: Heads up
Now for the face! While human brains did
Through this research, I find information that figures. I prepare with a canvas 4000 pixels tall grow larger as we developed past our primate
inspires my initial concept. Wealth for humans on a neutral-toned background. I use a palette- cousins, the most recent trend shows that our
has a direct correlation on our nutritional knife-like brush to get quick, solid forms. brains have actually been shrinking (in theory,
intake, which in turn affects our growth. Scarcity because they are becoming more efficient).
results in dwarfism to conserve energy, while 02: Crystallizing ideas Although we may have increased intelligence
abundance allows for the sustainability of I sketch what I’m thinking. I use just a Hard due to better education and nutrition, the
larger and more powerful bodies. In just the Round, pressure-opacity brush for my caricature of the gigantic throbbing brain would
past hundred years, the human race has grown sketch work. Although humans have grown not be accurate. Our faces have also become
several inches due to the spread of world wealth. considerably in history, we have also become flatter and our features larger to become
physically weaker as the value of intelligence more readable. I imagine the result if these
With this information, ideas about shape begin to began to surpass brawn. My decidedly female trends were to continue, and draw her skull
form and I start to do thumbnails of tall, elegant figure ends up being tall and lithe, with a reasonably sized with prominent features.

69
Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

04 05

↑ Using a higher contrast tone in the beginning helps to define the silhouette ↑ The skin will be detailed later so shading is kept to a minimum

04: Body language and silhouette

I use the Lasso tool to fill in her basic silhouette.
I adjust her body language to have one hand on
her hip and to be slightly turning towards the
audience to address them in an indirect way.
I assume an entirely wealthy culture would
become intensely competitive in the way an
aristocrat or socialite would be. Everyone would
project an image of themselves for others, trying
to seem more powerful, popular, secure, or
interesting than the other wealthy people around
them. My goal is to give her an air of confidence
through her expression, poise, and stance.

05: Rendering
I adjust the skin tone to be a little lighter since
I plan to pattern it later, and start working in
some basic shadows. It is important that the
character is thin (to still look long) but not gaunt 06
or unhealthy looking. I make her exaggerated
↑ The character is given an unusual eye color combination to add intensity
in her lankiness in order to push my point.

I don’t feel that I am trying to make her a lot about the mental state of the character result in an evolutionary divergence over
appealing just for modern viewers; there through expression and contrast to body time? This opens me up to a lot more options,
could be a completely different idea of what language. Human faces have become flatter, such as picking an interesting eye color.
is appealing in the future, much like how noses smaller, and eyes larger; we are essentially
ideal women were once depicted as rounded starting to have more child-like features as we 07: Fleshing out
figures and this has changed over time. Maybe domesticate ourselves into social creatures. I’m starting to get a good idea of what her
in this future, being incredibly elongated is anatomy should be and begin to refine her tone.
actually attractive, or maybe even the norm? I begin to think about other ways human bodies I add a bit of saturation to parts of her face. She
can alter – what about gene therapy? Could takes on an elfin appearance, a result of her
06: Diving in humans begin to alter themselves, say the tall, idealistic forms. I can’t decide what her
I start focusing on the face even more. Characters’ color of their eyes, in order to be cosmetically footwear will be yet, but I do know that some
faces are incredibly important; they can convey appealing? Could the impact of these changes sort of support to make her taller would probably

70
 Research and develop to a unique brief

be appropriate. In a culture where power,

confidence, and sex rule, lengthening the figure
in an elegant way would support this image.

08: Getting wild

Now I’ve started to really delve into the fantasy
aspect of this character. The aristocratic world
I created for this character is very competitive
when it comes to attention, and these humans
will do anything to raise the bar and become
more interesting than their rivals. I play with
the idea of gene therapy that allows humans
to once again have markings on their bodies
like our animal ancestors, making individuals
strikingly different and unique. I look at the
patterns of wild cats, dogs, and primates to
make something that appears natural. I also 07
look at skin pigmentation disorders to see
↑ Her nose and cheeks are more saturated to indicate blush – genetic adaptation, no makeup required!
how patterns naturally affect human skin.

08

↑ Areas of interest are accentuated by the markings

71
Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

“It’s important to keep track of

these small details in the larger
picture to see how much they
effect the overall image”
09: Covering up
Time to start putting clothes on this figure.
Much like on the red carpet, clothes would
predominantly be used to accentuate beauty
rather than be used for survival or function. Since
I am already using her body markings to draw
attention, I keep the dress very simple so as not
to compete, but to provide more of a silhouette
to her otherwise slim figure. I want her to feel
inaccessibly elite like a celebrity or runway
model, and the clothes need to reflect this idea.

Pro Tip 09
Research other artistic disciplines
Often the principles that apply to fashion ↑ The same Hard Round brush is used in a different manner in order to show the fabric folds

will also apply to character and costume

design in terms of balancing a form. Here
for example her dress becomes a train
that trails behind her, resting on her hips
to give them more weight. Try to branch
out if possible and read up on other
artistic disciplines to inform your work.

10: Bling!
Now for the accessories. I feel like it would help
to show some expensive-looking jewelry, which
is an obvious costume decision to convey a sense
of wealth. I use bright, precious metal colors
and an exotic hue in the stones to complement
the color of her eyes. Again, I can’t let the
accessorizing compete with the patterns of her
skin; if they look too similar in density, tone, or
shape, they may be confused with each other.
10
It’s crucial to keep track of these small details in
↑ Repetition in forms can be boring unless you treat them as pattern language
the larger picture to see how much they effect the
overall image. If they’re not very visible, they’re
not worth being there. If they take attention that they are acting as extra support. What if Rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and facial
away from your focal point, knock it back. gene therapy allowed us to get the same look reconstruction are all ways celebrities adapt
of heels without having to wear them? This is their bodies to survive in their environment
11: Polishing probably the most exaggerated adaptation I’ve due to the pressures of society. If we learn
Wrapping up the design, I add one more strange given her, a modification that seems extreme but to adjust our bodies through gene therapy,
detail to the feet: I extend her pinky toes far off isn’t really when compared to how we mutilate we would probably start heading down the
to the side in order to give them the appearance our bodies in pop culture in the name of trends. route of cosmetic alterations rather quickly.

72
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Stylized Female Characters | Create a stunning ballerina
This tutorial will explain the creation process 01: Sketch
for my Ballerina illustration. What’s really I open an 800 x 600 canvas at 72dpi. I
special about this drawing is the way I resolved tend to work on a small canvas because
some material depictions that I had never it forces me to focus on the important
done before, like the tutu, taking advantage things, such as composition, instead
of digital techniques and Photoshop tools. of worrying about details early on.
This approach definitely helped me learn how
to use some tools smartly by comprehending On a new layer, I sketch using a Hard Round
the material I was being challenged with. brush at 100% Opacity. I prefer to control
the Opacity with the pressure sensitivity
I’ll explain a bit of the thinking process of the tablet (I’ve got a Graphire4), so this
that led to my painting procedures. lets me sketch very lightly and define
Hopefully it’ll help you apply these important forms at the same time.
techniques to your own work too.
At first I usually use a warm color because
I mostly use a digital painting technique it’s much easier for me to work with.
that involves using only one Hard brush, but However, in this case, I change it to a dark
some materials in this illustration required blue because it works better with the palette
brushes with certain properties. All of I have chosen. This level of roughness
these special brushes will be explained in is enough for me to start coloring it.
detail along with the download links. The
Renée Chio process also includes the use of some Layer 02: Lighting and composition
Animator & Illustrator properties, shortcuts, Filters, Transform tools, I create a new layer underneath the sketch and
Software used: Photoshop composition, and color, among other things. using the same Hard brush, only larger, I start

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 Create a stunning ballerina

01

↑ In the Brush window, enable Transfer and select Pen Pressure in the Control drop-down menu

to define the basic lighting and anatomical forms

very roughly. The color of the sketch will define
the tone of the shadows, so all colors will move
to the blue tonal range, the darker they get with
the shading. This will make the whole image feel
a lot more integrated. At the end, I paint the wall
on the back to frame the subject a bit more.

An interesting fact: as I was coloring it, I

decided to add the bra because of censorship
in some social networks. It turned out to be
quite an improvement for the composition.

“Here I can start polishing

from the most important
thing in my composition, then
moving outwards to the least
important”

03: Hiding the sketch

Hiding the sketch is not the same as hiding
the layer. I always keep the sketch in my
illustrations, not only because it’s what separates
elements but because it’s also the soul of the
drawing and deleting it makes it feel lifeless.
What I really do is just paint the sketch.

First, I select the Sketch layer and lock 02

the transparency in the Layers window
↑ Shadows tend towards blue
(this will prevent me from doing anything

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

03

↑ When using the brush, press the Alt key to use the Eyedropper without switching between tools

in the transparent area). Then I use the

Eyedropper tool to pick the color closest
to the sketch and paint that area.

There are some shadowed parts that I leave dark

on purpose, such as the nostril. As for the tutu,
I mix the different shades of pink to keep that
messy look, though it gets a different treatment
later in the process, which I’ll explain in step 07.

04: Polishing the important

things first
At this stage, I up the resolution to 300dpi. I start
polishing from the most important thing in my
composition, then moving outwards to the least
important. Using the same Hard brush as before,
I mix colors with the Eyedropper and opacity of
the pen until I start getting a very smooth finish.

For the hair, I define some locks with 04

shadows and at the end I use the Smudge
↑ I spend much more time doing the character’s face than the rest of the illustration to make it stand out
tool to smoothly pull the ends outwards.

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 Create a stunning ballerina

Pro Tip
Learning by observing
Whenever I’m not in front of my computer
working on some painting, I’m somewhere
studying the world around me.

By going through your day-to-day

routine, you can learn a lot just by trying
to understand what you see. Pay close
attention to things that you find new or
fascinating and get excited about them
and learn everything from them, so when
you get back to your workstation you
can put into practice your new precious
pieces of knowledge. Don’t depend
on books or tutorials or workshops,
observation is just as useful – and it’s free!

05: Making the bra

I will now describe my process for making
the bra as shown in image 05.

A I work on the bra on a separate layer.

B Using a lace brush (you can custom-

make your own brushes in Photoshop to
speed up your process), I paint on another
layer underneath to make the lace in the
neckline, and name the layer “LACE”.

C On a new layer, I use another brush from the

same set and make only one color sample. I 05
rotate it 45° counter-clockwise and, using the
↑ Using a color sample to create the lace detail on the bra
Transform tool in Warp mode (which can be
found on the top of the window), shape it to fit
the breast. I name that layer “LACE BREAST”. H I create a new layer (“SKIN”) and paint the reflected/bounce light coming from the
selection with skin color using a Soft brush. tutu, and paint some tiny ribbons.
D I move the lace sample above the breast.
I I then repeat the same process 06: More polishing
E Holding down Ctrl, I click the thumbnail of the for the other breast. As I mentioned previously in step 04, I polish
“BRA” layer so that it selects only those pixels. from the most important element of the image
J I make a subtle color adjustment using outwards. So, in this step, I do the rest of the
F Now holding Ctrl+Alt and clicking on the the Hue/Saturation tool (Ctrl+U). skin (arm and belly). Using a large Soft brush,
“LACE BREAST” layer thumbnail unselects the I try to achieve a softer finish than I have done
pixels on the lace previously created, leaving K On the same layer, I paint the bottom for the face and chest. I also pick darker colors
only the negative space to work with. of the breasts using a Hard brush. with less tonal variation. Even if the lighting
is not technically accurate, this will help the
G I hide the “LACE BREAST” layer. L With a Soft brush, I add a subtle pink head/chest area stand out much more.

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

06

↑ Refining the skin tone using Hard and Soft brushes

07: Making the tutu A I start by making the sketch transparent of colors, making sure that the cooler
In trying to figure out how to make the tutu, I so that I know which area I’ll be working and darker tones are in the shade.
realize that the best approach is to make it as on for this step in the process.
if it is a real tutu – layers upon layers of semi- C I start drawing petal-shaped forms
transparent, fine, mesh-like fabric, called tulle. B I make a basic form so that I don’t have all around the skirt using different
A little bit of texture goes a long way here. I’ll to create hundreds of semi-transparent shades of pink, overlapping each other
walk through each step as shown in image 07. shapes to make it opaque. I mix a bunch until the base shape is not visible.

78
 Create a stunning ballerina

07

↑ The process for creating the mesh fabric for the tutu – refer to the text in step 07

D I use a skin and texture brush E I repeat the same process with the Ctrl+E) and, using the Dodge tool (hotkey:
(again, these can be made easily in other petal-shaped forms of the tutu. O), I highlight the brighter side a little (50%
Photoshop and then added to your on the Highlights setting, keeping Protect
Brush library) and erase the middle F To add some depth, I set the forms on the Tones unchecked, with a Soft brush).
of each form, leaving a nice textured side in the darkest shadow to Overlay mode.
gradient. Then I go to Filter > Blur > H Using another Gaussian Blur, I blur the
Gaussian Blur and blur just a little. G I merge all the layers of the tutu (hotkey: far side to push it into the background.

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

Pro Tip
Be a troubleshooter
Not all things have been written. They
may have been done but not particularly
put into words, so sometimes it is
a very useful habit to try to figure
out some stuff by yourself. Doing so
will also help you get to know the
software and all of its possibilities.

At first you will probably take the longest

path to your objective but as you get
comfortable with the tools and the
techniques you’ll find new and easier
ways to achieve the same objectives.

“I set the layer to Multiply

mode and lower the Opacity
to 50% so that the texture
is not as harsh on the layer
that contains all the color
information”

08: Background and final touches

Now the image just needs a background
and some finishing touches to bring the
elements together. As shown in image 08:

A I obtain a brick texture from the internet.

B I set the layer to Multiply mode and

lower the Opacity to 50% so that the
texture is not as harsh on the layer that
contains all the color information.

C I merge it with the base color and add a

Gaussian Blur to push it into the background.

D At the end I just add a soft light around

her using a large Soft brush.

You can see my final image on the next page.

08

↑ Adding a brick effect to the background

80
© Renée Chio
 FREE RESOURCES
Download your free resources for this chapter
www.3dtotalpublishing.com/resources

Stylized Female Characters | Craft a period drama female

Custom brushes have become a very popular Preset, and that’s it. All you need to do now is
subject over the years due to the diversity find the new brush you created at the bottom
of digital artists as well as the popularity of of your brush list and modify it accordingly.
speed painting. Very common questions that
professional artists hear are things like “What I start this piece by using a basic Round
brushes do you use?” and “Can I see your Photoshop brush because it is responsive and
brushes?” But the question that should be asked simple. I start the sketch monochromatically
is: “Why do you use the brushes that you use?” and will add color later. I don’t spend a lot of
time with the sketch because I like it when my
For this tutorial, I will paint a female portrait paintings evolve over the course of the image.
and will explain how I make the custom
brushes, as well as why I am using them. When I then use a custom-shaped brush to add
I create brushes I usually think of the multiple a little texture and some edge variety to
purposes each brush can have. A brush for rocks the sketch, so it doesn’t end up feeling too
could be used to paint fabric and vice versa; it digital. Creating a custom brush is a fairly
just depends on how you use it. You’ll see later straightforward process and with practice
on how I will reuse brushes for the image. can become second nature, so you can
change and manipulate brushes on the fly.
01: Starting the sketch
For people who are new to creating brushes, the 02: Brush settings
steps are pretty straight forward. First, create a To create the brush seen in image 02, I use
Chase Toole black shape or texture on a white or transparent the Lasso tool to create an interesting shape
Illustrator & Concept Designer background. Then select the shape with the and then erase some of it to add variety. I
Software used: Photoshop Lasso or Marquee tool, go to Edit > Define Brush have Spacing set to 11%, Shape Dynamics

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 Craft a period drama female

01 02

↑ Creating a black shape or texture to start ↑ Playing around with brush settings

03a

↑ Using a Normal layer to adjust colors

on, Texture on, and Transfer on (all set to 03: Adding color on top to adjust the colors accordingly
Pressure Sensitivity). You can do almost any I start to add color to the portrait by creating (image 03a). I use a cooler yellow against
random shape and make it work, as long as an Overlay layer and blocking in large warmer shadows in order to emphasize
you play around with the Brush settings. shapes of color. I then use a Normal layer some of the forms in the face.

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

To detail the hair, I want a large streaky brush

that resembles a natural brush. I start by
creating a pattern of dots with a Round brush
and then adding Shape Dynamics, Dual Brush,
and Transfer in the Brush Presets (image 03b).
The three items I’ve circled in Dual Brush are
the modifiers you will be using most of the

Pro Tip
Try different brush ideas
If you are having difficulty coming up
with shapes that work, try looking at
natural media brushes and tools, and
try to come up with ways of translating
them into Photoshop brushes. You
can also use photos as brushes by
grabbing an image, making it black
and white, then lassoing parts of the 03b
photo that you think might be useful.
↑ Using the Brush Presets window to create a streaky, natural-feeling brush

04

↑ Refining the forms in her face and hair

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 Craft a period drama female

time when using Dual Brush. When creating

custom brushes with textures, the Dual Brush is
very important. It can add an almost random,
natural quality to your custom brushes and
really come up with some awesome variances.

I find that I can spend a lot of time creating

brushes that try to mimic natural media, but
sometimes it just doesn’t work because at the
end of the day it’s still digital trying to be natural.

04: Refining forms

As you can see in image 04, I continue to refine
the forms in her face and hair. I also start
fleshing out her clothing. For these steps I go
back and forth between the brushes shown,
while adjusting the brushes as needed. I also 05
adjust some of the anatomy, as well as the
↑ Create a sponge-like flat custom brush to keep a bit of texture
surfacing in her face to get the look I want
(which I’ll probably settle on much later).
Like a sponge, it is textured because I still want roughness. This brush can be reused countless
05: Using flat brushes texture variety, even if it’s only a little apparent. times because of the interesting shapes and
I want to add in some interior shapes and colors. textures it creates with minimal changes.
I go with a rectangular block-in brush because it 06: Keeping it painterly
resembles laying in thick, flat colors. When I use When I start to soften the textures in certain You can also use an Airbrush or the Smudge
brushes like this I think of what it’s like painting areas I tend to stay with a rough, streaky brush tool to soften the edges and forms, which
with a house paint brush, palette knife, or flat (image 06a) because it gives the appearance of are just as good, but it’s up to you and
sponge. Here I imagine a sponge-like flat brush. a smooth surface without losing the painterly depends on what you prefer (image 06b).

06a

↑ A streaky brush that maintains a painterly roughness

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

07: Round brushes

I decide I don’t like how the character is working
out, so I change her. I give her a little more
“edge” and also add more character in her
face by refining the shapes. Using the Round
brush means I have a lot of control and it is also
very fast at refining the silhouette. I use the
Round brush a lot, but I always change it in the
moment, whether it’s changing the texture, Dual
Brush, or Spacing; it’s a very versatile brush.

Round brushes are good from start to finish

because they are responsive and have
lots of variety. Also, if they are textured
properly, they can even prevent an image
from looking too digital. In image 07 I 06b
show only a few choices of a vast amount
↑ Use an Airbrush or the Smudge tool to soften edges and forms
of possibilities with the Round brush.

“The best advice I can give is the

advice I was given: experiment, + Transfer
play, and have fun”
+ Shape Dynamics
08: Refining the character
As seen in image 08, you can miss even the
+ Texture
most obvious issues while looking closely at the
brushes, such as the fact that her ears are way too
high and the top of head is getting lost. I adjust + Dual Brush
her ear by lassoing it, then I Copy Merge it on top
and reposition it. I also add white lace in her hair + Dual Brush
to stop the top of her head from becoming lost. 07

↑ Different options for the Round brush

I smooth out some rougher areas and some
edges that are too sharp. At this point of the
painting I constantly flip and hide layers to see
if the edits I make are working or not. I am fairly
happy with the outcome here and call it done.

Brushes are a wonderful tool that can streamline

your work, add texture and interest, or even
help create some abstract shapes that can
really open up your imagination. One of the
best ways of learning how to create brushes
is to download other people’s brushes and
pull them apart to find out what makes them
what they are. Many artists have different ways
of using and creating brushes, and there are
many resources out there to help you create
your own brushes that fit the way you paint. 08
But the best advice I can give is the advice I
↑ I add white lace to her hair to give more definition to it
was given: experiment, play, and have fun!

86
Stylized Female Characters | Paint Helen of Troy
In this tutorial I will guide you through the I choose one design that I like for the next
creation process for my manga version of Helen step. I also nail down the design of Helen’s
of Troy. I will share the common approach I take character and her costume before I move on.
when it comes to manga painting, which I think
has efficiency and offers flexibility for editing. I feel more comfortable working on paper
than in digital medium and I tend to work
The story of Helen of Troy is about love and
conflict. She is the reason for the Trojan War “I draw some more small
between the Greeks and Trojans. According thumbnails while I try to come
to the story, Helen was the most beautiful up with a graceful pose for
woman in the world. She married Menelaus, Helen”
who became the King of Sparta, but Paris, a
handsome young Prince from Troy, grabbed her

Pro Tip
and fled Sparta while Menelaus was not there.
This was the event that triggered the war.
Strike a pose
With regards to the theme, I want to portray When I’m trying to work out a pose,
the charm of Helen and the conflict between I often try the pose myself in front of
the men in her life in this illustration. a mirror. It’s a very useful practice if
you want to understand poses clearly
01: Composition and design because it’s easy to overlook some
Patipat Asavasena I sketch some composition design thumbnails. minor details, such as how the arms
Freelance Artist These drawings are just for exploring my twist or the tension in the muscles.
Software used: Photoshop ideas, so they don’t need to be detailed. Then

88
 Paint Helen of Troy

faster that way as well. So, I stick with

a pencil and paper first and import the
sketch to the computer for editing later.

I draw some more small thumbnails while I try

to come up with a graceful pose for Helen.

“I create a new layer and

roughly draw additional
details. Finally, I flip the image
to check it for any errors and fix
them”

02: Rough sketch

I create an 8 x 12-inch canvas at 200dpi and
import the sketch. Then I transform the sketch to
match the thumbnail in the first step. After that,
I create a new layer and roughly draw additional
details. Finally, I flip the image to check it for
any errors and fix them. After everything is
done as planned, I print it out on A4 paper.

03: Clean up 01
I tape a blank piece of paper to the print-out
↑ Composition thumbnails and the design of Helen’s character and costume
I made in the previous step, and then use

02 03a

↑ My rough sketch ↑ I use a 2B pencil and an eraser to clean up the rough sketch on a draft table

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

03b 04a

↑ My scanned image ↑ Refining the drawing

a 2B pencil, eraser, and draft table to clean remove odd black dots that were caused by 06: Color schemes
up the rough sketch. It’s quite an old-school my scanner when I scanned in the image in I duplicate the current canvas to a lower
method. This step took me about 2 hours the previous step (see images 04a and 04b). resolution file by choosing Image > Duplicate.
and 30 minutes (see image 03a). Finally, I Then I roughly put some colors down, playing
scan in the cleaned-up drawing and import 05: Changing the line art color with the Layer blending mode and insanely
it back into Photoshop again (image 03b). I change the color of the line art, for a softer tweaking the color with the Adjustment tool
look, by choosing Image > Adjustments > Hue/ before saving it as a new copy. Usually, I
When you do this, remember to make Saturation, then increasing the Lightness create two or three color scheme variations,
sure you increase the resolution to value to 8–10 approximately, and scrolling the then I pick one and use it as a reference.
300–350dpi for a high quality file. Hue until the line art is dark red. I also make
sure the Colorize checkbox is checked. “I don’t use the small-sized
04: Digital clean up brush because I want to make
This time I create an 8 x 12-inch canvas at “ I roughly put some colors sure I don’t focus on the details
300dpi in Photoshop and import the drawing down, playing with the Layer first”
from the previous step into a new layer. blending mode and insanely
Then I select the Curves tool from Image > tweaking the color with the 07: Setting up the layers
Adjustments > Curves to increase the contrast Adjustment tool before saving Back to the original canvas, I create a layer
of the line art. I also use the Eraser tool to it as a new copy” for each element in the image: skin, hair,

90
 Paint Helen of Troy

04b

↑ Using the Curves tool to increase the contrast of the line art

05 06

↑ Changing the color of the line art for a softer look ↑ Trying different color variations

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

07a 07b

↑ I create a layer for each element in the image ↑ Using the Lasso and Fill tools to fill each layer

“Pull Quotes go in here. Adjust

Pro
the line Tip on the left to suit the
lines menu
Radial of text. Please keep text
box
If edges
you use between
a Wacom the lines”
Intuos4 tablet, you can
perform Lasso/Gradient switching quickly
by using the customized radial menu.

This technique can boost your working

speed effectively. I like to put my
common shortcuts in the radial menu

08a

↑M
 ake sure you check the Preserved Transparency check-
box for each layer
cloth, throne, and background. Then I use sized brush because I want to make sure
the Lasso and Fill tools to fill each layer with I don’t focus on the details first.
a solid color according to the color script I I continuously reduce the brush size as
established earlier (see images 07a and 07b). “I set the Layer blending mode I progress to further steps. When you’re
to Multiply and start to apply painting, it’s important not to forget to check
08: Rough shadow details a light orange color with the the Preserved Transparency checkbox for
I use a large Flat Bristle brush to roughly Normal Round brush. After this, each layer before applying the paint. This
paint the shadow. I don’t use the small- I merge it with the skin layer” means that you can’t apply the paint on the

92
 Paint Helen of Troy

08b 09a

↑ Painting in the shadow ↑ I create a new layer on top of the skin layer

transparent areas, so the effect is the same

as layer masking (images 08a and 08b).

