Step by step part 2

Here are the next few steps involving color overpainting. Transparant washes are applied much like working with watercolors. Photoshop is my main tool but at points I switch over to Painter for the  blending tools that seem to work better for me.

Step by step

I love seeing how other artists work. Process is a personal thing but it can be enlightening to see how images come together for different people. Here's a 3 part, step by step of a digital work .
 When working digitally I typically begin with a black , white and grayscale underpainting or sketch.  The next steps are adding color ,working in transparant to opaque layers. When working with oils I prefer to start with color washes, then gradually blocking in lights and darks and finally adding detail. Next  week will be the initial color steps over this digital skeleton.

Surprise

The orcs bellowed and howled with laughter as they gambled for the loot from the latest raid. The cask of strong grog they carried off has made them more aggresive and less vigilant. Despite the full moon, a skilled tracker has managed to gain the high ground and the element of surprise.

Dragon Pass

A pair of young dragons have taken up residence in the high peaks and getting through the mountains has again become a problem. If the pair can be dispatched the hides alone would make anyone rich.  The brave and the foolish have left a trail and a sharp spear is now the only option.

Hurakan

The first art challenge I participated in was based on Hurakan, God of Storms on theartorder.com. I might have to revisit this after the weekend. One of these beasties is on the way.

Creature Double Feature

Another installent of cdf  experimenting with different digital brushes and techniques. There are so many interesting brushes available and sometime you want to play with a new tool from your toolbox. Even if you end up with a shack instead of a cathedral. Many of these brushes act like shortcuts to difficult drawing and painting problems but in the hands of a really good concept artist the results can be amazing.  I tend to end up back with the brushes that behave more like natural media but it's fun to experiment when having some fun with creature concepts.

City of the dead

In 1986 a group of art students visited the historic, once buried city of Pompeii, Italy. This particular small group of hard working students might have stayed at a small hotel just beyond the walls of the ancient city. They also might have taken a liquid courage fueled midnight climb and stroll into the ruins under cover of darkness and explored parts of the archeological site they would otherwise never have seen. Thankfully the only intentions were to see what they could see and no damage was done or evidence left behind. This type of behavior is not condoned here but youthful exhuberance and the desire for exploration can not always be controlled.
 One of the wonders of the ruins of Pompeii is the connection to a past that is mysterious and powerful. It is easy to let the mind recreate what the place might have been like in its glory years and what strange inhabitants may have been lurking in the villas, temples, bars and brothels.  The gods were plentiful and ritual and magic were the order of the day. That all changed for the citizens of Pompeii on August 24, AD 79.