The following is an excerpt from the tips and techniques provided by a designer using Photoshop 4. He based his techniques from a current project of creating illustrations for a story of a mythical city in a magazine.
According to the designer, what is exciting about using computers is that artists and designers like him are now able to fuse present technology with traditional art. They are able to do the things that used to be done in traditional art, but much faster and less waste with the onset of digital technology. This is due to the fact that designers are able to change and edit illustrations and ideas even if it's already at the final stage of the project. Even with the changes, the result of the project rarely differs from the original thrust and objective.
Stage 1: Sketch and Digitization
Sketching and digitization are almost the same in both traditional art and digital technology. In traditional art, an artist usually starts by making a sketch on paper. With Photoshop's graphic palette, it nearly replicates the same feeling. Nevertheless, the designer is quick to add that shaping a drawing on paper is still faster and more intuitive than doing it on the computer. Although he also admits that even if basic drawing is done on paper, computer techniques can produce interesting effects such as halftones that are otherwise not available with drawing pencils.
Stage 2: Preparing the Layers
After importing the sketch into Photoshop, the image should be converted to sepia tones before working on the color. To convert to sepia, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, check the Colorize box, and use the sliders to colorize the lines into brown, reddish ochre, or yellow. This method provides a silkiness feel to the line. In sepia, the lines of the sketch yield halftones that are more delicate, resulting to an image that is easier to view but retain its basic structure.
The designer suggests adding colors that do not compete with the lines in the drawing. This may weaken lines from the original sketch. At the same time, the sketch should not also overpower the colors. In effect, designers should blend the two elements to find the right balance.
On the choice of sepia, designers should look at the technical rather than the aesthetic considerations. Brown tones result from a mixing of all the colors, so when the picture is colored, the paint colors will blend more easily with the lines. However, using sepia is not an absolute rule, although it does provide softness in the drawing while preserving its descriptive character.
After turning it to sepia, create two new layers. From the layers palette, set the background layer in Multiply mode, and insert it between two virgin layers. The designer suggest putting colors on what he calls the 'under layer', beneath the sepia line drawing layer, and adding detail and finish to the 'over layer'.
Stage 3: The Under Layers
Choose a dominant color where all the secondary effects can relate to without losing the basic contrast. The purpose of this is to avoid getting lost in the details, especially when the designer is working on a picture with so many characters and elaborate scenery.
Look at the masses of color in the drawing. Apply the darkest tone on the entire surface with the Paint Bucket tool. Afterwhich, designers can immediately add an overall grain to the under layer by going to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. This tool, according to the designer, produces a kind of visual vibration that gives the image more surface texture.
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