Advanced_Photoshop_Issue_139_-_2015_UK_

It is vital to lay down a design foundation, prior to

getting carried away with detail work. I like to

begin with small thumbnail sketches. This gives

me a good idea of how strong a composition is. At

this point I began matching my pose in DAZ Studio

in order to generate my base reference. From

here I went back into Photoshop to rough out my

line work and begin to block in my colours.

3D MODELS MAKE A GREAT POSE REFERENCE

WORK WITH REFERENCES

TECHNIQUES HOW I MADE

06

REVISE THE COMPOSITION

I wanted the mermaid to feel more inviting

and open to the viewer. Here I feel the image took a

step forward and became more interesting.

04

ADDING ATMOSPHERE

With the base already laid in, I could see

that a warmer tone for the atmosphere would both

complement and draw your attention, while still

retaining a separation from the background.

05

UNIFYING THE COLOUR

In order to solidify the picture as a whole,

it is important to maintain a unified colour palette

throughout the entire image. Here I brought much

of the background colours into the foreground

elements as well.

07

DETAILING

With the revised posed in place, the

same colouring and lighting needed to be

matched. The warm glow of the environment

lighting is beginning to take shape.

08

DYNAMIC CHANGES

You might hesitate to make a significant

change to your work because of all the time that

you’ve invested, but often these choices are what

brings your characters to life.