Advanced Photoshop 110 2013

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(2) Your One-Stop Image Solution. Find the best creatives for your advertising campaigns by browsing Depositphotos’ library of over 13,000,000 photographs, vector images and video files. To get a 15% discount on your next purchase, visit www.depositphotos.com and apply the promotion code:. CS0907981. Depositphotos Inc. | Website: www.depositphotos.com | Customer Service: +44-870-8200052.

(3) ISSUE 110 CONTENTS. ISSUE 110. WELCOME. Welcome to the latest issue of Advanced Photoshop. I couldn’t start without discussing the ground-breaking news from Adobe on the end of the CS boxset and the launch of Photoshop CC. ANNALISA SAYWELL Editor IN THIS ISSUE: PHOTOMANIPULATION PHOTO EDITING GRAPHICS DIGITAL PAINTING TYPOGRAPHY NEW MEDIA. COVER ARTIST PETE HARRISON. http://peteharrison.com. Pete Harrison wields light and colour in many of his digital images, and as lighting is so important when producing paint effects - who better than him to produce our cover tutorial this issue.. The recent announcement at the Adobe Max conference in L.A. has sent our office into overdrive. We’ve learned that significant changes are being made to both the Adobe product line and the means of paying for it all, and the important questions – how, what, why and when? – have been on everyone’s minds since the discovery. So taking that into account, we discuss what exactly all the fuss is about and bring you an update on what you can expect from the new tools as well as looking into which features to get excited about when Photoshop CC is finally released on 17 June. Elsewhere in the issue, we bring you 15 great illustration tips and tricks, show you how to create character concepts in CS6 and discover creative photomanipulation all using Photoshop’s top tools. Our free disc is not to be missed either, with over 1,270 premium resources to choose from and an exclusive video tutorial, it really is a bumper issue!. 12. PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW:. THE PURSUIT OF LIGHT AND COLOUR. Marta Nael reveals her secrets on how to create a colourful portfolio but still preserve realism. FIND US ONLINE: @advancedpshop. /AdvancedPhotoshop. .co.uk. 44 ABSTRACT GRAPHICS DIGITAL COVER ART:. Learn the skills required to replicate a photographic collage with multiple layers. 003.

(4) CONTENTS ISSUE 110. ISSUE 110. CONTENTS EYE ON DESIGN. What’s hot, who’s in and the latest art & design happenings. 06 08 12 18. PRO PANEL: Our contributors share Photoshop secrets INDUSTRY FEATURE Adobe reveals Photoshop CC PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW: The pursuit of light and colour: Marta Nael. 28. PROJECT FOCUS: Stunning mosiacs in CS6. ILLUSTRATION TIPS FOR BACK ISSUES, BOOKS AND MERCHANDISE VISIT:. 56. CHARACTER CONCEPTS. 76. 36. 004. DIGITAL ALBUM ARTWORK. ACTIONPACKED COMPOSITES.

(5) TECHNIQUES. Professional artists reveal their high-end skills in our easy-tofollow workshops. 20 28 36 44 50 56. STUDIO INTERVIEW. DKNG Studios. INDUSTRY FEATURE. 15 Illustration tips & tricks INDUSTRY FEATURE. Digital album artwork INDUSTRY WORKSHOP. Abstract graphics WORKSHOP. Liquid paint effects WORKSHOP. Character concepts. 62 68 72 76 88 92. WORKSHOP. Atmospheric landscapes WORKSHOP. Create stylish vintage type. REVIEWS. We put the latest creative kit, books and apps to the test. 82 86. FEATURE: Head to head - Raw war REVIEW: Wacom Cintiq 13HD. HOW I MADE. Shine by Kris Shields WORKSHOP. Action-packed composites READER INTERVIEW. Engaging photo illustration RESOURCE PROJECT. Produce paint splash stock. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! SEE PAGE 22 FOR THE LATEST OFFER. 62. ATMOSPHERIC LANDSCAPES. 96. ON YOUR DISC. Free with issue 110 of Advanced Photoshop. TAILORMADE CREATIVE CONTENT. Master paint splash eﬀects for yourself using Photoshop CS6. 72. SHINE. 88. ENGAGING PHOTO ILLUSTRATION. RESOURCE COLLECTION. Featuring 1,050 Photoshop brushes, 200 premium textures and 20 high-res images. PLUS:. • Tutorial project files • Exclusive wallpapers for mobile and desktop • Fonts worth $30.

(6) EYE ON DESIGN PRO PANEL. EYE ON DESIGN. PRO PANEL. OUR CONTRIBUTORS SHARE THEIR CREATIVE SECRETS, EXPLAINING HOW THEY CREATED THESE STUNNING EFFECTS USING PHOTOSHOP’S POWERFUL TOOLS DAN KUHLKEN www.dkngstudios.com. Running a small firm gives DKNG the opportunity to complete tasks more efficiently. Two heads are better than one, but 10 heads can be a circus. As a result, we’re limited in how many projects we can take on, but this enables us to fully focus on the ones that we do choose. Our primary goal is to create great work – generating profit comes second. A larger team would increase our bandwidth and that would decrease the quality of our work. ■ See more from Dan in this issue’s Studio Interview on page 20. GREG DAVIES. www.gregdavies.co.za Nothing imbues crispness in an image quite like a High Pass-Overlay layer. Its effect can be applied to any image, and we can all achieve this look by first duplicating our image and then selecting Filter>Other>High Pass. Once complete, set the new layer’s blend mode to Overlay, adjust the Opacity to taste and then the image will look much sharper. ■ Greg shows how to create photo-based album artwork in our main feature on page 36. © Greg Davies. MARTA NAEL. http://martanael.daportfolio.com. There are many ways to create focus in an image, yet we can achieve more dynamic results by rotating the horizon line. Placing the centre of interest a bit to the right or the left, rather than the centre, is really useful for creating a diverse composition. The arrangement of light helps create mystery and can also be used to guide our eyes across a picture. Use this effect to make certain elements stand out from the background. ■ Check out more of Marta’s work in her interview on page 12. © Dan Kuhlken. 006. © Marta Nael.

