PHOTOSHOP® CUSTOM BRUSHES
- To show the brush editor in Photoshop go to Window>>Brushes.
- To create a new brush preset, select your new brush image area, copy it and go to Edit>>Define Brush Preset.
- To rapidly access your brushes, right click in the work window (front button on the wacom pen). The arrow on right side will give you a vast array of option concerning the brushes.
- Using the Photoshop brushes editor, spend a lot of time experimenting first on simple brushes. Testing and playing around is the best way to discover new tools as the brush editor is fairly deep and detailed.
- The setting used on the DVD regarding the display of the brushes is small thumbnails, due to the lower resolution to capture the work. In production I regularly use large thumbnails just as an easier way to visualize, organize and choose those brushes.
- For the same reason, I usually use two monitors and keep all the tool windows on the right hand monitor instead of the one monitor as demonstrated in the video. I advise to work on two monitors (or a very large one) to avoid visual clutter during painting.
- The way I organise my brushes is by “elements” for example: rocks / trees and plants / architectural / particles / clouds… This way you do not spend as much time looking for the one you need.
- To access the Spacing, Roundness and Diameter dialogue, click on the “Brush tip shape” title in the Brushes window. That window is a bit difficult to find the first time you access the brush dialogue, although it is probably the most important one.
- I advise you not to use reference photos as brushes, as this, especially in a production environment, could lead to copyright issues. If you do, make sure they are free of rights or that you own them.
- Also, by creating your own brushes, you will have the possibility to practice and understand in detail the results when you’re finished. Creating your own set of brushes is logical in many ways
– depending on what your illustration’s goals might be, from production to personal artwork, needs are different for each situation.
Do not hesitate to share between artists, as this is how you will discover new techniques and tools.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
- To save time and accelerate your workflow, I advise not only to use the Photoshop keyboard shortcuts, but to also create your own.
- On this DVD I use the following custom shortcuts: F5 to create layer, Shift-F5 to delete current layer, F9 to create a new file at the proper format, F10 to flip the image horizontally, and F11 to rotate the page at an incremental 90 degrees clockwise. I constantly use those shortcuts, and they are just a nice way to optimize your time when under a tight schedule, or while speedpainting. It takes a while to force you to stop the old habits of going through the menus, but after a while the time gained is tremendous.
- To customize your own shortcut go to Edit>>Keyboard Shortcuts.
USING REFERENCEs
- Do not be ashamed of using reference images. Using references trains the eye to understand the mechanics of form and light. You can become a better artist through observation. Take your own pictures or search for references online, it’s very useful to have a library of images.
- After a while, you will need less and less references, as your brain will remember the characteristics or details that fake a realistic image. The same goes with colors and lighting. Even if your goal is not to reach realism, a good balance of colors and shapes comes from observation.
DIGITAL SPEEDPAINTING
- Speedpainting is the act of creating a painted sketch, the essence of a more finished piece.
Using digital tools allows for an even faster process than when using analog brushes and pencils.
- Other software allows for speedpainting, depending on your taste. Here is a short list of software you might enjoy: Photoshop, Painter, Open Canvas, ArtRage, ZBrush… All of these have their advantages and issues, but all allow for speedpainting using very different tools.
- Most art forums have their own threads regarding speedpainting. Forum surfing is a great way to learn from industry professionals and other artists. It also is a great way to motivate oneself,and learn about new techniques.
DETAIL BRUSHES
- Adding details to a concept can be a difficult task, and a time consuming one too.
- There are many different ways to quickly apply textures to an image in Photoshop. One of the techniques is to apply a distorted texture as a multiply or overlay (or other blending modes that might work). Another one (as demonstrated on the DVD) is to create a brush with a variable pressure (for more or less contrast) on a layer with similar blending modes as you would do with a distorted texture.
CREATIVITY
- As a concept artist, being creative is more important than being a technician. Imposing a subject on yourself when speedpainting helps develop creativity. Creating a story or a background concept before starting a painting will help you find a graphic direction.
- If you are in a creative slump, please visit Hydropix’s (Bruno Gentile) 3CH, and have fun!
http://viaggg.free.fr/3CH/3ch_web.php.
BASICS
- A concept artist is kind of like a movie director. Basic knowledge of a wide variety of fields is very important when working on a project. Anatomy, perspective, lighting, photography, costumes,architecture, composition (to name a few) are all vital. Learning the basics will give you a strong foundation for your speedpainting. Speed only comes with time and practice. Before going fast,understand the process that will never change: everything starts with a sketch.
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