Maybe you found me via another site. Maybe you have a LiveJournal account but we're not mutually "friended". Maybe you don't have a LiveJournal account, but you like to check in on me from time to time.

You might be sitting there, going, "Wait, where did all the posts go?"...

( Feel free to skip down to the next entry if you've read this already. It's not like I'm making you ready it. That's strictly The Voices(TM)... )

( The Tip Jar )

This will likely be updated with some degree of frequency, as needed. Feel free to come back and check it as often as you'd like.

Recently I decided that I needed to do at least some minor daily art project for myself for the sake of my sanity. Something that's completely independent of any work or project endeavors. After some of the conversation and feedback I've gotten in a thread elsewhere over the last few days, I decided that I would start today, doing something raw, with complete disclosure of the process. Here it is, staight and to the point, so that anyone can follow it step-by-step with a piece of theirs, if they choose. The changes are subtle in the latter 6 steps-- I may swap the images out with larger, clickable, linked-image versions in the next day or so.

I started off in ArtRage on a 4"x6" 200ppi canvas:



1) 10min Grayscale speedpainting on first layer (not background). This was a mix of the roller, brush, and palette knife tools.
2) Duplicated original layer. Dropped original layer to 40% opacity. Turned duplicate into overlay layer.
3) Created layer under first layer to establish color underpainting, just roller and palette knife. Created layer on top of other layers to establish minor linework with brush.

Then I ported the painting to Photoshop.



4) Duplicated color underpainting layer (still below everything else). Ran it through the watercolor filter, shifted it to a multiply layer, and dropped it to 14% opacity.
5) Selected the whole image, copied it merged, and pasted it on top. Filtered with poster edges, and changed layer opacity to 42%.
6) Pasted same previously selected layer on top. Filtered it with paint daubs, changed layer opacity to 25%.



7) Pasted again. Filtered it with dark strokes, desaturated it, shifted to overlay layer, and dropped opacity to 20%. Erased selectively to start bringing more pop to the image.
8) Pasted again. Filtered it with accented edges. Dropped opacity to 46% Erased much more of the layer, selective, just leaving certain areas that I wanted highlighted.
9) Pasted again. Shifted to multiply layer at 46%. A bit more selective erasing to accentuate the depth.

Finish version:

(Click image for full size.)

Just under 2.5 hours, if that. 12 layers, counting the blank background and the signature layer.

Someone asked for this on Whitechapel yesterday, so I thought it would be good to post here as well.

Edit: For those that haven't seen the intial DDH post, you can find it here. Direct links to the full-sized final images for the Ghoul and Troll are now directly embedded in their respective headers.

All of the pieces in that batch were done on two sets of heavy time-constrained deadlines. They were also all done gratis. The first deadline was on a day that I had to leave for a convention, and as such, the completed versions of the 4 pieces I finished were rushed, and I wasn't happy with them. Especially the initial versions of the first 2 pieces in that post.

The Drone

I'm going to tackle the drone piece first, as that was an odd circumstance. I was given the description, and a reference picture provided by the author of that particular article, stating that was what it should look like. The drone wasn't gotten to the first time around, as I was pushed for time and they had said default image. However, when I found out that the publication had been pushed back, due to various technical difficulties, that was what I tackled first. I took the original image the gave me, blew it up, flipped it, and distorted it in Photoshop (henceforth referenced as 'PS'). Then, I moved it to ArtRage (henceforth referenced as 'AR'), and started a paintover of it, like one would do with a matte painting. I created areas/parts, removed areas/parts, and worked on distancing it from the appearance provided by the initial image, while still keeping the basic shape and functionality qualities. One of the things I love about using AR is that you can imply complexity and detail very quickly just with a few bits of contrasting color and knowing how to make the palette knife tool work for you. After that was done, I drew in some quick line details, saved it, and ported it back to PS. At this point, I started playing with layers and filters, pulling in a couple of photo textures/overlays in the process, as well as some photo-manip to create both the turbine caps and the open air "turbine" in the middle. One more port into AR to create the sensory array, minigun, and their mutual cover plate. Then, a final run through in PS, texturing those items, filtering, layer alteration, and such.

I'll make sure I had more time with the next one, and render it up from scratch between PS, AR, Google Sketchup, and/or Alchemy. Maybe Manga Studio if I get more comfortable with it. It would still get finished out in PS though. Not mangle the perspective. Oh, I almost forgot-- I would have done the removing and modification of areas/parts in PS instead of AR, as it would have been much cleaner.