(7) The magazine for Adobe® Photoshop® professionals. PETE HARRISON www.peteharrison.com. It’s important to keep gradients looking smooth, especially in high-resolution images. Banding can easily occur if you don’t keep on top of your work. The best way to ensure the right look is to select Edit> Color Settings and then set your piece to Adobe RBG (1998). I use this setting for all of my work and I make sure that I keep the Dot and spot gain set at 20%. ■ Find Pete’s create-the-cover tutorial on page 50. It’s important to keep gradients looking smooth… The best way to ensure the right look is to select Edit>Color Settings and set Adobe RGB (1998). © Pete Harrison. PETE HARRISON / WWW.PETEHARRISON.COM. Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ ☎ +44 (0) 1202 586200 Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk www.greatdigitalmags.com. Magazine team. Editor Anna-lisa Saywell. [email protected] ☎ 01202 586243. Editor in Chief Dan Hutchinson Features Editor Adam Smith Designer Steve Mumby Photographer James Sheppard Senior Art Editor Duncan Crook Head of Publishing Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews Contributors. Gavin Thomas, Tim Williamson, Chris McMahon, Josh Rossi, Angelica Jopson, Neil Stevens, Tommy Kinnerup, Kirk Nelson Mikko Lagerstedt, Laurence Matthews, and Pete Harrison.. Advertising. Digital or printed media packs are available on request. Head of Sales Hang Deretz ☎ 01202 586442 [email protected] Advertising Manager Jen Farrell ☎ 01202 586430 [email protected] Account Manager Becky Palmer ☎ 01202 586438 [email protected]. Cover disc Head of Digital Mat Toor Multimedia Editor Steve Dacombe [email protected]. International. Advanced Photoshop is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities. Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman ☎ +44 (0) 1202 586401 [email protected]. Subscriptions. © Shotopop. [email protected] For all subscription enquiries: [email protected] ☎ UK: 0844 848 8402 ☎ Overseas: +44 (0) 1795 592 880 13-issue subscription (UK) – £62.30 13-issue subscription (Europe) – £70 13-issue subscription (ROW) – £80. Circulation. Head of Circulation Darren Pearce ☎ 01202 586200. Production. Production Director Jane Hawkins ☎ 01202 586200. Founders. Group Managing Director Damian Butt Group Finance & Commercial Director Steven Boyd Group Creative Director Mark Kendrick. Printing & Distribution. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed in the UK & Eire by: Seymour Distribution, 2 East 0207 429 4000 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Distributed in Australia by: Gordon & Gotch, Equinox Centre, 26 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 + 61 299 728 800 Distributed to the rest of the world by: Marketforce, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU 0203 148 8105. ☎. ☎ ☎. Disclaimer. © Ministry of Sound Australia. LUKE CHOICE. www.velvetspectrum.com My work was based heavily in Photoshop before I learned to use C4D. Once I was able to blend the two programs together, I realised how important it was to pay attention to the direction of light and shadow in when creating artwork. To amplify the contrast of certain areas in this image I used the Dodge and Burn tools, creating a greater range of depth. ■ More of Luke’s work can be seen in our album artwork feature on page 36. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. Photoshop is either a registered trademark or trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/ or other countries and is used with express permission. All $ prices are US Dollars unless otherwise stated. If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post, email, social network or any other means, you automatically grant Imagine Publishing an irrevocable, perpetual, royaltyfree license to use the images across its entire portfolio, in print, online and digital, and to deliver the images to existing and future clients, including but not limited to international licensees for reproduction in international, licensed editions of Imagine products. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Imagine Publishing nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for the loss or damage. © Imagine Publishing Ltd 2013 ISSN 1748-7277. 007.

(8) ADOBE REVEALS PHOTOSHOP CC. WE EXPLORE WHAT THE LATEST VERSION HAS TO OFFER AND GAUGE THE REACTIONS FROM A COMMUNITY OF PHOTOSHOP USERS. A. t this years annual MAX Conference, held in Los Angeles, Adobe announced its most ground-breaking update since the release of Photoshop CS6; the all-new Photoshop CC. This version will be made available in June and provides Creative Cloud subscribers with a host of brand new tools, as well as reinvented ones. Photoshop CC is geared towards photo editing like we’ve never seen, pushing the boundaries of what’s. 008. achievable in image editing even further. Moreover, its speedy operation means photographers and designers can create with even more freedom. This is all thanks to Adobe, who continues to perfect and provide superior image editing algorithms. New tools are supplied by the dozen and include the most advanced sharpening tool available, live syncing with Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) and all-new shape tool functionality. ACR itself has now been. updated to version 8 and includes its own set of upgrades to complement a Photoshop workflow. In this feature we go into greater detail about what’s in store for us, presenting the most exciting of the new Photoshop CC tools and options. We also share some of the Photoshop communities thoughts and opinions on this latest update, in addition to exploring the new innovative options added to other software in the Creative Cloud..

(9) PHOTOSHOP CC TECHNIQUES. THE FUTURE OF PHOTOSHOP Adobe has announced that, moving forward, the company will now focus on creative software developments for Creative Cloud. Photoshop CC will now be a subscriptionbased software. This is a bold step, seeing the company breaking away from its own tradition. This means that the boxed version of Photoshop has been shelved. Subscribers can now get their hands on Photoshop CC by paying a month-to-month fee, or by instead signing up for 12 months at a cheaper cost. Adobe’s Photoshop CC buying guide offers evidence that indicates a single Photoshop CC app subscription may be available in the near future. Presently, however pricing information is absent. Head over to the next page to learn people’s reactions to this revelation.. NEW SHAKE REDUCTION FILTER Camera shake can plague professional and enthusiast photographers alike, caused by our own movement when the camera is focused. A slow shutter speed and long focal length is also culpable. Affected shots would normally be thrown in the Trash folder, but not any more with this new addition to Photoshop CC. The Shake Reduction filter, found in the Sharpen menu, will de-blur any image affected by camera shake. Photoshop CC does. a great job of fixing any image automatically, but it also caters for users who like to make manual adjustments. The Shake Reduction tool allows us to select the region of an image that’s most affected, with Photoshop CC algorithms laying the foundation of our edits. Users can then perfect looks using intuitive sliders that improve detail, sharpness and noise left in an image. It’s an incredibly intuitive and easy to use tool.. NEW SMART SHARPEN FILTER When we say ‘new Smart Sharpen filter’, what we really mean is revamped to the hilt. Adobe has thought long and hard about supplying intelligent resizing and sharpening functionality in Photoshop CC. This latest revision shows a great deal of diligence. The Smart Sharpen dialog is now resizable, so we can better scrutinize our working area. This is something that we Photoshop users have been persistently calling for, across all filters. This version still operates through a set of sliders, which makes the improved outcomes that are applied even more outstanding. There are only three in total (with Basic options), including the regular Amount and Radius types. However, Adobe has also added a Reduce Noise slider in reaction to the haloing that occurred in the results of previous versions. This may seem such a small addition, but it shows how Adobe is paying attention to even the most specific usability issues we encounter.. 009.

