René Aigner's Sketchbook

[Tygerson]

Such gorgeous pinks and blues in the helicopter image!

I went to your online portfolio, and it could maybe use some updating. Some of those images (like the Harry Potter one) look like you did them a while ago. They aren't bad, but they don't do your current skill level justice.

[ReneAigner]

thanks a lot Tygerson, you're absolutely right. Haven't really donme any work on that website for a long time, desperatedly needs some deleting and some adding of images... hope I'll get to it soon. Didn't have that on my radar at all. So, thanks agaiN!

[ReneAigner]

[Kaycee]

I really like the ambiance of your drawings and looking at them. Your environments are so pretty!

[Kaffer]

Such awesome vibrant colors hiding everywhere in your newer paintings! I mean they were awesome before, but this is a new level here! Kudos, man!

[Madzia]

astonishing. You nail colors so good. How do you work, do you start with high saturation from the begging or is it build up while working?

[ReneAigner]

Thanks a lot KAyceem Kaffer and Madzia!
Madzia: I more or less work a la prima. No build ups or digital glazing etc., but sometimes i do push the saturation with some subtle overlay layers, especially if there's subsurfaces scattering.

[ReneAigner]

Sorry for the prolonged absence. Been busy with work and no internet access for the last days. Driving me mad Sitting in an internet cafe right now. Here's a random portrait study with a few more steps and a bit of text to go with the steps since many requested this sort of thing.

[ReneAigner]

[ReneAigner]

[ReneAigner]

[ReneAigner]

No update in a while again, sorry for that. I've been busy with work for "The Frostrune" I can't show yet. Let's do some tech talk instead! I recently upgraded my mobile setup with an additional screen. It is barely "mobile" now of course, but still mobile enough as long as there's room for one additional bag with the screen. The screen is a Dell U2212HM that I got cheaper from amazon and the bag's a Roccat Tusko specifically designed to protect flatscreens on the move. Also starring in the picture are my crappy old Dell Laptop that can barely handle PS but still runs (and I'm too cheap and poor to get a new one as long as it works ) and a Wacom Intuos 5, both are old though. Just finished calibrating the screen, everything good to go.

[Kaffer]

Good for you! I work on a 15" Dell laptop myself, and am so eager to buy an additional screen.. unfortunately it wouldn't fit in my current workspace, and I have to wait until I can go work from home.. but nowadays I really feel the need to get one..
Does working on a bigger screen make a significant difference in painting or is it just my tech-itchyness?

[ReneAigner]

Personally, I'd say yes. I mean, it's not necessary, e.g. the girl with the sword on this page was painted on the crappy 15.6" laptop screen, it just feels much nicer. More room for the tools in PS, you can zoom in further without loosing sight of the complete picture... I have a 30" Dell in studio and the transition to the Cintiq 24" was a bit painful. Smaller screen, lower resolution... I'd buy a 30" Cintiq in a heartbeat (or however long it would take me to get the exorbitant amount of money that would cost^^).
I guess the only thing more important than size in my personal preference is the screen type itself, I swear by IPS panels. Good to calibrate, very wide viewing angle...

[ReneAigner]

[ReneAigner]

This one could've used 5 more hours of finishing, but I'm fed up with it so here goes:

[MW-Art]

Youre awesome and I enjoyed your youtube-video very much!
It seems like youve gone throu a kind of structured way to learn art. Could you go a bit into how you taught yourself to paint? I have problems molding the learning process into something structured. I dont really know where to start. I recently attended "Dynamic Sketching 1" at CGMA and what I loved was, that, bit by bit, we were given the tools to draw in a structured, readable way. First it was lines, then organic shapes with cross-contour lines to describe form, then we were introduced to simple perspective and a little more hard surface forms. THen we combined hard-surface and organic. We also learned about texture and simple shading (form and cast shadow, etc,) and for me it was really undestandable and later on, applicable.
What are your thoughts on learning how to paint and use photoshop in this way? I think you have probably done something similar, judging from your youtube video? What were youre first steps you took when learning how to paint?

Hope you dont mind me asking you so much lol XD

[davidKatara]

Incredible work man! Ultra inspiring!

[ReneAigner]

[ReneAigner]

Oh wow, sorry, I didnt realize you guys had posted. Thanks for your kind words and ill try to answer the question tomorrow! Gotta go to bed now...