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Step-by-step Photoshop environments Chapter 01

Chapter 01 Concept, Development
and Lighting
Software Used: Photoshop
To address a scene containing a lot of detail and
information, you need to have an order to work
in and above all, patience. For this tutorial I was
commissioned to draw a seaport an original
place, with an invented civilization, showing
different situations, crane movements, people,
vehicles; many elements together interacting
with each other. To deal with something of this
magnitude, with so many things to draw in the
same composition, you have to plan in advance.
This tutorial will explain how to draw a complex
scenario step-by-step. Ill talk about how ideas
arise, what the sources of inspiration are, how
to work with perspective, composition, digital
painting techniques, brush management and
final details. Although almost all the issues can
be found in art books or manual drawing, Ill
show different techniques and ways to address
a drawing. The goal is that the tutorial should
serve primarily as a guide for those artists who
are getting started and need some order in
which to address their projects with.
In the first part of this tutorial Ill be looking at
coming up with the initial idea, developing the
scene and adding light and shadows.
Ideas and Sources of Inspiration

First, we need to know what topic we will draw
and what concept we want to express. From
there we can find ideas and inspiration. Not all
artists proceed in the same way when they start
an image. I like to find different pictures, which
do not necessarily have to do with what I want to
draw. Sometimes I only have an idea of what the
sky should look like and thus, I look for different
this image, I found a very interesting scene: the
In this picture I found my idea and I realized
sight of a battleship parked in a yard. I found
what I was looking for. The world that revolved
Other times Im just interested in color, and look
the color of the image was great, as well as
in my head, that I could not yet identify, was
for photos where the colors awaken a feeling
the composition and the feeling of vastness
great, majestic and something that showed
or ideal climate for the topic Im researching for
(Fig.02).
power and distance.
skies: sunset, night, cloudy ones, etc (Fig.01).
my drawing. Looking for images on the web for
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page 5
Chapter 01
Chapter 01
Step-by-step Photoshop environments
Raising the Scene
As the image would show the greatest amount
an aerial view we should move the horizon up,
Based on the picture I found, I decided to have
of detail and elements, I chose an aerial
so we generate the airplane effect (Fig.04).
a huge ship as the central focus and thereafter
perspective, because in this view I could
arrange all the other items relative to it. So, I
increase the size of the ship and provide greater
To begin detailing each object with the lines
produced a sketch of my initial idea (Fig.03).
detail on the scale of things. Basically, to make
of perspective, I use boxes and buckets for
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page 6
Chapter 01

the initial composition, and I break them down
into more interesting shapes afterwards, using
the lines as a guide to reach the final design
(Fig.05).
If we use simple geometric shapes, it will be
simpler to detect faults and it will help us to
have a better understanding of proportions
and distance. I almost never have a clear idea
of what Im going to draw inside a cube. This
is a way to explore your designs and ideas
throughout the process, which takes patience.
For more accurate work its necessary that you
have the shapes and structure of your image
correct at the beginning of your drawing.
As we draw things, ideas appear that serve to
define other ones. Sometimes, I like a building
or design and what I do is repeat it again in
another part of the drawing to create uniformity
and consistency in style. It doesnt necessarily
have to be identical; if we maintain the same
or similar parts then we will be respecting the
aesthetic of the original design. Furthermore,
repeating the same object in a scene helps to
accentuate distance. In Fig.06 you can see the
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page 7
Chapter 01
Chapter 01
complete drawing and the red markings indicate

where I have repeated buildings.
Lighting
When we have an image as complex as this
one, it is much easier to pass into color if we
have previously defined the shadows and
volumes in black and white. This is one of
the great advantages of digital technology; it
accelerates our work and makes use of color
easier.
For my picture I chose evening light, because
it produces stronger contrasts and lengthened
shadows in objects, creating beautiful spaces of
Again we can define and sculpt each element in
I generally work with a certain degree of
light and shadow that help our composition. As
more detail, because light and shadow will act
uncertainty, unsure of how my final image will
always, what I do first is to define the position
as a guide to help us to achieve this process.
look.
of the sun in the picture. When we know where
Fig.08 shows the before and after of this
the sun is placed, we can cast shadows and
process, from line to volume, using an element
Cast shadows
mark points of light and volumes in each subject
of the drawing.
I have often been asked how I know where
(Fig.07).
shadow should be placed, as well as how I can
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page 8
Chapter 01
detect it. To do things well, we must first know

