12
DE4!),Ĉ6%'%4!4)/.ĈɌɍ
Another way of painting vegetation is to pick
colours from our previous work and paint using a
foliage picture-based brush. Again, avoid a stamped
look by using the Smudge tool later. This method is
suitable for grass and bushes, and also for trees
placed far away. It is important when painting
vegetation to use a varied palette of green, yellow
and grey. Also, remember that colours tend to
desaturate and get bluish with the distance. Study
and use some vegetation references in order to
make it look natural.11
DE4!),Ĉ6%'%4!4)/.ĈɌɍ
Use a picture-based brush to place some
trunks and branches. Then, lock transparent pixels in
the Layers palette. Paint with the same brush in
Overlay mode to add extra shading details. On an
upper layer, create the foliage with a picture-based
leaf brush. Use masked adjustment layers to create
quick light and shadow gradients. Picture brushes
sometimes give an artificial stamp look that is better
to avoid; distort the stamped strokes with the
Smudge tool. Use this method for nearby and more
detailed vegetation.13
DETAIL USING TEXTURE BRUSHES
This painting depicts a world of constant
recycling, where everything is re-used again and
again. That is why the painting should look as
organic as possible in its details and at close range.
To achieve that stroked texture effect, work on
details using organic picture-based brushes. Use
Size and Angle Jitters, Window>Brushes>Brush Tip
Shape>Shape Dynamics, so the brushes make
organic and random marks. You can create brush
shapes from virtually any image using Edit>Define
Brush Preset.10
CHECK BEFORE DETAILING
Now the painting should be working nicely
but still lack details and look flat. However, this
result is the foundation for the following detail steps
to work. Feel free to re-paint or add any elements
that may improve andboost your painting’s
composition, value, depth and design. Use
contrasting colours to guide the eye through the
composition. In this case, warm orange and yellow
colours are placed strategically so the eye is guided
to the central building in the painting.09
BEGIN THE REAL PAINT WORK
We’ve finally got two solid sketch and base colour layers. It is time to start the real painting
work! With a soft brush, define volumes and details using darker and lighter tones picked from the
base layer. This will make the painting start to come alive.THE PAINTING PROCESS IN DEPTH
FROM BASE LAYER TO A FINISHED PAINTING(^001) Work first on the medium and dark tonesFROM DARK TO LIGHT
in your painting. Highlight strokes shouldbe the last ones that you use, lighter
colours will act as a guide
(^002) Do not get too obsessed with any WORK GLOBALLY
particular detail. Change among paintingelements from time to time to keep a
global view
003 LAYER ORDERPaintlayersfromfartonear.Theparts
ofthepaintingthatarefurthestawayshouldbeatthebottomofthestack.
This helps control overlapping strokes
001
(^003002)
Use contrasting colours
to guide the eye through
the composition