09: Skin painting technique

I create a new layer on top of the skin layer
and create a clipping mask by pressing
Option+Cmd+G (Ctrl+Alt+G in Windows).
Then I set the Layer blending mode to
Multiply and start to apply a light orange
color with the Normal Round brush.

After this, I merge it with the skin

layer (images 09a and 09b).

Finally, I use the Gradient tool with 09b 09c

a Soft Round brush in order to blend
↑ Adding a light orange color after adding a clipping mask ↑ Blending the shadows with a Soft Round brush
the shadows (image 09c).

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Chapter 02 | Stylized Female Characters

10: Over-painting 11: Adding the final touches And the image is done! I spent about
When I am satisfied with the overall look, I flatten After I have added a lot of minor detail, I 12 hours on this artwork and I’m quite
all the layers and then over-paint the entire create some adjustment layers, such as Color satisfied with the final result. You can see
image (image 10a). This is a time-consuming Balance, Curves, and Brightness/Contrast, the final production on the right here.
step, but it increases the quality of work for non-destructive editing of the image.
significantly. I often begin with the facial area “I create some adjustment
because it’s the main point of interest. Spending This is quite useful because you can come layers, such as Color Balance,
a good amount of time on the face is worth back to revise the image later. If you use the Curves, and Brightness/
it. Images 10b–10d show the way the image tools in Image > Adjustments, however, you Contrast, for non-destructive
changed during the over-painting process. can’t go back to the original file anymore. editing of the image”

10a 10b

↑ I paint over the entire image ↑ I start by looking at her face in detail

11
10c 10d
↑ The use of adjustment layers allows for non-destructive
↑ I add blue to the flower in her hair ↑ Blue is also added to her accessories editing

94
Pin-up Girls
We’ll now move on to a more specific type of talented artists in this section will teach you
stylized female character in the form of pin- how to design and paint great pin-ups, whether
up girls. Pin-up art has been a pop-culture they’re classic and sophisticated or cheeky and
staple for decades, depicting charming and alternative, from choosing a theme and outfit
glamorous women with stylized panache. The to capturing the perfect pose and expression.
Pin-up Girls | Paint a racing-car driver
A pin-up is, by assumption of most people, I sketch out some sweet but intense poses,
a common, and sometimes vulgar, sexually as well as facial expressions, searching
evocative image of a female. However, a for contemporary references of racing-car
good pin-up design is much more than sex outfits, shoes, helmets, and so on. All of
appeal; it is actually one of the bestselling these features will support me with a better
resources used in any advertising and color palette and a better lighting scheme to
marketing campaign strategy. match the mood and feelings that you would
expect from a racing-car environment.
You’ll find a huge variety of pin-up styles
related to any subject. For the purpose of The feelings of intense speed, precision of
this tutorial I will show you the conception, movement, pursuit for the best lap, pleasure
design, and painting of a racing-car driver of victory, glamor of fame, and so on, are
pin-up girl, combining a classic vintage essential features that I want to put across
and contemporary realistic style. to the audience through my pin-up.

My chosen concept for this is inspired by the I hope that the viewer can relate to the image
vintage images of Gil Elvgren and Norman and, at the end of the day, turn an ordinary girl
Rockwell. Although I will not be using into a pretty and desirable racing-car driver.
nudity, I will use provocative cleavage and
curves in order to present a well-known, 01: Gesture
classic pin-up pose with expressive and Gestures are important because they
Cris Delara appealing body language and a friendly represent a sense of overall form. They
Artist and charming smile. I would say that she must show not only what the subject
Software used: Photoshop is an ordinary girl with a vivid attitude! looks like but also what it is doing.

98
 Paint a racing-car driver

01 02

↑ Laying down some quick, flowing lines ↑ Make the posture poised and curvy

I draw all my sketches and line art in A pin-up’s body language is often related to • If she is lying down, draw her arched;
Photoshop because it is faster and easier one of the standard poses: standing up, sitting you can improve her body curves
for me to make changes and undo areas. I down, or lying down. The main requirements by avoiding the flat butt effect.
open a 11 x 17-inch blank canvas at 300dpi for any pin-up pose are therefore straight
and use a regular Hard Round brush with and curved lines, which means the posture 03: Deciding on the pose
Opacity set to 100% and a black color selected. is held as upright (straight) as possible, I decide to go with a sitting down pose. If
When I need to highlight something in my always improving her curves. Here are you are working for a client, however, and
sketches, I just change the brush color. some tips that I find particularly useful: it’s up to them (not you) to decide which
pose is the final one, try to use the following
I do the initial gesture sketches loosely. I don’t • If she is standing up, draw her at an angle; guidelines to make consistent sketches.
worry about the small details because I want to the line of action should always be curved.
capture the energy of the movement, its rhythm First, remember that the pin-up’s main elements
and balance. I make quick, deliberate marks • If she is sitting down, draw her elegant are straight and curved in any of the three
using flat line techniques to lay down the core and sensual (never in a relaxed posture). standard poses. Second, when sketching
and big shapes, looking at the spine position and
movement to allow the eye to follow the shape.

02: Body language

The body language establishes a visual
communication that should be clear and easy
for the audience to read and understand.

In the case of a vintage pin-up, I need to add

glamor, elegance, and beauty through her
body position, movement, facial expression,
and eye movement. This will make an
interpretation of feelings easier and will 03
also help to create a strong and sensual
↑ Deciding the pose using the flat line and coil techniques
appeal without a vulgar approach.

99
Chapter 03 | Pin-up Girls

pin-up poses, start with a warm-up exercise,

5 or 10 minutes maximum. Whether they are
#2 #3
standing up, sitting down, or lying down poses,
make them as free and organic as possible.

Last, make light, soft and loose sketches using

the flat line technique for a flat sketch or the coil
technique for a more dimensional one. Keep in #5
#4
mind that elegance, freshness, and movement
are important to contribute to the message; after
all, a good pin-up is not just a beautiful face.

04: Outfit
After searching the web for racing-car drivers’
outfits, I duplicate my chosen sketch to
The #1
experiment with some outfit choices. As I
chosen
want to draw a vintage-style mixed with a outfit
contemporary-style pin-up, I need to adjust 04a 04b
the traditional, comfortable, and tailored
↑ Experimenting with different outfit choices ↑ The chosen outfit
men’s overalls to a slimmer, tighter version
to fit and highlight the curvy model.

#1 #2
Out of the different overall versions, including
some with short legs and some with short sleeves,
I choose the full body overalls. Not only does this
have a modern approach, it also leaves room
for marketing, logos, sponsorship, and so on.

As I mix the styles, I can play with a colorful

palette, instead of painting the stereotype of a
femme fatale with sexy black leather overalls.
#3 #4

Of course, I draw some quick sketches to check if

my intuition is going in the right direction. If any
changes are necessary, now is the time to make
them – in the drawing phase, before it is too late.

“It must be clear that the

expression matches the gesture
and body language used” #5

05: Expressions The chosen

expression
Expressions are a very interesting element which
interact with the feeling, the mood, and the
way a message is transmitted to the audience.

Areas to consider for a clear expression are

eyes, eyebrows, forehead wrinkles, mouth,
cheek, and chin muscles. You have to practice 05
and draw a lot of these facial elements to
↑ Choosing the right expression
be able to draw a convincing expression.

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 Paint a racing-car driver

It must be clear that the expression

Cleaning sketch
matches the gesture and body language
used. For instance, the image of an athletic
girl wearing a fitness outfit in an action
position, ready to perform a back flip, would
not work with a sleepy expression.

For this image, I want my pin-up to have a cute

and charming smile. I want to convey a clear and
joyful expression of pleasure and energy, which is
portrayed through the balanced facial anatomy
and correct interaction with the body language.

“I erase not only the

imperfections on the line art,
but also the areas within it
(where I will be adding color)”
06
06: Digital line art
↑ Preparing my final line art
I now prepare the final line art. As mentioned, I do
all my sketches in Photoshop. If you prefer, you
can do all your sketches in the traditional way I choose my base skin color tone and lay it all over you would prefer a brunette or fair or tanned girl,
with pencil and paper. After that, you can scan the the image using a Hard Round brush with the the skin color/tone will of course be different.
sketches at 300dpi, open them in regular layers, Opacity set to 100%. Remember that the painting
and make any changes, highlights, or notes, layer is under the locked Multiply sketch layer. I erase the painting which exceeds the boundaries
which support you in the next painting step. The choice for the skin color tone is up to you; if of my line art by using the Eraser tool again.

When I do my pin-up paintings I always save

my sketches in a separate file. I only move
the final and approved sketch to a new file,
where I start my painting process. I now
open my final approved sketch (which was
saved in the same size and resolution as
mentioned before) in a new 11 x 17-inch,
300dpi, blank canvas and start cleaning it up.

I clean it using the Eraser tool and a Round Hard

brush with the Opacity set to 100%. I erase not
only the imperfections on the line art, but also
the areas within it (where I will be adding color).

07: Preparing for painting

It is now time to start painting. I convert the
sketch layer to Multiply mode, change the
line art color from black to brown using the
Hue/Saturation tool (this ensures the line
art will blend better with the future color),
and finally lock it with the Lock Tool in the
Layer palette in order to avoid any accidental 07
painting in it. This allows me to see my future
↑ Laying down the base color
painting layers under the sketch layer.

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LIGHTS

08a 08b 08c

↑ The main light source comes from the top-right corner ↑ The dark/shadow areas ↑ Painting in the highlights

08: Rendering skin color around the face, I add warmer skin tones by “sculpting” the areas on her face, simulating
The first thing I do now is choose the rendering bigger reddish areas, using the same the softness of this brush with my digital pen.
direction of the main light source for my Soft Round brush with the Opacity set to 50%. Handling the pressure applied with my digital
image. This is crucial because it guides pen on my tablet, I can make my strokes soft,
me throughout the rendering process. The initial rendering on the face is done in keeping the painting as delicate as I wish.
four steps: darker areas, brighter areas, warm
The next step after deciding on the light source shadow to enhance the framing of the face and Brush number 36 has a rectangular shape, but in
direction is marking the dark areas on the face adding the warmer (reddish colored) areas. other Photoshop versions this could be different,
(eyes, nose, and jaw line) using a darker tone so look for a similar shaped brush in your version.
than the base color. To make those marks, I use 09: Improving the face
the Soft Round brush with the Opacity set to 50%. The idea behind improving the rendering is 10: Painting hair
working on the details of the face, such as the I decide to give my pin-up long, black loose
Now it is time to make marks for the brighter nose, eyes, mouth, lips, cheek, and so on. curly hair. However, I do not use the black hue
areas on the face (always thinking about the as the base color tone to start with. I decide to
direction of the light source). Again, I use the Those details bring the rendering to a more go for a lighter black tone to cover all her hair,
Soft Round brush with the Opacity set to 50%. dimensional approach; it is like you are sculpting and then more of a traditional black tone to
I also improve the face’s framing by applying the face, giving it a slight 3D feel, which makes make all the shadows I need around the framing
a warm shadow around it. This warm shadow your painting pop and look more realistic. of her face to simulate a sense of depth.
is obtained using the base skin color and then
altering it to a slightly darker reddish tone. With brush number 36 in the Photoshop Still handling the same brush (number 36,
Brush library set to an Opacity of 50% (there Opacity set to 100%), I pick up a lighter black
After marking the darker and brighter areas is no hardness control function enabled base tone and apply it all over the hair by doing
of the face and applying the warm shadow in this brush), I start rendering the details, long and smooth strokes, following the direction

08d 09a

↑ Adding touches of warm tones ↑ Selecting brush number 36 in the standard Photoshop library

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 Paint a racing-car driver

09b 09c

↑ Blending the highlights and shadows together to create a 3D feel ↑ Using the Brush shape library to find similar rectangular brushes

10a 10b

↑ Using a rectangular brush (number 36) paint in a base color ↑ Use a speckled brush (brush 24) to create a wavy effect

of the sections of the hair, sometimes from top K: 8), but you can use another color set if you
to bottom and sometimes from bottom to top. prefer, such as an American red, white, and blue.
Using the traditional large Round Airbrush with
Whether my strokes are top to bottom or vice Opacity set to 100%, I apply the beige color all
versa, I always keep in mind the spots where the over the costume area and the red over her waist.
light is catching the hair and the effect it has on After that, I come back to brush number 36 with
the painting. This helps me to do the highlights the Opacity varying between 50% and 70% to
in a more realistic way to simulate the waves. mark the details and wrinkles on the costume.

To obtain those results I use another brush I create the wrinkles by combining the pressure
(number 24 with Opacity set to 90%), combining on the digital pen and the variation of the
my strokes with the pressure I apply on my roundness diameter of the brush. Of course,
digital pen. That combination between the soft the darker and lighter areas of the wrinkles
pressure on the digital pen and the opacity in the are made by matching the direction of the
brush is essential to achieve the result I want. light source on the overalls’ material.

11: Tailoring the costume Another point worth noting is that I do

The overall color I define for my pin-up is a beige not apply or simulate any texture on the 11
(C: 24; M: 26: Y: 33; K: 0) with a large horizontal costume. I prefer my pin-up costumes
↑ Adding the color and highlights to the costume
red strip on her abdomen (C: 18; M: 100; Y: 80; to be as vintage in style as possible.

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“I use the number 36 brush

with the Opacity set to 50%
to create details, lights, and
shadows on the shoes”
12: Painting the shoes
In this step, I continue with the same process
and idea of covering the shoe’s whole area
with a dark base tone color. I decide to go
for a very dark green (C: 71; M: 64; Y: 69; K:
77) and apply this color with the Round
Airbrush with the Opacity set to 100%.

When I finish covering all the shoe area, I check

to see if there is any excessive color beyond the 12 13
outline, which I delete using the Eraser tool.
↑ Painting in material details on the shoes ↑ Adding base color, highlights, and shadows

After that, I use the number 36 brush with

the Opacity set to 50% to create details,
lights, and shadows on the shoes. Her shoes
in my concept are made with a combination
of leather and rubber materials.

To create a result such as rubber areas on the

shoes (and we have to remember that rubber
is more opaque than leather, so we have to
avoid shiny spots on it), I use a brighter tone
of the dark green base color, and I do any 14
possible lights and volumes on it by using a
↑ Final details and creating a transparent effect
grayish tone from this same color with the
Soft Round brush, Opacity set to 50%.
tear-off shield and the ventilation system know the material catches the light. Now I use
13: Painting the helmet near the bottom section of the helmet. the Eraser tool in the format of the Soft Round
I decide to paint the helmet as an opaque Airbrush to erase some parts of that white color,
material in a red color (C: 24; M: 100; Y: 68; K: 14) 14: Painting the visor which helps to create a more realistic spotlight
to match the costume’s waist. The initial process The visor is made of a transparent plastic effect. You can see the final image on the right.
is the same as before. We need to apply the color material (it is not glass material) and

Pro Tip
on the helmet by using the Round Airbrush, because of that the light reflection is a little
Opacity set to 100% (bigger size is better). different than on the traditional glass.
Thumbnails for design
Once we have the helmet’s base area all I paint it in a separate layer (above the Thumbnailing is important for
covered, I choose the spots where there are helmet’s layer) with the Soft Round Airbrush conceptualizing. When you design from
highlights and shadows according to the and Opacity set to 20% (remember that it a reference (especially something out of
main light source. I achieve these by applying is a transparent material) using a white, your comfort zone), make several versions
a lighter tone of red for lights and a darker bluish color (C: 36; M: 21; Y: 6; K: 0). before you settle for one. Gather as much
tone of red for shadows, using the same reference as you can and become familiar
Soft Round Airbrush (Opacity set to 50%). In another new layer (above the tear-off shield with it; chances are your first few sketches
layer), I paint the light reflection on the tear-off probably won’t get the style quite right. So
After that, I switch to the number 36 brush shield by using the Soft Round Airbrush with start copying first and little by little you’ll
(and set the Opacity to 50%) to create some the Opacity set to 40% and use an almost white come up with your own designs and ideas.
more details, such as the grooves for the tone (C: 6; M: 5; Y: 4; K: 0) on the areas where I

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Pin-up Girls | Craft an army girl
In this tutorial, I will show you the illustration After accumulating a good number of
and digital painting process for creating a pin-up connections between ideas, I start to sketch
figure with a tank/army theme using Photoshop. them out in a very loose form. However, in
It will cover the steps required to paint a the case of a pin-up illustration such as this,
finished illustration all the way from concept I skip straight to the thumbnails where I can
to completion. I will use a Wacom Cintiq 24HD. manipulate ideas while focusing on the figure
within the control of a closed composition.
In addition to showing you how I do each
step, I also aim to show you why. One of the
greatest challenges of an illustration is not to
paint a pretty picture but to convey an idea
as well, even when the image focuses on a
figure for the sake of the figure. Combined with
both focuses, I believe this is a great method
for producing a successful illustration.

01: Idea generation

Once I’ve received the brief for an illustration
(or an idea for a personal piece), I go straight
to text-based mind-mapping. The idea here is
to list out obvious schemes, relative passing
Kari Günther thoughts, and seemingly unimportant tangents 01
Illustrator to arrive quickly upon clever solutions (but
Software used: Photoshop without worrying about visual aspects yet). ↑ I use lists and icons to help generate ideas and concepts

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 Craft an army girl

02

↑ A closer look at different brush types and their relevant settings

03

↑ Four different thumbnails sketched out in borders made with the Rectangle tool

02: Preparing for thumbnails 03: Creating thumbnails After some feedback, I settle on the most
For thumbnails, I recommend working with Now sketch those ideas! Each idea should dynamic of the thumbnails (the third thumbnail)
one side at a minimum of 2000 pixels so you be significantly different from another. For and head out to nail down all the intricacies
don’t feel confined, and provide thumbnail my thumbnails, I want to show the concepts I feel will be important to the final image.
borders using the Rectangle tool so you I discovered in step 01: liberty, confidence,
can define an exact ratio if desired. domination, caterpillar tracks, cannons, and
some obvious concepts such as the military.
Use any brush that mimics the feel of a
pencil. Note that for this tutorial, you only No damsels in distress for this army badass! I’m
really need a few brushes: a Soft Round brush ultimately aiming for my pin-up to be a strong
(75% minimum diameter), a rectangular woman with boots, tank-appropriate gear,
brush with some texture to it, and then and to resemble the same power of her tank
something to sketch with. Optionally, you artillery. However, let’s not forget this is a pin-up,
could also include a Spatter brush. a celebration of the figure and its freedom.

“No damsels in distress for this 04: Reviewing your thumbnails

army badass! I’m ultimately Next up, we add up our wins and count our
aiming for my pin-up to be losses. Some of those thumbnails just didn’t
a strong woman with boots, fulfill the goal of a forward-marching prowess
tank-appropriate gear, and to (such as the first thumbnail), or maybe the idea 04
resemble the same power of was there but the composition didn’t match the
her tank artillery” concept (for example in the second thumbnail). ↑ The chosen thumbnail before tackling the tight sketch

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05: Setting up for digital painting

First off, set up your document. Then triple-
check you’ve set up your document properly.
Is it in CMYK or RGB? Is it 300dpi? Is the pixel
aspect ratio square? The only thing that should
be different from your final image is the width
and height: I recommend working at either
150%, 200%, or 300% larger than your final
export size, unless your final image will be
blown up to an extremely large size (such as
20ft/6m). This helps to ensure an appropriate
amount of detail shows up in the final image.

06: Creating a tight sketch

I copy and paste my thumbnail, and while
reviewing references, draw out a certain degree of
detail. Although I’m not worried about the quality 05
of line work (none of it will show up in the final
↑ A screenshot of the New Image window and image specs for beginners
piece), effort put in here is problem-solving before
painting. Anything you don’t draw now will have
to be done freehand with color. This can be great this, it’s easiest to set up the line work before in the channel layer: Alpha 1 (the new channel).
and is preferred when you’re more experienced, painting. First flatten your line work, Select Switch back to the Layers window, click the
but if you’re unfamiliar with any aspect of the All, and Copy. Next open the Channels window layer with the line work and add a mask.
image (for example the way in which fabric might and hit New Channel, then paste your copied
turn or how the anatomy will feel grounded), selection. Then you need to click Invert and From here, when you paint on this layer (not
do the work now. Unresolved problems, such create a selection: Ctrl+click the thumb preview the mask), it should color the line work only!
as anatomy, will end up in your final image.

07: Setting up line work for color

This step is optional. I like to use my tight sketch
for guidance while painting, but prefer to color
it instead of leaving harsh black lines. To do

06
07
↑ A detailed sketch to be used during the
painting process ↑ A step-by-step description of how to set up line work for color

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 Craft an army girl

08

↑ A color palette range and how the colors work together

“I recommend including colors

that act as shadows and
highlights, as well as some
high-contrast hues”

08: Developing a color scheme

You should consider providing a small JPEG with
a range of colors to act as your color palette. 09 10
Although there are several ways to come up
with one, I recommend including colors that ↑ The first step in the painting process: the background ↑ Making changes to show solid light sources and effects

act as shadows and highlights, as well as some

high-contrast hues (for example if your color Also feel free to include some background details 12: Coloring your line work
palette has a lot of desaturated green, include a now if they are behind your subject matter. This is another optional step. If you want to
saturated red). Don’t feel confined to your palette use your line work once you’re finished with
while painting later though, it is a simply a guide. 11: Blocking in mid-tones the mid-tones, go back to the line-work layer
Here, I literally paint in flat color, with mid-tones and paint the line work with colors similar to
09: Painting a basic background only, for everything in significant size. If you’re (but not exactly the same as) the mid-tones
Now you can begin painting! To start, you going to color the line work later, you can easily for each object. Eventually all the line work
want to lay down some color using big paint in-between the lines by painting on a should be painted over, but it’s a lot less work
brushes, giving attention to elements in the layer below the line-work layer. If not, make the to paint over if the differences between the
background. Give your piece a light source effort to include overlapping between objects line work and flat color/mid-tones are faint. If
that you’ll follow throughout the painting, (work back to front) with a layer on top of the you don’t need certain aspects of the line work
show atmospheric perspective if applicable, line-work layer. When you’re finished, check (for example the edge of an object), color it the
and try to describe large shapes. Keep it soft the overall color scheme before moving on to exact same color as the mid-tone. Only keep
and don’t use too much detail at this stage. ensure you’ve still got a palette that works. line work that will help you while you paint.

Also try to provide accurate saturation and tone

for the colors in the middle ground – as you
start to paint the other objects in the painting,
you’ll want a comparison of how each color
responds to those around it. Without an accurate
middle ground, comparing this is difficult.

10: Creating atmosphere and mood

Take a moment to check out your piece and
think about the other elements not seen in the
image that you can hint at. Are there clouds?
Tree branches? Another light source? More
often than not, something will be before the
foreground, and if it’s possible to describe it in
your image, it will help pull in the viewer. You 11 12
can refer to the painting Las Meninas by Diego
↑ Showing the mid-tones and flat color in the scene ↑ We can now move away from relying on line work
Velázquez for further study on this effect.

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13 14

↑ Showing all the shadows in the scene ↑ Here you can see the highlights added in the image

13: Painting shadows 15: Final details

Next, paint the shadows for every single thing Here is the fun part, and usually the easiest!
in your image. This is by far the most time- Play with the Levels, Contrast, Saturation,
consuming part of the painting process, so and so on, to highlight your focal point. Add
don’t be afraid to spend a lot of time here. the reflection in the eyes and give your most
important subject matter a little “oomph”. In
Also, for the most part, it’s more difficult to addition, you could try blurring out areas that
paint shadows on highlights than highlights aren’t as important or giving a slight vignette to
on shadows. So when in doubt, make an area your image to draw in the viewer. Last, save your
darker rather than keeping it too light. For file in a lossless file format, such as TIFF or PSD.
consistency, all shadows should be either cooler

Pro Tip
than the mid-tones or warmer (unless you
have multiple light sources of different hues).
Color theory is everything
14: Painting highlights Using the concept of temperature when
After all the shadows are done, highlights come choosing colors can really help to bring
next. This is the place where you want to use your your image to life. You should choose
master-like painting control to your advantage; warm shadows and cool highlights or,
whatever is done here is probably not going to get alternatively, cool highlights and warm
covered later. Take time to include elements such shadows. Unless you have multiple
as texture and pay attention to how saturated light sources of different hues, this
your highlights are. While your color choices for rule will help you to make a lot of good 15
an area always depend on the surrounding color, choices when it comes to color.
↑ Adding those little finishing touches to the image
be careful here when deciding what tint to use.

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Pin-up Girls | Render a steampunk character
In this tutorial I will guide you through my There are certain materials such as leather,
process of creating a steampunk pin-up, from gold, and other metals that are featured in this
sketch to final piece. I’ll explain how to choose style and can be easily adapted to a pin-up
the best pose and lighting, how to design the outfit. In order to make it look very pin-up-
outfit, and how to create textures with brushes like, we have to watch out for those typical
and other tools. We’ll also look at picking a poses and attitudes. Steampunk props are
palette and finding a good composition. important to help conjure up images of the
industrialized era of the 19th century. I’ll cover
First, we need to understand how the a few of them in this tutorial, including a hat,
steampunk style can be applied to a pin-up. goggles, buckles, corset, and pocket watch.