where the light source is and also whether it is
natural or artificial light, because its intensity and
the way its casts shadows varies according to
this. Natural light casts shadows in parallel and
artificial light projects radial shadows, since the
latter is closer to the object (Fig.09).
Considering where the sun is, we can draw
lines starting from the direction of the sun to the
object. With this technique we can define where
the light and shadow of the object itself falls, and
what is cast by it (Fig.10).
You can also cheat with the shadows location;
it does not necessarily have to match the light
source. We can use this resource to compose
images from spaces of light and shadow to
make our work more striking. Fig.11 shows the
image with harsh shadows.
In the second part of this tutorial well move on
to looking at adding color, managing brushes
and telling a story through your painting.
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page 9
Chapter 01

Chapter 02 Color and Brush
Management
Software Used: Photoshop
To address a scene containing a lot of detail
and information, you need to have an order
in which to work in and above all, patience.
For this tutorial I was commissioned to draw a
seaport an original place, with an invented
civilization that showed different situations,
crane movements, people, vehicles; many
elements interacting with each other. To deal
with something of this magnitude, with so many
things to draw in the same composition, you
have to plan in advance.
This tutorial will explain how to draw a complex
scenario step-by-step. Ill talk about how ideas
arise, what the sources of inspiration are, how
to work with perspective and composition, digital
painting techniques, brush management and
adding final details. Although almost all these
issues can be found in art books or manual
drawing, Ill show different techniques and
ways to address a drawing. The goal is that the
tutorial should serve primarily as a guide for
those artists who are getting started and need
some order with which to address their projects.
Color
For illustrators, painting a picture is often the
hardest part of the work, as they are afraid of
ruining the drawing when coloring it. I always
say that the easiest thing is to learn how to color
and the most important thing is to learn how
to draw. Each element in nature has a default
color, which I will name local. Apples are red,
trees are green and brown, and the sky is blue
(Fig.01).
When painting an object, we must take into
account its local color and add to it the base
or environment color. This base color will
interfere with the objects local color, producing
new mixes that will not only change it, but
help to enrich and integrate the object into the
environment. Therefore, even though the apple
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page 11
Chapter 02
Chapter 02
is red, it can also be green, purple, yellow and
Once I finished the base color in a new layer,
orange in turn (Fig.02).
I started painting the whole scene in Normal

mode. Using only my brush, with an opacity
To set the color, I took a photograph as a source
setting of 75%, I started in the center of the
of inspiration, from which I extracted the base
scene and began to work on the color of the
color of my drawing. Once I had more or less
ship (Fig.04).
defined the light and shadow in black and white,

I created a new layer. In Overlay mode, I painted
I decided to use a blue-gray color, as the
the entire canvas orange, as well as adding
spacecraft was to be made out of shiny metal.
Unlike many digital artists I usually prefer to
dark brown shadows to limit areas and generate
For the used rusted pieces, orange was
add color, as if it were a traditional painting.
contrast. I mutated the tones to a gray color by
better. By mixing these colors (orange with the
What I do is take the color I want from the color
reducing the color intensity setting on the layer
blue-gray shiny metal) I got the desired effect
palette and apply it directly onto the canvas
to an opacity of 78% (Fig.03).
(Fig.05).
without using any special filter or effect to
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page 12
Chapter 02
keep the background pattern. In short, I cover

the previous stage of the drawing with color
that resembles oil paint, because it makes the
picture look like a traditional painting. I enjoy
thinking about the colors I should use and how
to combine them (Fig.06).
To save working time, we can also use textures
taken from photos, but when using them we
must be careful to maintain the aesthetic unity
of the whole work. The important thing is not
to show that there is a photo and that with this
action, we have improved the quality of our work
(Fig.07).
Gradually an image full of color and detail will
appear. It is important to keep color tones. Using
the base color we should try different colors,
taking care that they do not differ too much from
the rest, unless the composition or the scene
should require it.
As the composition of the scene contains many
elements, we should play a lot with the issue of
distance and contrast to differentiate and limit
their importance in the composition. Objects that
are close are more saturated in color and have
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page 13
Chapter 02
Chapter 02
more contrast. Objects that are farther away are

