Digital painting in PS

**Fellah.** · August 16th, 2005, 01:34 PM

Great to see you to Tei! Nope not cool at all

well its been working for like 10 minuts now...and still does. But hehe im sure the moment i start to paint it dies again

ill try the site if it does or throw it back in the face of that smiling guy in the store. Take care and see you soon!

**Teigrob** · August 16th, 2005, 01:45 PM

Hey, my fiance just suggested that you might have to update the driver. (I know, right out of the box???) That happened to us when we got a brand, spankin' new router...and it needed an updated driver. Sheesh! Anyway, you might check that out on their website.

**Fellah.** · August 16th, 2005, 01:52 PM

Hehe yeah it just died again - downloading the driver updates. Lets see what happens. Cheers Tei.

**Fellah.** · August 16th, 2005, 04:12 PM

Me again. Its working now and damn its pretty amazing!

**Onir** · August 16th, 2005, 05:46 PM

hey Fellah, glad to hear your tablet is working now and also welcome to the thread

post some of your things when you're done with em; always nice to see more pieces. anyway, welcome once again!

/salute

**Lake** · August 16th, 2005, 06:35 PM

hey, fellah... sorry to see your sb go, but glad to see you here; I can't wait to see what you can do with that wacom, I thought you used one already.

In terms of my own stuff.... bumskee, that tutorial on the first page, and also the progress by all the other guys, this is so inspiring!

churned this out:

**bumskee** · August 16th, 2005, 06:57 PM

Fellah!

so we get to see some wacom action?? kewl.. ooo exciting times ahead. make sure you save your steps, so we can all see how you got to the final piece ok??!?!

Fellah, also if you haven't go into wacom preference and change setting as it best fits you.

Panda, good values.. seeking out the form. keep going dude and paint some apples too while you are at it.

**Fellah.** · August 16th, 2005, 08:28 PM

Onir - cheers man, yeah is working fine now and i love it!
panda - hi man, hehe it was time to let that old sb get some rest. Nope only using a mouse till now. Never again heh. I have a dark and evil plan about starting a new sb in a month or two

bumskee

So much to learn for me, thanks for that advise! I wasnt sure if i could post here, so i have a fast sketch in the WIP section. Nothing much though. Gimme a little spam my friend. I will remember to save the steps. Cheers man!

**bumskee** · August 16th, 2005, 08:50 PM

I guess the weirdest thing at first is getting used to wacom and trying out the hand eye cordination as you are staring at the screen instead. That will come with few strokes I guess. what wacom did you buy? what size? model?

I think there's enough stuff on this thread about painting in PS in general, few tips and tricks.. THere are two brush sets on this thread you can download so give them a go, and experiment with them. But like I posted in your WIP thread you will be fine.

And NOW post up some steps for me and others to see, it will be interesting to see how you work as you been painting traditional for sometime right?

Also paint us an apple while you are at it.

hehe a wicked apple with bunch of horns?

**GH33DA** · August 16th, 2005, 11:23 PM

I just want to comment on the teaching and the progress in this thread.

It's amazing.

it almost inspires me to give it a shot...almost.

**Fellah.** · August 17th, 2005, 11:43 AM

Hi bumskee, yeah it takes a bit to control the crazy handmovements you do when not looking at the hand. I will download the brushes - im having trouble finding some i really like. I did this one with slighty random brushchoises. Played with it a bit more and is moveing on to the next when i got more time. Crit me hard hehe. (the blue stuff in the face is surposed to be old warpaint washed out by sweat and dust...or something). I have no steps to show on this on - small changes done anyway - but i hope you dont mind me posting it here.

And a closeup - the only detail i like myself

I enjoyed painting in a slighty rough style and will try to develop it some more- as in not making it look so crabby as it does now

But oh boy, i know only one thing about painting with a wacom and that is i dont know anything about painting with a wacom.

Edit: a small update - almost a step by step

**Fellah.** · August 17th, 2005, 10:26 PM

Have a feeling this might be my new sb

hehe just kidding. Promise not to spam. Had to have one more try with the wacom. Forgot to save some steps

next time i will - so much to get used to!
Really need to work with my lightning.

Just tell me to stop taking up space

**bumskee** · August 17th, 2005, 10:35 PM

Fellah, awsome man.. you picking up wacom like you been using it for a ages. It's good you are doing all the experimenting, after alll it's all about what works best for you. Thanks for sharing all the stuff man. lovely texture. If you aren't happy with brushes and stuff just go and make some!!!

