Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

I start with a very quick pencil sketch,no more than 15 minutes for this one.You may want to do a much more detailed drawing or not,your choice.

Scan that baby into photoshop.By the way I am using photoshop 7 on this one.

Scan it at 300 dpi and when it comes up go to Image-Image size and make the image 1500 pixels wide and 2000 pixels high.The larger you work the easier it is because you can zoom way in and get those details in.

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

I always block in a background first.On this,a little greenish grey to start with.

I almost entirely use the airbrush tool.The trick is varying your opacity.Start off with a very low opacity setting about 20-30 percent and a brush flow of 50 percent.

Also I change the tip size as I go quite a lot.

Here is the beginning of the background...very loose at first.

If there are specific questions as I go,please ask.

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

I started adding a bit more green and picking out shapes that seem interesting to the composition.

This is usually when I have the headphones on and not thinking about too much detail...just kinda draw and get a flow going...

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

Here I have started to pick out some shapes in the background and start getting some depth.

Once you have these colors in you can bounce back and forth between colors by simply using the eyedropper to keep everything consistent.

The exact colors on this in RGB are...Darks R=70 G=81 B=50 Mids R=82 G=110 B=33.But you can make it however you want.Just keep the background colors kind of muted...

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

I'm leaving the background alone for awhile...I'll get back to it later.

Now I start blocking some color on the apples.Oranges and reds at very low opacity...No more than 20 percent.I'm only using two colors here at this point...Variations of Red-R=198 G=94 B=68,Orange-R=217 G=165 B=41.But any red and orange combo will do the trick really.

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

Here is a little more,I am raising the opacity here a bit...

Much more to come on this...But I gotta go to sleep.

Sean Lynch 06 Feb 2006

Also...I saw someone post the other day somewhere about digging grooves or scratches in their wacom.

You dont have to press that hard.I used my first one for three years and it did not have a groove or scratch on it.There is no reason to push that hard...Lighten up that touch...

Thom Roslan 07 Feb 2006

EXCELLENT Sean........ So, the shadows are put in now WITH the backgrond? Just varying the opacity & the tip size?

Can you use this application for the backgrounds for portraits also (like the "Sky" Type Backgrounds....Photog's use)?

Also "kOOl" lead in Piece......reminds me of Hogarth or Frazetta....two totally "kOOl" Illustrators!

Sean Lynch 07 Feb 2006

Yep,sure can Thom.And yes I start working on the entire painting now instead of finishing just certain areas.Trying to build it up everywhere at the same time.

Here is some more work on the apples.Starting to define the details and laying in some more darks.Also building up some texure to the surface...

This is also where I start zooming in close and cleaning up my edges and adding subtle dots and dimples to add interest to the apples.

Im going to leave the apples alone for awhile and start on the leaves...back later.

Oh yeah...if anyone wants to use my pencil sketch to practice on,help yourself...

eileen martin 07 Feb 2006

thanks , Sean:)

Edward Said 07 Feb 2006

did you make a mask for the background?

Sean Lynch 07 Feb 2006

No mask JR,I actually dont know how to use masks...I did use the magic wand tool at the start so I could spray in a quick basic color.Then everything is done by hand from then on...I probably should learn about masks and selections...it would save a lot of time.But this is really the only way I know how to do it...You can see after I turned off the wand tool where I started getting some over spray onto the leaves but I dont worry about that,I can paint right over it.

Thom Roslan 07 Feb 2006

That's "amazing' the detail you can get ( on the apples )....... Do you change brushes from time to time like in regular painting? Also, do you jump from Aribrush to Brushes off & On?

Is it kind of up to your own technique?

Thanks Sean ....this is sooooooo kOOl !!!

Sean Lynch 07 Feb 2006

I have tried all of the brushes...I dont like them.I use the airbrush 99 percent of the time and sometimes the "spatter" brush.

Problem with the spatter brush(or any of them) is that most of them make the same strokes instead of random patterns.So I use it very sparingly here and there.Mostly everything is airbrush tool.

Im talking about photoshop 7 brushes.But Im getting ready to get the new painter and it has some really cool brushes that will smear paint around and blend like oils.Then I will use both programs together!!!

Sean Lynch 07 Feb 2006

Ok I started adding the leaves but Im going to leave them as is for now.

As soon as I can I will post how I painted the leaves.Also added more to the apples.

Layers...I dont use many but its a good idea if your just starting out to go ahead and make a couple of layers.1 for the apples and 1 for the leaves at least.Dont forget to save.

Sean Lynch 08 Feb 2006

Thom Roslan 08 Feb 2006

O.K. I tried IT.....Sean.......Of course using about 15 layers......still don't have that "blending" down yet......will keep watching for more instructions......Thanks so far Sean.....really helpful! Oh....This was done with a Mouse....Ugh ...Hard!!!

Sean Lynch 08 Feb 2006

Nice going Thom!...A mouse...aaaaahhhhhhh....

That is a good start...now its about cleaning it up,and refining as a whole.

I will show how I painted the leaves.You want to remember to have very clean edges...Can be done with a mouse but I would quit if I had to use one....Did you do this at 300 dpi?

Wow..15 layers...egads.I would suggest a layer for the apples and a layer for the leaves and a layer for the background...Thats it for a piece like this.You can paint over stuff very easily...

Edward Said 08 Feb 2006

nice job! Yup thom you need to get a wacom. using a mouse is like putting a pencil in your mouth and trying to draw

Sean Lynch 08 Feb 2006