(10) Techniques PhotoshoP cc. aCr file haNDliNg Photoshop CC lets users transfer from 32-bit to 8-bit by using ACR8 controls. To do so, simply activate Preferences>File Handling>Use Adobe Camera Raw to Convert Documents from 32 bit to 16/8bit. Now just select either 16 or 8 bits from the Image>Mode options.. other ChaNges. we presenT a few addiTional feaTures ThaT have been added to the creative cloud line-up. • Photoshop CC Blur Gallery and Liquify filter can be applied non-destructively, now using Smart Object functionality. • Bring settings to multiple computers with cloud-enabled Sync Settings. • CSS Designer in Dreamweaver CC provides the most up-to-date CSS and properties available via an intuitive visual editing tool. • Editing Finesse in Premiere Pro CC focuses on sleek design and customisation capabilities, combined with new editing features and keyboard-driven editing. • Photoshop CC now generates CSS code for specific design elements, which can then be copied and pasted into a web editor in order to get exact results. • Live 3D Pipeline with Cinema4D in After Effects CC lets us add 3D objects to scenes, eliminating any intermediate rendering between applications. • Parallax Scrolling in Muse CC allows us to create stunning effects with just a few mouse clicks – images and elements now move in different directions at different speeds when scrolling. • Motion Paths in Edge Animate allow us to animate elements along totally customisable paths. • A completely modernised architecture in InDesign and Flash Pro has been rebuilt from the ground up to be faster and more reliable, with a streamlined UI. • InDesign has a great new QR code creator • Flash Pro now includes real-time drawing and live preview functionality. • Creative Cloud members can now upload images to a Behance Pro site for free, using File>Share on Behance. 010. New Preserve Details oPtioN Photoshop has always relied on its interpolation technology to resize images. Yet due to its reliance on pixels, radical resizing wasn’t a viable option. Well it is now with Photoshop CC’s new Preserve Details option, found inside the Image>Image Size dialog. The dialog itself has had a complete redesign, now including a large image preview. Users must activate Resample to access the dropdown menu that houses all bicubic interpolation options, as well as the new Preserve Details option. This is ideal for upsampling. Bicubic interpolations are still ideal for minor adjustments, but for more. radical enlarging then Preserve Details is a must. The main difference is sharper edges when blowing up images; doubling in size doesn’t seem to be a major issue. This option also includes a Reduce Noise slider, like the other latest filters inside Photoshop CC. This helps smooth any noticeable surfaces that are afflicted with tricky artifacts.. The main difference is sharper edges when blowing up images. aDobe Camera raw filter Adobe Camera Raw 8 (ACR8) can now be applied to any layer or file inside Photoshop by using the Camera Raw filter, but there’s much more to this than previous versions. ACR8 has been treated with new technologies to complement the Photoshop users workflow. The enhanced Spot Removal tool is just one of the latest features in ACR8 and this looks to improve photo retouching inside the app. This tool now functions much like the Spot Healing brush inside the standard Photoshop version. Retouchers can use this tool to paint to non-circular areas of an image. ACR8 will automatically remove artefacts for us. Press V to see the green marker, which highlights the replacement area that ACR8 amended from. Simple drag-and-drop this point to tell ACR8 to sample from a new area, which we may feel achieves better results.. New shaPe ProPerties PaNel Photoshop CS6 took the Shape tool to a whole new level with an new set of dialog options and vector technology. These made designs more customisable than ever. Photoshop CC continues to champion flexible shape creation with its own new options. These can be found in the Properties Panel and allow Photoshop CC users to edit shapes after they’ve been applied to a design. Now we can adjust individual corners or all of them at once, affecting shape radius and size in real-time. We can also select multiple shapes and control these at the same time, conforming each one to specific settings..

(11) New UpRight optioNs. Photoshop CS6 made massive strides in lens correction with its Adaptive Wide Angle filter. However, this seemed to work best with fisheye distortion. ACR8 with Photoshop CC has improved results through its own advanced correction tools, found under Lens Correction>Manual. The new Upright options in here tackle all types of distortion. There are five Upright options in total to choose from. These provide one-click results, with ACR8. determining the best effects mechanically and to an accurate degree – especially the Auto option. Horizontal will apply one level correction that matches the best-case horizon in an image. Vertical works to a similar effect. If we want to go the whole hog we can apply the Full option, which will correct level, horizontal and vertical perspectives. Users can manually edit effects further by using slider options,. matching to Grid guides (enable Show Grid first).. At first I wasn’t thrilled about this. But there are a lot of pro’s. I am always upgrading to the latest versions anyway. [Photoshop CC] will just spread the cost. You get a lot for $600 a year have yoUR say. See what our Facebook community thinkS oF the lateSt creative cloud announcement FRédéRiC gombeRt iNFotogRaphe “That would mean the end of my collaboration with Adobe, if they don’t change their mind. I won’t pay such a high price to rent software. Creative Cloud is fine as an option, but not if its forced to be the only available solution “ ChRis maCdoNald “I agree with Fred. This is also the end of my collaboration with Adobe. They are forcing us into a cloud corner and I won’t be. I don’t need every single new upgrade and I refuse to pay for something I’m not going to use. I know a lot of other colleagues that will also stop using Adobe products because of the Creative Cloud subscription. Now would be a good time for some other company to come in and give Adobe some competition.”. New Radial FilteR tool Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) has always been revered for its ability to stylise photos and this reputation doesn’t look like it will be waning any time soon. Not with the inclusion of the new Radial Filter tool in ACR8, that is. This tool lets users target a specific area of an image using a circular selection. The dimensions of this can be controlled and edited live by using control points. Applying the Radial Filter tool opens its own extensive set of options, which allow us to affect existing light, colour temperature and sharpness within our targeted area. Other cool functions of the Radial Filter tool include the ability to create a new selection, which will duplicate the settings applied previously. We can also move our selection on-screen, with ACR8 affecting the original image beneath in real-time. This is a great way of instantly seeing how effects look in other areas of an image.. New toNe iN aCR optioN Photoshop has always recognised the impact of HDR photography, with its Merge to HDR Pro and HDR Toning options both implemented and updated in Photoshop versions CS5 and CS6. Now users of Photoshop CC can load Merge to HDR Pro images straight into ACR8 and edit them. All we need to do is set Mode to 32 Bit and select the Tone in ACR option, which appears at the foot of the dialog. All ACR controls are applicable to our images. This means we can add all of the new ACR8 tools to retouch and perfect looks.. steve mCaleNey “I have to agree that I will never rent software. Adobe are making a big mistake as most people will look elsewhere for their photo editing needs – jolly bad show.” bRad stRiCkmaN “Love it. The subscription option seemed like a great idea to bring in more customers who would normally just pirate it. If you want to always keep up with the latest updates then it’s cheaper in the long run. I don’t understand the hate.” RobeRta kelley “Haven’t decided yet.” Jay leviNe “At first I wasn’t thrilled about this, but there are a lot of pros. I am always upgrading to the latest versions anyway. [Photoshop CC] will just spread the cost. You get a lot for $600 a year”. FoR moRe iNFoRmatioN oN CReative CloUd aNd photoshop CC bUy issUe 111 oN sale 11 JUly. 011.

(12) eye on design portfolio interview. portfolio interview. martanael.deviantart.com @Martanael. The pursuiT of lighT and colour Marta Nael reveals her secrets oN how to create a colourful portfolio but still preserve realisM. M. astering a realistic paint style is never easy, which makes digital artist Marta Nael’s portfolio all the more amazing. This issue we discuss with her how she has nurtured her amazing mixed-media method and how she continues to improve it. We also explore how Nael has successfully promoted art sales and translated her already impressive brush skills into entirely different themes – from expressive portraits to skilled matte paintings. How Have you continued to iMprove on your portfolio? I paint on a daily basis, never give up and am never satisfied with what I do. This is what pushes me to improve my work. Creating a good portfolio is a challenge, especially when trying to master ways to. paint light and colour effects. I only published my first images online around three years ago. My portfolio is something that has helped me to improve, by comparing older works with more recent ones and then only showing the images I’m most proud of. How does your fine art work fuel your digital art? If you can’t paint in a traditional way then you won’t be able to paint digitally. This is something that every working artist should bear in mind. In my case, the traditional training I received when studying Fine Arts became really useful. It helped me start a method based in brush strokes, instead of line art. I found myself always shading the entire canvas with a neutral colour first, and then defining surfaces by adding to or erasing from this base. I then tried to. apply this same process in my digital workflow, to maintain the same feeling. wHy do you focus on Mixed-Media? I believe my mixed-media style is one not used by many artists, and maybe this makes it popular. I create a look that’s normally achieved using acrylics, oil paints or watercolours. I think that when people see my images they don’t recognise the artificial look or airbrushed feel that some works have. How Has pHotosHop specifically Helped you to replicate tHis look? The use of several textured brushes is essential. Throughout the years, I’ve downloaded tons of styles that replicate the look of splashes and strokes. I’ve even created some from scratch. I don’t use layers a. 001. 001. Boat in a storm: This artwork could be seen as a play of colours, where i intend to move away from reality and simply enjoy painting. despite choosing an insignificant subject, i tried to highlight the use of light and colour © ediciones Babylon. 002. Ari: one of the images i’m most proud of. i created this image as a concept art for a video game, which never came out, sadly © ediciones Babylon. 012 040.