Photographer: Drew Hopkins

Model: Stacie Snow
Makeup artist/hair stylist:
Monique McLaughlin

Renée Chio
Animator & Illustrator
↑ Reference images for research
Software used: Photoshop

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 Render a steampunk character

Another thing that we need to keep in mind

about the steampunk style is the particular
color palette which consists of a variety
of warm tones, especially brown, sepia,
and reddish tones that are accentuated by
brighter colors from the metallic materials.

The lighting I use is very basic, but it serves

the purpose of making the face stand out by
creating contrast in the eye area and displaying
the outfit properly. I will start working from
the face and work my way outwards.

Too cramped 01: Choosing the pose and outfit

I sketch using a basic Hard Round brush, with
which the opacity can be controlled by the pen
pressure. I come up with a pin-up-like pose that
helps to show the elements clearly. A sitting,
upright pose condenses most of the design into
a smaller area, making it easier to appreciate the
details of the outfit. Pigtails are a personal choice.

I know I want the design to include typical

steampunk elements such as the corset, hat,
goggles, flounce, and thigh highs, but I also try
Right foot more involved
other items such as a whip, gun, or telescope.
Props closer to the head and the torso make it
look cramped, however, so I discard that option
and instead go for posing her hand on her knee
as this makes the composition flow better. I now
also have some of the base tones figured out.

02: Cleaning up the sketch

Instead of creating a new layer and making a
clean copy, I clean up the actual sketch because
I like to keep some of the roughness – it makes
01 it feel more organic. It also allows me to keep
Good composition
working on the design without having to change
↑ Composition is all about leading the eye around the image
layers. I sketch and clean up on the same layer
at the same time. I start by tidying up the
rough lines using the same Hard Round brush
(only this time I also control the size of the
brush with the pressure) and the Eraser tool.

I erase the edges that are too rough until they

are more defined. Then I use the brush to
define forms further or to fill in the blanks. As
I do this process I come up with ideas for the
02 design. Based on my reference, I add more
steampunk elements, such as the pocket watch
↑ I use a 14-pixel brush to clean up the sketch
and some strings looped through the corset.

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Base tones Shadows (Multiply mode) Occlusion shadows Altogether 03

↑ Occlusion shadows always add much more depth

Pro Tip
another layer) in areas where the light can’t brush set to Color mode on the edge between
reach – this will automatically darken areas light and shadow to make it look more lively.
Understanding textures that won’t draw the attention from the face. I then repeat the same process with a yellow
When I come across a texture I haven’t tone on the light. I blend the colors using a Hard
painted before, I take my time to analyze 04: The pin-up face brush at 30% Opacity to get soft gradients. To
the colors, tones, highlights, and surface, Classical pin-up faces have a very particular help it stand out a little more, I make some
because those are the basic properties style. They usually have candid expressions, color adjustments and then desaturate the lit
that will determine whether it’s a big doe eyes, and red lips. It’s also the focal side with the Sponge tool set to Desaturate.
translucent, reflecting, soft, rough, or point of this type of illustration, so it has to
opaque material. Then I try to figure out draw the attention of the viewer instantly. For 05: Making pretty hair
mentally how I can achieve that look this reason I tend to polish the face a lot more When I do the sketch and the base tones, I define
using Photoshop. I’d suggest playing than the rest of the composition. Once I have the hair locks with lines and shadow, wrapping
around with all the tools, changing the the base tones and the lighting figured out, I them around each other to make it look curly. I
settings, and finding out what they’re paint with a saturated orange tone using a Soft vary the size of the locks so that they feel more
good for or what you can do with them.

03: Base tones, lighting,

and composition
Since it’s all going to be warm tones, it’s easier
to keep a nice contrast between them. I choose Saturated soft
brownish colors for most materials and try to brushstrokes

keep the brighter colors on the top half and

darker tones on the bottom. I make sure that
the face gets more attention by making the
hair, skin, and hat contrast. The lighting will
also play an important role in the composition.
I deliberately place my light source slightly
higher, so that it creates shadow in the eye area
and thus generates even more contrast. I paint
the shadows and the cast shadows with light 04
Blend with a Hard brush Color adjustment
brown on a new layer on top and set it to Multiply
↑ The adjustments only affect the face
mode. Then I paint the occlusion shadows (on

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Single
hairs

Smudge

Highlight
Overlay 05

↑ The brush I use to make the single hairs is no larger than 3 pixels

natural. I polish the edges to define the shape

of the pigtail and, with a much smaller brush, I
paint single hairs all around it so that it doesn’t
look like a solid shape, but more like actual hair.

To make the highlights I paint sideways

H-shaped forms using the Hard brush. Then
I smudge them following the direction of the
hair using the Smudge tool with a small Hard
brush. At the end I set the layer I’ve painted
the hair on to Overlay mode, duplicate it, and
erase the edges to make it a thinner highlight.

06: Blouse and flounce

Steampunk-styled blouses and skirts are loose
and have ornaments attached to the ends of
them. I paint large folds on the blouse to make it
look looser. I make these folds move towards the
force that’s pulling them from the corset using
a custom brush to get an old fabric texture.

I create the flounce (the decorative, gathered

material on the edge) on the neckline and skirt
using the following steps: I draw a tight wavy line
Shadows and then draw a straight perpendicular line for
each curve. Next, I shade the parts where the light
can’t reach inside each fold and the cast shadow.
Since the blouse is white, the light will bounce
off it and reflect on the folds facing down. Then I
Bounce light Occlusion shadow Add some thickness 06 paint an occlusion shadow between the flounce
and the flat area to give it some depth. At the end
↑ Making the folds move towards the force will also make the sleeve more integrated; creating the flounce
I just add a light all along the edge for thickness.

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Blend

Blend

Blend
Burn tool Blend More Burn tool

Erase

Erase

Smudge tool 07

↑ Combining different types of brushes makes textures feel more solid

07: Making leather materials reddish tones. Then with the Brush tool and the side to side with the Smudge tool and a small
Brown leather has reddish tones which we can same custom brush, I pick colors from the new brush, then erase the sides with a Soft brush.
create with the Burn tool set to 5% Exposure tones I just created and blend them together and
and with Range set to Shadows. I make random burn it some more. The highlight on this kind of I repeat the same process with the hat,
strokes over the corset material with my custom material is white and soft, so using a Hard brush I although I use the Hard brush since
brush. I burn it just enough to bring out some make two strokes across it, smudge it a little from it’s an object closer to the face.

Dodge tool

08a

↑ I keep my brushstrokes rough for the small details

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“Metals in the steampunk style

are not just an important part
of the look, they also serve as
accents on the dark brown/
sepia tones”

08: Generic metals and pocket watch

Metals in the steampunk style are not just an
important part of the look, they also serve
as accents on the dark brown/sepia tones. I
08b therefore try to make them very bright and
saturated. For small metallic elements such as
↑ I used a photo that I took for reference
buckles, buttons, and earrings, I usually just
brighten them up using the Dodge tool set to
30% Exposure and Range set to Highlights with
a Soft brush, and create harsh lights on them.

For the pocket watch I polish it a little before I

follow this last step, and then paint shadows
on the light to define details of the design.
I keep my strokes a bit rough because it’s
going to be so small in the composition that
just the basic information will be enough.
I then draw the numbers and the hands.
At the end I paint two white strokes on a
different layer for highlights on the glass.

“On a new layer I paint the

glass on the lenses and bring
down the Opacity to 50%”

09: Making the goggles

As opposed to the pocket watch, the goggles will
be cleaner because they’re bigger and closer to
the face. Each lens reminds me of an old diving
helmet, so I’m going to base the design on that.

The first thing I do is to polish the basic shape

100% Opacity 50% Opacity
of the goggles. I add a leather strap with studs
on it to make it match the corset and unify the
costume. Then I put rivets around each lens.
This time I don’t use the Dodge tool for the
highlights but instead paint it with a very light
yellow. On a new layer I paint the glass on the
lenses and bring down the Opacity to 50%.

Soft brushstroke Hard eraser Finally, I paint the lights on the glasses, on
09 a layer on top using white and a Soft brush.
I make a single stroke on each one and
↑ I don't use the Dodge tool this time because the goggles are an important part of the outfit, not just acting as accents
then erase the top with a Hard brush.

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Texture Levels adjustment

10
Hard Light at 100% Hard Light at 25%

↑ I add a texture over the whole of the image

10: Final touches

To finish my piece, I take an old paper texture Pro Tip
which I found at www.cgtextures.com and From general to specifics
place it on top of everything (all of the layers). I always sketch either on a small canvas
I adjust some of the levels and set the layer (600 x 800) or from a certain distance
to Hard Light at 25% Opacity. This will pump if it’s a large one. This forces me to Navigator
up the vintage look and make the darker work on important things such as
tones reddish so that they blend better with the composition, the mood, lighting,
the rest of the color palette. On a layer on color, and design before anything
top and using a large Soft brush, I create else. When I zoom in on a specific
a vignette effect to make it feel cozier. area, I keep an eye on my Navigator
window ‒ if I paint something that
It’s very easy to achieve interesting effects in this doesn’t really affect the thumbnail, it’s
phase. I usually start with a blue or yellow layer detail. There’s no use in adding details
and change the blending mode to see if any of at an early stage that won’t even be
them improve my drawing. It’s even more fun to seen from afar. Doing this I’ve learned
do this with textures that have different tones to make textures with fewer strokes.
and colors. It’s all about experimenting and Make the most out of the least!
getting to know what each blending mode does.

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Pin-up Girls | Illustrate a vintage-style girl
I love pin-ups; they are one of my favorite The solution I found is to bring these innocent
subjects to draw and paint. They are light, girls up to modern times, where we have
beautiful, and most of the time flashing a big different technology, fashion, and beauty
and red-lipped smile. Through the decades, standards. So, instead of a record player, she
a variety of artists have portrayed these can use her phone to listen to music – how
girls in so many different ways. Al Buell, Earl amazing would it be to the girls from the 1950s!
Moran, and Gil Elvgren (my favorite pin-up
artist) have mastered the pin-up style so well When we have steps for the image, we can
that it becomes harder and harder to achieve see the progress better, making it easier
your own interpretation and style of the to continue the illustration. As we start
subject without rehashing the same ideas. working as professionals (in publicity,

Caroline Gariba
Freelance Illustrator
↑ Sketches and a painting of my take on the vintage-style pin-up in modern times
Software used: Photoshop

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 Illustrate a vintage-style girl

comics, games, magazines, books, and so

on) we have to deal with deadlines, pressure,
and how to quickly solve problems.

Most of the time, your client will want to

see the work in progress, so it’s important
that you have steps to follow and to
show without fear of going in the wrong
direction. That’s what I will explain in this
tutorial: a few tips and tricks to help you
save time on a project, whether personal or
commissioned, which always work for me.

“The values of an image will

determine higher contrast
areas and a focal point; those
01
areas will be useful to direct the
viewer’s eyes”
↑ Some examples of how to evolve an idea and get it going in the right direction

01: Playing in a sandbox

The first rule is to keep your mind free. Every
idea is a good idea at this point, no matter
how bizarre. I also think it’s important not
to use photos or another artist’s images as
references at this point because they may
influence your ideas, which we don’t want now.

As soon as a good idea shows up, I start to

draw some tests, trying to reach a concept
that transmits everything I want. In this case,
I really enjoyed the idea of a girl listening
to music, so I started from this point to
create new poses using the same idea.

02: Setting the values

The values of an image will determine higher
contrast areas and a focal point; those areas
will be useful to direct the viewer’s eyes. I never
start working from a pure white or pure black,
because the white indicates the maximum of
light and black indicates the absence of it.

I open the Hue/Saturation panel (Ctrl+B)

and lower the Lightness a little bit
until I get the gray color. This way I can
work better with the tonal scale.

Next, I create a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N),

02 select the Brush tool (B), and with a
default Round brush I start to define the
↑ The values are already set and ready to go to the next step
image with shadows and highlights.

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“If you don’t know when

something is concave or
convex, it will be visible in the
final illustration”
03: Understanding the volumes
I continue using the Brush tool (B) with the
default Round brush; there is no need to use
textures yet. I model the character, going
from the bigger brush to the small brush.

It’s very important to structure what you are

painting. If you don’t know when something is
concave or convex, it will be visible in the final
illustration, making everything look like a big flat
image. Understand what you are painting and
think about what goes in and what goes out. For
example, between the nose and the cheek there
is a soft cavity (concave); the character’s eyes are
spherical and they go out (convex); the inner part
of the ears have both concave and convex areas.

04: Corrections
As I’m at the beginning of the illustration I
do all the necessary corrections now. At this
moment I like to use photos as references
because they help me to quickly understand
something that might be out of place. Remember,
you are not cheating by using references –
use them as you want and in your favor.
03
A very good tip to help you verify if everything
↑ The cyan lines are the concave areas and the magenta lines are the convex
is in its correct place in the image is to flip

Pro Tip
Don’t be afraid of reference images
The successful way of using reference
photos isn’t to achieve a painting as
close as possible to the reference, it’s
to get your own interpretation of it. If
you look for sketches of great masters,
such as Gil Elvgren or J.C. Leyendecker,
you’ll find many interpretations of the
same idea, various hand/head poses,
line actions, even color palette studies.
They try to reach the most harmonious
way to show an idea, even if it means
the final image ends up further from
04
looking like the reference photo.
↑ Some local adjustments on the face of the pin-up

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 Illustrate a vintage-style girl

05

↑ A close up of the pin-up girl with more details

the canvas – this way your brain processes

a new image and can easily detect possible
errors. To flip the canvas, click Image >
Image Rotation > Flip Canvas Horizontal.

One of the most useful tools in Photoshop

is Liquify (Filter > Liquify). I use it to do local
adjustments, such as the shape of the face, legs,
and arms size and thickness. It’s an excellent time
saver when you need to deal with deadlines.

“There is no need to use just

one layer for color; you can
create a lot of them to separate
the areas”

05: Working in grayscale 06

Now I have the correct pose and can detail
↑ A color layer combined with an overlay layer makes things more saturated
more without risking polishing something
that is wrong. With the same Round brush
I start polishing the image. I split the hair color, it will be a little bit more difficult to do start adding colors: a little bit of orange and pink
by adding strand sections, mark the area it correctly because it will take too much time to the skin and some red on the cheeks. Next, I
around the eyes where the eyelashes painting all of those hair strands that you could duplicate this color layer (Ctrl+J) and change its
will go, and define the tattoo lines. have done later. This is another time saver tip. property to Overlay, with Opacity between 30%
and 50%, depending on the illustration. There is
It’s important that details such as skin pores, 06: Adding the color no need to use just one layer for color; you can
hair strands, and textures are added at the end Here comes the fun part. I create a new layer create a lot of them to separate the areas, such
of the illustration, when colors are well defined. (Shift+Ctrl+N) and change its property from as one for the skin, another for the clothes. It’s
If you add too many details before working with Normal to Color. With the default Round brush I your call. Do what makes you feel comfortable.

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08

↑ Adding finer details to her face and checking the values

07 09

↑ 1: Selected layers; 2: group of layers; 3: backup group and illustration group ↑ Add cuter elements to bring contrast against the tattoos

07: Have a backup plan detail you want. Texture brushes are allowed now done. If they work, go ahead! If they don’t, just
Before I continue, I create a backup group. – they will make your painting richer and give delete the layer and continue having fun.
Having a backup is an excellent time saver and it an organic aspect. For you to be sure that the
can really save you sometimes, in case you don’t values are still correct while you paint, go to the 10: Finish with post-production
like something. Hold Shift and select all of your Layers panel at the bottom and go to Adjustment Here I repeat step 7 before continuing. With the
layers. Then use Ctrl+G to group them. If you Layer > Black & White. Turn it on sometimes illustration almost finished, it’s post-production
double-click the group name you can edit it. to check if everything is in the correct place. time: adding textures and color correction. At
Now, select the group, use Ctrl+J to duplicate the bottom of the Layer panel, go to Adjustment
it, and voilà! You have a backup group saved 09: Adding new elements Layer and choose Color Balance. With this layer
and a new one to continue working with. New ideas might come in the middle of the you can make some shadow, mid-tone, and
process; there is nothing wrong with that, highlight corrections. Next, go to Filter > Noise
08: Starting to polish unless it compromises your composition. In > Add Noise, set it at about 7%, and choose the
With the main colors defined, it’s time to add the this case, I add new elements (such as a cute Uniform option. Beyond the texture, the noise
reflected light, better define the shadows and cat) in a new layer, so I can test if they will helps to unite all the elements of the illustration,
add hair strands, freckles, eyelashes, and every really work, without ruining what was already putting everything in the same atmosphere.

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Pin-up Girls | Render a WW2 girl
The subject of this tutorial is a pin-up girl in 01: Researching and thumbnails
the style of the amazing Land Girls from World After doing a bit of research on WW2 Land Girls,
War 2. I’ll focus mainly on the character; I I scribble down a few ideas, focusing on the
think it is a good idea in this case to make a general shape of the character. I quickly use a
simple background so as not to distract from basic gray color to make the silhouette stand out
her. I will also exaggerate the character’s more, so I can figure out the composition better.
curves. The processes I will explain here will
be quite simple and straightforward. The most 02: Refining the sketch
important part of this project, I think, is that Once I decide which rough is better, I rework it
you are having fun doing something you enjoy! at a bigger resolution. I focus a little bit more

Sabrina Miramon 01
Freelance Illustrator
↑ Quick research and idea generation
Software used: Photoshop

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 Render a WW2 girl

on the details by drawing the outfit ‒ overalls-

cum-jumpsuit, something to fit the pin-up style.
I try not to spend a lot of time on the sketch, as
I will only be using it as a guide to paint over.

03: Blocking in colors

I start by blocking in some basic colors. A simple
background will do the trick here; since the
subject is Land Girls, I want to focus on more
earthy tones for the whole picture, while keeping
it bright and colorful. For this I just create a new
layer underneath the sketch layer and, using
a basic brush, start blocking in the colors.

04: Setting up your light source

At this point I decide where the light source will
02 03 come from. I start by painting in the shadows.
I pick a darker shade and begin to define the
↑ The messy base sketch ↑ Blocking in the rough base colors
volumes by painting them on a separate layer. For
this I use a basic brush set to 70–80% Opacity.

I also decide to color the sketch by using the Lock

Transparent Pixels option on the sketch layer. By
using this option, I will only color on top of the
already-existing pixels, so that the transparency
of the empty areas is protected and preserved.

05: Shading
I start focusing on the lighting and shading by
blending the colors. I focus on an overall light
and shadow pass. To achieve the appearance
of smoother blending, use a low-opacity brush.
I do this until I get a decent color base.

06: Refining the face

04 05 I start to gradually add details to the face,
by zooming in on the area. I work on specific
↑ Adding in volume ↑ Starting the rough shading
elements such as the eyes, nose, and mouth
with a smaller brush. I realize that she looks
way too sad for a pin-up, so I change her smile
to give her a cheekier look. If you’re unsure of
something, don’t hesitate to erase and repaint.

Pro Tip
Save often
Technology isn’t always reliable,
so save often and save different

06 versions if you’re unsure and want

to go back to a previous step.
↑ Working on the face

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07

↑ Adding a blush effect

“I use a harder brush for the

skin where sharp edges are
present to define the contour of
the body”

07: Skin blending

By using a Soft brush and reducing the Opacity
to 40%, I gently paint and blend the skin
colors together. I add red and warm colors to
give a little bit of a blush effect. I use a harder
brush for the skin where sharp edges are
present to define the contour of the body.

08: Shaping the hair

I choose a dark color for the hair so that the face
stands out more. I then use a slightly textured
brush and start adding in some highlights to give
a sense of volume to the hair. Now it looks like
the hair has been pinned into a stylized victory
roll at the front and the traditional messy bun at
the back, which she is checking with her hand.

Pro Tip
Flip your image
By flipping your image (Image > Image
Rotation > Flip Canvas Horizontal) you
can always spot mistakes and things
that are a little off. It’s an easy way
08
to find out what needs correcting.
↑ Painting the shape of the hair and adding details

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 Render a WW2 girl

09: Fixing the hands

Like a lot of artists, I dread when it comes to
painting in the hands because I find them the
most difficult aspect to draw. At this point I refer
to references, by taking a picture of my hands
in the correct pose or using the internet. I paint
the shape of the hands, adding highlights and
shadows. I try not to add too many details here.

10: Focusing on the outfit

and accessories
After completing most of the body, I work on
the clothing and accessories of my character.
When painting clothing, remember that all
materials react differently to light. A thick fabric
jumpsuit such as the one in this painting won’t
be too shiny, for example. I also paint the shovel
09 and belt, keeping in mind that the materials
are rough and the surface of the belt buckle
↑ Finishing the pose by drawing good hands
and shovel head will reflect a little light.

10

↑ Painting the different materials

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11b
11a
↑ Framing the face with thicker stands of hair
↑ Cleaning up and refining the image

“I paint in some more details feel, and a pattern to the bandana. For these
to give the picture a little bit sharp details I use a small Hard brush, which I
of life, such as a flash of pure also use to hint at the seams on the jumpsuit.
white in the eyes”
12: Rim light, final
11: Tweaks, fixes and final details adjustments, and effects
At this point I start to clean the whole picture I pick a bright tone, which is close to the
by removing the messy areas such as the background color, and add some highlights
sketch underneath (image 11a). I also add a few around the edge of the character indicating
elements and finish the hairstyle by painting in a warm light coming from behind. This also
thicker strands of hair to frame her face (image helps to make her stand out more from the
11b). I paint in some more details to give the background. I’m pleased with the overall look
picture a little bit of life, such as a flash of pure of the picture, but I think it’s a little bit too 12
white in the eyes, specular highlights on the saturated. I go to Layer > New Adjustment
belt buckle to indicate the shine of the metal, Layer > Color Balance and tweak the sliders ↑ Rim lights help to make the character stand out more
from the background
some highlights on the lips to give a glossy until I get something that works well for me.

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Pin-up Girls | Paint a stylized scientist
In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a 01: Sketching and concept
pin-up style female character. I will emphasize At this stage we are searching for our character.
the sensuality of this pin-up through the You can use references to find your pose. I haven’t
character’s pose, the facial expression, and the here, as I like to work without direct references
shades used. In this case the character is a Lab whenever I can. I build a basic structure seeking
Assistant. I will use standard Photoshop brushes out the proportions, without worrying too
and blending layers to create the image. much about the quality of the drawing.

Rafa ArSen
Graphic Designer & Illustrator
↑ I will be using standard Photoshop brushes
Software used: Photoshop

132
 Paint a stylized scientist

01

↑ Sketches of the character

To correct possible mistakes it is very useful to flip

the image horizontally and vertically to see it from
different viewpoints. It’s good to do several poses
to find the best one. In this step I generally look
for expressions, movement, and composition.

The result is a simple drawing that helps

me visualize the character and form. I try
different ideas of the pose of the hands and
the glasses design; it is easier not having to
devote much time to a very elaborate line.

02: Cleaning up and defining

When we have the final character sketch, it’s
time to clean up the lines and define each area.
In this case I don’t seek a finished line; I’m just
interested in a guide for the painting stage. In the
end, the lines will disappear almost completely.

Cleaning up the sketch can be done in several

ways. The most common is to add another
layer on top of the sketch layer and draw a
new line over the rough line. I personally clean
up the shape with the Eraser tool and repaint
zone by zone, defining and cleaning the line
while trying to keep a uniform size and hue.

In this step I add details such as the identification

card in the pocket of her uniform and the
texture of the gloves. To enhance the pin-up
style pose, dress, hairstyle, and expression, 02
everything must be a touch suggestive
↑ The cleaned-up sketch
and sexy without being overly rude.

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“Filling the background with

a gray helps to make sure
no areas are missed when
coloring”
03: Flat color
In this step I choose the base colors and
paint each zone in different layers: one for
the skin, hair, gloves, and so on. This way I
will be able to work separately in each area
without changing the adjoining parts.

It is also helpful to change the color of each part

separately so that the initial color is not definitive.
For example, I can change the hair color simply
by modifying the layer containing hair. I paint
each part with a flat color, then add the volumes.
Filling the background with gray helps to make
sure no areas are missed when coloring.

I use the layer order to arrange the pieces so that

the skin, for example, is below the layer where
the clothing is painted; all this makes working
more comfortable for the next steps where I will
start to add volumes and lights. It is important
to paint below the line and make sure there
are no unpainted gaps between each zone.

04: Painting the skin

Once I have all the different colored areas
separated into layers, I begin to give them
volume. I like to start with the face. I create a
new layer above the layer of skin and frame
as a clipping mask so that I only paint on the
skin layer. Here I find a direction of light to
build volumes from, considering which areas
will be in shade and which in light. In this
case the light comes from the right side of
the image, so she is illuminated on the right
side of her face; the left side is in shadow.

I add light areas to the right side and then

select a darker tone than the base color for
the areas in more shadow. I apply it to areas
such as under the chin, the eye area, and the
shadows of the clothes and hair. I use the light
areas applied to the skin as a guide to paint
volume on other parts of the illustration.
03
For the eyes and teeth I create a layer on
↑ The first color step: organize your layers and paint below the lines
top of both so I can work on these elements

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 Paint a stylized scientist

independently. All these layers below the layer

containing the lines are set to Multiply mode.

