Painting with Light and Shadows

Use this tutorial to help you to creatively add depth to two-dimensional, flat images.
Use these steps to light up your artwork…

1) Try these steps on an image you are currently working on or any stock image you may have.
2) Press and hold down the ALT key + click the “Fill or Adjustment Layer” button   

3) In the “New Layer” window, name the layer and change the Mode to “Screen”.  Press OK.

4) Notice now that the image has now lightened up and the Adjustments tab is showing.

5) Next, fill the Layer Mask with black by selecting your Fill tool along with changing your color to black.  Now, fill the entire image.  Now notice two things that the image has become darker in tone and the Fill Layer has turned from white to black.

6) Now, we are going to duplicate the same steps again with some minor changes.  Again press and hold down the ALT key + click the “Fill or Adjustment Layer” button.  In the “New Layer” window, name the layer and change the Mode to “Multiply”.  Press OK.  You’ll now notice that the image has been darkened

         
7) Now, fill the screen again with black using the “Darken” layer.  Notice now that the image has lightened up and that both the Lighten and Darken Adjustment Layers appear black.    

         
8) Press “D” on the keyboard and the foreground color will change to white.  We’ll now paint on the image with the color white.
9) Next, we’ll need to select a very soft brush with low opacity.  After selecting the Brush tool or by pressing “b”.  Now, right-click on your image to modify your brush settings.  Change the “Master Diameter” to the desired level and then move the “Hardness” level all the way to the left or 0%.  In addition, lower the opacity to 50% or lower.

10) Now, start painting on the Lighten layer.  To increase the amount of light, either brush over the image multiple times or increase the opacity. 
11) To add shadows, select the Darken layer and paint with the brush. 
12) This image has had some light and shadows added to enhance colors.

13) Here is what the “Lighten” Adjustment Layer looks like.  To see this on your image, simply hold down the ALT key and click your black Adjustment Layer.

14) Finally, here is what the “Darken” Adjustment Layer looks like.  This gives you an idea of what shadows were added.

                                
Using this technique to paint with colors is much like using the dodge and burn tools.  I like this method as a way of having more control of what I do.

Have fun and happy painting!

Frank Freeman is a freelance artist, trainer and CEO of Artistic Gurus, Inc. a training company that focuses on how-to videos in the 2D, 3D, Traditional Arts, Comics, Anime and Manga fields. http://www.artisticgurus.com/ or http://www.rentartvideos.com/

Drawing Anime Characters - How to Master This Drawing Style

Many books and tutorials jump the learner right into drawing the anime style.  However, it is important for anyone learning to draw to start with basic concept.  Even though anime is a cartoon style of art, there are some elements that are rooted in reality.  Comic book artists tend to exaggerate just about everything.  But they must first learn how to draw it correctly before making it pop or making their characters look larger than life.  What makes this style so fun is that it shows life and energy in how the images are displayed.  A lot of what you see is almost as if it came from a photo or magazine that was turned into anime with some added exaggeration.

Learning the basics – Anatomy
It goes without saying that we must all learn to walk before we can run.  It’s common to see comic book newbies and amateur’s work posted on sites that have issues of anatomy and proportion.  If we look closely, the artist set out to do something great but all the positives of their work get distracted by the mechanics of the piece. 

Anatomy is an area that all artists must continue to hone and improve upon.  Good anatomy makes a drawing more believable and acceptable to the eye.  Great anatomy allows the artist to expand and do things that push the limits or even bend the limits.  American comic book artists do this all the time.  Starting with the concepts of true anatomy allows them to move beyond that framework a little in order to make a character more exciting, dramatic and larger than life.

What to do first?
Watch lots of movies and read lots of Manga.  While it is hard at times to consider, sometimes it can be valuable to mimic a popular artist’s style to learn how to draw in this style.  Years ago, Travis Charest (the famous American comic book artist of Wildcats fame) was just starting out and was sort of a knock-off of Jim Lee doing fill-in work.  He created many popular works using this method before developing his own unique style which has now become very well known.  There are countless other examples of this in that industry.  Sometimes it takes having to do this in order to find our own look.

 

Study Famous Works
There are a lot of books out there that show the production art of an anime.  Many of these artists have websites as well.  It’s a good idea to study professional work and how they get things done.  Obviously, they are able to get large amounts of work done while adhering to deadlines.  This means that they probably have methods that are tried and tested.  I’m a big fan of this “insider information”.  I look at this info as precious nuggets of information that if I choose, I can put in my toolbox for later use.  Why re-create the wheel?

