calm
patreon
Illustration #118 + a few doodles!
🕑 Added 2024-05-20 15:20:40 +0000 UTCFinally finished this painting, I hope you like it. π Meant to have this posted a couple of days ago, but May has unfortunately been a weird and busy month with a lot of non-art stuff occupying the ol' mindspace. Hopefully things calm down a bit over the next few weeks.
Here are the download links for the rewards for this illustration so you can check out the process if you want:
WIP images
Short time lapse video
Long time lapse video
PSD files
If you watch the time lapse you might notice that the painting got away from me a little bit this time. I didn't do a good enough job nailing stuff down in the sketch, and ended up changing stuff later in the process. That always leads to problems lol. It's a helpful reminder for myself, though, to spend the necessary time on the sketch!
It probably also didn't help the situation that I was working in a software I'm not fully comfortable in yet. π For the past couple of years I've been doing my paintings in Paintstorm Studio, and it's been a very comfortable experience for me with the workflow I'm used to. However, there are a few features I'm unable to make use of in Paintstorm, and I've been thinking about giving Clip Studio Paint a more serious try to see if I can end up getting as comfortable there as I have been in Paintstorm. So I did the painting in CSP this time around (except the initial sketch). I'm cautiously optimistic. It definitely takes a little bit of getting used to, finding comfortable brush settings and hotkeys and all that, and it unfortunately isn't as silky smooth to work in as Paintstorm has been, but I'll keep at it for a little while longer. It's still too early to tell which I'll prefer.
Was happy to have found a little bit of time for low pressure doodling on the side of working on the painting this time around too, so I included those here as well. I continue to feel that doing those drawings where there's no pressure to finish them is really good for my mental health, and helps me feel more relaxed and positive about my art in general. Having that space to explore and experiment with no pressure is great. I've been happy to see you guys respond well to that too, even when those drawings are mostly quick unfinished stuff.
Sort of related to that, I've recently been very tempted to put some real effort into getting better at doing line art drawings. You can maybe see some signs of that in the doodles here. I feel like it lends itself better to getting quick results I enjoy, which in the long term would hopefully also mean I could have a higher quantity of art to share. So I'd like to chase that inspiration and focus a bit on that in the coming weeks and see how that goes.
As always, I really appreciate you guys supporting me, thank you. π
Comments
Calm
When I choose what to draw I focus on my strongest interests, and, while I don't mind seeing it, futa does unfortunately fall a bit outside of those strongest interests. Sorry about that. π
Calm
Thanks! There have been some bugs in Paintstorm that keep me from using layer masks and clipping masks. If I use those and undo and redo a bunch, it can sometimes corrupt the canvas and delete chunks off of layers. So I wanted to see if I can get comfortable in CSP instead, so I can have a wider set of tools available while I work. I did end up running back to Paintstorm though lmao. There were too many small things that annoyed me about working in CSP.
Calm
The lore I have is pretty scattered and not very presentable, so it can't easily be done as a big lore dump unfortunately. Writing is also not really my expertise so I feel more comfortable presenting lore in small bits and pieces here and there. I'm glad you like those tidbits though! :)
jokermon
My man, what's it gonna take to get you to do futa?
Nicholas P
Any particular reason you want to switch from Paintstorm to CSP? Apologies if you already mentioned this elsewhere! Great work as ever, even with the transition!
Accolon
Have you ever considered doing a lore dump or something for the world you've created? I'm always so interested in the species and places in your images. I saw a comment on a previous post saying how your demons are slightly stretchy. Little tidbits like that really fascinate me. I didn't even know that one characters name was Luke until recently.
Calm
Thank you! I need to be a little bit careful. That character belongs to my friend, and I shouldn't spoil them with art of her too much lmao!
Calm
Thanks, I'm glad you think so!