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(14) eye on design portfolio interview. lot as I like using the History Brush instead, in order to bring back certain parts and add texture with transparency. This process also works perfectly when you need to retouch a photo that’s to be integrated into a matte painting.. 003. can you tell us the point at which your style became commercial? When I was finishing my degree in Fine Arts I felt like trying out digital art. As soon as I began what I called ‘Digital Impressionism’, I got attention from the public. I thought mixing digital art while preserving a traditional-looking style would be interesting – it seems people agree. I started getting more ‘likes’ on social networks, then people began to buy my prints.. portfolio tips. LeArn nAeL’s inside Tricks To scuLpTing LighT, BALAncing sources And finishing ArTwork ■ over-saturation Paint light as if you were modelling shapes like a sculptor. The contrast generated from painting coloured surfaces and dark values creates outlines. Think of a reality were there is only over-saturation, where no grey, black or white exists. This really helps you to achieve colourful artworks. ■ multiple light sources Using an interesting arrangement of light can help you add mystery, dramatise shapes and intrigue the viewer. Contrasting a main warm light with several secondary cool lights makes the scene more dynamic. ■ adding noise Once I’m done, I flatten all the layers and create a new one on top. I fill this with a neutral grey colour then select Filters>Add Noise>400%. Once I have applied that effect, I blur it a bit then change the layer’s blend mode to Soft light. I also lower Opacity to around 20%. This creates a nice grain effect, barely visible, that will add a film effect.. 014. Impressions Cover: This was used as the cover of my first artbook: impressions. i wanted to mix realism with a more painterly style in the same image, keeping the face detailed while the rest is applied roughly © ediciones Babylon. 004. Dinotopia Tribute: A tribute to the well-known series by James gurney. i tried to portray a civilisation – urban Asian, and somehow lost – where humans live together with dinosaurs, and where a new race appears: robots © ediciones Babylon. how did you transfer your paint skills into matte painting? The first paintings I ever attempted were realistic, and I soon realised I wanted to apply the same light and colour to landscapes too. My latest works are even more colourful, though. I’m trying to get an over-saturated result but still follow light logic. Matte painting usually means starting from a photo plate, but I believe working on the whole composition is important when creating an artwork. I begin painting from scratch and, as soon as I have a detailed image, I mix photos and paint to generate realism. how do you apply light and colour to define your style? I’m obsessed with light and colour when painting. I’m not really concerned about meaning; I just feel like relaxing and unwinding from all the pressure, giving way to play, directly pouring out my feelings. I believe that mastering how to paint the effects of light and colour onto objects can turn a regular image into a beautiful work of art. That’s why I always strive for vibrancy in both my painterly and my more realistic styles. I play with complementary contrasts by using warm and cold tones.. 003. 005. Be my valentine: This image was created for Valentines day. i wanted to portray a couple feeling the passion of love instead of a cheesy romance image © ediciones Babylon. 004.

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(16) My biggest learning curve from this experience was use layer blending modes. These let me integrate photos with paintings a lot better Bridges Island: The birds-eye view in this artwork was intended to dramatise the scene. Here, I tried to push my skills in painting light and colour even further © Ediciones Babylon. HOW HAS SELLING YOUR WORK HELPED TO FURTHER YOUR PORTFOLIO? Selling your art as a print or a canvas makes you see whether or not people value your work. It also reveals what subject people enjoy the most in your paintings. Plus, it means expanding more and reaching more people – especially if you get the chance to sign and sell it. HOW DID YOU PROMOTE YOUR PORTFOLIO TO POTENTIAL CLIENTS? To become a professional illustrator you need to be good at actually illustrating, but also able to promote your work everywhere and in any way possible. Whenever I wanted to get some commissions I had to show my work. The Internet is a very useful tool for reaching out to lots of people, especially on social networks. Appearing in magazines and art books is helpful too, as it gets you recognised in a competitive world of artists – I sent my images whenever there was a call for entries. DO YOUR PERSONAL AND COMMERCIAL STYLES DIFFER? To be honest, it’s been three years since I did my last complete piece of personal work. But thankfully, I have quite a lot of freedom when painting at my job.. 016. Deadlines sometimes make me finish sooner than I would do otherwise, however. WHO OR WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCES? I’ve loved fantasy and sci-fi since I was a kid. I spent all my childhood watching films and reading books based on these genres. Their influence appears in my work almost automatically. Traditionally speaking, I’ve always enjoyed the art of Friedrich and Turner, or the Impressionism movement. Sorolla is also one of my favourite artists. As for digital art, I love the works of Maciej Kuciara, Ruan Jia, Danny Luvisi, Jonas de Ro, Dave Rapoza, Andrée Wallin, Marek Okon, Raphael Lacoste and Dylan Cole, to name but a few. WHAT’S THE MOST IMAGINATIVE PIECE OF WORK YOU’VE CREATED? I believe it would be the piece entitled Don’t Be Afraid, Monsters. It’s based on the commonly known ‘Beauty and the Beast’ story, but with a little child being the main character and lots of monsters surrounding her. The idea behind this image is not to judge someone at first sight – even monstrouslooking creatures can be afraid of you and willing to be your friend. I tried to explain the meaning of the. scene by using light in order to guide the viewer’s eye around the image. Less important areas of the scene fall into shadow while the main action is picked out. The central figure and the monster beside her are easily spotted from the rest. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LEARNING CURVE WHEN PRODUCING YOUR PORTFOLIO? I’ve learned a lot from each painting. The only way to learn is to practice on a daily basis, and putting in lots of hours involves producing commercial work. My biggest learning curve from this experience was the use of layer blend modes. These let me integrate photos with paintings a lot better – especially in matte paintings, where I can apply a Screen blend mode or turn a greyscale sketch into a coloured one with the Color mode. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR OWN PORTFOLIO? Believe in yourself and never give up. Never be satisfied with what you do; no matter what people tell us, we can always improve. Also, don’t upload every single artwork you create to your portfolio – be selective, and only use the ones you think add something new, add value or make you feel that you’ve achieved what you were looking for..

