2D Artist

Using custom brushesCustom brushes can be extremely useful and are often key to painting in Photoshop.More often than not I find myself thinking outside the box when it comes to using custombrushes. Just because the brush is a particular shape you are not limited to painting justthat. In this case a chalk or charcoal effect brush gets a new use as a means of implyingchainmail texture. That being said you can still achieve all of this and more using thesimple default Round brushes, after all think of the effects some artists can achieve withjust a pencil.PRO TIPSGet top tips for checkingthe scale and pose ofyour characters...This tutorial will focus on how to paint anillustration showcasing a character andcostume design concept for a fantasy femalebattle shaman. In preparing for this tutorial Iwas inspired by imagery of early and present-day European shamanic rituals and costume.A common theme in shamanism is the use ofanimal skulls, furs and imagery; for exampleViking berserks would adorn themselves withbear furs and trophies in order to channelthe savagery of that animal in battle.With this goal in mind I make some quickthumbnails and exploratory sketches. Thesesketches don’t have to be perfect; after allit is the final image that people are goingto be viewing. I tend to fill sketchbookswith these sketches, often in ink, and smallenough to fit a group on a single page.Sketches can be small scribbles on post-itnotes, barely legible when you look back atthem ten minutes later, but they are enoughto help you explore some options beforeyou commit to working on a final piece.Another useful planning tool is to createa mood board of informative referencematerials which you can consult as the imagedevelops. It is good to cover a spectrum ofinfluences here, as it may result in you findinginspiration from a source you hadn’t initiallyanticipated. With both of these preparationsdone it is time to begin creating the image!01Dressing the pose: To begin, start bysketching your character in the pose youhave in mind from your preparatory sketches. Iknow that I want to depict a strong female warriorshaman in a heroic pose. I also like to get an ideafor the face as early as possible so make sure toroughly place some features in this early phase.Use a small hard Round brush to sketch out someoptions for the costume. You are going to needto modify the pose and dress the figure later, soit is okay to be loose in this stage. However, keepyour sketches as variations on a theme so youdon’t deviate too far from your original idea.02Blocking in colors: Decide on one ofthese ideas and quickly block in the``````Figuring out the pose first, with the character near-nude, can make dressing the character easier``````By using layers with locked transparency you can prevent color from leaving the confines you havealready established