... and English is not my native language ....
... and English is not my native language ....
Panta rei (everything flows)!
I'd not even contemplated challenging you in Italian - which is one of the many languages I don't speak. I barely manage English.
Nick Harris Artwork
http://nickillus.com
New system as of April 2011
i5 quad core - Asus P7P55LX
Windows 7 Home Premium
8gig DDR3 RAM
Wacom intuos 3 A5
Radeon 512mb graphics card
bit more on this one.
Last edited by Nickillus; 09-16-2010 at 02:04 AM.
Nick Harris Artwork
http://nickillus.com
New system as of April 2011
i5 quad core - Asus P7P55LX
Windows 7 Home Premium
8gig DDR3 RAM
Wacom intuos 3 A5
Radeon 512mb graphics card
This is another great piece and fantastic speechless tutorial in a way, dear Nick! My sons were excite to know that I met You in here when they saw a fantasy work collection book I bought. They would have asked an autograph!
I guess You've got several layers here too and I really wonder which tools and which setting You are using ... Your natural flow of steps make anything look so easy ... but when I'm in front of a new sheet and try to concentrate on planning and thinking to a process and to select all the various details ... then I feel a bit lost and worried and I end up messing up with any resource or setting I select at the moment ....
I really believe than any bit and piece of Your forthcoming tutorials will be a treasure of information for me to set up some sort of effective and efficient process.
Panta rei (everything flows)!
Thanks for the ongoing support, Caesar - much appreciated.
Wordlessly is the best way to deal with a chatterbox like me.
I've attached a grab with the colour samples enlarged and as much of the overladen layers palette as I could show in one go (I'm such a layer hoarder). I've named the ones I can remember what they are (which is always a good idea to do as you go - slap my legs for being 'relaxed' about it).
The general pattern of any piece usually starts with
laying down a base tone/colour (bucket fill - save the colour so it can be used to edit/paint back in if necessary) -
drawing on a layer over the top (whatever the main topic/character may be) -
blocking in some tones on a layer between, using chalk or oils usually -
add a tonal layer of another shadow colour over the top, setting it to multiply and then working the light areas back in using either the eraser or a lighter (often complementary colour/s - all depends on the colour scheme idea of the piece) -
Adding more elements/characters/whatever on separate layers (above or below dependent on relative positioning to original element) using the same set up ---------- pays to group and name these if you are going to collect layers like I do.
Repeat as you will and build up the complexity (like I'm doing with the crabs, which I have on top at the moment - so not right yet, but I'll keep at them). I have three layers of over-all tone at various points in the layer stack, plus separate 'shadow' , multiply layers over individual elements for detailing and darker areas for instance (watercolour+palette knife+eraser to create)
I've done a lot of this one with the chalk, which I really like, but have blurred the tonal-over layers to knock the effect of working on them with that tool back a bit on background elements. I play it by eye as I go. Let the image tell you what it needs.
You have a great eye, Caesar - I've seen you images. Just believe in yourself more and go for it.
Simply - my technique revolves around the combination of solid and 'glazing' (mulitply - watercolour - burn - take your pick) layers - applied to a drawing as good as I can get it (doesn't have to be tight - that's not what I mean). Having a number of them builds up subtleties - no great secret. Use whatever tools you prefer. Hope that helps.
Nick Harris Artwork
http://nickillus.com
New system as of April 2011
i5 quad core - Asus P7P55LX
Windows 7 Home Premium
8gig DDR3 RAM
Wacom intuos 3 A5
Radeon 512mb graphics card
Dear Nick, i'm immensely grateful to You for Your explanation further clarifying what You already teached on Your tutorials and I started to undersand studying Your entries. I also found another tutorial where the image contained robots and an apparent human composed in a sort of circle where light beams directs from one station to the other.
Thank You again very much, dear master!
Panta rei (everything flows)!
Absolutely superb and all so very inspiring!
Really like the wip of the ailing woodcutter Nick. Wonderful painting.
Really kind comments as always, guys, and I do appreciate them - thank you all.
Still have to finish that pirate/mermaid one, but have started a companion piece to it after a false start involving an idea about a trawler. This one will be more land based as I think it will fit the bill of what I'm after better. Same sort of process - drawing, washes and body colour on separate layers, over a toned base. Fairly muted so far and not sure of which way want to take the lighting and colour palette yet.
Last edited by Nickillus; 09-25-2010 at 01:27 AM.
Nick Harris Artwork
http://nickillus.com
New system as of April 2011
i5 quad core - Asus P7P55LX
Windows 7 Home Premium
8gig DDR3 RAM
Wacom intuos 3 A5
Radeon 512mb graphics card