1. Digital Illustration

2. Getting your Image First, choose one of the images provided from the disc in class, or scan or import your own image. First, choose one of the images provided from the disc in class, or scan or import your own image. Label this untouched layer of your image as “original”, then make a copy of that layer and begin working Label this untouched layer of your image as “original”, then make a copy of that layer and begin working On the copy of your original layer, make the proper adjustments to balance/contrast and image quality to give you a dark, bold black and white line drawing to work on. On the copy of your original layer, make the proper adjustments to balance/contrast and image quality to give you a dark, bold black and white line drawing to work on.

5. Begin Coloring your Digital Image Begin by opening up your brush palette, enabling the smoothing option at the left. By enabling this it will guarantee that your brush strokes contain nice, smooth curves which are essential for your painting to look convincing. Begin by opening up your brush palette, enabling the smoothing option at the left. By enabling this it will guarantee that your brush strokes contain nice, smooth curves which are essential for your painting to look convincing.

6. Default Brushes The Spatter brushes might not look like much within all the preset brush tips, but these small cluster of spots are very useful. There are lots of tip and size options to choose from, but whichever brush you choose, any spatter brush gives the effect of using a brush with some stray dry bristles sticking out around the edges. Painting over top of colored regions of the canvas with a spatter brush allows you to create a bristle, tactile effect. The Spatter brushes might not look like much within all the preset brush tips, but these small cluster of spots are very useful. There are lots of tip and size options to choose from, but whichever brush you choose, any spatter brush gives the effect of using a brush with some stray dry bristles sticking out around the edges. Painting over top of colored regions of the canvas with a spatter brush allows you to create a bristle, tactile effect.

8. The Chalk brushes are denser than the spatter brushes but equally as useful. Strokes created with chalk brushes do not have the stray bristles sticking out but they do provide a nice rough effect at the beginning and end of each stroke. They are ideal for establishing basic, yet convincing, colored regions within your painting. The Chalk brushes are denser than the spatter brushes but equally as useful. Strokes created with chalk brushes do not have the stray bristles sticking out but they do provide a nice rough effect at the beginning and end of each stroke. They are ideal for establishing basic, yet convincing, colored regions within your painting.

10. Saving your own Custom Color Swatches You may wish to create your own custom colors in addition to the existing swatches and then save them for future use. You may wish to create your own custom colors in addition to the existing swatches and then save them for future use. First, using the Foreground color swatch in your toolbox, create the desired color you want to use. First, using the Foreground color swatch in your toolbox, create the desired color you want to use.

12. Once you’ve got your custom color swatch selected and it is the Foreground color swatch in your toolbox, simply put your icon over the blank space on your Swatch palette and you will see a paint bucket icon. Click the spot on the palette with the paint bucket and Photoshop will ask you to name the color. Name it and click OK and you will notice it is now a custom swatch within your palette. Once you’ve got your custom color swatch selected and it is the Foreground color swatch in your toolbox, simply put your icon over the blank space on your Swatch palette and you will see a paint bucket icon. Click the spot on the palette with the paint bucket and Photoshop will ask you to name the color. Name it and click OK and you will notice it is now a custom swatch within your palette.

15. Brush Opacity vs. Flow Brush Opacity controls how transparent or solid your paint strokes will appear on your layer. Brush Opacity controls how transparent or solid your paint strokes will appear on your layer. Flow is the setting that determines how much paint will be deposited within a brush stroke as you paint. Flow is the setting that determines how much paint will be deposited within a brush stroke as you paint.

17. Non-Photoshop Additions When painting digitally, no matter how convincing your brush strokes are, it is the smooth and perfect surface that ruins the authenticity you’ve tried so hard to achieve. In order to remedy this, it is often helpful to involve something genuine. A desktop scan of something done with actual art materials, a real life image or texture, etc. can really breathe some life into a rather “digitally perfect” image and give it that sense of “imperfection” that might make it more interesting. When painting digitally, no matter how convincing your brush strokes are, it is the smooth and perfect surface that ruins the authenticity you’ve tried so hard to achieve. In order to remedy this, it is often helpful to involve something genuine. A desktop scan of something done with actual art materials, a real life image or texture, etc. can really breathe some life into a rather “digitally perfect” image and give it that sense of “imperfection” that might make it more interesting.

18. A grayscale scan of a painted canvas, which is then over laid over the finished digital image can add that bit of “imperfect” texture that can really add interest to your image. A grayscale scan of a painted canvas, which is then over laid over the finished digital image can add that bit of “imperfect” texture that can really add interest to your image.