07
DON’T ZOOM IN!
A good chunk of the hard work is done at
this stage, but resist the urge to zoom in and start
adding details! Work at 50% zoom or less until near
the end; if you start detailing too early it’s easy to lose
control of the composition. A strong painting should
read and be interesting to look at as a thumbnail
image; frequently zoom right out to check the
composition is working, or alternatively open a
navigator window by going to Window>Navigator in
the top toolbar.06
LIGHT AND RENDERING
With the painting blocked out, you can start to
think about how light affects the environment. Use the
Eyedropper tool (I) to select colours from the sky, then
paint highlights where they would naturally fall. A nice
balance of shadows and highlights will create interest,
so bear that in mind when you paint the rocks. Match
your stroke direction to the shape of the object you are
painting to enhance the 3D effect: paint mountains with
vertical strokes, curve around forms and then move to
horizontals when you get to the ground.05
FOCUS ON BIG SHAPES
At this stage of the painting you don’t want
to get caught up in details. By focusing on big shapes
you’ll be able to cover the canvas quickly, which
makes it easier to see if the composition and values
are working. Use big brushes when you are blocking
the forms in, around 300 pixels plus at times! Don’t
be afraid to make mistakes, as you can still use
Photoshop’s toolset to help you out here (the Eraser
is your friend, but remember to switch the default
brush it uses to a textured one!).QUICK TIP
Learn layer masks! Masks allow you to control transparency simply by painting in black and white. They’re
great for adding texture, blending layers or making adjustments that don’t affect the whole image. Instead
of using the Eraser, just go to Layer>Layer Mask>From Transparency and experiment... you won’t go back!08
USE YOUR REFERENCES
To create realistic, tangible forms in your environment, you
can reference photographs directly. To do this, open the reference file
you created in step 1 and place the image beside your canvas. Treat
sections of your painting as mini studies to help you define areas such
as the rocks. Try to learn while you work; pay close attention to the way
light and shadows fall over the stone, but bear in mind that this might be
different to the palette and lighting you are painting!09
COMPOSITION TIPS
This is an example of the flow through the painting. White lines indicate the rule
of thirds, a commonly used composition breakdown in which you place items of interest on
the lines and in particular where they intersect. You can see in this image that the focal
point sits on an intersection and a line, while the character sits dead centre in the lower
horizontal. The red lines indicate how the rock shapes are intended to drive your eyes
through the painting.MASTER REAL PAINT EFFECTS