Some of my work and would appreciate advice!

Hey Everyone, fairly new here and fairly new to photoshop, but what has greatly taken my interest is digital art.

Here are a few examples of my work..I'm still trying to figure out line depth and work on colour tone for skins.

My next project is to produce a comic effect sepia image of a friend of mine and his friend,very much in the style of Melissa Cliftons halloween images.

I'm having difficulty getthe right effect thugh and would appreciate any tips or advice for those who like to dabble in digital art or comic art pictures.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4...mcolhf4.th.jpg

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/2...copysd3.th.png

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/3...eartkk8.th.jpg

Enjoy, I welcome any feedback, I know they aren't perfect.

Thanks

Jippers

What you might want to try doing is first isolating the picture your going to trace. convert it to black and white, and adjust the contrast so that you have more pronounced lines. then start your tracing from there.

Your probably going to want to use your pen tool instead of free drawing the whole thing. That way it will round the corners a bit for you so you wont get such rough lines.

Other than that, just keep working on it, make sure you break your shading down into steps, instead of a fog.

Skin tones + other colors as well: http://www.gfxvoid.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22982

If you want to vector, do what Xshaka says. If you want to paint - which is 500 times cooler than vectoring, but much harder since you're actually doing something artistic - get a Wacom tablet! Then you can draw in a natural way with a pencil instead of a mouse.

Other than that.. Practice basic shading, it's the way to make things look more realistic and three dimensional. Look on pictures and try to figure out how the light falls and try to recreate it. There are many tutorials on drawing basics. Just google!

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Originally Posted by Rabieshund

Skin tones + other colors as well: http://www.gfxvoid.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22982

If you want to vector, do what Xshaka says. If you want to paint - which is 500 times cooler than vectoring, but much harder since you're actually doing something artistic - get a Wacom tablet! Then you can draw in a natural way with a pencil instead of a mouse.

Other than that.. Practice basic shading, it's the way to make things look more realistic and three dimensional. Look on pictures and try to figure out how the light falls and try to recreate it. There are many tutorials on drawing basics. Just google!

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Rofl, bit harsh there. Ever heard of pop-art, warhol, lichtenstein.

Vectoring is still artistic, even makin friggin sigs is. Its just not as realisticly artistic as trad art.

And it only really looks good if you can do it well, and get the colours and shading right.

And to give advice, follow the other guys advice, cause its what i'd've said

Lowl, I knew I was going to have to take some shit for that.

I didn't know Andy Warhol used computers to click out anchor points when he made his pop art. I was not talking about the style, but the technique itself. But if you do something creative with it, it's all good. Most people don't though. They just trace 2pac and think they are gods or something. Lolliz!

I would learn how to draw instead. You can achieve so much more in the end.

Thanks Guys.

Just on a point though..I didn't trace free hand, though I did trace direct from photos without isolating..thanks for that tip.

The reason why alot of it would appear to be a bit jagged it because..while I am using the pen tool, I am anchoring every few millimetres aprt from the on of my daughter.

My daughters pic is the last one I made and I made betteruse of the pen tool as I was having a bit of difficuly figuring our the full use (yes I am dumb to an extent).

I am pleased with the one of my daughter better than the rest..looks damn well good on paper too.

I am not too keen on vectoring..I'll attempt it at some point and there within I know the shading layers are important..however it's not my thing at the mo..I prefer painting.

Would you know I am actually after a graphic tablet..last time I went to do a bulk order of stuff though they were out of stock.

Thanks for the tips guys anyhow..and for the link.

Jip

one thing..the illusion dots are buggering my eyes up rofl

Erm. Pen tool your shapes, or vector them. Whatever you want to call it. You'll then be able to enlarge and print your work. Also it's alot more effort for your own acheivement, which is nice.

I like it, it's like a Julian opie style. Bit more interesting though. But stands out less.

Except it kinda looks like it's done with filters.

Pen tool. Seriously. if you learn it, then you can do alot, and it'll give you easy, sizeable smooth shapes :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rabieshund

Lowl, I knew I was going to have to take some shit for that.

I didn't know Andy Warhol used computers to click out anchor points when he made his pop art. I was not talking about the style, but the technique itself. But if you do something creative with it, it's all good. Most people don't though. They just trace 2pac and think they are gods or something. Lolliz!

I would learn how to draw instead. You can achieve so much more in the end.

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lawl fair enough. In my view, the only thing vectors should be used for, unless they are really good and intergrated with other things, are tshirt designs, and other designs.

lawl. Speakin about drawing, im gona post some of my work for art class soon (drawing). Like this self portrait that im doing as i type ._.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jippers

one thing..the illusion dots are buggering my eyes up rofl

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Hehe yeah, I know. Once you start thinking about it, there's no turning back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rob

lawl fair enough. In my view, the only thing vectors should be used for, unless they are really good and intergrated with other things, are tshirt designs, and other designs.

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Agreed! That's pretty much what I meant.. Design. I mean, what's the actual point in tracing people from photos you haven't even taken yourself? People should get more creative... :P

There is an emelemt of fun, additionally people like to see themselves in a different effect, that can't be done just by using a run of the mill filter.
For those pics each colour is ona different layer, then I have added in saturation and contrast and linked the layers to create the shading. I think it's fun.


I agree it's also good to do something original and you feel better for doin so..but in a whim of being artistic it is possible to borrow from a photograph and then twist the rest of the medium. Look at the 2d gallery in the melissa clifton website, especially the two kids dressed up for holloween, there is a huge difference between the source image and the digital art image.

The other aspect is line art..I like it..but I'm still bettering myself at it...it's fun, and there are people who would pay to get something like that done.

I would like to start editing on photo realism, and in styles of some of the examples here, but that will have towait untill I get a new computer...my ram is wimpering everytime I kick off photoshop or 3d s max 8.

I like trying my hand at freehandart..though I am trying to teach myself facial structure..it's proving to be more difficult than I thought!