Yoel Judowitz Illustration

Basic Digital Painting Process

Yoel Judowitz — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:35:45 +0000

Step 1- Line art on it’s own layer. (I used Denis Zilbers pencil brush see my post here on all types of great brushes.*see the end of post for screenshot of my layers)

Step 2 – Add a flat mid tone beneath the line art ( Use magic wand to select negative space with contiguous checked, than select inverse, than go to select/modify/contract by 2 pixels- than fill with desired color – this prevents space between fill and line)

Step 3 – Add a new monotone values layer above the mid tone layer defining the light source/s and forms ( I used 4 values for this picture the mid grey plus 2 darker and 1 light. Be sure to alt + click between the flat layer and the value layer above it to auto mask to the flat layer – now you don’t have to worry about going out of the lines)

Step 4 - Add a color gradient layer over the value layer to define the key color/s (Use the same alt + click trick as before. I used a complimentary color combo here. For a great Corel Painter like color wheel to add to photoshop see me post here)

Step 5 – Add some paint strokes for reflected lighting/rim lighting on another layer above ( Look beneath the nose and chin – I used a saturation layer – you can use a different color/source to make it more interesting)

Step 6 - Add a background beneath all the layers ( I used a gradient plus some interesting texture brushes see the links above for brushes and texture resources)Step 7 – Final step -Add an adjustment “levels” layer above all the layers to bring out the dark and lights of the picture and make it richer.

Here is a screen shot of my layers :

This method separates value painting from color painting. It is a classic approach and is used by many pro artist.

A popular alternative method is to paint the local colors first and than the values in color on top of them.

A middle ground might be to fill the canvas with the key color/s and than paint the middle/dark values and darks in a more or less “monotone” of the key colors and finally add more diverse colors and color accents toward the end along with the light/middle and highlights. I think this final method might be the fastest for many pictures while still making it easier to separate value from color.

One step that many digital artists add to this process is adding textures in the form of photos or brushes on an adjustment layer like overlay or soft light set to a mid or low level transparency.

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Post tags: digital painting, digital painting tutorial, digital paintining technique, photoshop layers, separate value and color

BangTheSpoon.Com

Yoel Judowitz — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:10:21 +0000

When I was a little boy in summer camp my brother would bang on the table with his spoon. The head counselor would yell “Bang on your head Judowitz!”

It is only with age that I realize the full genius of his advice. Just another example of how adults do know best. Indeed most of life’s problems could easily be solved this way.

Spread the word and help save the world – one spoon banged head at a time.

Cat conductor – quick sketch

Yoel Judowitz — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:58:22 +0000

The Old Man and The Seat, Plus Warm Up Sketches

Yoel Judowitz — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:43:04 +0000

Yet another fake book cover. The idea for the book is an old man’s battle to come to terms with his nursing home seat. A parody of the “Old man and the Sea.”

New WebSite – WWW.WordsIllustrated.com

Yoel Judowitz — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:50:19 +0000

I am happy to announce that I have created a new website to share my more political and word oriented work.

It is called www.WordsIllustrated.com, like Sports illustrated, except with words.

It will feature combinations of commentary and art.

My first post on the new site is a letter to President Obama advocating freedom for Jonathon Pollard.

Check it out.

Be sure to leave your comments on the new site and sign up for the “subscribe by email” to receive new posts regularly.

Enjoy.

Yated Interview

Yoel Judowitz — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:10:25 +0000

This is a recent interview in the Yated – An orthodox Jewish newspaper with a circulation of approx 100,000:

My Conversation about Art with Robert Chang

Yoel Judowitz — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:33:31 +0000

I had a very interesting back and forth with Robert Chang aka “Lunatique” (a very prominent artist) about my art, the value of technically rough art, and art in general, on this forum:

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=31&t=1090905

I am interested in your opinions.

You can post it there or write it here if you have time. Please read the exchange until the end before you comment. Including and most importantly page 2 (see the arrow on bottom of the page on the forum)

I am joining his class and I am very excited about it. I think he will be a great teacher even if I don’t agree with everything he says.

***Please be aware that the CG Society website in general contains “all types” of art. The link to the forum where I had the exchange with him is fine***

House Of the Rising Fish Painting

Yoel Judowitz — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 07:33:33 +0000

Fantasy Castle on Cliff – Concept Painting

Yoel Judowitz — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 02:41:45 +0000

In middle of working on this. Again experimenting with my new brushes

Franky Illustration

Yoel Judowitz — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:53:00 +0000

Still unfinished. This is a real painterly style.

Franky was a european gentleman who worked at the high school I attended as a young teen. He always looked like he was about to kill someone. Thankfully the constant alchohol that ran through his veins kept him calm and friendly. Great guy.