fainter and more gray (Fig.08).
Digital Painting
For better handling of the color and to create
halftones for our digital painting, use the Color
Picker + Alt. Once we have established the
basis of color, in this case the gray blue metal
that covers the ship, we pick up the same color
with the Eyedropper tool. By using the brush
with the opacity at 70%, we will be able to do the
halftone color base, while we add new colors
and mix them with that basic color (Fig.09).
There are very good programs that emulate a
colors assembly process and its mixture, as if
we were working with pigments.
My recommendation is to work with a good
digital tablet that has high sensitivity in the tip
and, at the same time, set the brush properly.
Brush Management
There are several ways to improve work by
creating your own brushes, intelligently using
their settings and not abusing the resources.
Early on in the painting process, many digital
artists typically use their brush with very little
opacity, thinking that in this way they should
How an artist uses a brush is part of their
be able to achieve a more realistic and
personality and the stroke style often reveals
photographic result in their work. However, the
who the owner of the work is. I recommend
results obtained tend to be not very detailed
preparing a unique set of brushes of your own
pictures with a ghostly or blurred effect (Fig.10
and designing your personal style, trying not to
11).
repeat the same resource in the same work.
This process is just the reverse. We start
To Tell a Story
working with a harder brush (100% opacity) and
For the image to make sense and be
finally, if you want a more realistic treatment,
interesting, it is better that it tells a story and
you may soften certain parts of the drawings
the composition of the illustrations elements
strokes by using a softer brush (20% opacity)
reinforces this concept. My younger brother,
(Fig.12).
who also draws, is a fan of the ancient

astronauts theory and gave me ideas for this
The more defined the hard shadows and lights
scene. I found the topic interesting, so I tried to
are, the more realistic our work will look. Another
have something similar in my illustration.
way to achieve a good finish is to use textured
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brushes with specific shapes to save working
To the left there are alien emperors watching the
time (Fig.13).
loading and unloading of their mother ship; on
page 14
Chapter 02
the other balconies to the right, there is part of

the nobility. Finally, at the bottom of the picture I
put the poorest people, their houses and fishing
boats. All these elements lead the eye towards
the center of the ship. On the one hand they add
information and, on the other, they simplify the
composition (Fig.14).
Intelligent Detailing
Finally, to display the image better, I recommend
detailing the most important issues. What would
be the most important? What we want to show,
what summarizes the idea or what generates
the greatest impact from afar. From this stage
I began to work zoomed in to 50 or 70 percent,
taking regular intervals to see the whole picture
order and being aware of every step you take. In
master of our work. It also gives us more
to avoid getting lost in the immensity of the
a piece of this complexity it is necessary to take
creative freedom and the opportunity to develop
details (Fig.15).
breaks to criticize the picture and look for errors.
our talents to the fullest.
To achieve a good end result many things
It is important to study and practice a lot,
Ignacio Bazan Lazcano
should be considered, especially maintaining
because this allows us to eventually be the
Email: i.bazanlazcano@gmail.com
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page 15
Chapter 02
3DTOTAL EBOOK | Step-by-step Photoshop environments
Discover how to generate

ideas through sketching and
thumbnails...
During this tutorial we shall take a look
at the process behind producing a digital
painting and some of the principal techniques
employed. This particular commission
orientated around a science-fiction theme
entitled Search and Rescue, and depicts a
crash site being investigated by a search party
of astronauts looking for survivors or perhaps
some valuable cargo.
We will consider the entire process behind
digital painting, beginning with ways to
generate an idea through sketching and
thumbnails as well as the use of reference
photos. From here, we shall continue through
the blocking-in phase and discuss the notion
of perspective and composition and the
integral role of color and lighting.
Custom brushes will also feature, as well
as the inclusion of photography as a way of
adding textural realism and as a foundation
for enhancing detail.
20 | 3DTOTAL.COM
01
Gathering references and initial

sketches: The first stage in any painting
is to consider the subject matter or storyline,
something that precedes any drawing or
sketching. If you already have a brief outline or
title then you have a little information to begin
with. From here there are two alternative routes
you could take, both of which are equally valid.
The first is to gather reference material in the
form of images relating to the topic and the
internet is as good a starting point as any. The
second option involves creating some small
compositional studies to try and determine the
key components such as shape, light and space.
It doesnt really matter which route you follow
first as both are equally valid, but you may find it
easier to look for references if you are struggling
to visualize anything.
With the subject established you can begin to
search for relevant materials. In this case, these
were entirely based on astronauts and spacesuits
from various films. It was important to do some
research on this subject in order to ensure that
the characters looked plausible, but other than
this I relied on my imagination for the design
of the environment. If the title of this piece had
related to a real-world scenario and factual
The best approach is to

