This video explains two principles which are often inter-related. Rhythm, and repetition, when used intentionally can help guide your viewer through your image. Like the other principles, this can be added into your set of compositional tools to help tell visual stories!
The first video (targeted learning pt. 1) gives a look into the future of ctrl+Paint's future with a sample assignment. This video explores what you bring to the table, and how you might enhance the value of each and every art assignment you have.
this video is a taste of what's to come in the near future. Targeted learning. As I mention in the video, here are the recommended videos to watch before attempting the assignment:
Whether you post your results in the DA group or not is up to you - but have fun with the assignment!
[update:] Make sure to draw each vidwpoint from observation -- not imagination. Don't be afraid to get up close to your jug!
If you haven't checked it out yet, there's a fantastic new deviantART group for you ctrlPaint readers! I want to thank Jingiss, Danny Roemers, and Owen Harvey for getting this thing together. They're holding weekly challenges, and have created sub-groups for critique.
It might be a small group now, but won't be for long. Don't you want to get in on the ground floor? Have fun, and happy drawing!
http://ctrlpaint.deviantart.com/
[UPDATE: 6/1/2012] Amazing! I'm really glad to see this taking off so quickly. It's great to see all of the art being posted. Can we make it to 500 members? Keep it up, everyone!
[UPDATE 2/11/2013] The community is still doing great, and is totally autonomous. I check in now and again, but it's run by the community. Check it out if you haven't gotten a chance yet!
Exaggeration is not only for cartoonists and caricature artists. This video explores some of the practical benefits of exaggeration in your sketching and research drawings. Also, it's fun!
It's hard to be a beginner. This video aims to give a bit of perspective and encouragement. Additionally, it will help you avoid some mistakes in the kitchen.
Drawing on a USB tablet can be challenging. Especially if you're used to drawing on paper, it's likely that your sketched lines are less confident than you'd like. This video offers a solution!
The Ctrl+Paint unplugged series is here to help you improve your basic drawing skills, and this video will show you what to expect in upcoming entries. Basic drawing doesn't seem as exciting as digital painting, so it's often skipped by beginners. Don't make this mistake!
In order to draw complicated shapes from your imagination, you'll first need to simplify. Constructive form is a mindset that allows artists to make big challenges much smaller by thinking first of basic primitives: cube, cone, sphere, and so on. Any object can be envisioned as a collection of these basic primitives. This video shows the process by which I can draw a character from World of Warcraft utilizing constructive form. Make sure to catch the other parts of the constructive form miniseries!
In order to add details to a simplified 'dress-form' under drawing, you need to know how to think in proper 3D. This short video explains the importance of following the surface contours of your 3D form.
Make sure to catch the other parts of the constructive form miniseries!
In this second part of our werewolf drawing it's time to get detailed. With the 'manequin' drawing complete, I am able to confidently add in the specific costume and facial details that bring a drawing to life. (Note that the werewolf character is property of Blizzard entertainment, this is a fan-art drawing.)
Make sure to catch the other parts of the constructive form miniseries!
!
In this episode of film studies, we'll take a look at three core parts of a composition: foreground, middle-ground, and background. Beginning with stills from movies and then abstracting them down into these three graphic shapes can be an eye-opener for your sense of composition. Additionally, once you've stripped the context out of a scene it becomes more versatile personal reference for your future illustrations.
And make sure to check out the rest of the Film Studies series.
I love watching movies. Sometimes, though, they can offer more than just entertainment. This is the first entry in the "Film Studies" series, in which we'll dissect film stills to learn useful composition skills for illustration. So go grab a movie, and let's chop it up!
And make sure to check out the rest of the Film Studies series.
Sometimes the basic hard round brush leaves your lines feeling... flat. If you want to throw in some quick pencil texture at the end of a digital sketch, Photoshop makes it easy! This video is not a replacement for custom brushes, but it works well in a pinch.
Note: In the video I use the 'Multiply" blending mode, though sometimes others are more effective. Overlay is a nice alternative depending on the value range of your texture image.
It's great to be back. Based on your comments, I know you missed the videos - and I certainly missed making them. To address this break in continuity, this video deals with the idea of art-making as habit. Just like exercise or practicing a musical instrument, it's all about consistent practice.
Controlling the viewer's eyes in your illustration is important - and some simple framing elements will often help in this effort. "Framing element" simply means a large object in the foreground that surrounds the subject, like a frame around a picture.
If you like learning about composition, you should also check out the "Principles of Design" series.
Ctrl+Paint has mainly dealt with nude figures and classical study - but what if you want to draw a character with clothes? This video explores costume and fashion sketching from reference, and all of the photos used are from the fantastic blog http://www.thesartorialist.com/ .
Despite the deep collection of menus and tools Photoshop has to offer, the brush tool is where most of the painting actually happens. This video explores a way to streamline the connection between your brain and the canvas.
In this video we revisit the techniques first explained in "Brush Technique: Blending", and have a bit more practice on this crucial skill. If you haven't watched the earlier video, it's a good idea to do that first. And if you want to practice along with the lesson, here is the lesson .JPG.
There are times when you want to make large scale (global) changes to your painting. Things like overall contrast or color tint. Adjustment layers provide a fantastic solution for this type of challenge - and make traditional painters extremely jealous. If you're not familiar with the 'masking' I talk about in the video, here are three videos to clarify the subject: Masking 101 pt 1, Masking 101 pt 2, and Masking 101 pt 3