Process Steps

Hi Guweiz! I noticed that her right hand does not seem to be depicted in the image, perhaps it is obscured by the locker door. But it seems the hand would not be small enough to be completely obscured, and the gesture of the hand suggests otherwise. As such, I wanted to know if it was a conscious decision to not include her right hand in favor for the value pop of the background through the locker grating? As always, really love your work, and I've been studying it non stop!

dustykuro

I will! Thanks a lot :)

Hello! Thank you for the question, it's a bit of a lengthy answer, so do keep an eye out for this month's answers video, thanks!

GUWEIZ

Hello Guweiz, nice artwork as always!, I see you're really good at controlling your values, I am still really confused about how you are able to control subtle halftone values especially in the face. Even a very small change can affect how natural it will look, do you have any tips on how to paint these subtle, less obvious values in?

Yes of course :)

GUWEIZ

Hi! Can I download this picture to use it as my background?

That makes sense, thank you for the thorough answer! Also, I actually had just opened framed Ink on my other monitor so I'm glad to know I was headed in the right direction lolol :')

Cybernomu

Hello, that's a very good question! The idea itself usually comes hand in hand with the "techniques" that need to be executed. Certain ideas are only viable because they are also practical. If you have a great scene in mind, but the lighting is completely off, is it still a great scene? Of course, that's not to say the only ideas "allowed" are perfect ones, usually I start with something simple and the sketch and values will tell me if the idea can be brought to completion, and there are also times a finished piece is not as good as I hoped. I think Framed Ink is a very good book to start anyone off on composition!

GUWEIZ

Hello! Is there any specific pipeline or tendencies you have when approaching creating a new composition? When looking at your process, there is a sense you already have a rough image of what the scene will look like in mind before ever hitting the canvas; so, while the details of the background or pose may undergo some changes, the larger story and intent of the painting (the action, purpose, and composition) aren't really subject to drastic changes. I guess to boil it down into one line, my question how do you consolidate the idea with the practical visual storytelling techniques you employ? Are there any books or resources that helped build that in you, or is it more intuitive? Sorry for the long question!

Cybernomu

Cool! :)

Not really! The brushes I use are actually quite commonly found in many free brush packs, I will be happy to take some time to explain them in a video :)

GUWEIZ

Did you make the brushes yourself? I would really like to know which brushes do you use :) And thanks for sharing your process.

Hi Guweiz, Thanks for the reply. I see what you mean, I draw in manga/anime style so I use a lot of layers with separate layer for skin/clothes/background etc, this allows me to tweak the colours when I need to. I wish I can paint on a single layer like you!! In this case no need for the PSDs but definitely a future video with initial planning and drafting would help a ton. Thank you and I look forward to it!!

I think a good breakdown is just to divide your colors into cools vs warms. As long as they maintain that relationship consistently throughout the drawing, I find that it becomes easier to adjust overall hue, etc and at that point it just becomes preference.

GUWEIZ

Hello, I really wouldn't mind doing that, but personally I just use layers as "save files" so I'm afraid it's going to be quite limited in value in that sense (and for a huge download). However, I'm more than happy to explain the initial planning and drafting in more detail in a video, if that helps!

GUWEIZ

Until now I'm still curious how you managed to pull of creating harmony with all the colors in a way that it is not too much. It says by going with the grays you will achieve harmony, but how do you know if your setting the mood right or if you are using the best color.. when I try to do it I seem to get stuck. I also wonder how you managed to do it with low lighting or lighting that is behind the subject. Kind of hard to say into words. 😅😅

Hi Guweiz, Hope you are well. Is there a possibility for you to share a couple of PSD files? It would be great to be able to go in and analyze the set up to understand further how you process. No pressure but would be soooo grateful :) Thank you!!

That's a great question, I do think at least basic modelling for complex scenes is something I will try to learn in the future. The sketch you see above is the first sketch for the piece, usually I visualize in my head (just personal preference) and then start with that. (Of course there are ideas that also don't make it past the sketch stage as well!)

GUWEIZ

Thank you, I'm glad that you find these helpful!

GUWEIZ

The easiest and most fun is to just consume more of your favorite media, but pay slightly more attention to the visuals going on. E.g. watch a genre of films you enjoy, play some video games, follow some photographers whose work you really like. Also, don't worry about having the perfect idea, a lot of good ideas are generated while painting and drawing and problem solving, so I would encourage just jumping in and enjoying the process.

GUWEIZ

I think it is very possible to start off just using 1 main brush for the whole image (just play with size and opacity) , over time I think preferences will accumulate and if you find that you desire more texture,etc, it's never too late to try out new ones. The main thing to look out for are if the brush is getting in your way (e.g. making unwanted contrasts/textures), that is partially the reason why the simple round brush is a good place to start (or even continue using forever).

GUWEIZ

I've been wanting to get into illustrations, but I don't have many ideas usually, what should I do? How do you generate ideas, create compositions, decide on what you want to paint?

Ashuku

Sensei, can you please tell from your perspective, is there a point to use some certain brushes for characters skin and certain for environment in drawings, or each of drawing tasks could be fulfilled with one and only chosen brush? I know that it's kinda depends on personal tastes and styles, but I really interested in hearing your point on this question if possible

Do you think that you will integrate 3d into your workflow sometime in the future ? Also, do you sketch your ideas out before painting them ? If toubdo, can we see them xD

I'm really in love with your art, it's not only pretty, it also tells a stroy and the atmosphera is incredible. Also thanks a lot for making these affordable, I live in Argentina and economy has always been a struggle here. I feel I can learn a lot from you! I'm getting your artbook soon too ^_^ Regards!

Your understanding of light (and ability to convey it) just blows me away every time. Stunning work, as always. <3

ukulehailey

Make sure to use plenty of photo references as well! People can vary quite a lot in real life so be sure to fully explore all the "options" to find your favorite kind of posture/silhouette to draw :)

GUWEIZ

Excited to jump into this one! Been working on side profile for a while and hitting roadblocks. This will help a ton! Thank you!