work on a small scale with
the canvas zoomed out to
around 35%, using large bold
brushstrokes, varying the
brushes if need be
subject matter, then I would naturally have
researched these topics, but it was enough to
begin with just the characters.
As we shall see later on, I introduced some photo
references to help form some of the details in
the image, but for the time being it was the
characters that took priority.
Having compiled a small library of images, I
began sketching some small studies exploring
various compositions and spaceship designs.
During this stage, I often have little or no idea
about how the image will look and so repeatedly
scribble random shapes until something tangible
evolves. The best approach is to work on a small
scale with the canvas zoomed out to around
35%, using large bold brushstrokes, varying the
brushes if need be. It is good to focus on the
general shapes and tonal range as opposed to
any details at this point.
CHAPTER 03 | How to generate ideas
Here is an example of a quick thumbnail sketch

done using a single Hard Elliptical brush. To avoid
a feathery look I used a hard-edged brush as this
created clearer spatial relationships between the
various elements. At this point you want to be
able to picture the overall scene and define the
foreground, middle distance and background.
02
Creating a sense of depth: In this case

we have a structure in the foreground
which is in shadow with a spaceship in the middle
distance disappearing towards the horizon. The
background hints at another part of the wreck
which is little more than a silhouette. When
creating a scene with a lot of depth, remember
to adhere to the laws of atmospheric perspective
which, simply put, results in more contrast and
darker tones in the foreground.
The two photographs illustrate this theory whereby
the distant scenery adopts more of the ambient
light and color of the sky. The darker tones are
nearest the viewer where we witness the strongest
shadows and most of the detail. You can see in
both examples how the scenery becomes closer to
the color of the sky as it recedes.
Despite being very simple, the initial sketches
crucially display a sense of depth and scale and
establishes our foreground, middle distance and
background. Before going into any significant
detail, it is also worth determining the perspective
by way of the horizon line and vanishing point/
points depending on whether you employ one,
two or three-point perspective.
03
Vanishing points: There is plenty of

information online and in books about
this, but if we look at this image you can see
A quick thumbnail sketch using a Hard

Elliptical brush, keeping clear spatial
relationships between each stage
Demonstrating how to convey a sense
of depth
This illustrates the vanishing points and
the horizon line in the image
21
Where the viewer is

positioned in relation to the
horizon will determine how
we view the scene
that I have placed a red horizon line and three
green lines that roughly trace back towards the
vanishing point.
04
Using a two-point perspective: If we

were to use a two-point perspective
it would involve using two vanishing points as
opposed to one. Where the viewer is positioned
in relation to the horizon will determine how
we view the scene. Although perspective
exists everywhere it is only really apparent
in architectural environments or ones that
incorporate man-made objects.
In this image, for example, the lower cube
could represent a building seen from an aerial
perspective, while the upper one could be part of
a tall structure seen from ground level.
You could also introduce a third vanishing point
above or below the horizon line which is apparent
with low and high angle viewpoints.
05
Creating the third vanishing point:

Create a series of lines tracing to a third
vanishing point below the horizon line showing
the perspective of the verticals.
22 | 3DTOTAL.COM
The importance of setting up a perspective grid

depends on the nature of your scene and the
content. If you are describing a complicated
architectural environment then it will prove useful
but if it is a natural environment then it is less so.
Using the initial sketches as a starting point,
I made a few more thumbnails based upon a
large scale crash. I liked the idea of a huge ship
dwarfing the characters so pursued this theme.
06
Composition: Here are three variations

of my image, using both the landscape
and the portrait formats. Each one focuses on

scenes with a sense of depth and the use of
atmospheric perspective.
The astronauts in the left and upper-right image
create a gauge through which to measure the
scale but all three are structured in a similar way
to the image in step one, with the darkest values
set in the foreground. Each has a little more detail
than step one but the focus still remains on the
key shapes, composition and spatial depth.
Frames for different perspectives,

