GET MORE OUT
OF ARTRAGE
Steve Goad helps to streamline your painting process, while
putting its layer effects and natural brush engine to good use
In this article I’ll be
providing advice and
insights on ArtRage, a
program I use quite a
bit. I started painting
with ArtRage when it was first
released back in 2004, and it remains
a primary tool in my workf low. It’s
great to see the advancements made
in its custom brush engine, which is
pretty much all I use in most of my
work. I’ll be going over someimportant areas during the painting
process and revealing tips on specific
tools that I feel might be beneficial.
My goal is to not only showcase the
power of ArtRage, but to prove that
you don’t have to spend a fortune on
certain tools to create professional
art. If you’re familiar with ArtRage
but have yet to try the latest version
(6), some of the new features include
now being able to adjust paint depth
and lighting to custom brushes.Smoothing has been added to the
pencil, there’s improved smoothing
for the ink pen and you can create
deeper impasto effects and adjustable
gloss for the oil brush.
Finally, we live in a world where
shortcuts are demanded to make a
deadline. Those shortcuts can hurt
you in the long run. I think it’s
important to forget about getting
things done quickly, and concentrate
on drawing or painting well.1
References and sketch
Once I have a rough idea of what I’d like
to paint I’ll do a search for suitable references,
either online or through my own photo
collection. I usually look for a colour palette
that appeals to me and real-life references to
help me paint accurately. The sketch itself at
this point isn’t that great – its purpose is to get
the ball rolling. I like to build up the image on
the canvas as I go, so I know that a lot of these
details will start to develop as I paint.2
Reference window
ArtRage has a unique feature when working
with references. The program enables you to pin them
up next to your work – just like you would when
working with real paint! The identical version of my
sketch to the right is a feature called New View. In the
Refs window you can click New View to open a copy
of your work. This comes in handy once you start to
zoom in on your work to add those details, when you
want to be able to see your painting in its entirety
without having to zoom out.ArtRage 6
GET YOUR
RESOURCES
See page 8 now!Steve Goad
LOCATION: US
Steve paints using
traditional and digital
media to capture life and
the imagination. He’s
worked as a concept
artist, art director and
game card illustrator.
http://www.stevegoadart.comArtist
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