I sort of really hate copying other people’s illustrations, but I learned a lot about hair here. She’s on the cover of this book about digital painting, which actually doesn’t tell you a lot about how to do digital painting (but does give you some tips and techniques if you already know what you’re doing. Still pretty intimidating for a duffer like me). This is drawn in old-fashioned colour pencils.
Speaking of digital painting, here’s an astronaut lady:
This is an ogre and his best friend, whom I painted last night, while listening to a digital painting tutorial which basically told me how hard it is to get a job digital painting.
It’s actually been a trying time lately. But I’m happy with where these are going.
Strange that the cross-hatching looks good, but I rarely use it on watercolours. Feel like it’s cheating, in the same way as a lot of these computer tools I’m using.
I think this stems back to when my late mom painted, and she said that she hated lines in paintings, or things that were overly specific and literal. Actually, I paint in loose, wet way, too, but I also do these little lines. So now I’m trying to embrace the little lines, and the computer enhancements, and just try to do nice things that give me pleasure. Not be so scared of it, or as self-critical.
Below is a computer drawing based on a pencil sketch set to “multiply.” People who use Photoshop for digital painting will know what I’m talking about. Anyone else — I’m not so sure.
And here are paintings where I mainly avoid little lines. These are usually a lot more work, but they’re still fun, and I’ll continue doing them. I’m getting quite a backlog, and these are in standard sizes (4″x6″, 5″x7″, 9″x12″) so they’ll go into frames much more easily. we’ll see where that goes!
I’m doing at least a painting a day at the moment. And in standard sizes. Besides this, a lot of images were orphaned when the blog broke down. Think I will put them into a slideshow, just so’s you can see them. Or, a really large post.
Just a little painting I did today.
Some things happened to the blog a couple of weeks ago. It’s back, however. A lot of things are missing, because the blog only reaches to when I did my last backup. I may just put up all the stuff that happens to be missing in one long post. In the meantime, here are a few new items.
And a page from the sketchbook. Sort of what I’ve been doing a lot of.
While meeting a contact at the Cagibi coffee house in Mile End, Montreal, I drew this gentleman. He was sitting across from me at his own table, giving furtive looks in my direction and at others around him. He wasn’t actually a customer, just seeking a warm place to eat his sandwich.
Later on, my friend, who had given me this notebook, saw the picture and remarked on it. Since she had a similar notebook with a cardboard cover and a clever slogan, she wanted something drawn on hers by Yours Truly. It was a little harder to draw something on purpose which I had before done out of boredom, but I managed.
Didn’t draw a disgruntled homeless person, but rather a cute kitty, which I’ll try to snap for this blog if I ever see her notebook again.
A drawing achieved with Google Sketchup. Creating such things and then drawing over them solves a lot of perspective and shadowing problems!
I’m happier now with how the digital painting has been going. As I’ve been writing there are a lot of controls and switches to master, plus the stylus has a different feeling than a pencil, and is less precise (at least in my hands). But practice is helping, plus the memory of colour mixing for an opaque medium.
I’m less concerned about doing a smooth image, and more about creating something with spirit, in my style. Of course, colour schemes are always important. It’s great to see one’s abilities improve. One thing about digital is that it’s always possible to mess around with a drawing, and almost impossible to call something “finished.”
My first Venn Diagram, inspired by a comment from a friend of mine in Facebook. People are already complaining about this over at Facebook, but maybe I can beat The Oatmeal.
Happy New Year’s!
Looking through a closet, I found a block of watercolour paper with a few sheets on it. Painted this, while watching a documentary on the late Gerry Anderson — whose shows and spaceships were all over my childhood.
The paper was very strange and spongey — hard to get detail onto it. Also, one’s paintings, after not doing it for a while, are never perfect. But it takes doing a couple to get back up to speed, unless you’re relying on some sort of magic inspiration.
Sent out all my Christmas cards today. Here’s the design I used. Merry Christmas, everyone!
I don’t know if it’s wise to put one’s trials up, but this is a blog about process, and I try to put up most of what I draw. Actually, I know I’ve been rather sporadic lately, and will try to remedy that.
Still, digital painting in Photoshop is a fascinating process, even though the Wacom stylus is not my preferred tool. It’s interesting to try stuff, and only by practice can one get good. These are a little better than my earlier attempts (my first couple of pictures seemed great — beginner’s luck). Like watercolours, it takes a certain eye and feeling you have to get into. I think of it almost as a trance, where one can see where the light lands, and which colour goes with which. Unfortunately, most of what you learn painting watercolours doesn’t apply here. It’s closer to oil painting, which I never got into much.
Of course I could avoid a lot of difficulty if I copied photographs rather than trying to paint things from scratch, but that idea still bores me. At least at the moment. Still, there are a lot of switches and techniques to learn. My line with the stylus is still wiggly and amateurish — it takes a lot of practice and knowledge to overcome that.
I’ve been watching tutorials on youtube. The speed painting demonstrations, at least for me, are daunting and kind of frustrating. I know they’re not really painting so quickly, but I want to know more about the kinds of brushes they are using, how many layers, etc, and something about their approach. I’ve gotten a lot from this person and this one.