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(18) eye on design stunning mosaics in cs6. project FocUS. stunning mosaics in cs6. We ask artist Charis tsevis about his signature style and hoW he CommuniCates both the part and the Whole. T. about tHe artist Charis Tsevis www.tsevis.com. Tsevis is an award-winning visual designer based in Athens, Greece. He studied in Milan and Athens, but now manages a modest studio serving prestigious clients all over the world, such as Coca-Cola, Nike and Toyota. He’s also worked with agencies like TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi and BBH, as well as publications such as TIME, Wired and the Wall Street Journal.. name of project values+ @tsevis. he mosaic is one of the earliest known forms of art, with examples of glazed tiles carefully placed to form larger works dating back to 1500 BC. Clearly we haven’t tired of the aesthetic approach even thousands of years later, as renowned Greek artist Charis Tsevis proves. His signature style is that of contemporary digital mosaics and his carefully arranged images burst off the page thanks to the exciting and busy composition of smaller icons. His work recently caught the attention of one of the largest and most respected private art colleges in Greece – AKTO – which wanted a campaign that would feel fresh and human-centric. At the same time, AKTO wanted a treatment that would re-establish the values of the institution in the current economic climate. “Four sets of values were selected to represent the values system of the college – art and science; word and image; tradition and innovation; experience and development,” says Tsevis. “The visual style of the campaign needed to be based on these values but also build around my signature mosaic style. As such, to create the icons I used the tools of art education, knowledge and culture. These represent the necessary skills of craftsmanship and the wider meaning of education.” Read on to discover how Tsevis took these elements and built an eye-catching illustration that explores education as a whole, while also considering its constituent parts.. Alternative collage. How did you go about producing tHe mosaic effect? I was very lucky to be a part of AKTO College and thus able to use all of the creative people that live within it. I also had access to a huge collection of photos taken by Stefanos Samios, a multi-awardwinning photographer. We chose a set of images of students that we wanted to have at the centre of our campaign. I then processed the photos in order to fit the mosaic so that they would reflect the atmosphere that we wanted to get across. In this type of work it’s good to simplify photos as much as possible and correct the parts that are complicated or difficult to understand at a glance.. Next I had to create a colour version of the mosaic that made use of the specific colour palette of AKTO College’s new identity. There are six colours along with the white parts. Everything else had to be coloured with these hues. Obviously, I painted certain parts of the photos in order to keep the warm tones for the skin. I then did the same for the focal point of every illustration and left the cold tones for the rest of the composition. After that I created a series of simple icons in Illustrator that would be the stones of my mosaic. These icons had to be simple and iconic in order to be recognisable when very small. Once I’d prepared my photos I had to create my mosaics. I worked with a series of customdeveloped scripts inside Synthetik Studio Artist for this part of the work. Then I switched back to Photoshop where I proceeded to build up the mosaic in a manual way. Once I had the final mosaics I created the layouts in InDesign and worked on the TV commercial. Exstudents at monologue.gr made the commercial. are tHere any pHotosHop sHortcuts to Help quickly replicate tHis style? Unfortunately, there aren’t. There are many bits of software that can create mosaics but the result that all these programs offer simply isn’t good enough without a lot of manual correction. wHen creating mosaics, How do you ensure tHat tHe final image doesn’t just get lost in a mass of tiny icons? It’s actually very difficult because I’ve seen the original photos and I am always going to recognise each and every part of them. The problem is that the rest of the audience hasn’t seen the source images, so I have to constantly check with others to ensure that what I’m creating remains recognisable. I also need to constantly ensure that what I’m creating imparts a very iconic composition that will send the right message to the viewer. How do you go about selecting tHe rigHt starting image? Mosaics are essentially photos in low resolution; a photo with big pixels. As such the subjects have to be.

(19) “The most difficult part was showing the characteristics of the face but at the same time keeping it blurred to create the photographic depth of field.”. “Small details are always difficult to show in a mosaic, such as fingers. Here the strange haircut and foulard was tricky to represent in a mosaic.”. ORIGINAL IMAGE. “What I wanted to show here was the aura of the smiling girl and to express the energy coming out of her right hand as it creates something that makes her so happy.”. SEE THE REALLIFE AD ON THIS ISSUE’S DISC. Converted photo © Charis Tsevis. iconic, simple and legible from the start. Even though this is the starting point, I then work a great deal on my source images to prepare them for a mosaic. There is not one image I have ever used without altering it substantially. HOW MANY LAYERS ARE NECESSARY IN AN IMAGE LIKE THIS? There are usually around ten or more layers. There are different mosaics with various parameters, sizes and corrections.. Rejected mosaic. WHICH NEW PHOTOSHOP TOOLS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED TO MAKE PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS SIMPLER? The ability to have a colour image as a brush is very important. Being able to use many images in a. brushstroke is also important for me. Ideas like Corel Painter’s Image Hose or Studio Artist’s Movie Brush are something that Photoshop is missing. WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU OFFER TO OTHERS LOOKING TO CREATE WORK SUCH AS THIS? Even though I’m a dedicated fan of technology, I would suggest that they first understand how mosaics are formed before and after technology. People tend to believe that there is an easy and automatic way to create a mosaic but this is not true. Mosaics are images where you should simultaneously see the parts and the whole. There is a huge tradition of human creativity in this field. Stone mosaics, typewriter art, ASCII art, pixel art and many other art movements and techniques are very helpful areas for a newbie to explore.. 019.

(20) eye on design studio interview. studio interview. DKNG StuDioS. We intervieW the founder of dKnG to discover hoW this Los AnGeLes-bAsed studio is fusinG the creAtive reALms of iLLustrAtion And desiGn. L. ike many other studio start-up stories, this one begins with two college friends who took very different paths before teaming up to form their own design studio: DKNG. Founder Dan Kuhlken studied graphic design, aware that this would eventually lead to an artistic career. Nathan Goldman, however, focused his energies on both graphic design and art direction before working full-time at DKNG. So the pair collaborated in the field of design while their nine-to-fives kept them apart. This is how they encountered a career-changing opportunity. “We came across the chance to create posters for the Troubadour, a world famous venue in Los Angeles, California,” Kuhlken tells us. “Together we built a large portfolio of posters for them, over the course of a couple years. Eventually, this caught the eye of potential new clients and our career has continued to flourish since then, one project at a time.” DKNG is now known for producing high-quality graphic design and illustration. Its services also include brand and identity development, web design and development, packaging design and apparel design. From this, it becomes apparent that Kuhlken and Goldman have a special interest in operating in the entertainment industry. The studio works with a bespoke philosophy, believing that every client has a unique voice and therefore that every new project requires a distinct perspective. However, due to the fact that the studio’s origins lie with gig posters, it’s noticeable how this experience has inspired a few noticeable factors in DKNG’s design – the application of bold colours and shapes, specifically. “One of the main purposes of a poster is to grab the viewer’s attention as quickly as possible,” explains Kuhlken. “The first thing people see is colour and shape. It’s only when they look closer that they actually notice the variant details.” Setting these elements aside for now, DKNG’s design and illustration styles can change drastically from project to project. Kuhlken believes that a stubborn dedication to a niche style is commercially detrimental. “To us, this is not what a design firm should express when dealing with a wide variety of clients. We want to show we can do it all,” he says. DKNG goes some way towards achieving this principle through the different personalities that the duo bring. “Nathan and I wear many different hats,” admits Kuhlken. “We’re both involved in the creative and business sides of our studio. For instance, I. 020. About the studio DKNG StuDioS www.dkngstudios.com @dKnGstudios. DKNG is a full-service graphic design and illustration studio. Catering primarily to the entertainment and music industries, the duo behind the studio have worked with some impressive clients.. dan Kuhlken, Creative director. nathan goldman, Creative director.

