Sam/Jared portrait - WIP

[amberdreams]

I thought I'd have a go at digital painting again, very experimental. I wish I could do something more brushstrokey and loose. Maybe I'll get there if I practice more.

Anyhow here's the start of a Sam portrait. Or Jared. But probably Sam.

Comments

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

Off to a great start! I really like the eyes.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

The eyes came out well - thanks!

[aerynsun5.livejournal.com]

I really like the skin tone. Makes me want to run my fingers over it.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

He looks quite pale... and with the hair sketched like that it looks like he's gone grey, poor old boy!

[aerynsun5.livejournal.com]

Do you think so? I just see highlights. Kind of like Dean; one of his best features are the highlights on his cheeks.

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I'm really drawn to the those beautiful eyes - so full of emotion!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm pleased with the eyes so far! We'll see how the rest goes... *grin*

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

Fab start hun, can I just point out, your eyes on all your portraits of the boys always kill me, dead! :)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Aw thanks! *offers a defibrillator to revive you*

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

It's okay, I'm used to the lack of breathing that goes with your art ;)

[somersault-j.livejournal.com]

Now look at this WIP! Looks already really pretty! :D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Thank you! No idea when I'll finish it though.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

That's really beautiful, such a soft, but solid effect. He looks very wistful there; far more in character for Sam than Jared I would say!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, on reflection, definitely more Sam than Jared. :D

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Lookin' so pretty, Amb! Your blending is lookin' goooood. :D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to practise using the mixer brush - it's not a nice or easy to use as Sai, but it's close.

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Photoshop, right? I've never had much luck with the mixer brush either. I tend to either simply layer, or use the smudge tool with my favorite blender brush, but even that I'm doing with less frequency. Mostly, it's layering translucent brush strokes...

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get the hang of the PS smudge one at all - it just seems to push the colours around and swirl them. I'm finding the mixer bush is more like using a real brush and it does seem to allow some actual mixing of adjacent colours. But I'm still mourning the loss of PaintTool Sai because that was like using real watercolour. Have you never tried it? You don't use Macs do you?

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Nah, I use a pc. Never fiddled much with SAI though I think I've got it on my machine somewhere. A free version, anyways.

I learned on PS, so that's my go-to. Played with Painter9 a little, but it was so boggy and buggy, I have up. It smeared 'paint' beautifully, tho!

Have I given you my brushset before? To use in PS? The smear brush I use is on there, and it blends, not just pushes the pixels around! But srsly, I think the blender brush can work too. I keep playing with it, to see if I can find a setting I like. I tend to like to keep my colors less blended and air-brushy, so layering colors is more satisfying for me, just using the regular brushes. It's a marvel how powerful and varied PS can be! Hell, all digital programs...

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I used to do pics mostly in PS then open Sai to blend - I can't remember the name of the function in Sai now but I recommend it. Yeah, I think I need to use layers and opacity more in PS.

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

You can take a more "impressionistic" approach, too. Everything doesn't have to be blended smooth.

For example, here's something I'm working on that I'm deliberately keeping rough, just to experiment. Look at it first in it's tiny size, then click it and see how rough it is, embiggened. (Yeah, obviously it's still a WIP, but the merits to not blending everything super-smoothly is you get a lot of energy and visual interest that you don't even realize you're adding!) I haven't used the smudge or blending tools a single time, so far. I made one pass with the burn tool; that's it.



You'd be surprised how many artists don't "blend" much at all. Or maybe they just use a little blurring in spots.

Also, while you're playing, try adding a little unexpected color in your shadows, maybe on a separate layer? A little of the compliment to your overall hue? Looks like you're working pretty warm, green-ish yellow-ish...so maybe the tiniest touch of teal in your shadows? Just something to toy with! (Which actually works better when you don't blend...)

I'm probably just overloading you, aren't I?? But hey, it's digital! Work on a copy, and if you don't like it, throw it away!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Not overloading at all, any tips are always gratefully received! I was actually thinking of overlaying some different colouring as my next step, to make it more interesting, so we'll see how it goes. Yep, that is the joy of digital! Working in layers and saving as you go is a godsend!

That piece you have there has a very 1930s feel, reminds me of something I can't quite recall right now... I love it!