PRO SECRETS
HELPING YOUR
COMPUTER
Some brushes are
very heavy and can
slow down your
computer, affecting
the flow of your
brush stroke. If you’re
not working on
detailed line work
but instead painting
with textured brush
strokes, you can
decrease your file’s
DPI a bit while
working (but don’t
go below 200dpi),
then change it back
once you’re finished
and apply the Smart
Sharpen filter. You
have to be careful to
not push it too much,
but it really helps.Workshops
10
The initial kick
I set the pencil layer to Multiply blending mode, so
I can paint on layers both above and beneath the pencil
art. I set the layer opacity to around 40 per cent, so once
I start adding colours, the pencil lines will “blend” with the
colours and will look integrated. Using Hue/Saturation
(Ctrl+U) I colorise the pencil art according the colour
scheme I have in mind. Then I add a texture at the bottom
of the layer stack that purposely points to the focal point
of the image. I did this texture in acrylics and scanned it.9
Creating the document
I work on a 400dpi RGB file, usually slightly bigger
than the printed size. Although I work in RGB , I’m always
using the Proof Colors option (in the View menu). This
way I can work with the advantages of RGB mode but
be aware of what the result will be in CMYK, which is the
mode in which I’ll send the final art to the publisher.WORKSHOP
BRUSHES
PHOTOSHOP
CUSTOM BRUSHES:ERASER SOFT
TEXTURE
I use this constantly
to erase parts of my
brush strokes or to
fade general areas.
The texture adds a
nice organic touch.GENERAL SPLATTER
Great to get a general
texture – a rough
surface, an explosion,
etc. Here I’ve used it
for the rocks and
the lightning.THICK & THIN
Like a watercolour
brush, but can be
used either opaque
or semi-transparent,
which makes it very
versatile. Great
organic feel.