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(22) eye on design studio interview. Photoshop is the electricity we use to awaken Frankenstein’s monster basis. “Our work acts like a constantly refreshing advertisement in that sense,” Kuhlken explains. “We joined the social networks that we believe are the strongest, most useful and relevant to our industry. These have helped grow a consistent following.” DKNG ensures that clients keep coming back for more by making sure it gets projects right the first time. This makes complete sense, because if a client is impressed with what we create then it’s very likely that we’ll work with them again. “Creating something we can be proud of is a big part of what we do,” says Kuhlken. “We’re very selective about who we work for. We want to make sure we do a great job, and in order to do that we must have a strong creative interest in a project.” This isn’t too hard to find, though, when you’re working with clients such as Disney, HBO, MTV and Mondo, like Kuhlken and Goldman are doing. Subsequently, we pose the question: “How does DKNG approach existing IP projects when working with clients such as Mondo?” Kuhlken answers promptly: “We always do our research. We dig deep. top five production tips. When running a creative studio, efficiency, collaboration and methodology are our best friends ■ Work in the cloud Use Dropbox to keep files up to date across all systems, with clear folder structures so everything is ready to access when they’re first opened. ■ use shortcuts Learn Photoshop and Illustrator keyboard shortcuts. These are huge time-savers and become essential when tackling seemingly impossible deadlines that are beginning to loom. ■ talk to colleagues Sharing our progress with each other often sparks a new solution and gets projects moving quickly, so we’re not stuck spinning our wheels on a problem. ■ Warm up the office It’s easier being creative on demand when we’re existing in a space where we feel comfortable and relaxed. Always have some inspiration at hand. ■ take a break If the ideas simply aren’t flowing, find an activity to occupy your mind for a few minutes. When you return, solutions will flow more easily.. © 2013 dKng studios. © 2013 dKng studios. focus on illustration, marketing and customer service. Nathan focuses on graphic design, typography, art direction and client relations. We’ve very different mindsets and our roles reflect this.” Kuhlken admits to being more concerned with creating artwork, while Goldman demonstrates strong skills in running a creative business. “Our backgrounds definitely work well together and are the main reasons for our success as a studio,” Kuhlken adds. As a business, DKNG continues to thrive by allowing its stellar work to speak for itself. The pair successfully build contacts through a strong portfolio and successful marketing. Kuhlken makes sure that the DKNG website and social networks are constantly up to date and active. “We don’t know what lies ahead, but we do know that someone will see what we create and possibly reach out to us with more work because of it,” he tells us. “Most of our work comes to us through email, which stems from our website. Many new clients cite past work that they’ve come across – either from a design blog or an image-sharing site.” DKNG proves it’s a contemporary studio by utilising powerful social media platforms as a highly successful promotion tool. Indeed, the two directors believe that it’s always good to let commercial clients know what they are up to, as creatives, on a regular. 022 040.

(23) TACO BELL’S FEED THE BEAT PROJECT. DKNG PRESENTS THIS EXCITING POSTER FOR A ROCKUMENTARY ON TWO BANDS: PASSION PIT AND WILDCAT! WILDCAT!. 01. 3D PLANET. © 2013 Taco Bell Corp. All Rights Reserved. Here you can see how we created a threedimensional planet to use as the centrepiece in this project. We fused together an image of a spherical ball with a textured terrain, which we first created using the 3D modelling tools in Photoshop.. 02. IMAGE TEXTURE. Textures were applied to create a vintage look while also achieving an extra dimension. We created this texture by taking a found image then appropriating it with the Stamp tool. The final image was exported as a bitmap TIFF using dithers, so it was easily placed in our master Illustrator file.. 03. CREATING SPACE CLOUDS. For the space-themed background, we brought halftone clouds into Photoshop and applied a Gaussian Blur filter to them. The subsequent effect gave us the opportunity to create more ambience in the image without using clouds that appeared too sharp or in-focus.. 023.

(24) Dave Matthews Band: This is a diptych poster series created for dave Matthews Band’s 2012 two-night performance in West Palm Beach, Florida © 2013 dKng studios. Creating something we can be proud of is a big part of what we do While many artists choose to illustrate using a Wacom tablet or similar device, the vast majority of dKng illustrations are created using this Apple trackpad. Eric Clapton’s Old Sock: A promotional poster created for eric Clapton’s latest album old sock. Portraits are always tricky in terms of subject representation and, in this case, dKng went through a few variations © 2013 dKng studios. and become aware of what has already been done, and this is how we can create something even more special. Creating a concept that has never been envisioned is ideal. If that’s not possible then we take a known concept and envision it through our own unique perspective.” Kuhlken and Goldman bring their collective skills together for this, abiding by the motto ‘two heads are better than one.’ “Nathan and I take concept development very seriously and brainstorm for several days, sometimes, before presenting our ideas to a client,” reveals Kuhlken. “We’re hard on each other and hold each other to a very high standard. Once we’re both genuinely excited about a series of ideas, we know it’s okay to move forward.” It’s at this point the duo roll up their sleeves, and begin using Mac computers with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop software. Photoshop comes in especially handy when working with textures, applying these to vector artwork and stepping out of the realms of clip art. “We often use the Stamp tool to create custom textures,” he tells us. “If we like a certain photograph of cement, for example, we clone. 024 040. An aerial view of goldman’s desk; since Kuhlken and goldman spend so much time at their respective desks, layout and ergonomics become very important. that area into one large image. This is then used in our design as a textured element, which fills our entire art space.” Colour adjustments, especially Selective Color, are also readily applied to DKNG designs. “It’s not uncommon for our design to change colour, moving away from its original digital format into a screen-printed image,” explains Kuhlken. “We often use this tool to colour-correct photos of our work, so they match seamlessly in our portfolio.” Referring back to print production at DKNG – specifically, screen-printing – Photoshop’s bitmapto-halftones functionality makes all this possible. “In the world of screen-printing, every ink colour (layer) must be reduced down to a purely black and white file,” Kuhlken tells us. “Photoshop techniques allow us to take a highly complex design, utilising a large spectrum of tones, and reduce these down to halftone dots without compromising detail.” In a nutshell, DKNG depend on Photoshop to bring all of their creative projects to life. “Photoshop is the electricity we use to awaken Frankenstein’s monster,” Kuhlken concludes.. Oakley’s Viva La Bubba Campaign: This campaign poster took the form of a propaganda-style illustration of Bubba Watson, and it made its debut at the Phoenix open © 2013 oakley, inc. All Rights Reserved.

(25) studio interview EyE oN DEsiGN. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DAN KuHLKEN. ExplorE DKNG’s Daily DiGital, priNt aND braiNstormiNG routiNEs. 08:05. Begin the day with emails and a status report. 10:42. ongoing work in photoshop and illustrator. 08:05. My morning usually begins with a quick email check, so I can see which client revisions or fires we’ll need to put out quickly before jumping into other work.. 10:42. As a rule, Illustrator and Photoshop are always open on my desktop. We usually tackle three to five projects a day, depending on what we have waiting inside our queue.. As a rule, Illustrator and Photoshop are always open on my desktop. 11:15. matching colours with the printing houses. 12:50. a walk in the park to stimulate creative thinking. 11:15. We work with printing houses all over the country, so Pantone matching is an essential part of getting screen-printing jobs right the first time.. A good excuse to step away from the office is always welcome, especially for a brainstorming session. Getting out into the world always seems to get new ideas flowing.. 13:48. transnational client meetings on the go. 14:33. gathering research to spark new perspectives. 16:42. woodworking in the shop to keep things sharp. 18:34. evening tunes to close the day. 12:50 13:48. With clients all over the world, I often prefer to have phone meetings rather than email conversations. That way, I get to hear the client describe their vision in their own words.. We are continually expanding our research library of books and magazines, and we’re always seeking out new sources of inspiration.. 16:42. 14:33 18:34. I find working with my hands is a great way to break up the day. Woodworking provides a great creative outlet away from the realm of electronics.. It’s fun to stay connected to our many music clients, being musicians ourselves. Playing the piano is a great way to wind down at the end of the working day.. 025.

