Workshops

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 In depth Combining digital and traditional

Photoshop
COMBINING DIGITAL
AND TRADITIONAL Learn how to combine traditional pencil
and ink on paper techniques with the vast
Adi Granov
COUNTRY: US
abilities of digital tools. By Adi Granov
CLIENTS: Marvel,
odern computer programs of trial and error, evolved into a very
Humanoids Group,
Nintendo Software Tech,
Wizards of the Coast

Best known
M such as Photoshop and
Painter, and accessories like
Wacom tablets, have made
effective method for creating painted
illustrations through the digital
colouring of traditional artwork. This
for his comic the world of digital art near boundless. technique preserves all the textures and
book work on However, there are certain limits even to analogue feel of the original artwork.
the acclaimed
Iron Man:
these powerful tools. Although most I like to keep my technique simple and
Extremis series, Adi used techniques and textures can be straightforward and rely on my skills and
to be a concept artist effectively replicated digitally, the artistic choices, rather than tools, to
for Nintendo.
www.adigranov.net
process of creating them is sometimes dictate the outcome. As you will see from
artificial, forced, and often unnecessarily the tutorial, I tend to stay away from
DVD Assets time consuming when we consider that most of the advanced options of
The files you need they are inherent and natural traits of Photoshop and stick with the more basic
are on the DVD the traditional materials. It is these features. This not only keeps the process
FILES: clouds.jpg,
IFXilloFinal.psd,
natural traits that I strive to preserve in streamlined, but it also sets certain
IFXilloLayers.psd, my own art while combining them with limitations on the tools that preserve the
IFXillosketch.jpg the limitless choices of digital colours. purity and spontaneity which can often
FOLDERS:
The digital tools also offer the luxury of be lost in overworking.
Full screenshots
SOFTWARE: experimenting without the fear of While the technique is advanced and
Photoshop CS2 (Demo) ruining precious artwork. requires strong understanding of light,
In this tutorial I will explain the shadow and colour, it only requires
technique which has, over many years moderate knowledge of Photoshop.

original character in the vein of my comic The lightbox

book work in a heroic flying pose. When 2 I use a lightbox to lightly trace the
Switching
and
designing a new character I usually do foreground lours design from the printout on to my work
co
many variations from different angles background Mac)
surface. The lightbox is just a box with a
[X] (PC and
and with different layouts. But since this between light inside it and a glass cover, which is
Easily switch
is a one-off character on a simple very useful used predominantly in animation to
two colours –
.
background and we’re examining the when painting trace images from one paper to another. A
technique, I focused on designing a window could be used for the same effect.
character using an array of textures.
I draw my sketches in Photoshop
3 Traditional tools
because it enables me to edit, rework, and I use high quality 100 per cent
The concept experiment with the designs and shapes cotton watercolour paper because it’s very
1 With most illustration work, there without having to redraw everything if I sturdy, and HB pencils because they are
are certain requirements ranging from change my mind. I create the canvas in soft, without smudging, and light.
thematic to technical, from the very idea scale based on the assignment Occasionally, I also use H pencils, usually
to the physical size of the artwork. It’s requirements but keep it small so I can only for shading skin which requires
essential to take all of these requirements focus more on the overall shapes rather delicacy. I use regular India ink for pure
into consideration from the very start and than any minute details. Once I have a black inking as well as ink washes. For the
build your concept around them. As an satisfactory sketch I resize it to the washes I dilute the ink with water and
illustration assignment this piece is a physical print size needed, in this case create a few different shades, from a very
simple one. The brief is to create an 14 inches tall, and print it out. light to a couple of darker ones.

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 Workshops

Refining the design

4 Once I have the sketch transferred
on to the paper, I start refining the design
and the style. I always start with overall
shapes and tighten as I go, focusing on
larger areas first and leaving the details
for last. Putting too much focus on the
details early on usually results in a
disjointed-looking drawing.

The ink stage Rendering the Turning digital

5 When I’m absolutely satisfied with 6 greyscale 7 When I have taken the greyscale
the drawing in its pencil form, I start Having established my light and rendering as far as it should go, I scan it
filling the darkest areas with black ink. shadow extremes, I then slowly start into Photoshop. Depending on the
I try to balance these areas with the to model the shapes with shades of requirement of an assignment I scan at
lighting of the scene. Since our hero is inkwash and pencil. I cover larger areas least at the required resolution, in this
flying through fairly well-lit clouds, there with the diluted inks and refine them case 300 DPI. Since I work on paper much
is a lot of reflective light around him so with pencils. At this stage I pay particular larger than the required print size, I
the very dark areas would be limited. attention to the textures and reflective then resize the image down to the right
These dark areas give me a great point of qualities of desired materials. More measurements. No need to struggle with
reference on which to base my range of reflective materials have sharper needlessly giant files.
shading, the paper itself being my lightest highlights, while the less reflective Using the Curves tool (Image>
and the ink my darkest shade with the ones are softer. Adjustments>Curves) I adjust the image
whole spectrum in between them. I use pure ink last to ink the linework, to match my original artwork by holding
which helps bring out the shapes and it up and comparing the two pictures. It
give the image a more graphic look. might also be necessary to adjust the
saturation as well since some scanners
saturate the images.
Next, I set my greyscale art as the
background layer.

