Adding a cityscape in the background of an illustration really ups the 'wow factor', but can be an unacceptable amount of extra labor. A little 3D can change all of that. This video series uses Google Sketchup as a tool to speed up the process of creating a detailed background. Eventually you'll paint over the 3D render, but it serves as a fantastic 'under-drawing'. Note: This three part series won't show you every button to press in sketchup, but instead - a compelling reason to figure them out.
Sometimes a line can be more than just a line. This video explains how to fit extra information into a simple line drawing. Adding a bit of extra thickness might seem like no big thing, but if you use the weight of lines intentionally you can infuse your artwork with depth and energy. Though these are not hard and fast rules, you can use the information in this video as rules of thumb for your future line drawings.
computers and software are really good at repetitive tasks. Why not let Photoshop do some of the hard work for you? This video tackles a specific storyboarding-related challenge with a photoshop "action". Even if you're not a storyboard artist, you'll see the way that I identify a challenge and figure out how to get Photoshop to solve it for me. Best of all, once you've created the action, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to it! And if you want the storyboarding action I mention in this video, download it here!
Every artist has a different answer to the question of "how many layers?", but knowing the difference between direct and indirect painting is key to forming your own workflow. This is an old concept, but it makes the leap to photoshop beautifully, allowing the artist to work on layers independently from one another. There was a time when layers meant you had to wait for paint to dry -- luckily, the digital process allows you to skip that part.
If you like the idea of "indirect painting" and want to know more, check out the "Grayscale to Color" series in the store.
Anatomy is a huge subject. This video will introduce the two main approaches: observational and constructive. Each is useful, and most artists use both from time to time.
Have you ever had a trouble drawing certain directions with your stylus? You're not alone. This video offers a few solutions. Sadly, the best one (canvas rotation) is only available in newer versions of Photoshop.
Learning to digital paint is a long process. It can seem overwhelming at times, but it gets easier! Trust me! This video will give you a bigger-picture view of the process, and help keep things in perspective. If you want to know more, Learning Map is another good resource.
I'm having a blast making these videos for you guys. It's great hearing the interesting conversation, and swapping techniques with all of you artists. That said, I need to keep the lights on here in Ctrl+Paint tower, so you guys need to help spread the word! I hope you've noticed that the website has no advertising, and lost of free videos! None of this is free for me, so another way you can help is by purchasing one of the premium series from the store. Thanks, everyone - and keep being an amazing community!
Digital painting relies on your ability to comfortably wield the Brush Tool. Keyboard shortcuts are a huge part of that, and committing them to memory is an important step in your learning. This video proposes a 'maze' drill for you to hone your brush tool chops. It may seem a bit unusual, but it's not all that different from an athlete running through an obstacle course to improve their agility! Most importantly, have fun with this! And make sure to download the brush maze drill here. And if you want a refresher on the brush tool and its hidden features, check out this digital painting 101 video
When you think of perspective, do you immediately reach for the rulers and technical pens? You don't need to. I find perspective to be more useful when it's utilized more like the rest of your sketching: casually. This video offers a simple exercise to get you thinking.
Download the worksheet as a .JPG
Drawing symmetrical objects in perspective can be a challenge. In situations like this, I generally use Google Sketchup to help me with my accuracy This video explores the powerful tools that Sketchup provides for working with repeated shapes and symmetrical forms. Even if you're saying "Yeah, yeah - symmetry is no big deal in perspective..." would you change your tune if I asked you to draw an object that 7-sided with rotational symmetry? Sometimes a little bit of 3D saves a lot of time.
Do you ever feel like you're treading water? You're stgnating, while the rest of the art community is progressing at lightning speed? You're not alone.This video is a little detour from the standard ctrl+paint technique videos to talk about inspiration, mindset, and 'getting better'. Ultimately, we're all experiencing this in one form or another, so it's worth talking about. Remember: even professionals feel sub-par a fair amount of the time. Art is mind game. UPDATE: It's been really, really great hearing these responses. Art is one of those challenges that we all take on personally - and can feel isolated by the effort. Knowing that everyone else is wrestling with similar issues can be a big help.
So keep the conversation going -- It's an important one to be a part of. Additionally, reader "Jonathan" reminded me of a fantastic series of videos by the radio host Ira Glass on storytelling and inspiration. He's the host of This American Life, and has a lot of experience fighting through the self doubt and frustration involved in creative work. It's definitely worth watching.
Much of the painting that happens on this site is made with two types of strokes: opaque and glaze. This video explains the difference, and how photoshop 'layer blending modes' control the effect.
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Most of the basic information about brushes and blending I give only works on "normal layers". To get the most out of other blending modes while still using on-screen blending mixing takes a few tricks to understand. In this video I'll show how I like to use a combination of blending modes and how they interact with my traditional on-screen-mixing technique.
Note: Reader Tom H brings up a great point: the videos this week are going under the assumption that you have the "sample all layers" mode activated on your eyedropper tool. You will get different results if you use the "sample current layer" mode. Thanks for the reminder, Tom!
The Eyedropper tool is used to sample colors that are already on your canvas. It seems straightforward, but what happens when your layers are set to different blending modes? This video explains a bit more in-depth about the eye dropper tool, and how you might use it in a complex painting. It may seem like the Eyedropper is of only minor importance, but to a digital painter it becomes one of the most frequently accessed.
To learn more about the on-screen mixing talked about in the video, try these others:
Digital Painting 101 #3, Brush Control Basics , Blending Technique
Learning art can seem like a bottomless pit of information. To keep things simple, it's important to start your drawing and painting education in grayscale - and reserve color for later. Though it's tempting to move straight into color, this video provides an argument for working slowly and methodically. After all, it's how they do it in art school.
If this is a topic that you really believe in, and want to know more, make sure to check out the Basic Photoshop Rendering series in the store! When I created this series, it was my intent to capture my experience in Drawing 1 and apply it to digital painting.
In the years I've studied drawing, "constructive form" has made the largest impact on me. The general idea is to visually reduce complex forms into simpler ones, and make your drawing challenge more manageable. Especially as a concept artist, drawing from one's imagination is essential. Teaching yourself to envision objects in this simplified manner is a key concept for improving your imaginary drawing skills.
This is a companion video to go along with the two previous texture brush downloads. Hopefully this will explain why an artist might prefer working on a textured canvas. I don't always begin with one, but it can lead to very rich results. If you didn't get a chance to see the previous videos, make sure to watch them here: Block-in Brush, and Diffuser Brush
Traditional painters often start with a "ground" - giving them a neutral, textured surface to begin their painting on. This video introduces a custom brush which will quickly generate such a ground for your digital painting. Unlike most brushes I mention, this one is designed to work with the Smudge Tool. To download the brush for yourself, click here!
Most painting is done with basic brushes, but sometimes it's nice to have a big chunky block-in brush to get your canvas started. This video introduces my ctrl+Paint block-in brush, and includes a free download.
To try the brush for yourself, download it here!