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(28) ©V. in c. en t e. G ar c i. a Morillo. TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS. ARTISTS IN THE INDUSTRY SHARE THEIR SECRETS TO USING PHOTOSHOP IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THEIR ILLUSTRATIONS, WHICH RANGE FROM EDITORIAL WORK TO PACKAGING AND HIGH PROFILE ADVERTISING 028.

(29) © Vincente Garcia Morillo. www.vicentegarciamorillo.com To promote DJ sessions by electronic music label Black Book Sessions, Vicente Garcia Morillo created the Alive Objects series, which encapsulates the artists and presents them as just one entity: “In this case, I was playing with the combination of elements that represent two of the most popular musicians in Chicago and the L.A. scene, respectively. “The first step is always to conceptualise the piece. I consider this one of the most important phases of the development process as this is the base of the piece. I like to invest all the time that’s necessary to come up with a good idea. Once I have the concept, I start doing sketches of the composition and also the analogue elements, such as drawing and painting, in case I want them later. I create the vector elements in Illustrator then import and edit them in Photoshop, fitting them together like a jigsaw, then apply effects like gradients, layer styles, shadows and noise. I like to experiment, mixing methods and software in my projects, adding elements like pencil drawings to my artworks when I get the opportunity. I usually play with Photoshop to edit the compositional elements and finish my pieces, but I avoid photographic finishes as I like to preserve an illustrated element.”. © Diego L. Rodriguez. 1. INVEST IN A CONCEPT VINCENTE GARCIA MORILLO. 2. MANAGE SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS DIEGO L. RODRIGUEZ. www.paranoidme.com Diego L. Rodriguez set about creating options for HBO’s How To Make It In America and drew on inspiration from the Big Apple: “Once I presented this idea, the agency loved it and they gave me the green light to create the poster. The brief came with some promotional images for the second season of the show. They were good, but not exactly what I had in mind. However, having the figure of Kid Cudi as a graphic inspired me to gather extra material. I had the structure clear: start with the character’s portrait, then the body had to be connected to the buildings in some way, and New York’s iconic symbols, and finally the slogan below the illustration. For the New York buildings, I had a ton of pictures that I took back in 2009. I use a specific technique to manage shadows and highlights – I began using it years ago for high-end retouching in skin or objects, then applied it to manipulations and illustration work. Create a new layer above your illustration. Go to Edit>Fill>50% Grey and click OK. Put this grey layer in Soft Light mode and reduce the Opacity to 30-50%. Take a soft brush, with Opacity 30-70%, and paint in those zones where you would like to increase the shadows or highlights using only grayscale tones. This technique is similar to Dodge and Burn, but allows more control over certain zones without affecting the main layer.”. 029.

(30) TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS. 3. PAINT YOUR ILLUSTRATION ANDREA FEMERSTRAND. www.noukah.blogspot.co.uk Concept artist and illustrator Andrea Femerstrand regularly contributes illustrations to short stories aimed at younger readers. This piece was created for a short story in Swedish kids and teen magazine KP (KamratPosten): “There’s always a section where young readers’ stories are published. Usually, they’re around 10 to 14 years old. I use Photoshop for drawing and painting and do all my work from scratch, the old fashioned way. Layers, custom brushes and adjustment layers make my work much faster and more efficient. I don’t have many secrets; mostly, I just paint.” ■ Line drawing I always start out with a rough sketch or line drawing. After that, I paint a rough colour scheme to decide upon colours and overall lighting. This illustration had to cover a whole spread, with a lot of empty space so that the text could be added on top of it.. © Andrea Femerstrand. 030. www.markverhaagen.com Tasked with creating 36 robot playing cards for kids magazine Bonbeck, Mark Verhaagen, the brain behind the Zoobles toy line, had to build in originality and then deliver uniformity. “The challenge here,” says Mark, “was to create 36 different robots, each of them looking interesting. I started sketching a lot of robots, focusing on shape and character, bold versus fragile, round versus square shapes, etc. I had to think about how the robots would move and do things, which also helped determine their looks. I tried to keep things simple, as the final illustrations wouldn’t be that big. All the robots and card designs were made in Illustrator using fairly basic shapes and shading.” Mark then turned to Photoshop for the final touches. To save time and to make sure each card looked the same, he recorded Actions to use as part of his workflow. “I primarily used Photoshop for adding texture and a glow effect around the robots,” he explains. “As I was working with 36 different files, I saved a lot of time by using Actions for these things. I also used an automate batch Action to save all the files into formats.” The cards were featured in Bonbek magazine, where kids could cut out the different cards to play with. Later, an actual card game was produced too.”. ■ Add form and shading I start fleshing out the painting, working a lot with form and shading. I create a separate layer on top of everything to serve as my ‘light’ in the piece. Separating the regular layers from the light is extremely helpful, since you can work on one thing at a time.. © Mark Verhaagen. ■ Block colours When I’m satisfied, I move back to the line drawing, lower the opacity and create new layers underneath it, and then start blocking everything in with clean, solid colours. I lock the transparency for each layer and when I’m done with that, it’s time to paint.. 4. MAKE USE OF ACTIONS MARK VERHAAGEN.

(31) ■ Simple silhouettes I started with a blank canvas in Photoshop and created simple silhouettes for the robots, working with big shapes first and details last. It was important at this stage to work with speed and boldness because of the short time I had to create.. ■ Limit the palette With the basic silhouettes in place, I picked a limited colour palette; one colour for shadows, one colour for the highlights. Limiting my colour palette up front helps me focus on stronger designs and compositions.. ■ Direct the imagination It’s important for me to add only as much detail as is needed to point the viewer’s imagination in the right direction. Too much detail keeps the viewer’s imagination from engaging with the piece, which is the opposite of my goal.. 5. WORK QUICKLY WITH A TABLET BRIAN MILLER. ■ Wear and tear Once my silhouettes and colours were established, I moved on to detailing the piece. This was actually a fairly quick process that just involved me placing enough specific details on the robot to suggest overall wear and tear.. ■ Keep it simple I use a limited number of brushes in Photoshop to keep my approach as simple as possible. This allows me to focus on the strength of the drawing and design, not the tools.. © Brian Miller. www.orlincultureshop.com Artist, illustrator and owner of The Orlin Culture Shop Brian Miller created Totes Adorbots, a two-hour style exploration in response to a call for ‘cute vintage robots’, for a potential picture book. “I worked from start to finish in Photoshop CS6 using my Wacom Cintiq,” he tells us. “I use the Lasso tool to quickly create sharp edges where I need them. However, it’s the years of study, practice and exploration that are most vital, no matter what tool or medium you’re using.”. ■ Mixed-media Though I often sketch with traditional materials, I love the challenge of trying to create pieces in Photoshop that blur the lines between traditional and digital mediums.. 031.

