Visual measuring isn't just for angles. When blocking in an observational sketch, the proportions can make or break your image. For better results, why not do a bit of visual measuring? For this technique, all you need is a pencil.
This video takes a look at the power of Sketchup Components, and how they can speed up your design process. The upcoming Vehicle Design Start to Finish utilizes Sketchup, but due to time constraints I decided to emphasize the other aspects of the process. As a result, I want to elaborate on Components in this free video - because the system is just too cool to pass up. If you've never used Sketchup, make sure to download it today (it's free!), and start playing around!
When building a portfolio, it's easy to forget about the little stuff. If you want to be a concept artist, though, your portfolio needs to prove that you think like one. This video discusses some of the overlooked types of art you might want to include in your own portfolio before looking for a job.
I'm excited to announce my first ever "full process" series, which will be available in the store 12/21/2012. Vehicle Design Start to Finish walks you through the process I use for my own professional work. In order to cover so much material in a single hour, you'll first need to be familiar with the the basics found in my other series. But if you want to see how I apply painting and design fundamentals to my professional work, this series is where to find it. Check it out in the Ctrl+Paint store starting this Friday! And remember - Christmas is coming up... are there any artists on your shopping list?
Want to be better at painting but don't know where to start? You're not alone in this feeling. The truth is that art is inseparable from confidence, and you will not be able to create until you believe that you can. It's a tough catch-22. Hopefully this video will help!
And make sure to check out Andrew Jones' artwork, as well as Noah Bradly's Blog post for great inspiration!
The entire process of design is filled with refinement: make a variety of options (thumbnails, color palettes, etc.) - and choose the best one. What if you could automate some of that? This video shows a technique to multiply your color roughs when making a character design in order to dramatically increase the total output. It's a bit messy, but you'll save a ton of time. If you want to see a similar process with thumbnails, make sure to watch this older Ctrl+Paint video.
Illustrators often shy away from some of the more technical seeming aspects of Photoshop, but it's good to be familiar with the Histogram. This video will introduce the basics of how to use it, as well as a specific case where it comes in handy overlaying texture onto a painting. Note: In the video I fail to mention that the histogram is set to the "Luminosity" channel, not the default RGB channel. This ensures that you're measuring the value distribution, not the amount of R G and B.
Some painting tips are complex and require tons of practice, but this one is very simple: start at the back. This video talks about one approach to the painting process that works especially well for environment and outdoor scenes. Designed by traditional painters, I find that it's still quite appropriate for digital painters using photoshop.
Like anatomy? That's a start, but character comes from a deeper place than mathematical precision. The real story comes from expression. Whether it's body language or facial expressions, people are constantly communicating. If you neglect this aspect of personality when learning to draw people and characters, you might end up with 'lifeless' or 'plastic' results. This video introduces some good examples for study including my favorite: Glen Keane. Glen does not seem to have a personal website I can promote, though a quick google search will lead you to fan-collected images.
The importance of gesture drawing goes deeper than simply 'studying anatomy' or 'warming up'. In truth, it taps into a very important type of repetitive practice that improves artists of every skill level. In previous videos I've talked about the technique of gesture drawing, and in this video I'll discuss why it's worth doing in the first place.
You're familiar with the color picker, but are you using the best one? This video introduces three different ways to pick your colors in order to help you choose the one that is best for your working habits. The third party offering I mention in the video can be found here: Coolorus.
In a previous video we talked about the simple stick figure for gesture drawing. If you want to capture a little more information about the pose, my next step is usually to include a simplified head, torso, and pelvis. When abstracting the body into simple shapes, there are many methods. This one stands out, to me, because it emphasizes the twisting motion that captures heart of every pose. In the past I said that the "S-curve" of the spine is essential, and the 3 major masses are simply an extension of that idea.
If you've spent much time working in perspective, you know that drawing a good grid is one way to save tons of time. These grids, though, aren't much fun to draw. This video introduces you to some free software created by Epic Games which will make the experience much more pleasant. I'd only recommend using this software once you're able to draw grids manually, but it's free and offers a huge time savings. Thanks Warren Marshal, you've made my life a lot easier! Here's a link to the official page and download at Epic Games.
