04-27-2023, 09:25 PM
Well, I bounced off the tutorial idea. It's a lot of work for something that most people will probably skim over once and then forget. I'll try to explain it in text, though.
The process works like the following. The 'trick' of it is creating a folder and essentially making my own blend modes. Do that for different lights and shadows, and that will take a painting 90% of the way to finished. Then paint over the top.
• Linework
• Grayscale flats below linework (pick flats in the range of 30-70 value so there's room for going lighter and darker). It's even better to separate the different materials to different flat layers, as that will come in handy later for selections.
• Create folder w/ passthrough and mask, put brightness/contrast adjustment layer inside.
• Paint on the mask of the folder to create light or shadow.
• Create new folders for new lights and shadows.
• Repeat until grayscale is complete.
Now to add color, modify the grayscale flats to color, and then add color balance adjustment layers to the folders.
• Change the grayscale flats layer to colors.
• Add color variation on a layer above the flats, if you'd like.
• Add a color balance adjustment layer in each folder to change the color of each light/shadow.
• Once happy with all the adjustment layers, create a normal layer at the top and paint over the top until done.
Sometimes you need to make a certain surface look different. For example, more shiny/contrasty. So in that case make a new folder and put a brightness/contrast adjustment in there, and use the mask to paint in the boosted contrast.
Anyway, I've battle tested this process, and I've tried to use all the other grayscale to color methods and they all tend to fail when things get complicated. This one just gets the job done with less fuss, in my experience. (I'd show a couple paintings with it but they're nsfw, so I figure I'll keep that kinda thing off the forum.)
Recent study stuff. I was trying different hair methods through all these, doing more anime style faces (redrew them about 10 times each, the proportions always feel wrong somehow) and interpreting reference. Also a boob painting as dimensional knight suggested paying closer attention to that connection to the torso.
DK, you asked about the construction method. It's great but it's also easy to draw something with form, but the proportions are off, etc. A lot of that for me is drawing from imagination too early. With 3D models and AI now, there's not much excuse... I should always be using ref of some kind.
![[Image: fb02ede1827cef8e1f9d7359eaa7d5636c4359df.pnj]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/02ea83dbbf77d0a69b773f98c32c776a/9fed77b5f0bbb7e6-24/s2048x3072/fb02ede1827cef8e1f9d7359eaa7d5636c4359df.pnj)
![[Image: 236764288f1744fe8e4c68109245b9afac0200b9.pnj]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/b6d49ea9a3eb257cd6befa14eb4a7dac/9fed77b5f0bbb7e6-d9/s2048x3072/236764288f1744fe8e4c68109245b9afac0200b9.pnj)
![[Image: 38b8028ecff85c5f6556cf3d0273a061f7449863.pnj]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/946e7dd66e17f0881070da5b40a4c07f/9fed77b5f0bbb7e6-c4/s2048x3072/38b8028ecff85c5f6556cf3d0273a061f7449863.pnj)
![[Image: a06d44dbbb30a728623fef276fa16ed8c8a1ab87.pnj]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/cea4428d0e5fafff5514d93fa58bed73/9fed77b5f0bbb7e6-e8/s640x960/a06d44dbbb30a728623fef276fa16ed8c8a1ab87.pnj)
The process works like the following. The 'trick' of it is creating a folder and essentially making my own blend modes. Do that for different lights and shadows, and that will take a painting 90% of the way to finished. Then paint over the top.
• Linework
• Grayscale flats below linework (pick flats in the range of 30-70 value so there's room for going lighter and darker). It's even better to separate the different materials to different flat layers, as that will come in handy later for selections.
• Create folder w/ passthrough and mask, put brightness/contrast adjustment layer inside.
• Paint on the mask of the folder to create light or shadow.
• Create new folders for new lights and shadows.
• Repeat until grayscale is complete.
Now to add color, modify the grayscale flats to color, and then add color balance adjustment layers to the folders.
• Change the grayscale flats layer to colors.
• Add color variation on a layer above the flats, if you'd like.
• Add a color balance adjustment layer in each folder to change the color of each light/shadow.
• Once happy with all the adjustment layers, create a normal layer at the top and paint over the top until done.
Sometimes you need to make a certain surface look different. For example, more shiny/contrasty. So in that case make a new folder and put a brightness/contrast adjustment in there, and use the mask to paint in the boosted contrast.
Anyway, I've battle tested this process, and I've tried to use all the other grayscale to color methods and they all tend to fail when things get complicated. This one just gets the job done with less fuss, in my experience. (I'd show a couple paintings with it but they're nsfw, so I figure I'll keep that kinda thing off the forum.)
Recent study stuff. I was trying different hair methods through all these, doing more anime style faces (redrew them about 10 times each, the proportions always feel wrong somehow) and interpreting reference. Also a boob painting as dimensional knight suggested paying closer attention to that connection to the torso.
DK, you asked about the construction method. It's great but it's also easy to draw something with form, but the proportions are off, etc. A lot of that for me is drawing from imagination too early. With 3D models and AI now, there's not much excuse... I should always be using ref of some kind.