Calm
Thank you! Paintstorm sadly doesn't have adjustment layers, so doing simple brightness adjustments, for example, have to be done in ways that can't easily be undone later. Layer masks and clipping masks also have a pretty serious bug where if I undo a lot while using them, it corrupts and deletes chunks of content on the canvas in a way that is sometimes irreversible. It had made me kinda feel like layer masks and clipping masks are off limits. The silver lining is that it forced me to simplify my workflow in a way I've kind of enjoyed, but the features would still have been nice to have access too, you know? The reason I chose to try CSP now is kind of because it's been over a year since Paintstorm has had an update. I do like Paintstorm, and I see myself going back to it if CSP's annoying quirks start piling up (which they kind of are, but I'll give it some more time), but ideally I'd want to use a software that gets regular feature updates and bug fixes. Especially when some of the bugs, like the ones I mentioned, can be more than just small annoyances.
CiarΓ‘n M
Ah-ha! Iridescent! That was the word, I knew it was one of those "escent" words but couldn't think which one πΉ But yes, the iridescent hair for the ladies looked lovely and I know I'm down to see you use that effect again πΈ And I'd say that you consistently nail the level of detail you put into the environments. Both in terms of how many things are there and the level to which you render and define them πΈ
Calm
Happy to hear you like that one, Sarah. π
Calm
Thank you! There are always so many things to get better at. I suspect I'll still want to improve my process even when I'm 90 lmao.
Calm
Always fun to see you're enjoying it, Griffin :)
Calm
Sequential art has never been a strong area for me sadly, but I appreciate you being interested in it! :)
Calm
Thank you, I'm glad you like it π
Calm
Thanks, CiarΓ‘n! I'm happy to see you point to the level of detail in the environment. I can get a little bit unsure about whether or not I should put more details into environments, so it feels good to hear the intended effect is working there. Also glad to see you noticing the pearlescent/iridescent hair color I was going for there. Haven't tried that before I think, so I'll probably have to do it a few more times before I find a look I'm fully happy with, but it's fun to hear it came across correctly. π
Calm
Thank you! I'm glad you like them!
Calm
Thanks, Dorn! :)
MacabreKebab
Will you do a complete image with the blue haired girl soon? I've really like your doodles of her.
Hitmanmaloe
The eating out doodle pose is so good!!!
Quantum Manor
Awesome work! I'd be curious to hear what Paintstorm wasn't giving you that hopefully will be remedied using CSP? What tools or functions were you missing that CSP has? And after using Paintstorm for so long, I'm interested in what caused you to finally make the jump and think "now is the time."
Sarah
That couch threesome π€€π€€ I wish I was that girl omfg
jokermon
Lovely work. Take your time, do what you gotta do. I think it's admirable AF that you don't stop trying to refine your process and get better at what you do.
Griffin Barrows
Uffff... that elf could give Luke one hell of a titjob :D Also, wow, that twunk is shooting -buckets- :D
Bebert Leaf
ou should do a comic hentai book ill pre order it for sure
SoundGate Audio
Okay- All of em...HOT! But that threesome one...OHLY HELL. THATS HOT. Great job as always calm!