“This light comes a little from

behind so that the character is
slightly edge-lit. This lighting
creates a good volume effect”

05: Painting the rest

As in the previous step I create a layer on top of
each element of the character to color, and I’m
giving volume by referencing the direction of the
light applied to the skin, using darker and lighter
shades as the base tone to create volumes.

The main light on the character comes from

the right side of the image, so to create
contrast in the darker areas I add a second
light effect to the character (not so directly
this time). This light comes a little from behind
so that the character is slightly edge-lit. This
lighting creates a good volume effect.

At this stage I focus on the direction of the

light and build the different volumes of
clothing, gloves, and hair, but without going 04
too deeply into wrinkles or lots of colors. I look
↑ Giving volume to the face; the color palette for the skin tones
for balance in the overall lighting scheme.

05

↑ First volumes and direction of light

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06

↑ The result after retouching the color

06: Color retouching

I go back to a white background to check all
areas are colored and that no areas have been
missed when filling in the darker background.
Once this step is done I do a general touch of
color correction to achieve a more uniform color
tone overall. For this I use a Color Balance layer,
so that the change applies to all layers remaining
below this layer. This way we don’t have to flatten
the layers or make individual adjustments.
07
I also use a Selective Color adjustment layer
↑ The uniform’s volumes are now more defined
that lets you individually retouch each color
group. I tone down the orange hue of the
skin and create a more harmonious color In the case of clothing, I use the Hard brush I add a new layer to test out some different
palette. Areas such as the uniform that were for the shadows and to define the lights volume effects and see which work best
previously completely gray now contain further to get a fabric-like textured edge. on the pin-up. By adding another layer I
subtle coloration that blends with the rest. Use the same pattern for different areas can safely experiment with the image and
to define the volumes and textures. manipulate the previous steps without fear of
07: Defining volumes losing the volume I have already achieved.
At this point I try to define the volumes of each For areas such as the glasses and flask,
part. I turn off the layers of color adjustments create a new layer and paint white, filling it At this point I add reddish tones for the
applied in the previous step to work with the completely. You can then alter the Opacity, blush on the cheeks and the lip hues. I then
original color in volumes. This allows me to revealing what lies behind. Areas that receive make another layer above all the others set
use the Color Picker tool to define volumes, more white light will be more opaque. to Soft Light mode and, with a soft brush,
correcting and improving each area. subtly apply color smoothly around the
08: Volume and details eye areas and chest. Then I add color more
I use a Soft brush for large areas and a Hard I continue step 07 by setting the volume of each visibly on the cheeks, nose, and lips.
brush to define edges. It’s important to keep area, adding more colors, and emphasizing
in mind the texture of the material we want areas where light falls more directly. I take For the eyes I create a layer above the line
to achieve; if we overuse these brushes the into account the texture of the material we are art, painting only the colored area of the
result will be a very smooth overall texture. representing (hair, clothing, rubber, and so on). eye and leaving the top shadow as it is.

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08

↑ Final volume and first details

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“I’m not looking for a perfectly

clean result – the lines are still
seen in some areas and for
others they’re completely gone;
I like the dirty effect achieved”
09: Last clean of the line art
In this step I merge all the layers down so that I
am left with only two layers: the character and
the background. Then I start to clean up the
excess line art that can protrude outside the
color illustration. For the areas inside the line
art I create a new layer and paint over the lines.
I also thin or remove any lines that protrude. I’m
not looking for a perfectly clean result – the lines
are still seen in some areas and for others they’re
completely gone; I like the dirty effect achieved.

I normally put more focus into the face as it is the

focal point of the image. Leaving the other areas a
little rough helps to draw attention to the face as
it is more detailed. For this illustration I create a 09
neutral background to accompany the lighting by
↑ Cleaning up the line art
filling it with a medium gray tone and illuminating
the areas that mark the direction of light.

10: Final step

For this last step I merge the character layer
with the background and apply an effect I use
regularly: a Diffuse Glow over the image with
soft parameters to create a glowing effect. I
personally like this as I feel it helps to harmonize
the whole image and adds warmth and depth.

Once this is done I start to make the final touches

to the overall color illustration. For this I use
the Color Balance tool again to harmonize
hues and find a more correct overall tone.

As a final step I add a few small white stokes with

a small Hard brush to create a reflection effect
in the middle area of the lips to give them a wet
look. I apply these little white touches to areas
where there should be a reflection of strong light,
such as hardcover glasses or the instrument
she is holding. I apply some more reflections
to her hair and the illustration is finished.

10

↑ I apply a Diffuse Glow over the image

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Speed Painting
Techniques
Whether you’re a professional artist or just committing to a long rendering process. In
enjoy digital painting as a hobby, speed this section we’ll be covering 30-minute speed
painting is a great way to create studies, jot painting techniques that encourage you to
down ideas, and practice your skills with look at the bigger picture, be efficient, and
composition, color, and texture without work on your images in a more holistic way.
Speed Painting Techniques | Establish effective atmospheres
Speed-painting is a useful tool to find a mood or gray. Now that I feel better I create a new layer
shot for an illustration; it’s also a powerful tool and start to sketch my main elements with
to speed up your productivity. The time set for a thin black brush. I read the topic one more
this image is around 30 minutes and the topic time and my first idea is to put the creature
is “A hairy creature observes a snowboarder on a road (or something similar) looking at a
in the rain.” I used to paint warm and sunny billboard with a snowboard advertisement.
environments so when I saw the topic I thought
it would be a good opportunity to train myself 02: Adding a first lighting direction
to paint something different, with an unusual These two first steps have to be very quick –
color palette, to break out of my comfort zone. around two or three minutes. For me, having a
solid visual culture is really important in order
First I will rough out my main idea on a small to be efficient in choosing a lighting direction.
canvas. Then I will block in the composition with I spend most of my free time studying several
big flat shapes and try to find a good balance types of images and because the internet is full
between details and abstractions. Along the of good things, these images can be stills from a
way I will give you some tips to help you to movie, photographs, or old masters’ paintings.
increase your productivity and save time.
Here I decide to choose an overcast lighting
01: Sketching your idea setup in order to have something smooth
I create a new document with a small size and neutral. I zoom out to 50% and start to
(about 800 x 500 pixels). This will be a piece of block in the lighting and the first composition
Florian Aupetit paper where I will sketch my concept. White with big flat shapes. Due to the fog from the
Art Director & 3D Generalist backgrounds tend to disturb me a little bit, so I rain, I use dark values for my foreground
Software used: Photoshop immediately fill my document with a medium and the lighter ones for the background.

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 Establish effective atmospheres

01 02

↑ In the foundation sketch, the composition or lighting isn’t important ↑ This thumbnail step is essential in the process; if you don’t like it, return to step 01

03: Blocking the composition

I want to have a spiral composition, so I have
five elements to analyze: the sky, the trees,
the billboard, the creature, and the mountain
background. I want to lead the eye from the
creature to the billboard, so to achieve this I
use the treetops to help me lead the eye to the
dog. The head of the creature will look at the
billboard to make a natural path for the eye while
something on the advertising (maybe the arm
of a snowboarder) will lead to the background.

The elements you use to lead the eye to the

area of interest don’t need to be obvious;
sometimes a branch or a prop can guide the
viewer’s eyes where you want them to go. 03

04: Starting with the sky ↑ Work on your composition to tell a story through your painting

The rough part is now over, so I scale my

thumbnail to the final size of 3508 x 2480
pixels by going to Image > Image Size (or the
shortcut Ctrl+Alt+I). I always start to paint the
sky first as it quickly gives me the mood of
my painting. As I said before, I have chosen
a neutral lighting due to the bad weather.

I use the Free Lasso tool to select the sky

area. I pick a dark cool gray and paint the
sky with a big brush. I then choose a lighter
gray to paint the sky in the distance in order
to convey a strong aerial perspective.

Then I blend these two parts with the Smudge

tool, and I set the strength very low, between 5 04
and 10, with a large scattering brush (you can
↑ Immediately starting with the sky can give the mood and lighting you want
activate the scattering effect in the Brush panel).

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05 06 07

↑ The biggest shapes are the trees ↑ Utilizing the Lasso tool will speed up your process ↑ Add props to your painting to add to the story

“The two most important the road in the far distance because I know the I create a layer at the top of this group to add
things to always keep in mind fog and some props will mask a large part of it. the lights’ glow and the scattering of the light
when you are painting are the through the fog in the background. To do that
values and the edges” 07: Creating the props I use a big Soft brush with the color of the
I start with the billboard because it’s one element I choose to enhance with this light.
05: Working on the biggest shapes of my main elements. Due to the time
Painting trees is a thing I have always liked restraints it will be very basic, so I use vector 08: Rain and reflections
because you can shape them as you want and shapes for the two snowboarders and I type I won’t paint the rain by hand because of the time
they can support a high level of abstraction. the title “SKI SCHOOL 50 KM”. Maybe the limit, so I use the “usual” noise tricks. I create a
Usually I don’t paint details in my speed ski station is at the top of the mountains new layer and I fill it with pure black. I apply a
paintings; if I just want to have the feeling of a in the distance, which for me is another noise filter with an amount of 400%. Then I blur
tree, it doesn’t matter if the tree doesn’t have component of the story behind the painting. it by going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and
branches or leaves. If you can convince someone choose a radius of 0.5 pixels. To see the effect
that this big shape is a tree it means that you have I distort the reflection of the billboard on of the rain I switch my layer to Screen mode.
more time to spend painting on other elements. the ground with hard curves because the Now I can add the rain direction, so I apply a
water is not equally distributed on the road. Motion Blur filter with a distance of 35 pixels.
The two most important things to always keep Then I add the streetlights in the foreground
in mind when you’re painting are the values and then more roughly in the background When the water drops fall through the light of the
and the edges. Sometimes you have to keep and on the mountain. Finally I add two cars streetlights or in front of the billboard they will
a contrast between two shapes with hard in order to add more life on the road. be lighter, so I create a Levels adjustment layer
edges and sometimes with blurry edges; you
have to find the right balance. I choose a dark
desaturated green for my foreground and a light
desaturated blue for the trees lost in the fog. I try
to keep the hard edges in my foreground trees.

06: Create the road

By using the Free Lasso tool I define the shape
of the road. By pressing the Alt key I can switch
from the free Lasso tool to the Polygonal
Lasso as needed. The process is almost the
same as the trees; I keep hard edges for the
foreground and smooth edges in the fog.

I also start to think of the reflections of the trees

in the water on the ground and paint two large 08
dark areas on the edges of the road and a brighter
↑ To create this rain quicklyyou could create a script for future use
one in the center. I don’t carry lots of detail to

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 Establish effective atmospheres

09 10

↑ Don’t spend long on the character design; use your time to work on the integration ↑ Use the adjustment layers to add more depth to your image

and clip it on my rain layer. I increase the black Another thing I like to use is the Camera Raw filter Voilà! Now you know my speed-painting
input level and decrease the whites – now my rain (only available with Photoshop CC). With this I process. As I said before, I focus less on details
is brighter. I fill the layer mask of the adjustment can quickly change Exposure, White Balance, and try to paint a global feeling. Practice
layer with black and paint the lit section of Sharpen, and so on. A good way to save your time speed painting techniques every day. This is a
the painting with a big white Soft brush. is to save presets of these settings! The last thing great tool to help speed up your productivity,
I do is to add a layer with noise at the top of my so keep working and don’t forget to set up a
09: Adding the creature layer stack as it will unify the whole painting. narrative and tell stories with your paintings!
I’m more comfortable with landscape or

Pro Tip
inanimate objects, so I tend to paint the character
at the end of my process. At this point the allotted
time is almost over so I choose a basic design for Change menu colors in Photoshop
the creature: just a red or orange hairball, a warm We lose a lot of time navigating through change the menu colors to increase your
color to contrast with the bluish environment. menus or looking for a filter. An efficient speed and productivity. Go to Edit > Menus…
method is to memorize the shortcut but to customize menus that you use frequently,
I use a brush with scattering to quickly most of the filters don’t have a predefined such as filters, image transformations, or
achieve the shape of the creature. It’s a shortcut. To help with that, Photoshop has view options, in order to make them stand
kind of strange dog and has probably been an interesting option that allows you to out so you can find them more quickly.
walking a long time in the rain, so I add dirt
and mud to his legs and at the bottom of his
fur. I also add little specular reflection points
due to the water that flows over his fur.

“My painting is a little bit flat

so I start with a Brightness and
Contrast adjustment layer to
add contrast”

10: The final touches

The painting is almost done so it’s time for the
“polish” step. My painting is a little bit flat so I
start with a Brightness and Contrast adjustment
layer to add contrast. Then I use a Vibrance
adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer
> Vibrance) and increase the vibrance to 50%.

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Speed Painting Techniques | Create a narrative illustration
In this tutorial I’ll share some principles that time. My working zone lies in the WASD-keys
can help make a picture look cool. I’ll tell you area. Hotkeys also help to free up workspace
about a few techniques and software features, and make more room for the canvas.
although this image doesn’t rely on them. The
understanding of technical issues comes with I have blocks with Layers, Brush Settings,
experience; therefore here I’ll talk about the and History hidden. I use the ColdWarm
thought process. You must ask yourself the right Photoshop plug-in to pick up cold and
questions and answer them with your art. warm shades for my color palette.

01: Preparing the software 02: Fast linear sketch

This might be unnecessary for most artists, but I’m not a fan of line art but to start with a color
I like to feel comfortable while working. The splash is quite risky. The color might bring more
first thing I do in Photoshop is reassign some emotion to the sketch, but if you don’t see key
hotkeys to other tools as it can save a lot of elements of the future design, you’ll end up

Shortcuts

Ilya Dykov 01
Freelance 2D Artist
↑ Here you can see how hotkeys are reassigned
Software used: Photoshop

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 Create a narrative illustration

04
02 03
↑ Checking the composition and adding elements to lead
↑ The initial sketch ↑ Adding in the base color palette the viewer’s eye around the image

05: Grounds and perspective

Pro Tip
making endless corrections to the silhouettes.
So I start with a linear sketch – it shouldn’t take When you are against the clock with your
Brushes longer than 2–3 minutes just to make the main sketch, don’t forget to build perspective
For brushstrokes, I prefer the first brush idea clear. According to the brief it’s a hairy through layers. To check if everything looks
in the image below. It has a nice oval creature watching a snowboarder in the rain. correct, switch to black-and-white so that
shape and interesting noise, which gives your perception is not overwhelmed by color.
a cool texture at a medium resolution. 03: Basic color Photoshop offers lots of ways to do this; a
I show a snowboarder in a thick forest in the popular way is to make a completely black layer
I like to use the mixed brush for dark; the core colors are cold (and scary). I and set it to Color in Layer mode. Recently I’ve
textures and slightly blurred lines. decide that my hairy creature will be some
This I use while finishing my work. sort of threatening beast, so big that he has
For color mixing and blur I use the broken one of the tree branches in the scene.
Smudge tool and basic brushes.
The guy is our main character, so he must be in
contrast to the environment. There are plenty of
ways to achieve this: tone, forms, scale, and color
can all help us. This is why our snowboarder is
wearing an orange coat and a yellow helmet – so
he won’t blend in with any surrounding trees.

04: Composition
I change my composition slightly, building on
what I sketched in the beginning. I often check
my composition with the Crop tool (referring to
the golden spiral regime). Now I have checked
the composition, I paint the snow/rain in this
spiral shape. To finish the spiral, I put the broken 05
branch at the top of the composition (considering
↑ Check your values and perspective in black and white
that the creature is bigger than the human).

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Chapter 04 | Speed Painting Techniques

found something better however ‒ convert

your picture into Dot Grain 20% and voilà.

My guess is that you often miss the

Transformation hotkey (Ctrl+T) and press Ctrl+Y
instead, converting it all to CMYK. Annoying,
right? I was rescued once and I’ll save you now!
Go to View > Proof Setup > Custom and choose
Dot Grain 20%. The huge plus of this method is
the possibility to collect and use colors from RGB
while drawing in black-and-white. This may sound
complicated, but try it once and you’ll love it.

When establishing depth, remember that

air has its own density; use it if you want
your picture to look realistic. For example
you can differentiate trees between the
background, middle distance, and foreground
by how blurry the area is; the blurrier it is the
greater the distance it is from the viewer.

06: Atmosphere and story 06 07

Atmosphere is what gives the picture its mood;
the story in your head will help influence ↑ Using different elements to create and enhance ↑ Extra details to push the atmosphere and narrative
the atmosphere further
it all. Each time you make a sketch you
should ask yourself: who, what, and why?
07: More details
In this sketch you can see moody cold colors, Remember that there are no plain surfaces
grim rainy/snowy weather, a wounded tree, in this world. Snow is not plain; it’s a pile of
broken branches (slightly hinting at the size random snowdrifts that are reasoned by the
of the creature), maybe some leftovers of the scenery. The snowboarder didn’t fly over there,
creature’s food, details of the scenery, and so so there will be his footprints and disturbances.
on. And there is of course our ridiculously brave
idiot-snowboarder who takes a selfie instead Consider the condition of the objects in the
of running as fast as possible from the place. same way. The broken branches show the
If you put all those elements into the right power of the creature and underline the
proportion, the picture will be realistic and snowboarder’s stupidity. This tree was in
moving. It has nothing to do with your style. contact with something huge and dangerous:
get into gear, put your board back on, and get
the hell out of there! For me, the logic behind
Pro Tip every detail of the picture is the core value.
Make your painting realistic
Photorealism is just a style, not a proof 08: Take a break
of veracity. Your task is to drive the You may notice some bugs and find a way to fix
imagination of the viewer to the same them at this stage. You may show it to a friend
idea you are trying to put across. You to receive some feedback and see if people feel
can succeed with it by using a good the same way as you do. For instance, my I’m
balance of the elements. The trick is to concerned that the snowboarder has disappeared 08
use the elements to hint at what has at this stage. So I adjust the scale of the creature
happened or will happen in the image. and the character. Take a break before you finish ↑ Take a step back from your image to in order to get a
fresh perspective
so you can spot any issues before completion.

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Speed Painting Techniques | Improve your creativity
Speed painting represents a challenge for steps, I will be showing you my method of
all artists out there who want to make fast working in this focused and fast(er)-paced
artwork in a limited amount of time (in this style of speed painting; you’ll come to see
case, 30 minutes or less). This concept has how simple it is once you get the hang of it.
inspired a lot of artists, both beginners and
professionals, to put their skills to the test 01: Preparation
without going overboard. It’s really fun to Before anything else I do some warm-ups. Artists
have a go at it, and you’d be surprised by are like car engines: if you don’t warm them up
how many talented artists come up with properly, the car will feel sluggish. So before
the most intriguing and ingenious ideas. doing any speed-paintings, I always make some
other really fast practice paintings, from old
You might think that it’s impossible to masters’ works, photographs, or even cinematic
make anything good in that amount of screenshots. Here I work a bit from my memory
time, but in reality, you can do it. Hopefully and paint some random ideas to get me going.
after reading this tutorial you will be
able to do it just like me. Just remember: “A good rule of thumb for
practice makes perfect (and speed painting starting any project is: ‘Don't
is like an extreme form of practice). know it? Research it’”

The theme I work with here is a bit of a 02: Start the timer!
challenge, with three points of interest to cover Now I start drawing the actual subject, trying
Pedro Lopes in one image. The keywords given were a pilot, to get a good grasp of what I’m supposed to
Concept Artist a dragon, and a specific type of scenario (post- draw. A good rule of thumb for starting any
Software used: Photoshop apocalyptic). So how do I do it? In the following project is: “Don’t know it? Research it”. So I’m

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 Improve your creativity

researching about all kinds of things here, such

as dragons, pilots, cities in ruins; everything
that could aid my creativity and give it a
solid base from which to spring forward.

Now I feel confident enough to start the

timer and sketch some initial ideas. I
start sketching really loosely. It takes less
than a minute to create these preliminary
drawings because I already have a good
foundation in the back of my mind.

03: Background
Next I create a separate layer, making a
square selection that more or less fits the
spacing of my sketch, and then use the Paint
Bucket tool to fill it with a mid-tone blue. I 01
then lock the layer so that I don’t need to
↑ I've been creating a visual library since I was very young, which helps my creativity a lot
clean up any mess further down the line.

02

↑ Don’t worry about making correct shapes, just try to get ideas out of your head as fast as possible

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03 04

↑ Using a Mixer brush setting for painting skies gives really good and fast results ↑ Locking the layer makes it easier to draw details inside the shape created

05 06

↑ Using lots of colors can be tricky, so divide them into lights, shadows, and mid-tones ↑ Keep an eye on where the light is hitting from to make adjustments to the colors

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 Improve your creativity

With a quick cloud Mixer brush, I lay down some

light orange and then use the Dodge tool to go
over the spot where I want the sunlight to be. The
Dodge tool gives good and bad results, so watch
out for overuse of it or it might ruin your image.

04: Shapes and forms

Following my earlier sketch, I create more
defined shapes, still very quickly. I continue
using the Lasso tool to make every form fairly
clean so that I don’t waste much time erasing
edges later on when I’m rendering the image.

I put all the shapes into different layers, fill

the selection with the Paint Bucket tool,
and lock them for easier paintovers.

05: Color
With all the layers now locked, I start to add some
color with a flat brush over the shapes in order
to get a better sense of where the light is hitting
from. I’m not afraid to experiment at this stage,
as this is the part where I have most fun. Here I’m
still trying to match what would be the correct
colors for the objects. I’m also thinking about
how the environment would affect those colors.

06: First details

I know the direction I want to take by now, so
I start applying more skin mid-tones, while
bringing the lightness down a bit for the
dragon, which is my central focal point.

I also apply more mid-tones overall and add

more light on the objects and the pilot. Having
some hints of light hitting your objects is a quick
way of providing a sense of depth, without just 07
trying to give a lot of detail; since I don’t have
↑ Keeping the entire layer separated makes it easier to keep going back and forth to correct any mistakes
the time for that, I need to keep it simple.

“Having some hints of light set to Overlay, I work on the areas of interest in detail into the dragon. The clock is ticking,
hitting your objects is a quick the drawing. I detail the dragon’s wings and torso, so I need to be consistent but quick here
way of providing a sense of as well as the buildings and pilot, using both Soft and creating sharp forms is what I need
depth, without just trying to and Hard brushes. I also get rid of much of the to make the image read better.
give a lot of detail” light that’s hitting the debris in the foreground,
keeping it tighter and simpler. Now the image I grab the Lasso tool again and, in a new
07: Points of interest is starting to fit into its proposed themes. layer, I start to add more shapes on top of the
At the moment I’m halfway through the image, dragon’s silhouette. I define the right arm,
so I start to add details by working with the light 08: Detailing the dragon the leg, and the torso orb, using the Dodge
and colors more. Using a square textured brush Now what I really want is to put some tool again to add highlights to the orb. I

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08

↑ Re-adding the orb, making it simpler and making use of

the Dodge tool for quick highlights

constantly switch to a Chalk brush and work

on the form of the head, which at this point
I detail a bit more than the rest of the body
so it pops out from the background more.

“I gently brush over it with

either lighter or darker tones
to help diffuse the strokes. This
also helps with making the
building’s texture seem more
uniform”

09: Ambient effects 09

In a new layer, I grab a couple of the scatter
↑ Adding special effects creates a bit of life, so add a bit here and there where it may help
brushes I have laying around and add some
brisk strokes to bring more life into the scene.
the strokes. This also helps with making the and mess around with Level/Brightness
The image is almost complete, so to add more building’s texture seem more uniform. adjustments. I also turn on a black-filled layer
detail, I make some final changes to the central set to Color, so that I can quickly check my
structure where the dragon is. To do this, I lock The sands of time are running out, so I make values in black and white. Now I do some
the new layer that I have created and then, some quick revisions to the shapes on the more final checks, add some final shadows
with a Soft brush, I gently brush over it with buildings, as well as some value checks. To do on the dragon’s body, add some little details
either lighter or darker tones to help diffuse this, I normally merge all the layers together to the foreground, and I’m finished.

156
Mythological
Creatures
This section takes us on a whistle-stop tour techniques to bring them to life. Every culture has
around the globe, looking at fascinating lesser- its own creatures, spirits, and undead monsters,
known monsters from the folklore and mythology so why not explore new territories and find fresh
of different countries, and learning the painting inspiration in unfamiliar myths and stories?
Mythological Creatures | Paint a Slavic spirit
When I create a new image, particularly
when working from a brief, I usually start by
blocking in some rough colors and shapes.
The topic I was given for this project was
a Leshy, a spirit from Slavic mythology.

A Leshy is described as a tall man who is

able to change his size and whose hair and
a beard are made of living vines and grass.
The description also says he’s sometimes
depicted with hooves, horns, and a tail. This
was enough information to get started.

“This is a good way to set down

the mood and the base color
palette”

01: Pre-production
I start with some really rough pencil sketches
on paper, kind of like thumbnails. I find that
this is a really good way to get a feeling for the
Markus Lovadina composition, lighting, and character’s pose. 01
Senior Concept Artist My thumbnails are always very loose, but by
↑ Initial pencil sketches
Software used: Photoshop doing this I can to start to get a clear vision

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 Paint a Slavic spirit

of the image I want to paint. At this stage I

am now ready to move into Photoshop.