(32) TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS. 6. LOCK TRANSPARENT PIXELS MARK VERHAAGEN. www.markverhaagen.com When faced with a brief to create an image out of a sound, Mark Verhaagen turned the project into a vintage science illustration. Audio designer David Kamp (davidkamp.de) came up with the Sound Creatures project in which he first created imaginary creature sounds. He then sent these audio files to selected illustrators, including Mark, who used them as inspiration to create images of fictional animals. The illustrations and corresponding sounds can be seen on www.sound-creatures.com. “The audio file that I got featured some sort of sad trumpet sound, so a trumpet-like nose was my starting point for the look of the animal”, he says. Once he’d created the main shapes of the animals and plants in Illustrator, Mark exported his various objects to Photoshop. “I added shading using the Airbrush tool and then locked transparent pixels in the Layers palette so I could easily paint within the shape of an object. Drawing the birds’ feathers was a bit more tricky, but as soon as you have one feather in a particular shape, you can re-use it. Use the Free Transform, Skew and Warp tools to make each feather look different to the last, and draw some extra detail here and there to diversify them further. When the illustration was ready I added some textures so it would have a nice, old look.”. © Mark Verhaagen. A trumpet-like nose was my starting point for the animal’s look. www.tomskipolanski.com In order to create eye-catching packaging for a new vegan brand started by a friend of theirs, Ila and Luke of Tomski & Polanski envisioned a vintage feel: “We started with classic floral patterns and then changed the flowers for cupcakes and cocoa, before adding quality typography. We used Photoshop to draw in the details of patterns, to complete the composition and for the final colouring and post-production, and used a lot of custom brushes and a variety of preset Actions and filters. Since we use a lot of textures we often add Smart Object layers, which saves us a lot of work.”. 032. © Tomski and Polanski. 7. USE SMART OBJECTS TOMSKI AND POLANSKI.

(33) 8. REFINE YOUR COLOUR PALETTE STEVE SIMPSON. www.stevesimpson.com Steve Simpson was given a brief to create packaging for a frozen yoghurt start-up that required a loud message to kids declaring its contents yummy while also telling parents it was healthy: “To do this, I decided to create kid-friendly, energetic, cartoon-ish characters but make the fruit more realistic. “I was brought into the project by Dublin design agency IDEA,” Steve tells us. “I was trusted to create the look and feel for the project while the agency looked after the client liaison and production. After scanning my pencil sketch and setting up the size, colour mode and resolution of the artwork – usually at least twice the size that’s needed – I copied the sketch to a new layer, reduced the Opacity and Multiply’d the layer. This allowed me to trace the artwork onto multiple layers beneath it. Once I had the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, head, jumper, etc on separate layers I looked at tweaking and balancing the colours.” Steve also has some advice on colour: “Try to pick a limited palette of colours before you start. I put mine in a small swatch somewhere in the image as a reminder while I’m working on it. I then swap the colours around between elements until I’m happy with the balance. Don’t be afraid to experiment – grass isn’t always green and cows can be blue.”. ■ Rough sketches All my work starts with pencil sketches – lots and lots of them. Over a couple of days my extremely rough ideas are moulded into something more solid and presentable. Usually, I’ll present my rough sketches, but with this project I wanted to take them a little further.. ■ Label Top Each of the Chilly Moo characters was adapted so that it would fit the different areas of the packaging, such as the lid label.. ■ Defined colour palette I coloured the sketches to show how the characters could represent different flavours through the use of colour, and how that colour would come together as a palette.. ■ Final product The three flavours of Chilly Moo yoghurt – Strawberry, Banana Strawberry and Mixed Berry – are easily identifiable by their completely distinct but also complementary colour palettes.. © Steve Simpson. 9. UTILISE COLOR OVERLAY MAX GREGOR. © Max Gregor. 10. SKETCH WITH WACOM WANCHANA INTRASOMBAT. www.kun-victorior.com Wanchana Intrasombat, aka Vic, created a series of character designs for a project entitled Life. One is a mischievous boy scout on a trip with his classmates: “My paintings and illustrations are all done with Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos. It’s the main tool I use and I just used the normal Brush here. I also use the standard brush to sketch, and sometimes create my own brushes for projects. For me, the Brush is Photoshop’s most important tool; I use it for all my work as though it was a traditional tool. It’s similar to using real pencils and brushes.”. © Syd Brak. © Wanchana Intrasombat. www.maxgregor.com. Max Gregor’s fashion illustrations are a harmonious mix of traditional sketches and digital finishes: “Here, I started with drawings of the different elements of the model’s outfit: her body drawn in pencil, an ink drawing of her shawl and a few brush patterns drawn in blue gauche. I then scanned all the images and cleaned them with Levels, then used the Eraser to remove messy lines and dust left from the scan. A Color Overlay was key to this image as it allowed me to add a flat graphic feel and still maintain the loose organic detail of the brush stroke.”. 11. DELVE INTO FILTERS SYD BRAK. www.sydbrak.co.uk For this delicious array of fruit, Syd Brak reached for the Filter menu: “The idea was to illustrate a product’s ingredients in a clean, healthy and appetising way. I created rough images then enriched the colours to an attractive and appetising level while retaining a believable realism. It was important to ensure the light source was constant on every object, with an enhanced gloss to emphasise the liquidity and create a sunny feel. I rely fairly heavily on the subtleties of the Filter dialog to achieve a realistic but painter-like quality, and avoid a plastic feel.”. 033.

(34) TECHNIQUES 15 ILLUSTRATION TIPS & TRICKS. 12. ADD NOISE VINCENTE GARCIA MORILLO. © Vincente Garcia Morillo/Converse. www.vicentegarciamorillo.com Vicente Garcia Morillo worked on Converse’s Pro Leather campaign: “I had to present a graphic interpretation of the Converse logo based on concepts relating to urban street culture. Here, I represented basketball. Once I got the concept, I did sketches of the composition on paper for the client. After the concept was approved I started to develop the digital phase. I created all the vector elements in Adobe Illustrator and then imported these into Photoshop. Here I applied the Noise filter, which helps to provide a uniform aspect and give the artwork some vibration.”. 14. ILLUSTRATE IN 3D SASHA VINOGRADOVA. www.behance.net/MelaMel Working to create four characters in a detailed environment under the heading of Mercenaries, Sasha Vinogradova choose a funny and quirky style: “The first step was character design and deciding how they would look. Next I made a rough sketch of compositions, colours and lights and then created my scene and 3D models in 3DS Max and ZBrush. I set up lights and materials in a 3D scene then rendered my image. After that I added details like eyes, grass and hair, and also some postproduction edits like air perspective and colour/contrast correction. I created all the sketches and textures for elements such as the scarf in Photoshop. I also added some details in postproduction. When you create an image, try to keep the final result as clear as you can in your mind and never ignore composition. I love to add details, but if you start adding them too soon without keeping the entire image in mind then you risk losing the integrity of your image. Finding your favourite artists and researching their work is a great way to improve your own.”. ■ Work in lead I create the base of my illustrations using 5H to 8B pencils. This achieves a fantastic tonal range, adding the depth and textures that clients request.. ■ Clean up For the retouching stage I use tools such as the Clone Stamp and Healing Brush to remove unwanted imperfections caused by the traditional stage.. ©M. i. el tch. l Ne. ■ Pen Pressure I tend to use a hard round brush with Pen Pressure set to Add Details and like to add softened tonal areas, as seen in the waves.. 13. PRESERVE YOUR TRADITIONAL FEEL MITCHELL NELSON. © Sasha Vinogradova. 034. l so. n. ■ Add colour I add base colours using a Selective Color adjustment, altering the White, Neutral and Black channels. I create these colour layers until I achieve the desired look.. www.behance.net/mitchellnelson Mitchell Nelson was asked by California-based publisher Devious Publications to create a quirky and unique logo, which had to tell a story reflecting classical and vintage qualities: “I drew the illustration with pencils and then scanned this into Photoshop for postproduction and retouching. Subtlety is the key; I try to remember why I start with pencil in the first place and enhance its qualities rather than destroy them. However, if you are after a highly digital piece but still mix with traditional media, strong contrasts of the two can give contemporary looks.”.

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