Digital painting tips?

**DDar** · August 31st, 2011, 05:23 AM

I've desperately been trying to improve my digital painting.

I've always had difficulty blending and defining. This is just a small practice that I've been working on tonight, but I was wondering if anyone could maybe give me tips to improve?

Also, what brushes do you guys use? Normally I just use the hard round brush, but in this particular image I used the paint brush brushes that come with Photoshop CS5.

**Lhune** · August 31st, 2011, 09:12 AM

Well for one, I would recommend against painting on a white background. I know it probably feels more natural if you're used to working traditionally, but a sheet of paper is not the same as a white canvas on your computer screen, as your screen emits light where the paper doesn't, and white is the brightest light of all which will cloud your view on your values and colors.

Having said that, I think that one of your problems is how to work with edges and how to define them. Everything about this piece for example feels very blurry and soft. Another is your distribution of color and value, as right now the character doesn't feel solid at all, he doesn't look like he's a 3D shape in space. I don't know if the latter has to do with your digital rendering as much as with your understanding of light and color, though.

Perhaps try doing some simple painting exercises in Photoshop, such as spheres, cubes and cillinders. Something like this only from better references and having the shapes separate from each other. This should both allow you to get used to the program and it's tools and it will also teach you how to make simple shapes look solid and 3D (more complex shapes can often be treated as such simple shapes initially and should help you get a solid base down).

**DDar** · August 31st, 2011, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Lhune

Well for one, I would recommend against painting on a white background. I know it probably feels more natural if you're used to working traditionally, but a sheet of paper is not the same as a white canvas on your computer screen, as your screen emits light where the paper doesn't, and white is the brightest light of all which will cloud your view on your values and colors.

Having said that, I think that one of your problems is how to work with edges and how to define them. Everything about this piece for example feels very blurry and soft. Another is your distribution of color and value, as right now the character doesn't feel solid at all, he doesn't look like he's a 3D shape in space. I don't know if the latter has to do with your digital rendering as much as with your understanding of light and color, though.

Perhaps try doing some simple painting exercises in Photoshop, such as spheres, cubes and cillinders. Something like this only from better references and having the shapes separate from each other. This should both allow you to get used to the program and it's tools and it will also teach you how to make simple shapes look solid and 3D (more complex shapes can often be treated as such simple shapes initially and should help you get a solid base down).

What color would you recommend I paint on by default then? A very slight grey, or something else?
My understanding of light and color could most definitely be stronger. I'll definitely do some more of those exercises.

By any chance would you happen to know of any good books on the subject of light and color as well?

**Lhune** · August 31st, 2011, 12:06 PM

I usually paint on grey, right in between white and black (so not too light but not too dark), although that's assuming the picture won't have a background, else I'll start with the background first.

"Color and Light, a Guide for the Realist Painter" by James Gurney is a very good book on light and color. I'm sure there are more of them, but this one is definitely a very good and clear read.