Character Concept: Minion ("project: fairytale")

[Lord Dubu]

I know what you're thinking... "Dubu! Finish something for once before starting another project!!!" But wait, there's method to my madness...

You see this image:

http://studiozion.com/images/wip/fairytale/concept02WIPa_minions.jpg

...is my first ever attempt to digitally paint. This is important because, since I used prisma-colors on the original artwork for my warlord (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15591) concept, I can now only make changes to it digitally.

So instead of practicing on warlord (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15591) i thought it made more sense to practice on one of the other past deadline (http://www.studiozion.com/fairytale/concept.asp) concept pieces for my
animated feature (http://www.studiozion.com/fairytale/)

This post really isn't aimed at the 200 or so viewers who will click on this link and say nothing. It's more for the experienced digital painters... whom I hope will be so kind as to offer me any advice they might have on technique... as this is as stated my first digital paintjob... it's a slooooooow process for me.

[Lord Dubu]

Ok first question:

After pouring over several different "This is how I paint in photoshop" tutorials, I decided to do my painting as two layers. The first layer is a pencil layer, the second a color layer set to multiply. (technically there are three layers, but one is my sketch layer holding the scanned pencil work... this of course will be deleted.)

This technique has satisfied me in the armor department... but the leather straps seen here:

http://www.studiozion.com/images/question_minion_001.jpg

Are leaving me less satisfied... Please oh gurus of digital paint enlighten me, and set me straight from my errant practices!!!

[gallon]

you don't have to use flats in´the multiply layer, just continue adiing shadow (you cant add Highlight in multiply), then u can add another normal layer and add some hightligts there, and when you hit 50 layers it's time to start "merging down" or else your pic'll take forever to load :)...

It's a good technice though which I almost always use in the beginning of a painting.

[Lord Dubu]

Great stuff gallon, it's advice like that, which keeps me coming back.

I'll play with highlites tonight and hopefully post some of my experiment later.

[Lord Dubu]

Dubu discovers layers!!!

Dude. For years I have resisted going digital... all the while holding fast to the notion that I can work faster and have more control with traditional media...

today I began to grasp the true power of digital:

http://www.studiozion.com/images/question_minion_002.jpg

doooooooooooooooood!!! doing this manually would have taken twice as long, and been three times as frustrating.

The only draw-back, is there is no original to sell later...

I've discovered a whole new world, the scales have fallen from my artistic eyes! I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!!!!

[killing.people]

nice work with digital - your are doing great.

your conceptual style is bad ass.
i like this tangent of style you have, it is familiar yet has such a unique feeling - love these:
http://www.studiozion.com/images/wer03.jpg

http://www.studiozion.com/images/wer01.jpg

btw, i bookmarked your website, i am really interested to see what comes of your project.

[Lord Dubu]

WooHoooo! My first fan. Glad you're watching. If you want to be notified by email when I make major project updates you can email me at fairytale@studiozion.com. I'll add you to my list... making my readership a whole 2.

It's interesting you mention my style. As I've been playing with photoshop I've been trying to figure out how to bring more of my traditional media technique into my digital work... I'm VERY excited about the evolution of things to come.

[Lord Dubu]

http://www.studiozion.com/images/wip/fairytale/concept02WIPb_minions.jpg

As a test I duplicated my pencil layer, set it to screen and placed it on top of my color layer. The result is the highlighted version you see here. It's far from final image worthy, but it does give me a better idea of how to add my highlights and image focal points later.

[Lord Dubu]

Here's a quick update:

http://studiozion.com/images/wip/fairytale/concept02WIPc_minions.jpg

Not much progress since my last update but it's been a hectic few weeks.

[silverslash]

glad to see someone adapting easier to the digital stuff than me :-)
your website looks cool, very inspiring.
i like your conceptual style, the minion is coming out neato
what program are u using or the digital work?

Photshop , painter etc?

[Lord Dubu]

It's all photoshop. And unfortunately I'm using only the default brushes. (If I could afford plug-in brushes I could afford painter)

I've got a copy of Newtek's Aura, since it came bundled with my LW 7.0 upgrade. It's supposed to be more of a paint program than photoshop, but frankly I don't see much difference in the paint engine between it and photoshop.

Aura might be useful once I get to post-production stuff on "Project: Fairytale", but right now it's too much new interface to learn.

[silverslash]

ah photshop ok,

these two tuts helped me a bunch maybe you can glean something from em :-)

aside from that looking at your webpage, how did u plan on animating, like what program? im pretty interested, i guess count me as fan number 2


http://www.figma.com/howto/eloven/el_color_01.htm

http://www.sofos.com/adi/tutorial.htm

[Lord Dubu]

I'm doing a mixture of 2D (Aura) and 3D (Lightwave). The technique isn't all that novel, but to make my style animated should be fairly fresh looking.

The hard part will be the sound. I don't have sound equipment. So I've got to scour the net and the earth for someone like me, who wants to prove him/herself as a sound tech.

Sound makes or breaks animation. The best art on earth sucks when the sound quality lack. But the opposite is true for fantastic sound which can cover over a multitude of animation sin.

Fan 2 eh? Well be sure to send an email to fairytale@studiozion.com so I can add you to my ML.

[threelegged_chicken]

i wanna be a fan. can i?

its really awesome. sorry i can't contribute digital artwork advice for i have yet to venture down that fateful road. but if it were that i had, i would have if of me that i give it.

3-leg