Loish
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PROCESS VIDEO // mermaid
🕑 Added 2022-05-10 09:28:07 +0000 UTCHere’s some of the process for my recent mermaid sketch! Unfortunately the video stopped working at a certain point and a chunk of the process is missing around 40 minutes in, but most of it is there. I dip my head into the frame without realizing from time to time, apologies for that! I need to learn to lean back while I draw :’)
As always, my sketch brush is the wonderful Macalabs HB pencil brush from this brush set.
Some pointers to explain the process in this video:
• My goal while painting this was to keep it chunky and expressive. I wanted to exaggerate the shapes a bit and use a more messy coloring style so that the personality of the sketch remained intact. Usually I’ll paint over the sketch fairly quickly and then the drawing will change a lot as I finalize it, and I’ll default towards smoothing things out. This time I wanted to prevent that happening and stay more true to those first lines. So the process here is a lot about finding an expressive coloring style that matched well with the sketch version. So you’ll see me playing around with brushes from time to time and opting for a painterly look.
• Color modification tools were super important for making this painting work. Unfortunately a lot of that happens off-screen because the modification windows pop up slightly to the right of the artwork, so if you see the colors changing, it’s me using a mixture of Hue/Saturation / Color Balance / Selective Color to change the color scheme gradually as I paint. This is really important for finding the right colors for my art - it’s always a process of searching for them. My tutorial on choosing colors elaborates more on how I do this!
• A lot of the rough, painterly effect for this painting came from adding the background color on a new layer on top of the image. Around 36 minutes in, I quickly paint a greyish hue on a layer on top, blocking in a new color to separate the mermaid from the background. Because it’s on a separate layer, I can easily use the hue/saturation slider to modify this greyish hue and search for something that works better. It ends up being a dark blue which I feel works best. Because I layered on this color quite loosely with a hard round brush, it doesn’t have perfect coverage and is a bit messy. I like the vibe this gives, and I push it further by adding some lines and rough brush strokes to the background. I think this is a good example of how trying new things and just seeing what happens can help set the tone for how a painting turns out!
• The final part of the process - from about 40 minutes onwards - is mainly just sculpting with color. I have everything I need already on the canvas and it’s just a question of picking the colors that are already there to sculpt out the details. My tutorial on sculpting with color elaborates more on this process and how I do it!
I hope you enjoy it! I’ll be posting a more sped-up version in a minute as well, for those who find this version a bit tedious. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Comments
Loish
i think it depends on what i'm trying to convey with my art! these mermaids need to have some mystery to them, which is why i like giving them a more intense expression.
Greg Schultz
I'm very excited to see the expressions coming in to your faces recently. Tells an added story. I wonder if you like it or perhaps feel like it draws eyes from the figures.
ArtLab
I like the videos when you tall to us and make your observations about the drawing, the techniques :/ I missed it
darart
Thank you so much for sharing the specs Loish. .the storage factor is what making me reconsider for the long run. Your experience and review regarding it is very helpful. Yes, the video is now working as well! Thanks again : )
Loish
it's so hard for me not to keep my face within 1 inch of the screen!
Loish
Thanks so much! These are the specs of the iPad I use: "Apple iPad Pro 12,9 inch (2018) 64GB". I'm personally a fan of maximum storage, I'm now running into the problem where I'm out of storage because of all my procreate files and need to back them up / delete them which is something I don't want to run into too often. By the way, the video you linked should be working! I just checked it in an incognito window and it worked. Are you still having issues with it?
Loish
yesss I love that brush. changed how I approach sketching digitally!
Joseph
The video is working fine for me. It's a quick one, approx. 2 minutes. Try a different browser, or maybe clear the cache.
Kat Craig
Ooh yay! I was hoping to see this, thank you so much for posting! Also, I got the Macalabs brush set, and OMG that HB brush is AMAZING! I will always use it for sketching in Photoshop now. Thank you SO MUCH for the rec!
darart
Looks awesome Loish! Could you please share your Ipad model and it's specifications in terms of ram and storage? Looking to get one for myself, but torn between the budget and the various model specifications. How much storage is good enough in your experience? Also, could you please look into the video from this post to see if it's working? It's not playing for me. https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-36243762 https://vimeo.com/410249806/7c11822e6e
Juan Gagliardo
I find it super difficult to film a drawing/painting process without dipping into the canvas and ruining the shot. It feels like a whole new skill
Loish
hey valeriia! I'm using a cintiq 27QHD and for the second part of the process (after 40 minutes) I'm using a cintiq pro 24.
Valeriia Yefimenko
Hello, what graphics tablet are you using? 💖