The Ghoul

Before and after versions:


The one on the left was the initial version I did. While I liked it, I wanted to overhaul both the background (which was a 75% photo-manip shortcut that I took due to the time constraint) and the ghoul figure itself.

In the case of the background, I went back to the layer with the base B&W photo, and started working it over from scratch. Ported it into AR for creating a subtly textured color underpainting, then ported back to PS. I removed some areas, modified others, and then started playing with a mix of varied layers, filters, and opacities. Then I took the layer that I created the background shadow and lighting in from the initial version, and reworked it a bit as well, helping push/pull certain aspects of the background. At this point, while still founded in the manipulation of said photo, it was at a point where I was more satisfied with it.

In the case of the ghoul itself, I wanted to flesh it out, give it depth. So, first I ported the image back to AR to focus on it, specifically the color and painted texture under the linework. Then I started playing with varied opacity overlay and multiply layers to pull out more depth. Added more detail to the face. Then I ported it back to PS, and started doing more filtered layer work at varied opacities. In addition to some minor skin texture that I pulled from random photos, I also brought in some very low opacity overlays, distorted and warped for individual parts of it's anatomy, to bring the depth out more. Finally, I integrated the lighting and shadowing on the figure via a few different means.

(wherein I pause for a moment to tell people reading this that I'm totally distracted by the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house's heating vents... *drool*)

The Troll

Before and after versions:


I actually had a WIP (work-in-progress) image of this saved, so I thought I'd include that as well on the left, with the initial version in the middle. Like the other pieces, I wanted to overhaul this one as well.

The background is relatively bland, and like the rest of the image backgrounds in that batch, I took a shortcut for the time constraints. In this case, I rendered a quick under-layer of color in AR, and did a mix of altered photo textures, overlays and layer filtration at varied opacities above it. Aside from determining lighting, it was of menial importance compared to the troll, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time on it.

As for the troll itself... The WIP image (left picture) is strictly AR. At that point, I had done the initial sketchwork, and created a relatively basic underlayer of color to go with it. After that, I built on things a bit, giving it a little more depth while fleshing it out with other colors and paint textures in AR. These are still mostly evident in the first version of the piece (middle picture), where I'd imported it to PS for minor filtration and layer work. Upon revising, I took it back into AR and started detailing out the colors a bit more. I did more of the whole photo texture/overlay, filtration, layer opacitiy thing. I changed some aspects of the clothing. Then I really cleaned the clothing up, adding some details, mixed from photo-snippet overlays, painted details, and custom brush textures.

Therein gives a detailed version of the creation process of those images. These processes apply to the other two images in the batch as well.

This is piece that I did yesterday for a special project that I wanted to contribute to. You can find the details here.


(Full-sized image can be found here.)

Here's a visual progression on the piece (I've not messed with animated images, so I'm going to recommend loading each of these in separate tabs, and then clicking in order for an "animated" progression):


The first image is at roughly 1.5 hours, strictly in ArtRage 2.5. After that point, I shifted the image over to Photoshop CS4, and started tweaking the layers, which brings us to the middle image, a little over 2 hours into the piece. Finally, in the last image, I've added in the detailing, character shadowing, a very small amount of photo use for texturing, and added the final tweaks.

Total time: 3.5 hours.

I hope this was worthwhile and informative, for those of you that were curious.

(Yes, this trend may indicate that I'm finally getting into the previously promised daily art posting... shhhh... )

Since there's a delay on publication, bull22 gave me the okay to promote things a bit, and I'm tired of sitting on these, I'm going to post them. Here are 5 pieces of art that I've done for the first issue of the Dumpshock Data Haven online Shadowrun 'zine/supplement. I'll also make sure to post here when the first issue goes live (BTW, did I mention that it's free?). That being said, I'm posting them in order of what I like from least to most.
The first two I'm posting smaller than normal, it's my prerogative, and as stated above, I like them the least.


Much larger, full-sized version can be found here.

( The rest get progressively better under the cut... GET DOWN WITH THE CLICKY, ALREADY... )

Sure, I could have staggered these out over 5 days, but why do that when I can post other things?

Joey wanted a rogue gnome (and left the rest of the details up to me to build his character around).

So I gave him one.


Full sized version can be found here.
Just a little over an hour, from start to finish. ArtRage and Photoshop CS4.

Moral of the story? Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.