Ok, we love to see paintings in PS, it's good way to share stuff, but try to save steps or something.. so we can see how you are doing stuff I know you are experimenting and the steps probably look all wobbly and disrupted.

Once you get used to wacom, which you seem to be. hehe I would suggest you try draw/paint from scratch, that's another ball game I think.

and please share any thoughts and ideas you have come across since getting a wacom.

also paint us a fruit or a veggie.. i really want to see a still life done in your style.. if you get a moment.

sharing is caring dude..

**Fellah.** · August 17th, 2005, 10:47 PM

Hi dude, cheers! Cant yet figure out if im doing good or sucky

Yeah sorry for not saving prober steps - i will from now on. Painting a little weird - using a bunch of layers in the beginning, then all of a sudden i flatten the image and finish it. Saving it as i go along - very close to my normal way of painting - no return hehe. Guess useing layers all the way and saveing steps will come soon. Btw some of my didgipaints in my sb are painted from scratch with my mouse

what was i thinking lol. Glad you like it man - once this canvasstuff is finished (im so fucked, no time) i will kick in a lot of stuff! And a mean little appel with horns and teeths

Btw this looks sooo much better in the original - a bunch gets lost when saving for web, much more than my drawings.
See you soon dude!

**Teigrob** · August 18th, 2005, 03:20 AM

You can save without flattening the image! Just do 'save as' .jpg: it'll flatten it while you save it (and if you have any layers hidden they won't show) but once it's done, it'll go back to layers. Have fun!

**Lake** · August 18th, 2005, 03:32 PM

I'M going to paint an apple with a lot of horns, hehe. It has always been my opinion that everything (or at least villains and their ilk) looks better with horns.

fellah - you have a real knack for this. can we reasonably assume that you've done a megafuckton of traditional paintings before this?

oh, and way to go; spoiling that new sb surprise! (just kidding, I'm glad to have advance notice)

apples will be posted tomorrow, working on some now.

**Fellah.** · August 18th, 2005, 04:09 PM

Inside all of us theres a horn trying to get out

Cheers Panda, yeah i have been a fulltime painter for many years now - mostly modern pretty abstract shit, so getting back to this kind of painting is gonna take awhile.
hehe yeah new sb coming - i already miss the old one

Thanks tei, i knew that though

Its more a fight between old habbits and new ways i guess.

**bumskee** · August 18th, 2005, 06:56 PM

apples with horns??

kewl..

Panda, Fellah had some of his paintings in his SB, very atmospheric ones.. a little abstract maybe hehe.. but he is well adjusted to brush storkes. :> make sure you throw the steps while you are at it.

Fellah, I also notice that weird slightl colour shift going to save for web option.. I think it has to do with colour profile for PS.. I never bothered looking into profiles and stuff but I guess that's what's kicking in..

Let's see some still life paintings people~

I am going to paint something from the kitchen this weekend.

**Onir** · August 18th, 2005, 10:04 PM

panda- that's hardcore looking man! lol keep up the great work and post more things

fellah- wooow yeaaa you're obviously really good lol (realized that as well after I looked in your sketchbook) great pieces man love the style you've got; as I said with panda keep it up and post some more things

I'll be back with something of my own soon enough... and I'll try not to make it an apple or something

/salute

**mentler** · August 19th, 2005, 02:31 AM

Doing great with the electro paint

**Lake** · August 19th, 2005, 12:46 PM

I cheated a bit. I didn't use a low opacity brush, I just turned on pressure sensitive opacity (wacom intuos 3 6x8 ;]) *high fives anyone else that has one*

I also couldn't find an apple, so this is a plum (but these ARE the correct colors) with a stem added. oh, and obviously, horns.

**Fellah.** · August 20th, 2005, 05:38 AM

haha Panda cool apple!!! Now i have to do one with teeths!

Ok sorry no fruits, but a forrest

. I made this on as a step by step practice(

), also my 3. wacom try and my first speedy hehe - One hour + coffee.
One layer - dont worry i get layers now, cool stuff! - but i was too lazy to do it on this one being a speedy and all. Mostly using wet edges to blend the colors. All photoshop - no pencildrawing first - sooo fun! And i found out how to make your own brushes - now i have to make some i really like and save them.
Anyways...(really ugly stuff)

Final

Close up

**Lake** · August 20th, 2005, 02:41 PM

NICE forest dude... hehe, yeah, custom brushes rock, I just recently made a couple that just paint on feathers. it's all pretty freakin cool. If you do an apple with teeth, we may have to paint a couple eating each other.