02: Blocking in
For this image I decide to start with the
background and just paint in some rough color
values with a custom cloud brush. The brush is
set to Opacity mode. This is a good way to set
down the mood and the base color palette.

The Leshy is described as a forest creature, so

with this in mind I use some moody greens,
browns, and yellows as the base tone.

“By working with brighter tones

in the background and darker 02 03
values nearer to the camera
you can demonstrate depth in ↑ The base tone of the image ↑ Building up the background

your image”

03: Background details

When I am happy with the color palette I start to
add the first details into the background. A while
ago I created a palm leaf brush with modified
settings for Scattering, Opacity, and Size. By using
this brush, a self-made tree brush, and some
random leaf brushes, I create the look of a forest.
Picking colors from the palette on your canvas
will give a consistency to the overall look and feel.

For the ground I use some custom shapes I

created a while ago. Both techniques allowed me
to speed up the initial process and I am able to
focus on the overall mood, which is important.

04: Details and color corrections

I add more detail to the background with
the same brushes as described above. By
working with brighter tones in the background
and darker values nearer to the camera,
you can demonstrate depth in your image.
I again use custom shapes on the floor, but
this time with brighter colors. This is an easy
way to establish your light direction.

To add more color variation to the background

I create a new layer, set it to Soft Light, and
add a bluish soft, round gradient to it. These
layer effects will give you the option to go 04
back and forth until you’re happy with the
↑ Adding color variation to the background
result without repainting certain areas.

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05: The character

I want to keep the background loose so I
can focus more on the character. I start to
block in the initial shape of the Leshy with
a Hard Round brush. The brush is set to
Opacity mode and I keep the size at 100%.
For the smaller details I decrease the size of
the brush. I also use the Lasso tool to draw
in certain shapes like his leather apron.

06: Adding values

At this point I was quite happy with the shape of
the Leshy so I paint in the first skin tone values.
Based on the information I had for the Leshy I
choose a yellowish gray for his pale skin tone. 05 06
These values are pretty rough at this point and
↑ Blocking in the initial shapes of the character ↑ Adding values to the character
are mainly to establish the proportion/anatomy.

I paint in his companion – a gray wolf. Once

again I use the Hard Round brush. The wolf
helps with the scale of the main character.

“To add more depth and

volume to the foreground I
paint in some darker leaves
over the brighter ones. I go
back and forth doing this
until I am happy with the
overall look”

07: Foreground elements

Flipping the canvas at this stage is quite
important as it means you can easily see if you
made any mistakes with the composition or
scaling. Normally I’m not a big fan of the main
focus being straight in the middle, but for this
image I feel that it is the best way to show
the character in his natural environment.

To make the Leshy look as if he is part of his

surroundings, I create a new layer and paint
in some foreground elements. This time I
start with a really dark color (not black, but
a really dark gray with some green tones
in it) and work in some more saturated
colors. I use the custom leaf brush again.

To add more depth and volume to the

foreground I paint in some darker leaves over 07
the brighter ones. I go back and forth doing
↑ Adding the wolf helps to give the character scale
this until I am happy with the overall look.

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 Paint a Slavic spirit

08: Detailing the Leshy

My usual workflow for painting skin is to use
a combination of Hard Round brushes and
the Smudge tool. I use the Round brush set
to 70% Opacity (still using Opacity mode)
and pick colors from the painted areas.

With the Smudge tool I am able to get

some pretty soft blending and some
happy color accidents as well.

09: Further details

I use the Lasso tool to select the shapes on
his apron that I want to color. Pressing Cmd/
Ctrl+J will copy just the selected areas into 08 09
a new layer. Now you can easily tweak the
↑ Using the Smudge tool helps with blending ↑ Adding in blue and red tones
colors using the Color/Saturation filter.

When I am happy with the color I start to paint in

more highlights and shadows on his apron with
the Hard Round brush. To get a bit more color
variation into the Leshy’s skin tones, I create a
new layer, which is set to Soft Light mode, and
start to paint in some red and blue tones. On top
of that I paint in some rim light to give it a 3D feel.

“It’s useful to create your

own photo reference library.
Go out and take a photo of
everything you see; you’ll need
it someday”

10: Horns, hair, and beard

For the horns, hair, and beard I use the Hard
Round brush to lay down the overall shape.
His horns are made of branches and leaves,
which I think is more interesting than the
typical satyr horns or horns from well-known
animals. I also think that they work well
with his hair and beard. Instead of giving the
Leshy hooves (which would make him look
like a satyr), I decide to just add a tail.

Until now everything is painted using the Hard

Round brush and the Smudge tool. For his club
I use some photo references, which I found in
my own library. It’s useful to create your own
photo reference library. Go out and take a photo
of everything you see; you’ll need it someday. 10
To add a more dramatic and mystical light I
↑ Adding a second rim light
use a second rim light, this time in blue.

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11: The wolf

Right now the Leshy is close to being finished
and it is time to start painting the wolf. Fur isn’t
that easy to paint, but there are a lot of ways you
can create good results without painting every
hair. A while ago I created a custom fur brush.
This brush was made from a good reference
photo which I added some brushstrokes
on top of to get a more painterly look.

My fur technique is actually quite different

to my other techniques. I create a new layer
for each brushstroke and deform it using
the Transform tool or the Liquify tool. I
also erase the unnecessary areas. I do this
until I feel that I am happy that the effect
looks like fur. The last step here is to use
the Smudge tool to smooth out areas.

“Adding effects on a separate

layer helps you have more
control when you need to
adjust things”

12: Final details, color

corrections, and atmosphere
To give the bluish rim light more
plausibility I create a new layer set to
Color mode and add a soft, round gradient
on the lower left side of the image.

I create another new layer and pick a really

bright and saturated green for the glowing eyes
of the Leshy and the wolf. Adding effects on
a separate layer helps you have more control
when you need to adjust things. I also add
some fog to this lower section using the same
cloud brush I used for the initial blocking in.

To make him more earthy and mystical I add

some tribal tattoos. The tattoos are made with
the same technique I used for the colored areas
on his apron. This time I set the layer to Multiply
and play around with the layer opacity.

The last touch is to add some color balance

for a greenish forest mood and to use the
Unsharp Mask filter for crisper edges.
11
At this point I am happy with the image
↑ Adding fur to the wolf
and feel that it is complete.

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12
Mythological Creatures | Create a Filipino witch
In this tutorial I will create a Mamalarang, a with insects. Although similar, they are different
mythological creature from the Philippines. As to Mangkukulam, who only inflict pain or illness.
a bit of background, she is a witch who uses Mamalarang use a strand of hair from their
insects and spirits to enter the body of any chosen victim and tie it to the bug or worm
person she hates. Mamalarang are ordinary that they will use as a medium, almost like a
human beings who use black magic to torture voodoo doll. When they prick the bug, the victim
and kill their victims by infesting their bodies immediately experiences the intended effect.

Andrei Peruvkhin 01
Concept Artist & Illustrator
↑ Initial sketches
Software used: Photoshop

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 Create a Filipino witch

02a 02b 03a

↑ Developing the composition in black and white helps ↑ Classic rules of composition including the golden ↑ Adding the first layer of color to the painting – I use a
you focus on the form section and rule of thirds turquoise color

01: References and initial sketches a Curves adjustment layer to make sure I am I then add highlights to the witch as
Before I start this image I do an internet search for happy with the base before I add more color. well as adding different hues to her
Filipino clothing to help inspire me throughout Using Overlay, Soft Light, and Multiply layers I in order to help separate her from the
the painting of this character. With my references add color and create the impression of depth. background (see image 03b below).
next to me, I paint a few fast sketches to
help me choose a pose for the witch and to
position her on the page as the focal point.

02: Composition
I go on to develop the composition of my
selected sketch and add some of the basic
details. Working just in black and white at this
point, I start to develop the main character and
the background. It’s easier to work in black and
white at this stage because it helps you focus
on the form rather than the colors (image 02a).

When designing this image I use some of the

classic rules of composition, such as the golden
section, as you can see in image 02b. The areas
where the blue lines intersect are circled in red
to indicate that there needs to be something of
interest there. You’ll also see the yellow lines,
which draw your eye through the image in a
curve that matches the pose of the witch.

03: Adding color 03b

I begin to add color to the image by adding
↑ Adding further colors and highlights to help distinguish the witch from the background
a greeny blue layer on top (image 03a). I use

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Chapter 05 | Mythological Creatures

04: Adding detail

Next I start to add more detail to the painting.
I concentrate mainly on her face and add
emphasis to her nose, cheekbones, and
forehead by highlighting them to make her
eyes feel dark and sinister (image 04a).

I also add some definition to her accessories,

such as light from the background on her
stick and her shoulder – again to add more
depth to the image. I decide that her clothing
wasn’t quite right at this point, so I make some
subtle changes, as you can see in image 04b.

05: Adding further detail

As you can see in image 05, I add more detail
to the witch, her stick, and jewelry. I also
add objects on the table in the foreground.
I do all of this in a single Normal layer and
then add warmer colors to reflect the light
coming from the bottom right of the image.
04a 04b
“I add some highlights to the
witch to integrate her into ↑ Adding details to the face and giving her a more ↑ Altering her costume to something I am more happy
the scene” sinister appearance with for her character

06: Refining
Once I am happy with the witch I turn my
attention to the background and start to add
some detail and texture. In a separate layer on top
set to Normal mode, I add some highlights to the
witch to integrate her into the scene. Then, using
an Overlay layer on top of the image, I start to
emphasize the colors that I want to look stronger.

On separate layers I add flies, fire, and hair

on and around the book. You’ll notice in the
final image on the next page that some of the
flies are motion blurred. To do this I simply
select the flies I want to blur using the Lasso
tool and then go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur
and adjust the settings accordingly. I create
another Curves adjustment layer to make
some minor adjustments to the whole image.

To conclude I create a new layer and fill it with

a gray color (50% gray). I then apply a Noise
filter and set it to 400%. I also add another 05 06
layer, which I adjust by going to Filter > Stylize
> Diffuse and set it on the top of the image in ↑ Detailing the witch further, in addition to her stick ↑ Integrating the witch into the scene and polishing the
and jewelry final design
Soft Light mode, lowering the Opacity to 15%.

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Mythological Creatures | Master the Greek Charybdis
In Greek mythology, Charybdis or Kharybdis could manifest physically or maybe as a mood
was once a beautiful naiad and the daughter or emotion – for example, sadness at her lost
of Poseidon and Gaia. She took the form beauty or anger at her transformation.
of a huge bladder-like creature whose face
was all mouth and whose arms and legs Poseidon and Gaia are significant figures
were flippers. She swallowed huge amounts in Greek mythology. Though Charybdis is
of water three times a day before belching more obscure, her parentage would suggest
them back out again, creating whirlpools. a powerful character. “A huge bladder”
does not immediately suggest a particularly
This brief provides some background for the interesting creature. A giant balloon with
creature, a partial description of her physical fins stuck to it would be a very lazy design,
characteristics, and explains what she does so care must be taken to avoid this route.
without giving unnecessary detail. Everything
needed for a solid design is there, but there’s Some indication of whirlpools and Charybdis
plenty of room to be creative and have fun. belching or swallowing water should be
seen in the finished illustration. This poses a
Before picking up a pen or pencil, it’s possible problem as large amounts of water
a good idea to take a little time and entering or leaving the creature’s mouth
dissect the brief. Identify the different could obscure large parts of her body.
elements provided and how they might
impact on the design of the creature. 01: Getting started
Matt Dixon Naiads are graceful and beautiful water The first step in any design is always to find
Freelance Illustrator & Concept Artist nymphs. Perhaps some aspect of this past a starting point. Choosing where to begin
Software used: Photoshop form could be evident in the final design; this and why will set the tone of the entire design

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 Master the Greek Charybdis

01a 01b

↑ Starting with the concept of a naiad ↑ Developing the bladder-like creature attributes

process. The key visual attribute of Charybdis Narrative elements, however subtle their Initially I’m just concerned with principle shapes
seems to be the idea of her being a huge manifestation in the final design, are always fun and establishing an overall form that is pleasing
bladder-like creature so this will need to be to explore and tend to suggest greater depth to the eye, while satisfying the requirements of a
obvious in the final rendering. It seems that in a design than visual cues alone. They also bladder, flippers, and a face which is all mouth.
there are two ways to approach the design: help an artist to connect with their creation
either to start with a bladder-like shape and as a living thing rather than a collection of 2D First sketches should be quick and loose. A
try to add design elements or to use other shapes. With this in mind, I begin my design speedy exploration of ideas is more important
elements of her description as a starting point of Charybdis with a rough sketch of how she than detail at this stage. Consider how the
and try to develop the design from there. may have appeared as a naiad (image 01a). transformation to sea beast may have occurred.
Did her legs fuse together into a tail? Which part
Though some kind of bloated beast is inevitable, “This evolutionary approach of her body grew to become bladder-like?
I’m concerned that using the bladder shape as a to design will generally spark
starting point will limit design choices and result more interesting thoughts Analyze the first sketches. Even if the designs are
in an uninteresting creation. Beginning at some than leaping straight broadly similar, one or two will usually feel more
other point and finding a way towards a final towards the end result and, successful than others when viewed side-by-side.
design forces intelligent and deliberate choices, in my opinion, is much more Try to understand why a design is appealing as
which tend to give more depth to a concept. This enjoyable!” you choose which to develop further, as those
seems the more appropriate choice in this case. aspects should be built upon in the final image.
Using this image as a starting point, I can start
To me, the most appealing element of to consider how she may have changed into the Rough sketch C in image 01b is my choice to work
the description of Charybdis is that she creature described in the brief. I can explore up. I feel that it has the best balance between
was once a naiad. This sharp contrast to different ideas by mutating her humanoid the bladder-like shape and humanoid elements.
her current form is interesting, and the body. This evolutionary approach to design The suggestion of shoulders and the indication
transformation from beauty to beast seems will generally spark more interesting thoughts of an upper torso above the bladder are familiar
an important part of the creature’s story than leaping straight towards the end result anatomical elements that help to make the
and possibly suggests her personality. and, in my opinion, is much more enjoyable! connection between this creature and a naiad.

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Chapter 05 | Mythological Creatures

02 03a

↑ I imagine an aquatic creature as I develop the concept further ↑ Sketching the basic composition

02: Development
Now the rough sketch can be worked up to
add definition and details. Again, keep things
free and fluid. Try to justify all decisions and
keep shapes consistent so the design has a
consistent flow. Choose a neutral pose for
this stage of the process: a clear view of your
creation makes it much easier to concentrate
on the design without the distraction of
foreshortened limbs or obscured body parts.

In keeping with the evolutionary theme of

humanoid to beast, I imagine Charybdis
as an aquatic mammal similar to a whale
or walrus. That suggests a tough, blubbery
hide, which seems a suitable match for her
bloated shape. Adding damage and texture
to her body will give an impression of age
and make her appear more monstrous.

“I want to establish Charybdis

as the huge beast described in
the brief. Including objects to
act as a scale reference is the
best way to do this”

03: Presentation 03b

With the basic design complete, Charybdis is
↑ Adding details once the basic layout is established
ready to be presented in a final image. Refer

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 Master the Greek Charybdis

back to the brief and first thoughts to consider 04: Adding initial values will help to suggest that the maelstrom
how she should be portrayed. Are any elements Next, consider values. Here is where the lighting before her is in fact her work and not just
of the brief not clearly shown in her design that and mood is set up. What atmosphere suits your coincidental stormy weather (image 04a).
could be emphasized in the finished illustration? creation best? Moody? Sinister? Melancholy?
In my final image, I want to establish Charybdis I want my final piece to be dramatic. To quickly lay in values, I place the sketch on
as the huge beast described in the brief. a new layer set to Multiply and work with a
Including objects to act as a scale reference A night sky should provide a good background large brush on the layer below. Once a rough
is the best way to do this. A vessel teetering for Charybdis, whose horrible bulk will be pattern of values is established, I flatten the
on the lip of a whirlpool seems a good choice strongly illuminated against a crashing sea image and work into it to add detail (image
as it will add a sense of drama and peril in and tumbling rocks. Keeping the sky clear 04b). Charybdis is now ready for color!
addition to showing the size of the creature.

To further emphasize the scale of Charybdis,

I’ll show her rising out of the sea and set a
low viewpoint. This will give the impression
that the viewer is looking up at the beast,
suggesting that she rises high into the sky.
Placing her out of the water also allows for
a better view of Charybdis. Including the
jagged cliffs of some inhospitable island in the
background will also help to define scale.

Set up the basic composition with simple

shapes to begin with as this will make it
much easier to find a balance. Try to deal
with the image as a whole rather than
focusing on any single aspect (image 03a).

Once a simple layout is established, add

details as necessary (image 03b).

04a 04b

↑ I keep the sky clear to show that she is causing the storm ↑ I add further detail once a rough pattern of values is set and the image is flattened

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Chapter 05 | Mythological Creatures

05 06a 06b

↑ Adding basic colors ↑ I color-pick from within the image ↑ Using details to reinforce scale

05: Basic colors pull the viewer’s attention towards her head,
Think about the mood and lighting you have while small details on the ship help it stand out
chosen for your final image. What color scheme better against the swirling sea (image 06b).
suits this best? I have chosen a cool color
scheme of blues and greens. These colors are Subtle secondary light from an unseen moon helps
traditionally associated with the ocean and make Charybdis stand out from the background.
should support the nocturnal setting well too. The raging sea is created with a combination of
Some complementary orange hues will also be deliberate marks and custom brushes made from
included to add interest. I’ll also use a unique a simple scanned paint splatter. Carefully placed,
accent color to draw attention to the sinking ship. these splatter shapes are a quick and effective
way to add energy to the water (image 06c).
I block in a simple color scheme the same
way as I lay in basic values. The value sketch Some final detailing and the addition of some
is placed on a layer set to Multiply and I work stronger highlights completes the illustration. 06c
beneath with a broad brush and opaque color. I look back at the brief to see how it compares
↑ Adding energy to the water with custom brushes
At this stage, different portions of the image with the finished image. Every piece of work is an
can be colored on separate layers so that opportunity to learn, so this is a good opportunity
adjustments may easily be made if necessary. to be critical of your work. What works? What taken an alternative route. I guess the only
doesn’t? What could have been done differently? way to find out is to go back and do it again!
06: Rendering and final touches
Once basic colors are in place, the image is I’m satisfied with my final illustration. It has
flattened; rendering can begin. I color-pick from drama, I think the sense of scale is effective, and Pro Tip
within the image, working mostly from dark to I’m pleased with the idea of a clear sky to show Look at the image as a whole
light within the set pattern of values. I try to ensure that the raging sea is the work of Charybdis. At all stages of the painting, I work with the
the form and shape of everything in the image is The creature design is consistent with the full image in view so I can see how working
well established before I move on (image 06a). brief and I think there’s just enough human in one part of the piece may affect another.
anatomy in evidence to be able to imagine Working up the image as a whole, rather
Details are next. Charybdis is huge so small Charybdis as a raging leviathan or a tortured soul than tackling portions separately, is a good
details will help to establish the size of her body bellowing with frustration at being trapped in way to help retain the balance established
without breaking up the large, simple shapes her hideously transformed body. I’d be curious in the early compositional sketches.
that give her bulk and weight. Teeth help to to know how different it would have been if I’d

174
Mythological Creatures | Craft a Chinese monster
I have never heard of the Chinese creature 01: Sketches and ideas
the Jiang Shi before and only have the I start off by deciding that a focused light
brief as a reference, which states it is a source will create a darker and more
vampire-zombie-like monster. I paint this dramatic tone to my illustration.
image using my imagination and iconic
Chinese designs as my only references. As I mentioned, this is a Chinese vampire so I
decide to add a reference to Chinese horoscopes
My goal is to avoid making the beautifully and year of the rabbit by planning to paint
bright vampires you often find in teen my vampire killing a sweet, white bunny.
films and instead make a horrible
zombie/vampire creature. I also want to With all these crazy concepts in mind,
emphasize the narrative in the image. I draw some sketches to get a general
idea about the composition, lighting,
I want to create an image from the first- narrative, and so on of the image.
person viewpoint, kind of like what we
often see in horror movies or in horror- “The spotlight will be an
based computer games. What would you important part of this concept,
do if you were in a dark place with your but it also raises a big problem”
flashlight looking for something and
suddenly you rotate and point it a horrible 02: Lighting
creature mutilating a cute, white bunny? Before I start the illustration I have to choose
Christopher Peters and study my lighting. The spotlight will be
2D Artist I think this idea sounds interesting so an important part of this concept, but it also
Software used: Photoshop this is what I base my image on. raises a big problem for me as I don’t often

176
 Craft a Chinese monster

01

↑ Initial sketches

use this type of lighting in my paintings. For

this reason I take photographs that I can use
as references in order to study the effects of
the lighting (image 02a). I use a normal bulb
and a magazine to channel the light to get a
pipe effect. This study helps me to understand
how the light is dispersed (image 02b).

03: Sketch selection

I consider all of my composition sketches
carefully and decide to choose the
simplest image. Starting from this sketch
I now begin my final illustration.

02a

↑ Using a lamp to create a spotlight reference

02b 03

↑ Trying to understand how the light should be dispersed ↑ Starting my final design once the composition and lighting are decided

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Chapter 05 | Mythological Creatures

04

↑ The color chart I use for this illustration

05

↑ Contrasts add interest to your images

04: Color palette and brushes 07

I choose a desaturated palette consisting of
↑ Developing the character's facial expression
grays and pale colors, in contrast to a lot of red
saturated blood tones (I love desaturated tones!).
evil-looking vampire is holding a little bunny, once told a friend, “You do not know what you’ll
I don’t plan to use anything special as far which exaggerates how evil the character is. do until you do it.” That’s a good way to describe
as the brushes are concerned; I just use a what happens to the head of this vampire. As
selection of my own brushes with lots of 06: Unpredictable things: the head you can see in image 06, this guy suffers a lot
textural variety. I create a color chart to show The best parts of producing an illustration are of mood changes, from happiness through to
a personal study of how the colors work in my the unpredictable tasks you face along the way. I depression, until I achieve an aggressive look.
chosen color palettes and to take reference
from when working on my illustration.

05: Contrast
Contrast should never be underestimated in art.
As I have already said there will be a contrast
between the saturated and desaturated colors,
but to make things interesting you should 07a
also consider the characters involved and how
↑ Comparing materials to find the best one for the character
you portray their nature. For example, the

178
 Craft a Chinese monster

“To emulate the torchlight

effect, I take a good look at the
reference photos I’ve taken
and simply make a circular
selection”

07: Volume, material, and texture

I want to paint a horrible body with broken,
yellowish skin, flabby muscles, and a dead look.
To achieve this effect I need a lot of texture,
gray tones, and some crazy volumes. I created
a material test to compare the best results
for the look I was going for (image 07a). 07b 08

↑ Building up the image to create volume ↑ Adding the light effects

The application of these materials is very
simple in this case. I paint from dark to
light, adding the middle tones as the image
progresses. I slowly build the image up
stroke by stroke to create volume, choosing
multiple tones along the way (image 07b).

08: Lantern spotlight 09a

To emulate the torchlight effect, I take a good
↑ Using my own hands as a reference
look at the reference photos I’ve taken and
simply make a circular selection. I fill this
selection with a flat color and set it to Overlay 09: Hands as mentioned earlier, working from dark to light. I
mode. When I have done that I paint over it I use my own hands as a reference for the hands also add some atmospheric effects in front of the
in order to define some of the little details. I of the person holding the flashlight (image 09a) torch and some more sub-surface scattering to
have a lot of fun doing this part of the design! and paint in the hands using the same technique give it a realistic appearance (images 09b–09c).

09b 09c

↑ Adding atmospheric effects in front of the torch ↑ Adding more sub-surface scattering on the hands

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Chapter 05 | Mythological Creatures

10: Background
For the background I create some patterns
based on Chinese architecture (image 10a). I
place these patterns in Overlay mode over the
background using references to make it look
authentic and believable. I rotate these patterns
according to the referenced geometry to put
them in their appropriate places (image 10b).

“I then go on to adjust the

colors of the image using 10a
adjustment layers such as
Color Balance, and Levels” ↑ Creating patterns for Chinese-style architecture

11: The rabbit

For the white rabbit, I find references
of dead, hunted, dismembered, and
mutilated rabbits online. Strangely there
were quite a few pictures of this.

At this stage I use some photo textures,

such as hair, blood, bones, and other
details. I have displayed the brushes and
colors I used along with the progress
of painting the rabbit in image 11.

12: Adjustments
I then go on to adjust the colors of the image
using adjustment layers such as Color Balance
and Levels. I tune up the small details with
small brushes and finally add some extra
details such as posters, a Qing dynasty- 10b
style tasseled hat, and more blood. You can
↑ Adding the architectural pattern to the image
see the final image on the next page.

