First attempt with Photoshop - the squid

[Mad_Lobster]

Hey everyone, I just got Photoshop and it is awesome. It takes a while to get used to it, but eventually I'll learn it. I used an old drawing of mine to do a test coloring. This is my first coloring using photoshop so I would really appreciate your criticism. How can I make the squid look like its in very deep ocean? Also, does it look like the squid is is just floating in the darkness? How can I make it look like its part of the environment?

Here's the image:

http://xsquad.8k.com/seacreaturecolored.gif

In case it gets closed down, click on the link below to see it:

http://xsquad.8k.com/seacreaturecolored.gif




Thanks for the help!

-Mad_Lobster-

[Fozzybar]

easy way: Put an overall blue tone over the whole image, so that the squid and the background will have the same scheme...

hard way: use some elements like bubbles or dust particles which go over the squid and the background...in different sizes, opacities and blur-levels

hardest: try to put light reflections from the water-surface on the squid (of course only in case, that the squid is not deeper as the sunlight goes). You also could use some blurry parts in the squid....

[John P.]

Here's a suggestion I whipped up very quickly.

I see now that I did pretty much what Fozzybar wrote, before I read his reply.

Well - this ain't that good, but you get the idea: Some bubbles, 'dust', blur a little, desaturate the squid a little and make it a bit bluer... yeah.

Hope it helps somehow...

http://home.online.no/~johmoe/images/seacreaturecolored_2.jpg


Oh - and it's usually better to save as a jpeg than a gif. :)

[Mad_Lobster]

How's this looking now?

http://xsquad.8k.com/seacreaturecolored%20copy.jpg

If it's broken, go here (http://xsquad.8k.com/seacreaturecolored%20copy.jpg)

I used the tips both of you have given me. I don't know if what I did is exactly what y'all had in mind, but I think it looks better. I just kept trying out different brushes. How's that water surface looking?

[Fozzybar]

Hmmm...i hope you don't mind...i grabbed your pic to make some additions, to show what i meant.

http://www.cleverfool.de/ca/seacreature_madlobster_fozzybar.jpg

[Mad_Lobster]

:bow:


Very nice, too bad I cant take credit for that...

how did you make the beams of light and the bubbles?

[Fozzybar]

beams and bubbles: airbrush and brush in photoshop

10 mins for the whole thing...don't forget, you made the most important part. The idea and lineart. The rest is a matter of practice, nothing else...

[Mad_Lobster]

I'm having some trouble achieving the water effect on the shell. How did you do that? Also, how did you apply that greenish water color?

[ODIN SIX]

Combine Fozz's and NG's

And it will be Perfect:cool:

[Fozzybar]

Originally posted by Mad_Lobster
I'm having some trouble achieving the water effect on the shell. How did you do that?

airbrush + layereffect

Also, how did you apply that greenish water color?

layereffect with a cyan mask