the photoshop experiment

how it is I do whatever it is I think I do.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Surly Pigglet

Behold, the surly pig, in stages of completion.

Life has never been easy for this pig.
Between acting like a sullen cry-baby and working at Starbucks, his world is tough.

His wideness does nothing to help his negative self image. He's tortured, really. It's the cookie corporation's fault for making cookies taste so good.

Man.

Commentary coming. If any one has any speficic questions feel free to leave them in comment form.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

thoughts for features

This Friday we'll have a new demo up. I'm thinking of this surly porker. I believe I've got versions with all the layers.

I want to take into consideration what you guys would like to see. Anything specific? In the past I've thought of this blog as sort of a archive of work. A place for new work yes, but as it stands I feel like I've covered the way I operate pretty throughly. There's nothing to tricky or complicated about the way I use photoshop.

Anyway, just leave a comment if there's something you'd like to see or any questions you may have.

Thanks!

Friday, May 09, 2008

Charlie.


Here we are. A drawing of someone named Charlie. I have no idea who Charlie is.


I painted Charlie's jacket with a brown sort of color on Multiply then turned the opacity down about 50%


I filled the piece with a layer of a reddish Soft Light again, at about 50%


Charlie's skin tone goes in. Multiply on 70 %. I did more opacity changing with this one, more because I wanted to give the pencil a change to work.


I gave the skin a little life with Soft Light.


I cleaned up the pencil work just a touch with a layer of Screen.


I was liking the way it looked so I pushed the pencil on the face back just a touch with a layer of Lighten around 50 %


I strengthened the hair and eyes a little with a layer of Multiply.


The pencil on the face felt a little too strong still, so I pushed it back with skin tone on a layer of Normal, low opacity.


A little blue rim light with Screen.


And for the kill. A final layer of Soft Light at %100 to warm it all up.

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I did this drawing a while ago at work during a down time. I painted it a couple days later just for fun. No big reason. If you are interested in the reference I used for old Charlie here, you check see it here.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

mr. goblin fellow; a short demo



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A drawing with some watercolor on top of it.


A layer of Multiply to fill out the hazardously applied watercolor.


Some Screen for highlights...


Some Soft Light to warm things up a touch.


I knocked out the face just a little with a layer of Screen...


A layer of Color to deaden the face and pull back on the warmness.


Some darkening with Multiply...


Subtle line around the figure with Screen.


Screen highlights on the jacket...


Warming it up again with Soft Light.

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Store!


The New, Improved-- PORTLAND STUDIOS STORE! Who would like a t-shirt? I know I the heck would. Finally.

Below are three even bigger pictures than on the real site of my currently available designs:



Buy em!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Chapter 2: The Scavenger

Here's an example of taking a thumbnail to finish.

This particular example is from Jack & Inar, written and illustrated by your very own humble The Photoshop Experiment proprietor, set for publication in early 2008. Check back for updates.

never you mind this. ^

Anyway, on to the demo:


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the thumbnail.


Here's the finished drawing. The video below documents the process.





And here's the trick, watercolor painting on top of the drawing.

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Turning it all to B/W.



Adding some more shadows.

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Notice the addition of light with a fine layer of Screen.

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I used a later of Lighten and turned down the opacity some to push this running guy into the back some more.




Finally, a layer of Soft Light, low opacity to achieve the sepia look the book possesses.
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