MAKE THE PAINT BLOOM
ADD FINE DETAILS, TEXTURES AND ADJUSTMENTSTECHNIQUES MASTER PRO PAINTING TECHNIQUES
QUICK TIP
Textures sometimes create the feel of a
photographic collage over a painting. Avoid that
by filtering textures with the Median filter, Filter>
Noise>Median. This will preserve most of the
texture but erase grainy details and create a
smooth painted look in the texture.SHADING EFFICIENTLY
Shade objects in a structured way. Over the base
layer, place a new layer to paint shadows and
midtones. Create a new layer to paint highlights.
Do not hesitate to play with blending modes to
find better results. Another layer may be created
to paint fine details. Clip the previous layers
among them and use the Gradient Overlay layer
style at a low opacity to create quick subtle
lighting effects. Do the same with adjustment
layers like Levels, Curves or Hue/Saturation. In
order to keep the layer stack clean and your
computer’s RAM less full, collapse all layers into
one when happy with the final result.14
MAKE YOUR WORLD HUMAN
Contextualising this new world is as
important as the concept itself. People will have to
live, move and work in this scene. Paint some
human figures, vehicles or signs of human
presence in the painting. Humanising your world
will also provide a sense of scale that will turn the
artwork into a more accessible one. Because this is
a low energy world, vehicles should be
manufactured from recycled old ones and
electric-powered. Also, some people will have to
use animal power for work and transportation.15
ADD FINE DETAILS
Small details add a lot of eye-catching
value to a painting but can be a very time-
consuming task. Place details strategically to
boost the value of the final work, avoiding
excessive detail that will get lost. Use this kind of
detail to better explain the world. Windows, signs,
urban art, lights or landmarks are all good
possibilities. This is a world of constant recycling;
that implies maintenance is done using different
reused materials. Mix crystal with wood, or stone
and concrete architecture in the same buildings.16
TEXTURE THE IMAGE
Do not place textures too soon. A painting
should work fine without textures. After adding
textures it will gain extra fine details but it should
not depend on them. Place them using different
blending modes. Overlay and Color modes will be
the most frequently used followed by Color Burn,
Hard Light, Lighten and Multiply. Different modes
mix textures in different ways: choose wisely.
Opacities should be lower than 50-60% in order to
avoid textures catching the eye too much and
altering the previous colour work.17
FINISH THE SKY
The sky often works as negative space for
an illustration. Also, it is possible to create
interesting lighting and depth effects with it. First,
create a painted mask similar to the ones from step- Select some sky photographs and place them
over the paint to make the sky more interesting.
Use masking and adjustment layers for a fine result
that blends the original paintwork with smooth
details from the texture combination.
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FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
Again, the quality of the final work must
not depend on brute texture overlays and global
adjustments, but should be slightly improved by
them. Place some Levels adjustment layers and
edit the Red/Green/Blue channels. Avoid making
some parts of the picture too dark or burned.
Layer masks are able to affect different parts of
the image in different ways, simulating subtle light
effects. A blurred texture with a similar colour
palette placed over the work at low opacity will
add some extra fine colour detail.