depending on the position of the viewer
Setting up grid lines to create another
dimension to the picture
Creating different variations of the sketch
to determine the right composition
Taking elements of each of the
experimental variations and creating the
best composition
07
Finalizing the composition: The other

important factor to try and establish
at this stage is the light source and lighting
conditions. In the upper right sketch in step six,
you can see that the sun is somewhere to the
right, whereas the left-hand image describes
more overcast conditions with a softer, more
ambient light.
I decided to create another thumbnail with the

characters nearer the ship to help emphasize
its size. I liked the cylindrical plate-like structure
in the two right images and so used this as a
basis for the design. This bears a resemblance
to step one, albeit with a little more detail, but
again adheres to the principals of atmospheric
perspective to create depth and scale.
23
24 | 3DTOTAL.COM
If you have trouble

visualizing something
from a random doodle,
then try using the common
technique of starting with a
photograph
08
Other methods to inspire an image:

All of the images so far have been
painted from scratch, but if you have trouble
visualizing something from a random doodle,
then try using the common technique of starting
with a photograph.
Here is a grouping of three photos that have first
been desaturated and then combined and reorientated using a variety of blending modes to
produce the version on the right. You may notice
the block of flats from the middle photo and
some of the skyscraper lights in the lower image.
09
The final composition: This step

shows the consequent composition that
evolved from this approach, with the block of
flats assuming the hull of the spaceship on the
left. The rectangular shape in the upper-left of the
image in step eight, has become a structure that
now lunges from the right.
Not inspired by random doodles? Try

using a series of photographs to begin
your image
Finishing touches to the composition
25
Richard Tilbury takes us

through the process of creating
space in a sci-fi image...
By using thumbnails and sketches as a way to
explore ideas, I obtain enough of an idea to
begin the final concept. I prefer to start with
some room for improvisation and allow the
image to dictate the direction to some extent,
otherwise the final piece becomes nothing
more than a mechanical exercise and one of
reproduction. I find this approach leaves room
for happy accidents which often lead to better
and more original results.
01
Getting started: The central image here

was the first stage. I chose to widen the
image to create more of a panorama and use the
middle distance to show the bulk of the main
wreckage. As with thumbnails, it is a good idea to
use hard-edged brushes to clearly delineate the
spatial depth, but alternatively you can use the
Lasso tool. Another approach is to lay down some
brushstrokes and then use a hard-edged Eraser to
refine the shape.
The left foreground uses both hard and soft
brushstrokes to create a sense of depth by
playing light against dark (1). The brushes I tend
to use vary from the default Hard Round brush
(see Inset 3: brushes 60, 80, 9, and 9), the Soft
Round Airbrush (brush 17) and the Chalk brush
(brushes 20 and 17).
As a starting point, these create a good variety
of marks and can also help emphasize depth.
Try experimenting with a small array of brushes
such as the ones listed above, as well as using the
Lasso tool. You can also use the Transform tools
to manipulate shapes such as the foreground
wreckage. This began as a series of rectangles,
which were then distorted using the Warp tool in
order to add curvature (4).
I maintained a darker foreground and reduced
the contrast for distant objects, which also
adopted a color closer to the sky.
I began this image in color, but there is no reason
why you cannot start in black-and-white and
focus on the tonal range. You can always add
color later on in a separate layer set to Overlay.
When using color, remember that light bounces
around a scene and will reflect color from one
surface to another. Apart from the key light
source there is a general ambient light which
corresponds to the color of the sky, particularly
on a sunny day.
28 | 3DTOTAL.COM
CHAPTER 04 | Create depth and space in Photoshop
02
Applying colors: In this top image, we

can see that the blue of the sky is evident
in the shadow of the foreground rocks and to a
lesser extent in the middle distance grouping.
In the lower image we can see the blue of the
platform on the underside of the shark as well
as a hint of green under the snout which is being
reflected up off the grass.
When blocking in your composition, try to carry
the general color scheme throughout the image
in order to unify the pictorial space. In other
words, use the sky color in your shadows and
consider the reflectivity of different materials and
their proximity to neighboring objects.
In this instance I opted to start in color as
opposed to black-and-white but either method
is valid.
03
Color scheme: This image shows the

initial block, which uses a combination
of both hard- and soft-edged brushes. It is very
monochromatic using only a few colors and
echoing the color scheme throughout. I sampled
a photo of an industrial facility which I used as
a starting point for the area on the left. This was
then color-corrected to match the palette before
being painted over with a semi opaque brush.
04
Light bounces: Having added the