Examples from life
The real world is the best place to reference great work.  Go out-doors (if you can) or go somewhere public like a mall and “people-watch”.  Take in the world and its beauty and bring it to life in your work.
Happy Drawing!

Frank Freeman is a freelance artist, trainer and CEO of Artistic Gurus, Inc. a training company that focuses on how-to videos in the 2D, 3D, Traditional Arts, Comics, Anime and Manga fields. http://www.artisticgurus.com/ or http://www.rentartvideos.com/

How to be a millionaire by age 25 - Some good advice to think about

People who have done it tell what it takes -- and how to overcome the perceived obstacles that might be holding you back. - People who have done it tell what it takes -- and how to overcome the perceived obstacles that might be holding you back.

http://money.msn.com/how-to-invest/how-to-be-a-millionaire-by-age-25-kiplinger.aspx

Contents of a Digital Artist’s Toolbox

Today’s artists are expected to be very dynamic in the way they work and the way they create.  They are expected to feel perfectly at home with the latest digital tools and software while still being capable of picking up a pen and markers to do a quick sketch.  For some of us, this can be a tall order.

The most public shift from traditional artistic methods to digital methods was when Disney Animation Studios went digital.  Back in 2006, Disney laid off 650 employees to cut back and focus on computer-generated films.  This was a major shift from their traditional 2D hand-drawn movies.  Some say that this shift drastically changed the animation industry and put an end to America’s traditional animation industry.

The new reality has demanded change in the industry and has required schools to educate its students in the latest digital tools, software, and techniques.  There has been a lot f talk lately regarding “production-ready’ artists.  The current expectation on new professional artists is that they be more capable of hitting the ground running.  They must be able to jump right in and perform well at a high level.

Obviously, there are a lot of software packages and equipment that one must know to be a successful digital artist.  If you are new to this all, it could be quite overwhelming.  I can imagine someone new would be wondering where to jump in and get started.

I would recommend starting with your strengths and interests.  It can be beneficial to gain confidence early on.  Especially when navigating the complexity and the seemingly endless options available.  Starting with what you know (to any degree or level) and building on that is a good way to get started.  In addition, you should start with the basics.  No matter what field you choose to pursue, it is always smart to have a solid foundation based on Perspective, Anatomy, Lighting, and the Elements of Color (to name a few).  A beginner needs to learn the discipline to say to themselves that they will master these concepts before moving on to their dream subject or project.  Just about any seasoned artist can figure out immediately if another artist has mastered the basics.

Let us look at a fictitious example.  Let us imagine a newly graduated digital artist who has big dreams of becoming an animator for Pixar.  He has a shiny degree and lots of hours manipulating 3D models on expensive equipment.  His hours reflect his interest so much that he neglects mastering anatomy and the ability to render basic shapes on paper.  When he gets his first job, most likely, he will not be given the “animator keys”.  He’ll be relegated to other tasks where he is needed with hopes of gaining the overall experience needed to move up.  Given this scenario, one can see that depending on the task, he may suffer because he cannot perform the basic task of storyboarding or creating some rough drawings of shapes and ideas.  Any one of us at any time can be asked to quickly put an idea down on paper and even though it was a quick render, it should possess the most basic properties of shape and perspective.

Any digital artist’s toolbox should include traditional art skills and digital art skills.  They should have a well-rounded toolset.  For the most part, Photoshop or Painter are staples for any artist.  Whereas Maya, ZBrush, 3D Studio Max, and Lightwave are just a few of the popular 3D applications and it can be difficult to master more than one.  However, having one of them in your toolbox will enable you to learn and apply what you already know to a new program.  Developing a broad base of digital skills within your self and continually trying to apply those skills to your daily work will make for a successful digital artist.




Frank Freeman is a freelance artist, trainer and CEO of Artistic Gurus, Inc. a training company that focuses on how-to videos in the 2D, 3D, Traditional Arts, Comics, Anime and Manga fields. http://www.artisticgurus.com/ or http://www.rentartvideos.com/

NewTek's LightWave 10 Makes Its Debut

(Computer Gaphics World, Dec. 2010)

Following a sneak peek at SIGGRAPH, NewTek is now ready to roll out LightWave 10, the latest version of its digital content creation software that, among other capabilities, enables interactive viewpoint rendering and real-tim stereoscopic previewing, supporting the company's billing at a "production-ready version of LightWave."  See more here

Frank Freeman is a freelance artist, trainer and CEO of Artistic Gurus, Inc. a training company that focuses on how-to videos in the 2D, 3D, Traditional Arts, Comics, Anime and Manga fields. http://www.artisticgurus.com/ or http://www.rentartvideos.com/