Thursday, March 11, 2010

Paint sketch


So I'm trying to nail colors down better. Color is one of those things that scares me. Many times I have a nice drawing, then I go to color it and "whoa boy" turns out kind of crappy. So I am taking screen shots from movies that I like and then trying to copy them. But there are two rules:
1. One hour to complete the image
2. No eyedropper tool

Training my eyes to see the colors. The thing people mess up the most when drawing is drawing what they know and not drawing what they actually see. People will paint a green tree when the tree is actually blueish gray in the light.

5 comments:

pete said...

This is a brilliant idea, Steve! I've considered doing the same thing. I, too, am a huge Pixar fan! The lighting in the scene you chose is, I feel, some of the most beautiful in the entire film, and you've definitely done a good job accomplishing your goal with the image.

I gotta get a Wacom and paint program to learn this stuff...

Unknown said...

Thanks Pete,
Hey, how's that book you're working on going? First of all get a cintiq. I know they are a butt load of money, but they are so worth it. Just think of it as an investment in your art career. If you get photoshop I'll help you learn it so you can get up to speed. We can do it over skype or something.

Jaume Cullell said...

Good exercice, Steve!
Train the eye to see the real colors is a hard work, and you've got to put a lot of hours on it.
The colour stuff also scared me a lot, but as I learned from Stephen Silver, if you find something difficult, do not avoid it, work hard on it and get it down. And it works! :D

pete said...

Busy, busy, busy. I've been feeling bad for not posting much on the illustration board.

The book is chuggin' right along. The workload is intense for me...I only have time to work very early in the morning and late at night.

I am really enjoying the process, but have been feeling that my portfolio might be suffering from stagnation. There's just no time in my schedule with everything plus 2 kids (ages 3 and 1)to work on my stuff. That being said, I really feel that Illustration is my calling, and I'm dedicated to going full throttle to breaking in.

How's your little one?

I'm planning on getting software and was debating between Painter and Photoshop. I'm leaning towards Photoshop. Do you recommend a version for Mac? And do cintiques operate of PC platforms?

I'll hit you up on that Skype offer for sure.

Unknown said...

Yep, I work on PC...And no, I don't hate mac's, so please don't leave messages here about how great macs are.

You can get a cintiqu for PC. I have one and I also have dual monitor capabilities, but with the large size cintiqu I don't use both monitors to often.

I really like photoshop. I have painter, but I have no idea how to get that program to work. I see some amazing work done in that program, but it's a glitch monster if you ask me. I've never met an artist that doesn't have problems with painter.

Photoshop is the bomb and I read in ImagineFX that they are coming out with a brush engine for the new photoshop that will emulate painter more.