There's a difference between technique and design, and most images can be improved by making last-minute design decisions. Just like with a written essay, this is "editing". In this video I'll walk you through the last minute changes I made to a recent illustration, and why they made a crucial difference. It's easy forget that improving your artwork is more than simply improving your technical abilities. Just as important is the ability to make smart design and composition choices. If this is a subject you're interested in, you should check out the latest premium series "Design Basics" available in the Ctrl+Paint store.
As an artist it's worth considering film for more than it's entertainment value. PaintFlix is an ongoing series about beautiful movies found on Netflix streaming. These movies don't always have good stories, and I wouldn't fault you for watching them on mute. Bottom line: at $8 per month, Netflix streaming is a fantastic source of visual inspiration and I'd love to help with movie recommendations.
Are you a Star Wars fan? This is for you. Sure, this movie was a technical achievement for its time - but more importantly it is a sci-fi animated feature. Animated feature: period. As in...not strictly for kids. As a result the environments and themes are a bit grittier than your average animated children's movie.
What to watch for:
The "Color Story". Animated movies are great at using color to push the emotional undertones of their narrative. Since every color was painted by an artist, and not captured by a camera, it's all intentional. Make sure to see how each scene uses color to hammer home the current emotion.
The Backgrounds. If you haven't watched many 2D animated movies, you might not know that the backgrounds are actually hand-painted. This movie differs a bit by incorporating 3D elements, but most of what you see behind the characters are gorgeous gouache paintings. Want to work on your environment painting skills? Pause the movie and soak in the background .. it's a beautiful environment painting in every shot.
And when you're done watching:
Use the inspiration. Consider some of the techniques from the film studies series, and learn from this movie. Mood boards, composition sketches, color palettes... put "Titan A.E" to good use! I almost always leave the movie theater feeling inspired to create, but my schedule stops me from sitting down to paint. If you're able, plan in some extra time directly after watching to sit down and draw or paint. Have fun!
Capturing human anatomy is a lifelong pursuit. A great first step in that journey, as well as a fun daily warm-up, is gesture sketching. There are many different approaches to quick-pose sketching, and this video explains a 'constructive anatomy' technique. Based largely on the methods of Andrew Loomis, this technique combines observational sketching with memorized anatomy to capture poses in less than one minute.
To give this exercise a try, grab your sketchbook and open up www.posemaniacs.com. Though the default time interval is 30 seconds, I'd recommend selecting 60 seconds. Remember: the goal is learning, not creating beautiful drawings. Good luck!
In this video we'll apply the concepts from Pt.1 in an actual illustration. The idea here is exactly the same as in our black and white film colorizing, but the raw material is your own painting. One of the best aspects of working digitally is the ability to be flexible and fluidly manipulating colors. If you know the underlying properties of skin, the gradient map command can save you tons of time. In case you missed them, here is a link to Part 1, and an older video about the Gradient Map command. Enjoy!
Skin is a tricky thing to paint. A great first step is research and observation, and this video presents a fun exercise to help you practice. It's common for us to think of skin as a color, but it's strongly affected by the current lighting and never ends up looking like those "skin color" crayons made for children. To make things even more difficult, skin has a way of changing its hue as it passes from light into shadow. All of this tends to trip up beginners, and it's common to have your skin tones look lifeless and cold.
I encourage you to try the exercise I mention in the video, and Cinema Squid is a great place to find high resolution screenshots. Have fun!
I was first introduced to the Gnomon Workshopback in college with a Feng Zhu video and I've been hooked ever since. One of my primary goals with Ctrl+Paint is to create a good entry point to learn digital painting. Eventually, though, you'll want to branch out into specific subjects that I can't hope to instruct. Whether it's sculpting, story-boarding, 3D modeling, or industrial design, the Gnomon Workshop has a DVD about it. If you've never seen the site before, it's worth a look. If you want more recommendations for books and websites, make sure to check out the Ctrl+Paint Resources page!
Even though it's counter-intuitive, sometimes you add a little salt to make a recipe taste sweeter. The same logic can be used to make your colors more vibrant! The principle at work in this short video is called "simultaneous contrast", or "color contrast" - and it is a sure-fire way to liven up your colors.