bulk of the ship in the middle distance
in one of the thumbnails, I decided to try
this composition with a secondary sketch as
a comparison. In this version I deleted the
foreground section and instead blocked in an
additional part in the background.
The arrows indicate regions which illustrate some
of the above principles regarding light bounces.
The foreground cylinder reflects the color of the

sky, whereas some of the warmer ground color is
bouncing off the shaded side of the astronaut as
well as the underside of the ship. The two arrows
pointing left indicate areas where the light is
catching parts of the hull which again is sampled
from the sky.
A breakdown of the key brushes and
tools used in this scene
Take note of reflecting colors in the
environment
Using a monochromatic color scheme
and industrial facility reference as a base
Arrows indicating certain light bounces
in the scene
29
05
Making adjustments: After considering

this composition I decided that I
preferred the inclusion of a cylindrical shaped
hull. With this in mind, I opened the original,
increased the width and then began painting over
it with a much darker color scheme. I retained the
large ship in the middle distance which you can
see in inset 2.
To create the fire I added a new layer set to
Overlay and painted in a region of orange that
corresponded with the lightest areas in the center
which is also partly visible through the hull (3).
I then copy-and-pasted the panels from the
original ship into the image and duplicated these
to form the upright section you can see on the far
left (4). I repeated this to create a third version in
the distance (5).
This repetition of a motif is not only a good
technique for conveying scale and depth but can
also be used as a compositional aid to link areas
of your canvas.
06
Creating depth: If we look at this

example, it shows a single motif placed
on the ground plane with a low horizon line. It
is impossible to gauge the depth of the pictorial
space and get a sense of how far the scene
recedes. By contrast the right image employs a
series of motifs which creates a far more tangible
sense of depth simply because we have a
repetition which acts as a measuring stick.
07
Applying depth to my image: I decided

to paint in an area of water in the
foreground to make more sense of this region.
A simple way of achieving this is to first select
30 | 3DTOTAL.COM
an area using the Lasso tool and then on a

separate layer roughly block in a reflection that
approximates the area directly above it.
Alternatively you could copy the area above the
water and paste it into the selection area.
With the selection area still active, go to Filter >

Blur > Motion Blur and select a vertical axis. You
may need to emphasize certain edges if they are
not apparent but this will depend on the lighting
conditions in your scene.
08
Horizon lines: One thing I noticed at

this point was the awkward placement of
the horizon which was close to the vertical center
of the canvas. Generally this is an undesirable
position and it is best either closer to the top or
bottom edge of the canvas.
This image shows the original level (the top
one) with the amended one below. As well as
looking more interesting it also serves to increase
the scale of the ship on the left ,which now
feels much bigger. By shrinking the size of the
silhouetted component (see red arrow) it also
serves to help increase the scale of the cylindrical
sections of wreckage.
The highlighted component here makes the
left-most piece of wreckage look bigger when
scaled down, but we still do not really know how
big the pieces are as there is no recognizable
reference as yet; a role destined to be fulfilled by
the characters.
09
Size and scale: Size is relative of course,

and the scale of an object can only
be gauged by a comparison with something
else. This also inherently bounds to the laws
of perspective which can create an illusion of
something appearing bigger or smaller than it
actually is.
Here we can see two images of a car alongside a
person but because the car is further away from
the character on the left it appears smaller. The
car on the right looks considerably bigger as it is
adjacent to the character. Artists often include a
figure as a reference for scale or alternatively use
something common-place.
Apart from the cylindrical section that was
duplicated, there is little information in the way
of a repeated motif to convey a sense of depth,
and because of the atmospheric conditions we
cannot see too far into the distance. As a result we
Adding extra lights and components in

the composition
Creating the illusion of depth by placing
receding objects
Adding water made the composition
easier to read
Moving the horizon line to create a sense
of scale
An example of how to create a sense of
size and scale
31
32 | 3DTOTAL.COM
Unless your scene only

contains an array of parallel
objects you may be required
to establish a number of
different vanishing points
will have to resort to another technique to create
depth: overlapping.
10
Overlapping: To illustrate this theory,