11

↑ The brushes and colors I use to progress the rabbit

180
12
FREE RESOURCES
Download your free resources for this chapter
www.3dtotalpublishing.com/resources
Matte Painting
Techniques
So many of film’s iconic landscapes and scenes way. Older matte paintings were painstakingly
wouldn’t exist without matte painting. This created on plates of glass, but this section
VFX technique is used to expand on a set or will teach you about the modern process,
scenery, creating a shot that would have been which incorporates digital painting, photo
impossible for a filmmaker to realize any other compositing, and the integration of 3D objects.
 FREE RESOURCES
Download your free resources for this chapter
www.3dtotalpublishing.com/resources

Matte Painting Techniques | Create a simple set extension

In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you
how to create a simple set extension by using
only photographs and basic techniques. You
will learn how to separate the foreground
of an image from the background’s sky by
using the Channels panel; how to separate
all your elements and clean them up using
different forms of selection tools; how to
import and adjust new elements such as the
sky and mountains; how to add depth to your
scene by using the same main image; and
finally, how to blend all your elements in the
final result with small color corrections.

In order to follow this tutorial correctly,

you just need Photoshop and if possible a
Wacom tablet. Images and photo textures
are available for free or for a small fee from
sites such as http://freetextures.3dtotal.
com and www.dollarphotoclub.com.

Jessica Rossier 01: Analysis and selection 01a

Art Director & Concept Artist To create a matte painting, I first take the main
↑ The original photo (from www.dollarphotoclub.com)
Software used: Photoshop photo where I’ll create my future universe

184
 Create a simple set extension

01b 01c 01d

↑ Analysis of the lighting direction ↑ Analysis of perspective elements ↑ Selection of the items to be removed

“I press Ctrl+M to open the

Curves panel and I give as
much contrast as I can by
dragging the first point down
from the left to the right”

(image 01a) and analyze its details and

peculiarities (the perspective of the buildings,
the direction of the light, the light intensity,
and so on; images 01b and 01c). Then I choose
several elements which will fit into my scene.

From this analysis I will also choose which 02a

items I’ll keep or remove (image 01d).
↑ Selection of the best channel (blue)

02: Removing the items

Now I know what I want to do, I start by erasing
the sky from my scene. To do this you have
many options, but for this blue sky I choose to
work directly with the channels (image 02a).

First I duplicate my main layer. Then I select

the old layer and open the Channels panel.
I duplicate the blue channel because it’s the
one that offers the most contrast between light
and dark. I need to have a maximum contrast
between the sky and the roofs, so I press Ctrl+M
to open the Curves panel and give as much 02b
contrast as I can by dragging the first point
↑ Get the most contrast by using the Curves panel
down from the left to the right (image 02b).

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Chapter 06 | Matte Painting Techniques

03a 03b

↑ Using the Brush tool to paint the white and black zones ↑ Press the little circle at the bottom of the panel to create a selection on the white zone

“I select the entire area of Next I make my selection by pressing the cables and electricity poles by first selecting
cables and create a high Load channel as selection tool (image 03b). my second layer (“Cables”) in the Layer panel.
contrast between the sky and I then go back to the Layers panel (click the Then I go back into the Channels panel and
the cables using the Curves” main scene layer) and press the Delete key duplicate the “blue” channel again. Using the
to erase the sky and cables (image 03c). Lasso tool, I select the entire area of cables and
03: Light and dark create a high contrast between the sky and the
To finalize a perfect contrast between light and 04: Isolating the details cables using the Curves panel, the same action
dark, I use my Brush tool (preferably a Hard Now I’d like to get the cables and electricity as we did before in step 02 (image 04a). Once
brush) to paint all the bottom of the picture black. poles back in the scene. I start by isolating the I have defined the best contrast, I deselect.
Then I erase all the cables from my scene with
white (just paint over the cables and electricity
poles to make them disappear; image 03a).

03c 04a

↑ The scene without sky and cables ↑ Using the Lasso tool to select the cables and electricity poles

186
 Create a simple set extension

Now I mask the roofs and houses with

my white Brush tool (image 04b).

At this point several zones of the sky are too

dark. Using the Dodge tool with a large Soft
brush, I softly paint the parts of the sky that are
too dark. Then I repeat the same action, but this
time with the Burn tool in order to strengthen
the cables. I paint using the appropriate
pressure to strengthen the cables (image 04c).

Once it’s done, I press the Load channel

as selection tool and go back to the 04b
Layers panel. I click on the second layer
↑ Painting the roofs and houses white with the Brush tool
(“Cables”) and press delete (image 04d).

04c

↑ Using the Dodge and Burn tools to separate the cables and strengthen them

“Using the Dodge tool with a

large Soft brush, I softly paint
the parts of the sky that are too
dark. Then I repeat the same
action, but this time with the
Burn tool in order to strengthen
the cables”

04d

↑ Press the little circle at the bottom of the Channels panel to create a selection around the cables

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Chapter 06 | Matte Painting Techniques

05

↑ Clean and remove the unwanted items

“I put the duplicated piece of 06: Adding the new sky on the layer ‒ Edit > Transform > Warp ‒ to get
roof over the lens flare effect As I have finished cleaning the scene, I will now a better composition of the sky in the scene).
and adjust the size of it in order add the new sky. I import an image named
to make it line up” sky.jpg (downloaded from www.cgtextures. 07: Extension and depth
com) and place it below all the layers. I adjust It’s time for the main point of our work:
05: Changing and the position in order to have the sun of the new the extension of this scene. The purpose
cleaning the canvas sky in the right direction (use the Warp effect is to add more depth to the street.
Now I have two layers ‒ one with my houses and
roofs without the sky, and another one with the
cables and electricity poles only. At this point I
need to do a first cleaning pass of the scene.

I choose to erase the lens flare effect on the

left-hand side. In order to do this I select a
similar piece of the roof and duplicate it. I
put the duplicated piece of roof over the lens
flare effect and adjust the size of it in order to
make it line up and fit perfectly with the rest 06
of the roof. Then I make the man on the bike
↑ Using the Warp effect to adjust the sky
“disappear” with the Clone Stamp tool.

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 Create a simple set extension

First I erase the end of the street (just after

the red road sign) to open it up. I use my
Polygonal Lasso tool and select what I need to
erase (image 07a). As a tip, before you delete,
go to Select > Modify > Feather, put 0.5, and
press OK — it makes a softer cut and gives a
better transition. Now you can delete it.

Next I merge the layer with the cables with the

main layer. I duplicate the main layer (houses
and roofs) and resize it so that it’s smaller and
fits with the street’s perspective. I then place
this new layer under the main one (“MAIN
SCENE”) to have the first extension of my
scene. If necessary, move it again in order to
fit to the perspective correctly (image 07b).
07a
I now duplicate this extension layer and repeat
↑ Use the Polygonal Lasso tool to select a part of the street
the process to bring more depth to the street.

07b

↑ Create an extension with the main scene

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08: Add the background the elements of the layer are now selected. I
In order to do a creative matte painting, I contract my selection then I feather it (image
import two mountain images to use for the 09a). Now I invert my selection by right-clicking
background. I place them in the background on the selection and choosing Select Inverse or
layer (behind the roofs and house). I resize using the shortcut Shift+Ctrl+I). When it’s done
them and use the Warp effect to give I use my Eraser tool to erase the “dirty” edge. I
them a satisfactory form (image 08a). do this everywhere it’s needed and repeat this
process for the other “houses and roofs” layers.
The “mountain background 2” layer should be
below the “mountain background 1” layer in For the cables (in case they are too light or
order to have a good composition and a good thin), I select the layer they are on and press the
impression of depth. To finalize the scene, I little checkerboard (Lock Transparent Pixels)
flip the canvas horizontally to have – in my in the Layers panel. I then paint on the cables
opinion – a better composition (image 08b). with a dark Gradient tool at 10% (image 09b).

09: Clean and polish To create atmospheric depth between the

As you have a composition of different images, it’s two mountains and the street, I move one
necessary to clean and polish details to achieve layer (“ATMOSPHERE 3”) above “mountain
a professional rendering. First I clean all the background 2”, one layer (“ATMOSPHERE 2”) 08a
edges. I hold Ctrl and click into the thumbnail above “mountain background 1”, and the other
↑ Import the mountains and modify them
of the layer (a small square will appear); all layer (“ATMOSPHERE 1”) above “MAIN SCENE”.

08b

↑ Flip the canvas to get a new viewpoint

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 Create a simple set extension

09a

↑ The process for cleaning the edges of the elements

09b

↑ Use Lock Transparent Pixels and the Gradient tool

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09c 10a

↑ Adjust the sky with the Warp effect ↑ Use the Curves panel on the main scene to fit it with the global light and contrasts

I go on the “ATMOSPHERE 1” layer, create a 10: Final touch layer effect in order to warm up the scene ‒ it
selection from the layer below, and paint with I darken the “MAIN SCENE” layer to make it fit gives us a good sunset ambience (image 10b).
the Gradient tool at 10% using an appropriate with the global light (keep in mind that the closer
color. I repeat the process for the “ATMOSPHERE your elements are to the viewer, the darker the I use the Curves layer effect, which helps to
2” and “ATMOSPHERE 3” layers. After that I shadows will be; image 10a). To improve the darken the scene as we are reaching the end
distort the sky with the help of the Warp effect ambience of the scene, you can use several layer of the day. You can see the final matte painting
to fit it correctly with the scene (image 09c). effects. The first I will use is a Color Balance with a simple scene extension on the next page.

10b

↑ Work with specific layer effects: Color Balance and Curves

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Matte Painting Techniques | Integrate a 3D element

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to integrate with Photoshop. Then, finally, you will learn
a 3D element (a giant wheel) into a matte how to seamlessly blend the 3D element into
painting by using CINEMA 4D and Photoshop. the final matte painting result with some
You will learn how to set up a scene in CINEMA color corrections. For this tutorial, you will
4D to include a background texture, how to need CINEMA 4D (you can download a free
import a new 3D element into the scene, and trial of the software from www.maxon.net),
how to create a good mood to fit and totally Photoshop, and if possible a Wacom tablet.
integrate the element with the background.
01: Setup of the scene in CINEMA 4D
You will learn how to correctly render the 3D To start, I configure the size of my scene
element and integrate it into the matte painting so that it is similar to my main image.

Jessica Rossier 01a

Art Director & Concept Artist
↑ The configuration of the scene in CINEMA 4D
Software used: Photoshop & CINEMA 4D

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 Integrate a 3D element

01b

↑ Adding a background object

To do this I go to Render Settings > I create an object background that will of the timeline), which I will use to apply
Output and set the same dimensions and appear in my Objects window (to the a texture to my background object. Now I
resolution as the image (image 01a). right) as a kind of layer (image 01b). double-click on my new material in order
to open the Material Editor menu.
Then I add my background as a perspective 02: Texturing the object
reference for the positioning of my future Still in CINEMA 4D, I create a New Material I check the Luminance option and load my
object, which I will create in CINEMA 4D. in the texture’s menu (in the bottom-left texture (Tutorial_matte_painting_Adding_

02a

↑ Adding the texture onto the new material

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Element_Jessica_Rossier.jpg) (image 02a). I

drag and drop my material onto my background
object (image 02b). I must now adjust my
CINEMA 4D horizon line to my background using
the scene management tools (image 02c).

“Once open in my scene, I use

the object manipulation tools
to adjust the scale, rotation,
and placement of my element”

03: Adding the main element

Now that my horizon is in the right place, I add
the main element. I go to File > Merge > Meca-
Wheel.c4d and open it (image 03a). This is an
asset that I have created myself, but you can
use software such as SketchUp (www.sketchup.
com) or Blender (www.blender.org) to create
your own (they even have a library of pre-made
assets ready to import). Alternatively you can use
sites such as https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.
com to obtain 3D elements for your scene.

Once open in my scene, I use the object

manipulation tools to adjust the scale, rotation,
and placement of my element (image 03b).

04: Creating a new texture

After obtaining a good position, I create a new 02b
texture (with new material) which I will add to
↑ Drag and drop the material onto the background
my element “MECA WHEEL” (image 04a). Then

02c

↑ Adjusting the CINEMA 4D horizon line

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03a 03b

↑ Import the main element into the scene ↑ Reposition the object using the manipulation tools

04a

↑ Adding the new material texture for the “MECA WHEEL”

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I go into the Color menu and load the texture

MetalBare0129_L.jpg. I drag and drop it onto the
“MECA WHEEL” (in the Objects window; image
04b). After applying the texture, I go to Attributes
> Tag > Projection to check the cubic mode, so
that the texture is now more homogeneous.

05: Creating the right ambience

Now I will add mood to the “MECA WHEEL”,
which should be similar to my background
in order to create a better integration of
the 3D element. To do this, I create an
object light that will simulate the sun.

As the light is created, I adjust the color and

also add a shadow. I go to Attributes > General >
Color > Use temperature (image 05a). I set up the
temperature so that it matches the light on the
background’s image. Then I apply a shadow area.

I position the light correctly in my scene with

the positioning tools in order to create the 04b
shadow (image 05b). To help me find the right
↑ Drag and drop the material texture on the “MECA WHEEL”
place, I use the four views of my scene.

05a

↑ Adding the light

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 Integrate a 3D element

Position the light in the same direction of the sun

05b 05c

↑ Positioning the light in the viewer ↑ Adding the sky for the ambience

In order to create a better atmosphere and 06: Preparing to render Alpha Channel in order to separate my “MECA
make it look more realistic I add an object Now I’ve achieved the right mood for the 3D asset, WHEEL” from the background. Using an
called Physical Sky with the attributes Time I move on to setting up the scene for rendering. Anti-aliasing filter is best. I select Ambient
and Place. I indicate the month and time (July Occlusion > Color > and turn the black
— 20:26:00), which seems to best match the First I indicate where I put the file. For the into gray. Then I add Global Illumination
look and feel of the background (image 05c). final file I specify TIFF (PSD Layers) and check > General > Gamma > 1.6 (image 06a).

Adding Ambient Occlusion

and Global Illustration

They are not selected by

default
06a

↑ Setup of the Render View

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06b 06c

↑ Preview of the scene ↑ Start the final render

My scene is now ready for an optimum render. selection tool at the bottom of the panel. Then I wheel into the scene. To integrate the element
To make sure the end result will look correct, I go back to the Layers panel (click the main layer), properly I need to create a smooth edge, so
do a Render View in the Render window (image invert the selection, and press the Delete key I select the wheel and contract the selection
06b). If I am satisfied with it, I will launch in order to erase the background (image 07a). by 1 pixel. Then I feather the selection by 0.5
the final render. I click on Render to Picture pixels, invert the selection, and press Delete.
Viewer to create my TIFF file (image 06c). “To integrate the element This helps me to achieve a smoother outline
properly I need to create and edge for the element (image 07b).
07: Adding the element a smooth edge, so I select
Once the 3D rendering is done, I open the TIFF the wheel and contract the 08: Integrating the element
file in Photoshop and select my wheel without selection by 1 pixel” If you want to create an interesting matte
the background. First I unlock the layer, then I painting, you have to give it a background story
go into the channel and select the Alpha layer. I Now I take my matte painting (created in the of what might have happened. The idea for this
make a selection by pressing the Load channel as first tutorial, pages 184–193) and import the matte painting is that a long time ago an alien

07a

↑ Selecting the element without the background

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 Integrate a 3D element

07b

↑ Creating the first basic integration of the element in the matte painting

spaceship crashed here. A piece of this spaceship

has been stuck in the near mountain since then.
We therefore have to integrate the wheel
into the mountains. At first I put my “MECA
WHEEL” layer above my mountains and
below my “ATMOSPHERE 2” layer.

“Once the wheel is integrated

into the mountains, I create a
shadow so that the 3D element
doesn’t appear as though it is
just floating”

I create a mask on my “MECA WHEEL” layer. I

then take my Brush tool and choose a smoky
brush shape. I take the black color and paint
in a mask to erase pieces of my wheel to
begin to integrate it into the mountain.

09: Shadows
08 Once the wheel is integrated into the mountains,
I create a shadow so that the 3D element
↑ Using the Brush tool and layer mask to insert the wheel into the mountain
doesn’t appear as though it is just floating.

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09

↑ Using the Lasso tool to create the shadow

“Color management is a very

important aspect to keep in
mind during the integration of a
3D element in a matte painting.
It will add the touch of realism
that we want to achieve”

To do this, I create a new layer that I place

above the “MECA WHEEL” layer. I use the Lasso
tool technique to create an abstract form that
I put beneath the wheel and fill it with dark
gray using the Paint Bucket tool. Then I create
a Gaussian Blur on my form by going to Filter
> Blur > Gaussian Blur (around 12.0 pixels),
which gives a rather nice diffuse shadow.

As soon as my shadow looks right, I reduce

the Opacity to obtain the same intensity as
the shaded part of the mountainside.

10: Color management

Color management is a very important aspect
to keep in mind during the integration of a 3D
element in a matte painting. It will add the
touch of realism that we want to achieve.
10
To change the colors of the 3D element, I
↑ Use the Color Balance adjustment to integrate the colors
duplicate the “MECA WHEEL” layer to have

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 Integrate a 3D element

11a

↑ Adding the texture to the 3D element

a backup of my layer and work on a copy. I that will take the exact shape of the wheel. Once the texture has been placed correctly, I
go to Adjustments > Color Balance where I The mask is very convenient for the process lower my layer’s Opacity to 70% to reduce its
change the shades between the highlights, because it helps keep the whole picture in intensity. I double-click on the “Tex mountain”
mid-tones, and shadows, to make sure it view, meaning I can move the images inside the layer to open the Layer Style window to move
matches with the surrounding environment. mask in order to find the angle of the texture the gray levels, so that it makes the dark areas
that I like and want to use (image 11a). of the wheel appear from below (image 11b).
“Now I put the vegetation
selection on the wheel. I use
the Warp tool to distort the
selection as I want”

11: Adding details

The texture remains rough on the 3D render
and the look of the wheel gives us an
impression of a 3D computer design. In this
step I will show how to make the texture more
detailed by using images that add realism.

I import a mountain photo similar to the

background into my matte painting (you
can find free photo texture on sites such
as http://freetextures.3dtotal.com and
www.cgtextures.com). I place the photo
above the “MECA SHADOW” layer.
11b
I select the wheel’s shape and then go on
↑ Using techniques to integrate the photo texture
the “Tex mountain” layer. I create a mask

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As soon as I have achieved the integration

effect that I want, I press OK. I take my Brush
tool ‒ I choose the smoky brush again ‒ and
paint with black inside the mask to erase some
textured areas. Once this is done the wheel
looks more realistic. It gives the impression of
having aged as the vegetation has grown on it.

12: Finishing touches

For this last step, I add more vegetation details on
the 3D element. I take another photo and open
it in Photoshop. With the Rectangular Marquee
tool I select a vegetation area that I will import
into my matte painting (image 12a). I put my
new vegetation layer above the “Tex mountain”
layer. Now I put the vegetation selection on the
wheel. I use the Warp tool to distort the selection
as I want and then enter the transformation.

I take the Eraser tool with the smoky brush shape 12a
to erase areas of the vegetation. The 3D element is
↑ Using a vegetation photo texture
seamlessly integrated into the scene (image 12b).

12b

↑ Final adjustments to the photo texture

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Matte Painting Techniques | Alter the atmosphere

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to change layers that I think I no longer need to keep
the atmosphere and weather conditions independently. When all this is done, my scene
using matte painting techniques. You will is neutral and ready to receive new elements.
learn how to use new photo materials to
make very beautiful bad weather in your 02: Applying a new background
image, how to blend all your colors with the for the new ambience
new atmosphere, and how to create wet The first element that I will add into my neutral
reflections on the ground. I will use Photoshop scene is a new sky. This will establish the base of
CC (so for this tutorial I recommend using at the new atmosphere. I take a stormy cloud photo
least the CS6 version) and a Wacom tablet. (you can use a photo from your own library or
from free sites such as www.cgtextures.com
01: Creating a neutral scene or http://freetextures.3dtotal.com) and place
In the area of concept art and matte painting, it on the SKY layer below all other layers. Now
clients often ask that we propose different I hide the “MAIN SCENE” layer so I can see
atmospheres of light and shade in the the sky better, making it easier to work on.
same shot. To do this, I start by opening the
main file with Photoshop. Once opened, I then select the Warp tool from the Transform
I remove the atmosphere layers off the menu (Edit > Transform > Warp) to change the
image to make it as neutral as possible. shape of my sky. Once I am happy with the
changes I press Enter to validate the effect.
First, I hide my two effects layers that are at the
Jessica Rossier top of my layers (I don’t erase them because At this point I check the box next to
Art Director & Concept Artist they can be useful later). Then I remove layers the “MAIN SCENE” layer in order to
Software used: Photoshop CC that aren’t needed anymore. I merge the reactivate the layer’s visibility.

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 Alter the atmosphere

01

↑ Remove the existing atmosphere to prepare the image

02

↑ Adding in the new sky

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03: Changing the elements’ colors

Now that my new sky is set up, I change the
colors and light of all the other elements
that are in my scene so that they match the
atmosphere of the new background (image 03a).

To make the color change, I use Photoshop’s

Match Color command, which matches
colors between different images or
between multiple layers and selections.

For this I need a color reference image, so I find an

image which matches the moody atmosphere of
the background sky and import it into my scene.
As I am only using this image as a color reference,
I don’t need it to be visible, so I click on the eye 03a
icon next to the layer to hide it (image 03b).
↑ The selection of elements that need color adjustments

To change the Hue, select the layer that you want

to change (for example mountain background 2), COLOR). Once done the mountain background
then go to Image > Adjustments > Match Color 2 layer’s shades will have been altered.
(image 03c). In the Source drop-down menu, I
select the file I am working on. Still in the Match Now I use the Luminance, Color Intensity, and
Color menu panel, I go to the Layer drop-down Fade sliders to achieve the result that suits me the 03b
menu and select the layer which contains the best; then I click OK. I repeat the same action for
↑ Import the color reference image
image I am using for the color reference (REF all the other elements in my scene (image 03d).

03c

↑ Change the elements’ color

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 Alter the atmosphere

03d 04a

↑ The color settings and changes for the remaining layers ↑ Drag “MAIN SCENE” to the New Layer icon

04: Erasing the sun by using the Hue/Saturation tool (image 04b). will allow me to balance the light and dark
Now that all my items are in the correct hue, I Then I press OK. Finally I decide to add some areas. I therefore create a mask on my layer
want to remove the sunny area on the left-hand contrasting darkness with the Curve tool. (with the layer selected, I click the icon at
side of the foreground image (“MAIN SCENE”). the bottom of the Layers panel as indicated
To do this I create a copy of the “MAIN SCENE” Now I’m going to erase the right side of my in image 04c below) and then paint in the
layer (image 04a). I go into this new layer (“MAIN “MAIN SCENE copy” layer in order to keep only mask using a Soft brush. This will help me to
SCENE copy”) and desaturate and darken it the sunny side that has been darkened. This effectively erase the dark areas (image 04c).

04b 04c

↑ Using Hue/Saturation and Curves to remove the sun area ↑ Softening the dark areas to create balance between light and dark

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05: Adding photo

material for the floor
Now that I've got good attenuation
for my sunlight, I want to create a wet
atmosphere in my image. To give the
floor a wet effect, I will use a photo.

First I import the wet floor photo into my

scene on a new layer. I put the new layer (“WET
FLOOR”) above the main layer (“MAIN SCENE
copy”). I modify the shape of this image using
the Free Transform tool to make it fit the
correct perspective. Using the Polygonal Lasso 05a
tool, I cut the image down to fit the shape of
↑ Adding a wet floor texture using photo material
the street image underneath (image 05a).

05b 05c

↑ Use the Layer Style window to integrate the two images ↑ Erase the unwanted details on the wet floor

06a

↑ Duplicate the scene and make a vertical inversion

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 Alter the atmosphere

“I drag the cursors on the

Blend If: Gray sliders to blend
the top layer with the layer
underneath”

The areas that interest me are the puddles

of water; the rest must disappear. To achieve
this, I use the Layer Style window (image
05b). I double-click on the “WET FLOOR”
layer and the Layer Style window opens.
In the Blending Options menu I drag the 06b
cursors on the Blend If: Gray sliders to blend
↑ Use the Layer Style window to help integrate the reflection
the top layer with the layer underneath.

As soon as I achieve a good integration I click reflection effect. To integrate the reflection in Next I work on the details. I erase some
OK to confirm. Then I take the Eraser tool and the puddles, I use the Layer Style menu again areas of the wheel in order to make it
with a Soft brush erase the parts that appear by double-clicking on the “REFLECTION” layer. appear older. I paint over some of the
too bright and poorly integrated (image 05c). I move the sliders in the Blend If: Gray menu areas on the floor of the foreground to
until the integration works (image 06b). remove what remains of the sunlight.
06: Reflection
Now I want to create a reflection of the 07: Adding a few more details 08: Altering the colors
scene in the puddles. I start by duplicating I want to give the impression that the buildings When I have finished working all the details
the entire scene. A little trick to do this have been abandoned for a while, so I start by into my scene, it’s time to do some color
quickly is Ctrl+A, Ctrl+Shift+C, then Ctrl+B. importing some more photo textures into my corrections on the mountains in the background.
I now have a duplication of my scene. scene. With the Free Transform tool I change the To change the colors, I use the Color Balance
perspective of the material to match with the adjustment layer and I play with the sliders
I flip the image on the new layer vertically perspective of the buildings. Then I set my layer until I am happy. If the colors are too strong I
(image 06a). I select the upper part of the image to Soft Light mode with the purpose of integrating use the Hue/Saturation adjustment to lower
(all the ground area) and delete it to create a the image with the scenery underneath. the saturation and brightness as needed.