CiarΓ‘n M
Before getting to the painting, I can definitely say that I love seeing your "doodles" and am definitely glad that you enjoy making and want to keep drawing/painting them πΈ And I'll be looking forward to seeing more of your experiments with line-art πΈ Now to actually look at what you've provided here and oh my goodness... you really went all out on Doodle 1, didn't you? Goodness gracious π€ I mean, it looks great, the perspective, the line-art on the characters, the textures and rendering on the background and anatomy. My favourite parts here are the expression on the lady with her rosy cheeks and the blue hair framing her face, as well as the rendering on the shoulders and pecs on the bald gentleman. The details on his expression are great too. Oh and I just noticed, love how she's clutching the pillow and how it compresses in the centre where she grabs it. Doodle 2 is fantastic as well. The poses are super dynamic and at the risk of sounding pretentious, the sketchy lines for the bed and those pink lines coming off of the lady just give the drawing this energetic feeling. Love the rendering and textures of her skin and how her breasts sink down with gravity. The gentleman too is really well done, really enjoy all of the interlocking muscle shapes on his forearm and where his shoulder locks into his back. Doodle 3 is very freaking sexy. Topless corsets are 100% my jam, as are straps that frame the bare breasts. So her ample bosom spilling out with straps running around and between them are very nice, as are the curves of her hips and thighs and her warm face framed by flowing white hair. Oh dear, I've typed so much already and haven't even gotten to the painting yet π Well, who knows, maybe this will be the day when I finally learn how to be concise... but don't count on it πΉ Immediately, I really enjoy the colours in this painting, with the vibrant colours of the blue sky, turquoise water, sandy beach and brown buildings, framed between the more subdued colours of the interior. The textures of the clouds and mixing of blues and pinks into them also look lovely. For the interior... where would I even begin? Everything is just so chock-full of texture and detail. I really enjoy the wavy textures on the grey wall where the mirror is, with different tones mixed into the grey too. The painterly, reflective surface of the mirror looks lovely, as do all of the various pieces of wood furniture around the room. As always, I really enjoy the plants that you paint, with their painterly textures and nice mix of different types of greens, both warm and cool. One thing I love in your style is that you've found the best balance when it comes to rendering the details of background objects. It's hard to describe, like they're not as highly rendered as the characters, since they're not the focus, but there's more than enough detail there that they look fully defined and detailed. Like the plants, vases, furniture, walls, all of it looks terrific πΈπ₯° The foreground elements look amazing too, like the various folds and creases in the sheets, with different colours and levels of depth. I like how the white sheet surrounding his arm is tinted with warm, reddish tones. The green sheet to his right, tinted more yellow, still with red mixed in and with very deep shadows between the folds looks so good too. And I like how the green pillows under his head are a cooler green, contrasting with the yellow-green sheets. Now, looking at the characters, always glad to see the nerdy elf back and happier still to see his bespectacled lady-friend on his left π₯° All three characters are so dynamically posed with great foreshortening on them. With the colours and lighting just perfectly defining and accentuating their features. Looking at our main man, I enjoy how most of his hair is in shadow, with cool and warm lighting on both sides adding colour and contrast. His body looks terrific too with the warm light bathing him from his front, casting those dark shadows down his side. The colours are so vibrant, with that overall reddish hue to him but then these mixes of blue in the shadows. My favourite part has to be on his right pec and shoulder, with blue tinted shadows and red tinted lights weaving through them. I do like the mirrored poses with the two ladies, with both of them looking so sensual with the round, overlapping shapes of their raised cheeks π and the way their breasts squish down against the bed, teasing their nipples π₯° With the left lady, I do like how this warm, bright light bathes her bum from her right and the detail of the tiny thong strap squeezing her hip/waist is super sexy. The rendering of her whole body looks fantastic as always, I scarcely know what to specifically point out... She just looks brilliant, with wonderful textures, beautiful smooth transitions between light and dark and a nice mix of colours to make her skin look vibrant and warm. And applicable to both ladies, the hair is gorgeous with these pink and turquoise colours mixed into the white, giving them this... shining, magical quality. Like what you see on colourful fish scales, there's a word for it but I've forgotten it π For the right lady specifically, I like the contrast with her face, chest and arms receiving the warmer light, while her rear end is kept in cool shadows, with blue lighting to highlight and accentuate the planes of her booty. I do also love how her hair is swept to one side and clings to her body as it drapes over her. I'll end it here and just reiterate, the scene looks so colourful and full of life, texture and detail. The characters all look terrific and I just can't get over how great you are at rendering fold and textured anatomy, especially the contrasts between light and dark on the skin. Seriously, look at the right girls left arm, that looks so good! Actually, just realised, one constant feeling I have about the scenes that you paint, the places just look so lovely that it makes you want to be there. And not just for the sexy fun-times, but because they just look like such appealing places to be π₯° Absolutely amazing work on this piece! πππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ
vurt
Aw man you absolutely killed it with this one. Aaaand the sketches are too notch too? 10/10
DORN
AMAZING! Really love the colors and the perspective! But damn, I'm in love with the first sketch π π₯π₯
