Introduction to Digital Painting

Introduction to Digital Painting

“We have reached the end of the course, and now you are ready to start your project. Before saying goodbye, let’s go over the steps I recommend you follow to complete the project. You have to know that the purpose of these final projects is the two master exercises of beginner painting: a bust and a still life scene. I have given a slight twist to the former, as we will use a faced bust to allow us to understand and control our painting process. Also, this first project will be black and white, so we don't have to struggle with color yet, and we can install a proper understanding of terms like value structure, value scale, contrast, and lighting scheme. For this first project, you first have to open the PSD file I have created for you. There, you will find 2 images. One is the reference, the other is where you should paint. Identify the layer folder that will become “your painting”. That is where you should paint. It is all set so that you can focus on painting and nothing else. You will see that on this layer carpet, there are 4 layers: the first one is the background layer and serves as a clipping mask for all the others. Then you have 3 layers named "Base silhouette", "Primary contrast", and then "Details and Brushwork." You should then first paint the silhouette of the bust on the corresponding layer. Then paint the different value groups on the primary contrast layer. Finally, work on the details, bounce lighting, subtle value changes, and brushwork on the details and brushwork layer.

For the second final project, you will work on the full range of difficulties you can encounter in a painting: light, colors, and textures. I recommend you chose a photo that has a small number of objects, and preferably, with simple materials. That means no transparent objects with complex refraction transformations. The point here is that you can apply the painting concepts and process to a simple scene and try to maximize your ability to observe details that non-artists don t see. Upon submitting this project, please include a breakdown of the steps you took to produce the painting. Once you have your image, you should create a new document. Place your image reference on one side, then lower the opacity of it, and create a new layer over where you can draw all the elements of the image. Draw the outer silhouettes of each element, but also the inner details, like fruit branches, fabric patterns, folds, and cast shadows, or anything that you will need to paint later on. If you realize something is missing when you are painting, then go back to the image and draw it instead of just eyeballing it. Then you can duplicate both the photo and the drawing and move them to the other side of your document, as seen in the lessons of Unit 4. It is now time to paint! I recommend you follow the steps as shown in the lessons in Unit 4. The very first step would be to create a simplified black and white version of your image, where you would show your understanding of the lighting scheme and the placement of the primary contrasts, as shown in the fourth lesson of Unit 4. Then, block in the local colors and textures of all the objects. Make sure that you choose the right hue, saturation level, and value. Make sure to create a new layer for each object. I have placed a black and white adjustment layer on top of the layer stack. Whenever you make it available, it will turn the whole image black and white so you can check if the colors you have picked for each object are the right ones in terms of values. The next step would be to apply the primary contrasts using multiple layers. To do so, you should create a new layer over the one you are painting on, make it a clipping mask of the one underneath it by pressing alt while clicking between the two layers, then finally turn its blending mode to multiply. You can then paint the shadow and adjust the value, hue, and saturation using the hue and saturation adjustments. The last part is to refine the painting, playing with the brushes to define the hard and soft edges within the piece. Look for all the subtle shifts in values and colors, identify the bounce lights and reflections that will create interest and realism in your painting. I have tried to create this two-part final project, so I provide you with a satisfying and encouraging painting experience. If you have any technical doubts, review the PSD file of the in-class demo. You will see there everything in order and laid out understandably. I suggest that you copy the layer structure to make sure everything works properly. Use the forum to engage in conversations with me and the rest of the students. It’s always rewarding and thrilling news for me to know that I have helped an artist flourishing, so I cannot wait to see what you are capable of. Goodbye!”

Partial transcription of the video

“Final Project Even though this might be the end of this Domestika course, it doesn't mean it has to be the end of our journey. I hope you have learned all the steps to paint your images, analyzing volumes, distribution of lights and shifting colors. I also wish I have given you a highlight of my art process to apply to your own personal style and develop a visual sensitivity. It's now your turn to play the game and put into practice what we've learned during the lessons. My final project for you are actually two. Let's begin with the first one. As you remember, we have started our painting ...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Introduction to Digital Painting

• Level: Beginner
• 100% positive reviews (296)
• 7646 students
• 4 units
• 23 lessons (5h 35m)
• 9 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Software

  Adobe Photoshop

• Areas

  Digital Drawing, Digital Illustration, Digital Painting, Fine Arts, Painting