07 08

↑ Add texture to the elements and create a few more aged details ↑ Use adjustment layers to alter the image’s colors

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“I take the Gradient tool (at new layers between the foreground, mid- As soon as I achieve the atmospheric mood
10% Opacity) and create a ground, and background where I will create that suits me, I repeat the same action and
gradient (in the same color as my new atmosphere, and merge the masks. process with the two other planes (image 09c).
the sky) several times from the To merge the masks I right-click on the mask
bottom of the mountains” and select Apply Layer Mask (image 09a). In order to improve the foggy mood, I
create a new layer above the mountain
09: Creating the atmosphere Now that everything is in order, I can create layer which contains the wheel. I create a
When all these items are well integrated into the atmosphere for each of the planes. gradient on the entire length of the scene
the scene and my image is almost complete, I from the bottom of the image upwards.
start the final step: setting up the atmospheric I start by selecting the background mountains
ambience. Inspired by Silent Hill, I want to give while staying on my atmosphere layer which To finalize the ambience, I use a smoke brush
my image a “phantomatic” appearance. is above it. I take the Gradient tool (at 10% to create a fog effect in the foreground. Once
Opacity) and create a gradient (in the same I have applied the brush to the area I want,
First I create some order for the layers. I delete color as the sky) several times from the bottom I select and use the Warp tool to distort the
the layers that are no longer needed, create of the mountains upwards (image 09b). area and give it a more dynamic effect (09d).

09a

↑ Ordering and tidying up the layers

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 Alter the atmosphere

09b 09c

↑ Use the Gradient tool to create atmosphere ↑ Repeat the process across the planes

09d

↑ Create a misty ambience with the Gradient tool and a smoke brush

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“I create a second Color

Balance layer to push the color
variations further. Play around
with these sliders until you
reach an effect that you like”

10: Final touches

In this last step, I create color moods and
final lighting effects by using layer effects.
I start with Color Balance and boost the
green and yellow colors to give an eerie
mood in order to strengthen the oppressive
side of the ambience (image 10a).

In the mask layer I erase some areas with the

Gradient tool to provide color variations. Then I
create a second Color Balance layer to push the
color variations further. Play around with these
sliders until you reach an effect that you like.

Now I create a Curves layer to play with

the light and dark. Finally I create a
Levels layer to tweak the grayscale.

I intensify the colors to finish off the image. A little

trick for doing this is to create a new layer set to
Overlay. Take your Brush tool ‒ a big thick Soft
brush ‒ and paint in a dark blue color in the dark
areas and a light yellow in the brighter areas.
This will make your colors pop (image 10b).

The final image can be seen on the next page.

10a

↑ Use different adjustment layers to create a creepy ambience

10b

↑ A technique to make your colors pop

214
Environments
We’ve covered all kinds of characters, forgotten about, and this section of the book
monsters, and vehicles, but what about the will teach you how to create all manner of
surroundings in which your action takes place? settings and scenery using digital techniques,
Crafting environments is a major skill that from fantasy forests and murky swamps to
shouldn’t be relegated to the background and cities being dwarfed by natural disasters.
Environments | Create a tsunami scene
Creating a destruction scene may seem like We will continue with a lighting pass to bring
a challenging task, but there is a certain out the silhouettes of the broken buildings and
recipe and some shortcuts to make the architecture against a dramatic and cloudy
artistic process much easier. In this tutorial sky. Furthermore, the effects, especially
we will take a step-by-step approach in order the effect of the tsunami waves, will be
to understand how to create a powerful studied and integrated into the image. At
and visually appealing tsunami scene. the final stage, we will do some polishing
work to tighten everything together.
There are two keys elements for this scene:
interesting shapes for the destroyed buildings, I’ll explain the required Photoshop tools in
and effects elements, such as the wave, smoke, detail to facilitate the learning process. I will
fire, and debris. These effects are essential in also share with you three very useful digital
portraying this disaster caused by earthquakes, painting tips to give you greater insight into
underwater landslides, or other disturbances. finding artistic solutions for your own image.

At an early stage, we can obtain a convincing 01: Brainstorming and research

result by observing photo references to I like to put all my photo references on a
analyze the buildings’ silhouettes. We will big canvas in Photoshop. This allows me to
then find an impressive composition using have a quick overview of all the city building
those silhouettes to further enhance this shapes that are contained in the photos.
epic scene. Once the foundation is set, I will
Donglu Yu take you through the photo manipulation I go over each photo separately to assess
Senior Concept Artist steps used to lay down realistic-looking which ones have potential to create interesting
Software used: Photoshop texture work for the final image. silhouettes and composition. I use the

218
 Create a tsunami scene

Pen tool to make clean path selections

of those building and debris shapes.

After the selection is done, I go to the Path

tab to rename my Path selection as “selected
buildings”. If I don’t do this, the Work Path will be
replaced if you start a new path by accident. In
order to make the building silhouettes stand out
from the reference board for later use, I create
a red outline around the selected buildings.

Now I zoom out of the canvas to squint at

the red outline and try my best to memorize
the silhouettes. This board now becomes my 01
foundation against which I will double check
↑ The brainstorming process to help me find appealing silhouettes
my shapes for the rest of the painting process.

02: Breaking the shapes bend and break the building façades to help and hitting the streets. The bottom parts of the
We can’t use the shapes exactly as they are create the impression of mass destruction. buildings are mostly damaged, while the top
since this is a tsunami scene: the bottom of the parts of the architecture is collapsing but not
building is impacted by the huge waves, resulting This step creates a small challenge as the yet destroyed. To help me create a convincing
in the collapse of the upper part of the building. majority of the references available for a depiction of a tsunami in action, I try to think of
tsunami scene are of the aftermath. I am trying the movies I have seen that deal with the theme
I therefore alter all the building shapes by to create a tsunami scene right in the middle of natural disaster and do my best to mimic
using the Free Transform tool to see how I can of the action, when the waves are coming in the glimpses that I still have in my memory.

02

↑ This step is crucial for finding an impressive composition

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03 04

↑ I sketch out a few options to choose from as the first idea is not always the strongest ↑ Integrating photo textures is an integral part of creating a realistic looking concept art

“A horizontal image gives us and at the edge of collapsing. A horizontal image result, but I will continue on to the next step
a larger street view so that I gives us a larger street view so that I can have a in the process because with the texture and
can have a clean vanishing clean vanishing point two-thirds up the canvas, some lighting information, I will be in a better
point two-thirds up the canvas, meeting the compositional rule of thirds. position to tweak my final composition.
meeting the compositional rule
of thirds” After a moment of consideration, I decide to go 04: Studying the original
with the horizontal one. It offers me more empty photo source
03: Composition studies areas where I can play with the water effects. Now I go back to my reference board to see
It is much easier to make interesting what photo textures can be incorporated
compositions with the broken shapes. I try both a I isolate the chosen composition on a brand into my composition. I go through a
horizontal and a vertical canvas to assess which new canvas in order to work on it. I try to create similar process as I did for the first step,
one is more immersive. The vertical images are more depth in the image by subtly tweaking but paying even more attention to the
all dominated by one main building, all fractured the values. I am not entirely happy with the textures instead of the silhouettes.

05

↑ Digital manipulation of photo textures can take time, but the effort will pay off in the end

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 Create a tsunami scene

At this point, I feel it necessary to find more “Certain elements, such as the result, which means no high contrast and
texture references for skyscrapers. I go to http:// important buildings, need to be highly saturated color information within
freetextures.3dtotal.com to find tall buildings scaled up a little bit to create a the textures. When the values stay in the
that I can use as a focal point in my image. dramatic feeling” mid-tone range, I will have more flexibility
to tweak the lighting in the later steps.
After researching, I lay down all the textures on 05: Photo manipulation
a big board. Notice how these photos are mostly This step is more technical than artistic. I use I also watch the ratio relationship of the
composed of building façades rather than being all the available Photoshop tools to gain a photo textures – certain elements, such as
silhouette-heavy as in the first step. I simply use better photo integration. The Free Transform the important buildings, need to be scaled
the Lasso tool to cut out the façades that I would tool is the most commonly used one. Press up a little bit to create a dramatic feeling.
like to use later in the photo manipulation stage. Ctrl+T to have faster access to the tool, then Note that this shouldn’t be too exaggerated,
press Ctrl while dragging on the four-corner so as to avoid a cartoony feeling.
I keep looking at my chosen composition bounding box to manipulate the photo texture.
to ensure that the selected façades still This step takes some patience, but the
share a similar design language as the I use adjustment layers, such as Curves and time spent is well worth it. It lays down the
old ones in the composition study. Color Balance, to achieve a neutral-looking color foundation for the final painting.

Pro Tip important point is that I constantly keep and background layer. Sometimes I also keep
Layer organization all my important masks, allowing me to very few fog layers separate so I can adjust
I like to work with fewer layers to make have easy selections and clean edges. their tonal relationship much more easily.
my painting process more organic and
flexible. When I reach certain stages with The main layers that I usually keep separate With less than 10 layers, you can access
a satisfying result, I don’t hesitate to are based on their depth information, such your layers with a greater speed to make
merge certain tweaking layers. The only as a foreground layer, middle-ground layer, the painting process much more flexible.

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06

↑ The basic lighting pass helps me easily sort out the spatial relationship of my building elements

“The sky’s color palette is and ambience of the final artwork. I select a 08: Adding debris
crucial as it dictates the overall gray, desaturated cloudy sky to enhance the For a more convincing visual effect, it is
tone and ambience of the sinister mood of the image. I take care when essential to add debris to complement the
final artwork. I select a gray, working on the sky area behind my main collapsing movement of the buildings. As
desaturated cloudy sky to building as this area has to be lighter in order to the collapsing starts from the bottoms of
enhance the sinister mood of punctuate the silhouette of the main building. the buildings, I add more debris there. The
the image” impact goes gradually upwards, causing glass
07: Painting waves to break. I take extra care to place the flying
06: Basic lighting pass The wave is a key element which contributes debris at the spots where the façades break,
A basic lighting pass can help me to sort out the to the success level of the image. I look allowing the debris to merge seamlessly with
texture information established in the previous at a lot of photo references to study the the edges of the broken building fronts.
step very efficiently. It will allow me to establish natural behavior of waves and do quick
a better depth relationship based on the fog sketches to study their flow and direction. I keep the debris flying direction the same
density that I put between the buildings. as the water waves, because they share the
The green arrows on my sketches indicate the same physical impact and it’s important to the
Atmospheric perspective is a great technique main direction in which the wave is heading. quality of the piece to keep this consistency.
for achieving this effect. Ideally, the foreground The red arrows indicate the smaller variations At this point, I also take more care with the
of the image should have the darkest value of the water direction within that big curve. building edges, making windows and railings
ranges, the middle ground should have a break, following the movement of the waves.
few points of high contrast in order to draw I try to apply what I learnt from the sketch studies
attention to the main buildings, and all the to the scene and try to keep the wave direction I pay attention to the values on the flying
background elements should fade gradually consistent, so it creates a strong visual impact. debris so that they also follow the atmospheric
into the fog with the lowest tonal contrast. perspective of the whole scene. The debris
I am happy with the result; the waves create in the background is lighter than the debris
At this point, I start to create a basic sky motion in the scene. I decide to add some in the foreground. To conclude this step, I
background in the image. The sky’s color big water splashes to create the illusion of add a motion blur to further enhance the
palette is crucial as it dictates the overall tone the huge waves hitting the buildings. movement of the flying debris.

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 Create a tsunami scene

07

↑ It is crucial to understand the flow and the natural behavior of the tidal wave to create a tsunami scene

08

↑ Create realism by adding slightly blurred flying debris. This can also enhance the visual impact of the waves

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Chapter 07 | Environments

09

↑ To make final adjustments, a grayscale version of the image can give you a better idea of your value distribution

Pro Tip
Brushes
With a limited set of brushes, you can focus more on the painting itself
instead of trying to find the right brush to paint with. Eighty percent
of my brush set consists of painting brushes, such as a Round Soft/
Hard Airbrush, a few different Charcoal brushes, and a few Square
and Triangle brushes to paint with hard edges. The rest is mostly
effect brushes, for fog/cloud, dust, water, and vegetation.

I like to try different brushes that various artists upload to their websites,
but I do frequently clean up to remove the ones that I don’t really use. There
are probably only 20–30 brushes that are part of my permanent collection
and they are more than enough to achieve a great painting experience.

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 Create a tsunami scene

of black, but I don’t completely avoid using it Then I do a subtle Radial Blur to mimic the
“I limit my use of black, but
since the black gives a nice level of contrast. camera movement. Go to Filter > Blur > Radial
I don’t completely avoid
I leave the brightest values for the elements Blur, set the amount to 10, and set Blur Method
using it since the black gives
that I want to show off. This way, the viewer’s to Zoom. This will then make all the edges on
a nice level of contrast. I
eyes can flow better within the image. your image blur into the center of the image.
leave the brightest values
for the elements that I want
I take this last opportunity to adjust my fog In order to make this effect more subtle, I
to show off”
intensity to make the depth information clear. create a mask on the layer and erase the areas
09: Final lighting adjustment I use a cloud/smoke Soft brush to paint on that I don’t need. I also reduce the opacity to
Now it’s time to tighten up the lighting to a new layer set to Screen mode. Then I play around 30%. Finally, I add chromatic aberration
make the scene even more convincing. The with the opacity to achieve the subtle effect. to mimic the lens effect. Go to Filter > Lens
best way to double-check your lighting is Correction and then go under the Custom tab
to check your values. I use a Black & White 10: Final polishing and play with the three sliders in the Chromatic
adjustment layer on top of all my layers There are three small things that I like to Aberration section. This allows you to offset
to see the whole painting in grayscale. do at the final stage of creating an image, the RGB channels to mimic the lens effect.
just to tighten everything together. Small
If there is any very bright spot or dark sport highlights are important to a finished The painting is now complete. I hope that you
popping up, that probably indicates that you look and I add them to accentuate certain have learnt a few new tricks and a nice recipe
need to make some adjustments. I limit my use edges and make the shapes pop out. to help you attack such complex scenes.

10

↑ I make a few final tweaks to tighten the whole image together, including painting the edges, adding a subtle motion blur, and adding chromatic aberration

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Environments | Create a post-earthquake city
In this tutorial I will show you how to elements into new forms – will dramatically
use fast photo manipulation and digital increase the speed of your creative process.
painting techniques to portray a city after
a cataclysmic earthquake. You will find We will add destruction to a photo base and
that using photo-bashing techniques – I will then show you how to use some tricks
compositing and “bashing” photographic to add mood, atmospherics, and realism.

Maciej Drabik 01a

Environment Concept Artist
↑ Extending the width of the original photo
Software used: Photoshop

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 Create a post-earthquake city

“It’s good to have some

perspective guides. This will
help when adding textures
and blending photos… In
this case you’ll find that it’s
relatively easy because of the
city structure”
01: Changing proportions
In this first step, I find a photo that I like,
but I want to get a more cinematic look.
This is why I now extend the view. In a
new layer, I add black borders to help me
become focused on the framing, although
I can always hide or unhide some areas. 01b

02: Perspective ↑ Framing the new composition with black borders

It’s good to have some perspective guides.

This will help when adding textures and hundredsofsparrows.com, but you could also In this case you’ll find that it’s relatively
blending photos. For this, I use Sergey use some free perspective brushes or simply easy because of the city structure, with
Kritskiy’s Photoshop script from www. use the Pen tool to paint perspective lines. buildings as the reference points.

02

↑ Adding helpful perspective guidelines

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Chapter 07 | Environments

“It’s important to have a similar angle in your photo textures so that you won’t case, we would just need to adjust the
perspective or angle in your need to do a lot of image transformations Color Balance and Levels manually.
photo textures so that you to match the illustration’s perspective.
won’t need to do a lot of image 05: Filling empty space
transformations to match the 04: Matching color Because of my earlier cropping, I now need
illustration’s perspective.” Match Color (Image > Adjustments > Match to fill the left side of the image. For this I use
Color) is the function I use to match the color a photo of a demolished building, using the
03: Gathering textures of my photos to my base image. In the Source Free Transform tool to match its perspective
Before I start working on an illustration I need drop-down box, I choose the name of the (this is when it’s good to have guides!).
to find textures to use. This time I use resources work file I have opened in Photoshop. Then in The rest of the empty space is just loosely
from www.cgtextures.com and 3dtotal’s free the Layer drop-down box, I choose the layer I painted. I will decide how to fill it later.
textures website (http://freetextures.3dtotal. want to match my photo textures with (in this
com), as both websites offer free-to-use images. case, Layer 0, the background photo layer). 06: Clearing the road
No cars are needed in my version of the
As you can see, I search for destroyed The Match Color tool can be very helpful scene, so I just paint them out. I use a simple
buildings, debris, cracks, and so on. It’s to your process, but sometimes it just medium-soft brush and the Eyedropper
important to have a similar perspective or doesn’t work the way we want it to. In that tool to pick the color of the asphalt.

03

↑ The textures I collect for this image

04

↑ Using Color Match to match new textures with the background image

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 Create a post-earthquake city

05

↑ Filling holes in the image with new buildings

06

↑ Painting over the unwanted vehicles

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Chapter 07 | Environments

“Often, there’s a big difference

between how we think
something looks and how it
really looks”
07: Adding cracks
I use an opaque, pressure-sensitive brush to
start painting cracks on the road. At the same
time, I look at references of how real cities
look when they encounter an earthquake.
References are very important. Often, there’s
a big difference between how we think
something looks and how it really looks.

After painting some rough cracks, I help myself by

using photo textures to add detail and realism.

08: More details

Using the same techniques as the previous
steps – transforming, painting over, and adding
new buildings – I add more destruction, debris,
and cracks. The toppled buildings help to 07
establish what has happened in the scene.
↑ Creating realistic cracks in the ground

09: Distant smoke

I want to add some smoke to help 10: Breaking the buildings part of the building and knock it down. I use
separate the shapes and buildings. I use I need to add some more major damage. The the same technique that I used for the road
the Selection tool and a very soft brush brick building on the left is perfect for that. to add detail, then copy the windows of the
to paint in the smoke on a new layer. Using the Polygonal Lasso tool, I separate building behind to fill in the resulting gap.

08

↑ Taking the earthquake details a step further

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 Create a post-earthquake city

09

↑ Creating distance and atmosphere with some smoke

10

↑ Adding more structural damage to the scene

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Chapter 07 | Environments

11

↑ A few extra touches help bring the image together

11: Particles and smoke 12: Changing the atmosphere “To sharpen the image,
I’ve now grouped the building layers I use adjustment layers to adjust the brightness I use the High Pass
together so it’s time to add extra details and contrast, and also to add a blue Cooling technique. To do this I
on top. Using new layers, photo textures, Filter (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo need to duplicate all visible
and painting, I fill the image with more Filter) that changes the atmosphere. I add layers into a new flat layer
atmospheric effects and some flying papers. some noise and a vignette effect as well. and desaturate them”

12

↑ A cool blue Photo Filter provides the image with a new atmosphere

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 Create a post-earthquake city

13: Sharpen
To sharpen the image, I use the High Pass
technique. To do this I need to duplicate
all visible layers into a new flat layer
and desaturate them. Next I choose the
High Pass filter from Filter > Other.

High Pass is nice for sharpening images because

it only enhances the edges without destroying
the rest. After using the High Pass filter on my
desaturated duplicate layer, I set the Layer
blending mode to Overlay with 100% Opacity. The
effect is pretty subtle, but I do mask some areas
that are sharpened too much, such as debris
and far-off elements that should be less visible.

14: Final touches

I use a fake chromatic aberration effect to
blend everything better. You can find it under
Filter > Lens Correction. This is the kind of trick
that “ruins” the quality a little, but thanks
to this the image will look more realistic.

I want more blue in the image, so I tweak

the Color Balance and then break the
monotony by using a big Soft brush to paint 13
the yellow light on the horizon. Finished!
↑ Applying the High Pass filter to a new layer
This image took 8–10 hours in total.

14

↑ Faking the appearance of chromatic aberration

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Environments | Craft a swampy settlement
As the title suggests, this tutorial will focus It seemed logical to have the buildings raised
on a human habitat set within a swamp. The above ground or, in this instance, the water
interesting aspect about this particular project level. Swamps occupy waterlogged land
concerns the architecture and the manner and, depending on the type, can only be
in which it is dictated by the environment. traversed by boat in certain situations. This

Richard Tilbury 01
Concept Artist & Illustrator
↑ Initial sketch
Software used: Photoshop

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 Craft a swampy settlement

02

↑ Three key brushes I use

makes the notion of land-dwelling homes

limited and so, after scouring the internet for
reference pictures, I decided to situate my
version within a shallow lake without any
significant land mass or protruding islands. 03

↑ The painting after a color wash has been added

As a result I was left with the option of
structures being supported either on stilts or
alternatively built around tree trunks and held
in place through a series of felled branches.
Part of the brief required a citadel and as this
would be too large to build around a single tree,
I decided to support it through a series of stilts.
I thought it made sense to have the smaller
dwellings wrapped around the larger trees,
resembling a traditional tree house. With these
decisions in mind I made a start on the image.

01: Initial sketching 04a

The first stage of the process involves laying
↑ Trying to portray an algae-covered lake as opposed to solid ground
down some broad brushstrokes in black and
white to get an idea about the composition and
where the main light and dark areas will reside. 02: Brushes can see that I have altered the composition
Image 02 shows three of the key brushes I use somewhat, but the citadel and central tree
Some swamps are very densely populated in these early stages and, in fact, throughout remain. At this stage it is worth experimenting
with trees, so visibility can be somewhat much of the process. As you can see, two are with different colors until you find a
restricted, which hinders a sense of depth and textured brushes and one is hard-edged for more satisfactory palette. I focus the warmer tones
perspective. In order to house the citadel in precise drawing – perfect for trees and branches. in the background towards the sunlight.
the background, I need to ensure there is a When you wish to block in sharp-edged shapes
clear line of sight, but at the same time retain a or structures, it sometimes pays to use the Once the color scheme is roughly decided I
claustrophobic quality, which I feel is important. Lasso tool, a method favored by many artists. often flatten both the black-and-white sketch
and color layer, and start working in color.
Image 01 on the left here shows the initial sketch, The next phase of the painting involves
which alludes to the citadel as a silhouette establishing a color scheme, which 04: Adding water effects
with most of the shaded areas set in the utilizes a new layer set to Overlay in I now build on the previous image, enriching
foreground. I move shapes around the canvas order to preserve the tonal range. the palette. I want to portray an algae-covered
for a while before arriving at this particular lake, but the main hurdle in doing so is to avoid
composition. I decide that a light source in 03: Color palette it resembling moss-covered ground. When you
the background works reasonably well and Image 03 shows the result of painting a color observe swamps, you’ll notice that the water is
will allow me to create depth in the scene. wash over the black-and-white sketch. You often obscured completely and hence can appear

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Chapter 07 | Environments

04b

↑ Adding some of the tree dwellings to the foreground

05

↑ Adding some fortifications around the citadel and some extra trees in the background

misleading. However, there are two ways of The use of this last device is circled in red in will be a discernible highlight or reflection
overcoming this problem. One is to make image 04a, with some water exposed in the across it, albeit a far less obvious one.
sure that the bases of trees and anything else extreme foreground by virtue of the dark blue
have a sharp edge to signify they are standing patches flecked with gray. Not every square Another aspect I add at this point is evidence
in water. The other is to have some water centimeter of water is covered by algae, and of photographs sampled from various
exposed and therefore reflecting the sunlight. this means that at an oblique angle there sources. Generally I color-correct these before

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 Craft a swampy settlement

06

↑ Creating more distinct tree houses

07

↑ Add color using Overlay blending modes

“I like the simple treatment supports. To help create a sense of depth main citadel tower I flip it horizontally in
of the citadel in its silhouette and perspective, I incorporate a raised order to show the prominent towers.
form against the sunlight, but gangway above the water level, which also
because it is the focal point allows the inhabitants to cross the swamp. The haphazard array of branches and
I feel it needs a little more foliage in the center of the image lacks
detail” I like the simple treatment of the citadel in any real structure, so I decide to edit these
its silhouette form against the sunlight, but to form two distinct tree houses.
reducing the Opacity slightly, but often it is because it is the focal point I feel it needs a little
possible to simply change the blending mode more detail. The other problem is that it looks as 07: Using Overlay effects
to Overlay or Soft Light for them to work. though it is at the edge of the swamp, whereas A good way of adding color is to use Overlay
I want to situate it somewhere in the middle. To effects set to various blending modes. In order to
You will notice I also start to add some compensate I add some fortifications around the add a more vivid green to the background foliage,
of the tree dwellings, which I go on to citadel and some extra trees in the background. as well as a warm tint to the sunlight, I create
elaborate in the foreground of image 04b. two new layers. Image 07 shows the image with
06: Refining the composition both layers set to Normal mode in the center, and
05: Focusing on the citadel I decide to increase the density of the the before and after effects on above and below,
I begin to shape the distant citadel by trees by placing some in the middle respectively. The sunlight (circled in red) is set
suggesting small windows and protruding distance, but because these obscure the to Hard Light and the green patches to Overlay.

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08: Color corrections

It is very helpful to flip your canvas while
working, both horizontally and vertically –
something you will hear many artists mention
for a very good reason. This technique can either
reveal flaws or help you to solve problems.