(btw, if any of you want some scans, I just recently bought the encyclopedia anatomica and I'll be posting some paints of the stuff in there later)

**petite_patineuse** · August 20th, 2005, 05:31 PM

Tei, got a working link to the pic.

**bumskee** · August 21st, 2005, 07:27 PM

panda, hehe nice horns dude.

crits, the horns looks a bit flat? it would have been if you did the plum first and then added the horns later.. Remember to work big first and then slowly add the details as you see fit.. like highlights, horns, stem and dots, etc etc.

Fellah, I read somewhere it's a good idea to work big first, like thumbnail kinda size and then blow it up in PS and then continue working from there. Like do a smaller painting of it really roughly and then once you are happy with composition and colour, blow it up to the size you had in mind. You get what I mean right? I heard that this is a good practice. Obvioulsy yours is a speed painting so it won't apply there, but thought i mention it. I do most of my smaller painting/sketches on one layer too, not that I am uncomfortable with layers but then I can't go back and do stuff, gives me an excuse to try and work as accurately as possible without having to resort to all the little tricks photoshop offers. As for this painting, I think it would have been if you faded out the background a little, give that extra depth to the dark forest behind. Add a bit more contrast.. Love your bold brush strokes.. works well with your style..

**Fellah.** · August 21st, 2005, 07:35 PM

good advice with the thumbnail! Crits right on - i will work it up some more or do a new one. More details and depth. Cheers man!

**noShame** · August 30th, 2005, 04:55 PM

Hi all! Great thread, I signed up just so that I can participate in this thread! Iv been here in the forums for a while, only watching and reading, this is my first post here.

Hope its ok if I join and post pictures of my apple. I am new to concept design, drawing, basically a total beginner. I have only drawn a couple of pictures (attempts) in ps and they have gone straight to the recycle, but I am so amazed by everyone here in this forum and over at cgtalk so I want to give it a try. Also, I am not new with photoshop, have been working with the program for about 5 years, but only with the mouse and only for webdesign. I have bought a intuos3 9x12 so this is a totally new approach to ps for me, drawing with a pen and not using selection tools etc. This is my first attempt on the apple, not happy with it, especially the bite (the apple I was drawing lookt so juicy so I had to take a bite). It was done in about 30 mins, about 20 mins spent on the bitemark, several failed attempts. Only used a hard round brush, opacity 10-60%. Hopefully I will get something out of this and get a push in the right direction, the one thing I am dreaming of right now is to be a talented concpet artist, no cars, no money, no nothing, trust me, this is it!

I forgot to take screens during the process, sorry only linedrawing and the final product.

Over and out!

EDIT: One quick question: When I press the alt key to grab a color, it grabs the color to the backgroundcolor instead for the forground, so I have to press x to switch the colors every time. Really time consuming and annoying, help anyone? I checked the keyboard shortcuts and some ps settings, couldnt find a solution.

**noShame** · August 30th, 2005, 06:19 PM

Cant stop drawing! got inspired by the pear that Luthien drew, hope im not stepping on your toes

. Im kind of happy with it, of course its not even near Luthiens pear, but it does it for a beginner. I managed to take a picture during the process this time!

Only round hard brush, about 30 mins of work, what do you think guys?

**bumskee** · August 30th, 2005, 06:44 PM

Hey noShame, I totally forgot about this thread..hehe..

good going with the painting, I am not too sure why your "ALT" is changing the background colour instead of the foreground though. No mine changes the foreground and I am sure all of other people does the same. Maybe it's something in the preference, I think I read it somewhere before but I can not quite remember what it was about.. hee..

crits? THe apple, I think the colours rather unnatural, maybe you been using too much white and black to get the values. also remember to work big first, block out the shapes and then work towards the details. Again with the pear, nice specular but I think you maybe have lost a bit of the round look of the pear. Careful with black and white.

Also try to work with the background from the beginning as it's part of the whole scene, it kinda looks like it's been cut and pasted in with sharp edges, or work over your last image and integrate the edges... am I making sense here??

**noShame** · August 30th, 2005, 07:06 PM

Hi bumskee,

Thanks for the tips. You are making absolute sense, I will do that from now on. On these two pics i just created the background so it isnt plain boring white. I agree that the colors on the apple are a bit strange, it isnt quite the red I was hoping for. Regarding the pear, didnt spend to much time on the shape, no ref image

ill get it next time I hope!