Flatting the colours

8 I create a new layer in Multiply
mode (let’s call it layer A) and with a
Hard-edged brush I proceed to fill all of
the separate elements of the image with
respective colours. This process is referred
to as flatting. I try to choose approximate
colours I intend to use right away but they
can also be easily manipulated once the
whole image is filled by selecting
individual areas. This layer is the most
important step in the colouring process
and will be my main working layer.

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 In depth Combining digital and traditional
main elements. But in this case the
background is an empty sky, which
doesn’t contain any solid shapes so it
lends itself more to being created
digitally. In order to save time, as a
starting point I use a Photoshop plug-in,
Xenofex (www.alienskin.com) to create
a basic cloud texture and then paint and
adjust it to suit the image. A photograph
of the sky could work as well, but it
would require a lot more work to match
Layer hierarchy the desired effect and style of the art.
9 Having established the basic flat
colours, I make two copies of that same
layer, B and C. I move layer B to the very
top and set to Normal mode. This is my
selection layer where I can, by using the
Wand tool, select individual colours
throughout the rest of my process. A lot Multiply layer A. By selecting the
of artists use channels for their selections, individual areas of colour by using the
but I find that having it in a layer is much Wand tool in my selection layer, which is
more visually intuitive. otherwise kept invisible, I can focus on
I then set the remaining layer C to individual areas without damaging
Overlay mode and place under the A and Brush d others. I pick the colours directly from
iamete
[ or ] (P r
on top of my original art. This colours the Additional texture Ca nd Mac the canvas with the Eyedropper tool and
greyscale and adjusts its value depending 11 I have a vast library of found and
Use to
current
quickly
brush w
)
resize th
e slowly build up shades and hues with the
to look ith out hav
on the colours used. Lighter colours created textures, which I alter and use to away fr
om you
ing Brush, starting with the larger areas and
work. A r
lighten and darker colours darken. I then add depth to the colours in order to give time-sa
great working towards smaller details. By
ver.
individually adjust the hue, saturation them a more organic look to match the doing this work in the Multiply layer
and lightness of each colour by selecting scanned art. These textures could be there is no danger of covering up any of
them and using the Hue/Saturation tool anything from scanned watercolour on the qualities of the original art.
(Image>Adjustments...) based on what paper, to photographs of rough walls, etc.
I am after. The image should end up
having a rather appealing watercolour-
I create a new layer with the texture
covering the entire art and set its mode to 13 Realistic reflections
The level and sharpness of
like look at this stage. In many Overlay and place it on the top of my reflections define the surfaces of various
applications this could be considered colour layers. This gives the entire image materials and are essential to creating
sufficiently coloured, but not here. We a unified, organic feel. believable objects. As mentioned, I have
are after a lot more. prepared the greyscale painting to reflect

Background 12 Rendering the colours

It’s time to start adding more depth
what I want the parts of the character to
be made of. For instance, the white parts
10 In most cases, backgrounds have to the colours by defining the shapes of the suit are a smooth, ceramic, highly
more elements such as buildings, cars, with stronger shadows and highlights, as reflective material, while the skin on the
spaceships, etc, which are drawn and well as ambient light and reflections. For face is soft and matte and reflects the
rendered traditionally, along with the this I use the Brush tool on my original light in a soft and diffused manner.
In creating the reflections and
highlights, I use lighter colours in the
Multiply layer A and allow the white
from my background to shine through. I
switch between light colours picked from
the environment, defining reflections
and softening them to add volume.

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 Workshops

14 Adding
details
additional
I decide that the helmet needs some
additional detail in the form of some
abstract markings. In a new Multiply
layer just above my layer A, I paint the 116 Special effects
The only thing left to paint is
symbol and then merge it down. I then the fire behind the character coming
select the area in my Selection layer and PRO from his jetpack and reflecting in the
treat it in the same way as described in SECRETS surrounding clouds. By using a large
steps 12 and 13. Avoid the custom brush, I paint the fire in layer
easy route A starting with the darkest orange and
115 Enhancing
atmosphere
the Try not to rely on
software to make the
slowly shifting towards the ‘hottest’ white
closest to the source of heat.
choices for you. If
The image is nearly complete and there something is easy to
are only various effects and details left achieve by clicking a few
7 Final
17 adjustments
18 Adjusting dull sections
filters, that means that
to do. I create a new layer in Normal Having finished with all of the
it’s just as easy for
mode on top of the Multiply layer A. anyone else and you painting I flatten the image. By using the After much work, the illustration is
By choosing the colours from the run the risk of ending Curves tool, I play with the sliders to add done and ready for sending off. As for me
environment, I add depth to the image up with generic and a bit more contrast and visual impact to I can kick back, relax, and… erm, start on
unremarkable artwork.
by painting over areas further away Use your tools the image. the next one.
in perspective, which adds to the judiciously and creatively
atmospheric depth of the image. I also to let your own vision
come through and you
soften some areas where the texture will soon be creating
might be too harsh, and add various unique and interesting
small hot-spot highlights to give those art, no matter what the
software might be.
parts a bit more kick.

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