“One way of binding the

background and foreground is
to tint the reflection across the
water to match the sunlight by
way of a new layer set to Hard
Light”

In this case I find that there is a lack of

continuity between the upper and lower
halves of the canvas, mainly due to the color
scheme. One way of binding the background
and foreground is to tint the reflection
across the water to match the sunlight by
way of a new layer set to Hard Light.

09: Adding a beacon

Part of the brief requires a beacon of fire to be
visible from the citadel, so it is important to
include this. Being a swamp, I imagine that a
clear line of sight from village to village would
be difficult and so it would be necessary to place
a lookout above the canopy. In order to spot the
fires they would need to create a lot of smoke.

Image 09a shows just such a fire in the

background, which I have placed on top of
a high tower in order to make the smoke
more visible. The placement of this doesn’t
feel balanced in relation to the two tree
houses either side though, so I opt to
move it over to the left (image 09b).

10: Final touches

Two final touches that I feel are necessary
are to first of all correct the perspective of
the gangway, which seems skewed, and then
add some evidence of human occupancy.

I place a fishing boat in the foreground, but

due to the lighting and color scheme I have to
cover the lower left section with algae in order
for the boat to make more sense visually. 08

↑ Matching the reflection across the water to the sunlight

You can see the final image on the next page.

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 Craft a swampy settlement

09a

↑ Adding the beacon

“I place a fishing boat in the

foreground, but due to the
lighting and color scheme I
have to cover the lower left
section with algae in order for
the boat to make more sense
visually”

09b

↑ I move the beacon more to the left for balance

243
10
Environments | Paint a fantasy forest
In this tutorial I will run through the processes sculpting with the Smudge tool until I get
behind my image, The Forest Spirit. Working the perspective down. I then compose
through each element of the scene, I’ll divulge and block my image into three parts: the
a multitude of processes involved in creating foreground, middle ground, and background.
perfect textures in a woodland environment.
In part C, I add a path between the trees
01: Composition to guide the viewer’s eye toward my
I start by choosing references from my library. subject. I can then say that the image is
As you can see in image 01, part A shows how well-balanced, so I start adding details
I mix two images of forests. In part B, I start and other elements. I then began painting

3.

A C

Rabie Rahou 01
B
Concept Artist
↑ Creating the basic composition using reference images
Software used: Photoshop

246
 Paint a fantasy forest

02 03

↑ Using downloaded brushes to paint in the leaves ↑ Rendering the basic textures on the tree trunk with three values of brown

the trees and grass, the techniques of which and then use a thin dark brush to paint
will be explained in the following steps. some separations and grain in the wood.

02: Brushes In the next steps I’ll show you more of the
I start with a pressure-based brush and trace in texture processes, but for now, I simply use the
some lines, and then use the Smudge tool with Smudge at 100 to make more depth, depending
the Intensity at 100 to model the form of the tree. on the style and the position of the tree.
After that, I start to paint the leaves using some
of the many brushes on www.deviantart.com. 04: Grass texturing
For the grass, I use two standard brushes. You
In this image, I use five brushes to paint the can find a lot of grass brushes on the internet,
leaves but you can use as many as you need. but I find using only the standard brushes
I paint the leaves with autumn colors with to create the grass works great for me.
some variations in the red spectrum.
I start with the Dune Grass brush and paint it
03: Tree texturing in with a gray value. After I add a layer in the
Next I render a tree trunk. To paint it quickly, background, I choose the Grass brush and simply
I use three values of brown. I paint in the dark paint until I achieve some nice, natural variations.
brown and then follow with the lighter values.
I then start sculpting with the Smudge tool. I paint the colors in at the end. The background 04
First I choose the Rough Smear tool to mix layer is brightened to simulate a light
↑ Using the Dune Grass brush to create the effect of grass
my colors and make some surface texture, source from the top, just like our project.

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Chapter 07 | Environments

A C

05
B

↑ Developing the atmosphere in the image using contrasting colors

05: Putting some of the “I add lights on separate layers

elements together to shade the bushes. It has to
In this step I paint the grass, some leaves, and be convincing so I also add
atmosphere. The atmosphere is an important shadows and highlights on
element in any successful illustration. I some of the leaves”
begin with a cold blue atmosphere, but
quickly realize it is too boring as there is 07: Light source
only one color (part A and B of image 05). I assemble my foreground by composing two
trees and bushes and also some leaves and
In part C there are two colors: the blue one in mushrooms. The light is coming from above,
the background and the red one in the middle which indicates that the sun is in the middle of
ground; because of this, we start to feel the depth. the sky, so the rays must be parallel to the trees.
In the next step, I will show my techniques for
painting leafy bushes in the foreground. I add lights on separate layers to shade the
bushes. It has to be convincing so I also
06: Dense foliage add shadows and highlights on some of the
For the bushes, I start by mixing some leaf leaves. The image is now almost complete,
brushes with Scattering and Intensity. I try to but there is still something missing. 06
make a non-uniform ball of leaves by randomly
changing the intensity and brushes. Once I start 08: Setting up the final scene ↑ Creating the impression of dense foliage by varying the
intensity of the brushes
to gather a thickness, I also begin to play with Many myths in different cultures speak about
color and light to give a shadow to this thickness. the forest spirit – a spirit who takes care of the
forest. It comes from deep within the human My spirit is on the same path that I painted
Once I am satisfied, I put the bush in the imagination of the unknown, in times when the in my first composition; he is almost in the
composition and paint the branches land was covered in big undiscovered forests. golden point of the image and the image
with some leaves to blend it with my Because of this, I imagine the spirit moving in the looks stronger and complete as a result.
environment. Here I paint directly with forest and checking the trees. He is a mix of tree
color but you can paint in gray and add the and animal, or maybe even a human. He is white, I also paint a small squirrel in the picture, just
colors in a separate layer if you prefer. as we always imagine spirits are made from light. for my enjoyment. See if you can spot it!

248
 Paint a fantasy forest

07

↑ Adding a light source can create a convincing effect

08

© Rabie Rahou
249
Gallery
Now, to finish off your digital painting journey, We really hope that this diverse and
we’ll leave you with a gallery of inspirational talented range of creatives will motivate
images by artists who know their craft and you to keep on learning, practicing, and
have worked hard to excel in their field. importantly having fun with your art!
 He’s going home
Col Price | www.artstation.com/artist/coldesign
© Col Price

252
Eastern Goddess
Ali Kiani Amin | www.facebook.com/ali.kianiamin
© Ali Kiani Amin

253
The Land
Wanchana Intrasombat (Vic) | www.kun-victorior.com
© Wanchana Intrasombat

254
255
Distant Star – Victory!
Paul Scott Canavan | www.paulscottcanavan.com
© Paul Scott Canavan

256
257
 Portrait study
Anna Maystrenko | www.lagunaya.tumblr.com
© Anna Maystrenko

258
Cyber Knight
Amir Zand (San) | www.amirzand.tumblr.com
© Amir Zand (San)

259
 Watchers
Grzegorz Przybyś | www.artstation.com/artist/grzegorzprzybys
© Grzegorz Przybyś

260
261
Have a Nice Day
Wadim Kashin | www.septicwd.artstation.com
© W.D.

262
263
New Earth Vista
Sung Choi | www.sung-choi.com
© Sung Choi

264
265
Dirty30 #7
Ken Fairclough | www.artstation.com/artist/kenfairclough
© Ken Fairclough
266
267
Robot concept
Park Jong Won (J.C park) | www.j-circle.net
© Park Jong Won (J.C park)

268
269
 Settling
Florent Lebrun | www.artstation.com/artist/ptibrun
© Florent Lebrun

270
271
Ringworld
Espen Olsen Sætervik | www.espenartman.com
© Espen Olsen Sætervik
272
273
Adventure
Florian Aupetit | www.florianaupetit.tumblr.com
© Florian Aupetit

274
275
Hope Amidst the Ruins
Eddie Mendoza | www.eddie-mendoza.net
© Eddie Mendoza
276
277
Ocherstones
Max Bedulenko | www.artstation.com/artist/MB14
© Max Bedulenko

278
279
 South Main
Christopher Balaskas | www.balaskas.artstation.com
© 2015 C. Balaskas

280
Index
A C debris, 155, 218-219, 222-223, 230, 232, 235
accessories, 72, 94, 129, 168 camera, 37, 40-41, 145, 161, 225 decals, 13, 55-56
acrylic, 48 canvas, 16-19, 24, 69, 74, 89-90, 92, 99, 101, 118, deforestation, 60-61, 63
action, 36, 38, 99, 101, 186-187, 208, 212, 217, 219 123, 142, 148, 161-162, 188, 190, 218-220, 239, desaturate, 109, 114, 144, 178, 209, 222, 234-235
Airbrush, 85-86, 103-104, 224 242 design, 13-19, 24, 30-33, 36-37, 52-57, 61, 63,
aircraft, 36 Channels, 41, 108, 184-187 67-69, 72, 88-89, 97-98, 104, 112-113, 117-118,
algae, 239-240, 242-243 Charybdis, 170-174 133, 145, 148, 168, 170-174, 177, 179, 203, 221
alien, 13, 200 cheek, 71, 100, 102, 122-123, 136 destruction, 218-219, 228, 232
Alpha, 108, 199-200 chromatic aberration, 225, 235 dirt, 33, 38-39, 145
ambience, 192, 198-199, 206, 212-214, 222 chrome, 56 Dodge tool, 27, 40, 79, 116-117, 155-156, 187
anatomy, 70, 85, 101, 108, 162, 174 CINEMA 4D, 194-196 dog, 71, 143, 145
animal, 68, 71, 163, 248 citadel, 239-242 dragon, 152-153, 155-156
apocalyptic, 14, 24-27, 152 city, 44-45, 47, 218, 228-229, 231, 233, 235 dragons, 153
architecture, 180, 218-219, 238 client, 31, 36, 46, 53, 56-57, 99, 121, 206 drawing, 16-18, 20, 25, 31, 53-54, 57, 62, 74-75,
aristocrat, 70 Clone Stamp tool, 188 78, 90, 100, 118, 127, 129, 132-133, 150, 152,
armor, 26 clothes, 48, 69, 72, 123, 134 155, 239
army, 106-107, 109 clothing, 85, 129, 134-136, 167-168 dust, 33, 38-39, 47, 224
artifacts, 38 cloud, 38, 155, 161, 164, 206, 224-225 dynamic, 14-15, 17, 19, 21, 32, 107, 212
artificial, 37 CMYK, 108, 150
artificially, 37 Colorize, 90 E
artillery, 107 comics, 121 ear, 86, 122
atmosphere, 38-39, 46-47, 109, 124, 150, 164, complementary colors, 18, 174 earrings, 117
173, 199, 206-213, 233-234, 248 compositing, 37, 183, 228 earthquake, 218, 228-229, 231-233, 235
composition, 16-17, 19, 31, 36-38, 40-41, 44-45, emotion, 148, 170
B 53-54, 74-76, 88, 106-107, 112-114, 117-118, engine, 24-25, 31, 47, 53, 56, 152
ballerina, 74-75, 77, 79 124, 126, 133, 141-143, 149, 160, 162, 167, environment, 31-33, 47, 53, 63, 68, 72, 98, 145,
beard, 160, 163 172-173, 176-177, 188, 190, 218-221, 229, 239, 149, 155, 162, 203, 238, 246, 248
beast, 149, 171-173 241, 246, 248 experiment, 48, 86, 100, 118, 136, 155, 239
believability, 31, 55 contrast, 18, 20, 33, 38, 41, 70, 90-91, 109, Exposure, 116-117, 145
Blender, 196 113-114, 121, 124, 135, 144-145, 149, 171, 178, expressions, 98, 100, 114, 133
blending, 48-49, 90, 93, 118, 127-128, 132, 163, 185-186, 221-222, 225, 234 Eyedropper tool, 76, 230
229, 235, 241 costume, 72, 88-89, 103-104, 117, 168 eyes, 70, 72, 100, 102, 110, 114, 121-123, 127,
blocking, 25, 83, 127, 160, 164 Creative Commons, 36 130, 134, 136, 143, 164, 168, 225
blood, 178, 180 creature, 142-143, 145, 149-150, 159-161, 166,
Blur, 20-21, 33, 41, 79-80, 144, 168, 202, 225 168, 170-174, 176, 178, 180 F
blush, 71, 128, 136 Curves, 90-91, 94, 167-168, 185-186, 192, 209, fabric, 72, 78-79, 82, 108, 115, 129, 136
boat, 238, 242-243 214, 221 face, 69-70, 76-77, 83-86, 94, 100, 102, 113-114,
brainstorming, 218-219 116-117, 122-124, 127-128, 130, 134-135, 138,
buildings, 47-48, 155-156, 185, 211, 218-219, D 168, 170-171, 178
221-222, 229-232, 238 deadlines, 121, 123 fantasy, 71, 217, 246-247, 249
feather, 190, 200 jewelry, 72, 168 N
filter, 20-21, 33, 40-41, 47-49, Jiang Shi, 176 naiad, 170-171
74, 79, 123-124, 144-145, Jitter, 17, 25 narrative, 145, 148-150, 176
163-164, 168, 199, 202, 225, 234-235 jumpsuit, 127, 129-130 noise, 20, 26, 47, 124, 144-145, 149, 168, 234
fire, 168, 218, 242 nose, 70-71, 102, 122, 127, 136, 168
flashlight, 176, 179 K
focal point, 19, 21, 44-45, 48, knife, 69, 85 O
72, 110, 114, 121, 138, observation, 77
155, 167, 221, 241 L occlusion, 114-115, 199
fog, 142, 144, 164, 212, 221-222, 224-225 lace, 77, 86 ocean, 174
foliage, 241, 248 lamp, 48, 177 opacity, 17, 39, 47, 49, 69, 74, 80, 99, 101-104,
forest, 63, 149, 161, 164, 217, 246-249 landscape, 145, 183 113-114, 117-118, 123, 127-128, 136, 161-164, 168,
fur, 145, 164 landslides, 218 202-203, 212, 225, 235, 241
futuristic, 13, 30, 55 Lasso tool, 14-15, 17-19, 21,32, 70, 82, 92, 143-144 originality, 31
155, 162-163, 168, 186, 189, 202, 210, 221, 232, 239 ornaments, 115
G leaf, 161-162, 248 orthographic, 27, 33, 36, 57
Gaussian Blur, 20-21, 41, 79-80, 144, 202 Levels, 27, 47, 110, 118, 144, 180, 214, 230 outfit, 97, 100-101, 112-113, 117, 127, 129
gesture, 32, 98-101 lighting, 21, 44-49, 75, 77, 98, 112-114, 118, 127, Overlay, 41, 62-63, 79, 83, 115, 123, 155,
glass, 104, 117, 183, 222 135, 138, 142-143, 160, 173-174, 176-177, 185, 167-168, 179-180, 214, 235, 239, 241
glasses, 117, 133, 136, 138 214, 218, 220-222, 225, 242-243
goggles, 112-113, 117 lines, 14-19, 24-25, 33, 39, 53, 60-61, 99, 108-109, P
gradient, 38, 79, 92-93, 114, 161, 113-114, 122-123, 133-135, 138, 149, 167, 201, paintovers, 62, 155
164, 190-192, 212-214 229, 247 palette, 18, 25, 27, 47, 69, 74, 85, 98, 100-101,
grain, 31, 41, 49, 150, 247 Liquify, 123, 164 109, 112-113, 118, 122, 135-136, 142, 148-149,
grass, 63, 160, 247-248 luminance, 195, 208 161, 178, 222, 239
grayscale, 32, 45, 123, 214, 224-225 paper, 60, 69, 88-89, 101, 118, 142, 160, 234
Greek, 67, 88, 170-171, 173 M particles, 47, 234
guidelines, 99, 229 machine, 24, 60-63 pencil, 14, 24, 60, 89-90, 101, 107, 160, 170
maelstrom, 173 perspective, 16, 18, 26, 31-32, 36-39, 45,
H magic, 166 52-53, 69, 109, 143, 149-150, 185, 189, 195,
habitat, 31, 238 makeup, 71, 112 210-211, 222, 229-230, 239, 241-242, 246
hair, 76, 84-86, 92, 94, 102-103, 112, 114-115, Mamalarang, 166 photorealistic, 57
123-124, 128, 130, 134-136, 138, 160, 163-164, Marquee tool, 26, 82, 204 pilot, 152-153, 155
166, 168, 180 mask, 17, 20, 38, 41, 46-47, 92- Pinterest, 37
hands, 10, 117, 129, 133, 179 93, 108, 134, 144-145, 164, Polygonal Lasso tool, 18-19,
Helen of Troy, 67, 88-89, 91, 93 187, 201, 203, 209, 212, 214, 225, 235 32, 144, 189, 210, 232
helmet, 98, 104, 117, 149 matte painting, 183-184, 190, pose, 88-89, 97-100, 112-113, 121-123,
horns, 160, 163 192, 194-195, 200-204, 206 129, 132-133, 160, 167, 170, 172
hotkey, 79, 148, 150 metals, 112, 117 practice, 37, 45, 77, 82, 88, 100, 141, 152
house, 45, 48, 85, 187-190, 239, 241-242 military, 27, 107 productivity, 142, 145
hue, 72, 77, 90, 101-102, 109-110, 121, 133, 136, mood, 24-25, 32, 46, 48, 53, 63, 98, 100, 109, proportion, 31-32, 132, 150, 162, 229
138, 167, 174, 208-209, 211 118,142-143, 150, 161, 164, 170, 173-174,
human, 40-41, 48, 68-71, 149, 166, 174, 238, 242, 178, 194, 198-199, 212, 214, 222, 228 Q
248 mountain, 33, 143-144, 190, 20-204, 208, 211-212 Qing Dynasty, 180
mouth, 100, 102, 127, 170-171
I movement, 98-100, 133, 222, 225 R
inspiration, 14, 36, 68, 159, 287-288 Multiply, 18-19, 80, 93, 101, 114, 135, 164, 167, rabbit, 176, 180
intuition, 39, 100 173-174 rain, 142, 144-145, 149-150
muscles, 88, 100, 179 realism, 31, 45-47, 49, 202-203, 223, 228, 232
J mushrooms, 248 reference, 24-25, 31, 37, 46, 55-56, 90,
jet, 38-40 mythology, 159-160, 170 104, 113, 117, 122, 163-164, 172-173, 176-
179, 195, 208, 219-220, 229, 239, 246 80, 82, 88, 98, 106, 112, 120, 126, 132, vegetation, 203-204, 224
reflection, 33, 104, 110, 138, 144-145, 211, 240, 142, 148, 152, 160, 166, 170, 176, 184, vehicle, 13-21, 20, 24, 30-33, 44-45, 47, 49, 52-55,
242 194, 196, 206, 218, 228, 238, 246 57, 60-63
rendering, 30, 32, 41, 53, 57, 62-63, 102, 141, 155, soldiers, 40 VFX, 37, 183
171, 174, 190, 199-200 spaceship, 36, 38-41, 201 videogames, 44
research, 36, 46, 60, 68-69, 112, 126, 153, 218, 221 specular, 130, 145 vignette, 110, 118, 234
resolution, 76, 90, 101, 126, 149, 195 spotlight, 17, 104, 176-177, 179 vintage, 98-100, 103, 118, 120-121, 123
RGB, 108, 150, 225 steampunk, 112-113, 115, 117 volume, 14-15, 17-19, 48, 54, 127-128, 134-137,
roof, 26, 45, 185, 187-190 stone, 30, 72 162, 179, 287-288
rubber, 104, 136 storm, 173, 206
rust, 24, 26, 45, 62 story, 16, 21, 27, 31, 36, 39, 68-69, 88, 143-144,
150, 171, 200 W
S streets, 47, 219 Wacom, 106, 184, 194, 206
saturation, 70, 77, 90, 101, 109- style, 9, 14, 24, 31, 60, 98, 100, 103-104, 112-114, Warp, 38-39, 77, 188, 190, 192, 204, 206, 212
110, 121, 163, 209, 211 117, 120-121, 123, 126-127, 132-133, 150, 152, water, 26, 38, 52-53, 55, 57, 68, 144-145, 170,
satyr, 163 180, 247 173-174, 211, 220, 222, 224, 238-242
scanner, 90 sunlight, 155, 210-211, 239-242 weather, 39, 143, 150, 173, 206
scenery, 150, 183, 211, 217 swamp, 217, 238-239, 241-243 wheel, 18, 32, 194, 200-204, 211-212
scientist, 132-133, 135, 137 symmetry, 32 whirlpool, 173, 170
sea, 171, 173-174 widescreen, 38
sepia, 113, 117 T window, 21, 26, 75, 77, 84, 108, 118, 195-196,
settings, 82-83, 107, 114, 145, 148, 161, 168, 209, tablet, 74, 102, 184, 194, 206 200, 203, 210-211
217 tail, 160, 163, 171 witch, 166-168
shading, 70, 75, 127 tattoo, 123-124, 164 wolf, 162, 164
shadows, 17-18, 27, 48-49, 61, 70, 75-76, 83, 93, technique, 26, 37, 40, 74, 92-93, 100, 164, 179, woodland, 246
102-104, 109-110, 114, 117, 121, 124, 127, 129, 183, 202, 214, 222, 232, 234-235, 242 workflow, 10, 67, 163
134, 136, 154, 156, 163, 192, 203, 248 technology, 56, 120 workshops, 77
sharpen, 49, 145, 234-235 teeth, 134, 174 workspace, 148
sharpened, 40, 235 texture, 26, 31, 45-47, 62, 78-80, 82-83, 85-86, wrinkles, 100, 103, 135
shoes, 98, 104 103, 107, 110, 114-115, 118, 124, 133, 136,
shop, 287-288 141, 149, 156, 168, 172, 179, 194-198, 203-204, Z
short, 100 210-211, 218, 220-222, 247 zombie, 176
shortcut, 74, 92, 143, 145, 148, 190, 218 thumbnail, 16, 31-32, 37, 60,
silhouette, 14-15, 31-32, 38, 46, 69-70, 72, 86, 69, 77, 89, 104, 107-108,
126, 155, 221-222, 239, 241 118, 143, 190
sketch, 14-16, 24-26, 32, 48, 53-54, 61, 69, 74-76, TIFF, 110, 199-200
78, 82, 88-90, 98, 100-101, 106-108, 112-114, transparency, 26-27, 38, 75-76, 82, 92, 104, 127
118, 126-127, 130, 133, 142-143, 148-150, 153, tree, 60, 63, 144, 149-150, 161, 239-242, 246-248
SketchUp, 61-62, 196 Troy, 67, 88-89, 91, 93
skin, 67, 70-72, 77-79, 92-93, 101-102, 114, 123, tsunami, 218-219, 221, 223, 225
128, 134-136, 155, 162-163, 179
sky, 18, 20, 33, 45, 143, 173-174, 184-188, 192, U
199, 206-208, 212, 218, 222, 248 undead, 159
skyscrapers, 221 underwater, 218
smoke, 47, 212-213, 218, 225, 232-234, 242 uniform, 133, 136, 156, 248
Smudge tool, 25, 38-40, 76, 85- Unsharp Mask, 164
86, 115-116, 143, 149,
163-164, 246-247 V
snow, 112, 149-150 values, 17, 32, 38, 44-45, 121, 124, 142, 144, 149,
snowboarder, 142-143, 149-150 156, 161-162, 173-174, 220-222, 225, 247
software, 9, 14, 24, 30, 36, 44, 48, 52, 60, 68, 74, vampire, 176, 178
Artist Bio
Rafa ArSen Matt Dixon
Graphic Designer & Illustrator Freelance Illustrator & Concept Artist
www.behance.net/rafaarsen www.mattdixon.co.uk

Patipat Asavasena Maciej Drabik

Freelance Artist Environment Concept Artist
www.asuka111art.com https://maciejdrabik.artstation.com

Florian Aupetit Ilya Dykov

Art Director & 3D Generalist Freelance 2D Artist
www.florianaupetit.tumblr.com www.artstation.com/artist/dykov

Ignacio Bazán Lazcano Caroline Gariba

Senior Concept Artist Freelance Illustrator
www.neisbeis.deviantart.com www.carolinegariba.com

Devon Cady-Lee Kari Günther

Concept Artist & Illustrator Illustrator
www.facebook.com/DevonCadyLee www.karipaints.com

Renée Chio Jessica Rossier

Animator & Illustrator Art Director & Concept Artist
www.reneechio.com www.jess-studio.com

Cris Delara Pedro Lopes

Artist Concept Artist
www.crisdelara.com www.capricornandroid.com
Markus Lovadina Richard Tilbury
Senior Concept Artist Concept Artist & Illustrator
www.artofmalo.carbonmade.com www.richardtilburyart.com

Efflam Mercier Matt Tkocz

Concept Artist Senior Concept Artist
www.efflammercier.com www.mattmatters.com

Sabrina Miramon Chase Toole

Freelance Illustrator Illustrator & Concept Designer
www.mioum.com www.chasetoole.com

Andrei Pervukhin Donglu Yu

Freelance Concept Artist & Illustrator Senior Concept Artist
www.pervandr.deviantart.com www.donglu-littlefish.blogspot.ca

Christopher Peters Ling Yun

2D Artist Concept Artist
www.trejoeeee.deviantart.com www.lingy-0.blogspot.co.uk

Rabie Rahou
Concept Artist
www.digitalrabie.com

Juan Pablo Roldan

Concept Artist
www.artstation.com/artist/roldan
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