8 layer styles
are your Friend
Do your colours look
wrong? Maybe you need
a quick fix to hit that
deadline, but don’t
want to repaint? How
about adding some
experimental lighting
with adjustment layers.
I love doing this because
they’re a shortcut to
great effects, giving
your image a colour
boost. My favourite is to
add Overlay layers and
paint in warm light rays
and highlights, that bake
into any layers below.c
collaboration makes you faster
It really does! In a studio environment or even your
own home, try not to put blinkers over your eyes and
become isolated in your work. This can push you towards a
wall that may leave you stuck creatively, with no new
direction. It can help to take a step back and bounce your
ideas off other people, be they creative and non-creative.
This can give you a new angle on what you’re creating and
inspire. I love to ask my mum for her opinion: her blunt
honesty keeps me in check a lot of the time!b
remember to take a break
Yes, make time by taking away time! When you hit that wall,
sometimes it’s best to walk away for a few minutes and indulge in a quick
break to clear the mind. Rehydrate with some water, stretch out or just get
some fresh air. The body and mind will surely thank you by granting you
some clarity on how to continue! Don’t just sit there struggling.a
List it, manage it
Creative chaos and
exploration can be what drives us
sometimes, but it can also lead us
to drift away from our initial goals.
Therefore, keeping a good handle
on those goals is important. I like to
list a lot of my tasks at work for the
day and set achievable milestones
throughout the week.9 a Few little liFe shortcuts
Advice on how to keep your week on track, and to get yourself out of a creative hole7 and when those vaLues aren’t working...
...add a Levels adjustment layer over the top of your entire piece and fix those
values up! I like to use this mostly in the early stages of a painting to keep me
on the right track. The Levels adjustment enables you to separate out the light
and dark values better for a clearer composition.
August 2017 89
Artist insight Awesome shor tcuts