look at the left image in this example,
showing two figures apparently floating in space.
Their relationship is vague and we cannot clearly
ascertain how they relate to one another spatially.
If we introduce three lines we now get a much
clearer idea about the pictorial space which now
describes a foreground, middle distance and
background.
Although we have a more tangible space it is
still a little unclear how the three spatial zones
relate especially where they converge within the
red circle. If we introduce tone, this immediately
becomes apparent and we can then employ the
use of atmospheric perspective.
11
Applying an overlap: If we now go back

to the painting and analyze the shapes
we can see that this technique has been used
already. The overlapping has been achieved by
offsetting dark against light areas.
12
Creating space: If we look at this image,

we can observe that area 1 (light) is in
front of area 2 (dark) which in turn is in front of
area 3 (light). The cylindrical wreckage (4) has
both a highlighted and shaded side which sets
it in front of the main hull (5) because it has a
higher level of contrast. As the scene recedes, the
level of contrast decreases due to atmospheric

perspective (compare areas 4, 6 and 8).
13
Perspective: As you can see there are

a few ways in which to create spatial
depth, but the important issue is that you need
to always be aware of perspective, whether you
are working on an architectural environment or a
landscape; even characters adhere to these laws.
Unless your scene only contains an array of
parallel objects you may be required to establish
a number of different vanishing points. If we look
at this example, we can see that the boxes on
the left are parallel to both the ground plane and
each other and so it easy to trace the segments
towards a vanishing point on either side.
The Artist
Richard Tilbury
Web: richardtilburyart.com
If we compare this with the image on the right

you can see that it is no longer as straight
forward. Because these are not aligned, each has
a different vanishing point; something which is
relevant in our search party scene where each
part of the wreckage is at a different angle, and a
necessary requirement for a crash site.
Assigning a foreground, middle

and back ground gives the image a
comprehendible space
The overlapping technique in action
Creating an impression of space in the
image using a variety of techniques
A final example on making the
perspective relevant to your scene
33
Discover techniques to
integrate photographs into
your images...
If we refer to the original image from
last weeks tutorial, we can see a few key
unusual aspects in the composition. Due to
the inconsistent arrangement of volumes
and shapes in the image, I have relied on
atmospheric perspective and a repeated motif
as the main vehicle for conveying depth.
Also, because the horizon line has been
lowered, the ground plane is heavily
foreshortened. In order to support this, it was
important to add some visual clues in the
scene something that the pool of water did
to some extent.
01
Correcting the perspective: This image

shows the original foreground above and
the revised version below. I add some water that
runs towards the horizon, helping to both define
the perspective of the ground plane and create
some interest.
Because we perceive more detail when in close
proximity to an object, then it follows we should
apply this theory when painting. If the foreground
is in extreme shadow or is blurred to create focal
depth then you may make an exception, but as a
rule it works quite well. One way to achieve this is
by varying your brushes and using textured ones
to generate more variety.
This can be done by customizing an existing
brush from your library. Custom brushes can be
made from scratch but you can often create a
good result by manipulating the Brush Presets of
default Photoshop brushes
02
Dual custom brushes: Here we can

see a standard Hard Round brush in the
upper right with the Opacity set to Pen Pressure (a
setting preferable for most brushes). If you scroll
down the list in your Brush panel to Dual Brush
and activate this, you have access to the rest
of your current library and can combine it with
another brush.
The bottom left window shows the active Dual
Brush function and the resultant effect on the
right-hand side, which has now introduced
a second brush. The type of texture you get
depends on the secondary brush but you can
also tweak the settings to vary the brush.
Once you are happy with your brush, dont forget
to save it by clicking on the Create New Brush tab
36 | 3DTOTAL.COM
CHAPTER 05 | Get to grips with integrating photos
at the base of the panel. The new brush will now

appear at the bottom of your library.
03
Creating a new brush: If you want to

create a new brush you must first define
a shape and then make a selection area around
it. Then go to Edit > Define Brush Preset and give
it a name. This will now appear at the base of
your library, though when you select the brush
it will be far from correct and will require some
tweaking within the Brush Presets.
04
the top and begin by altering the Spacing (lefthand image). This helps define your brush shape.
Comparing the original and revised

perspective shots
If you want to add variation throughout the

stroke, flip the X and Y Jitter under the Shape
Dynamics you will also notice I link the size of
the brush to Pen Pressure and set the Angle Jitter
to Direction. This means that the stroke orientates
with the direction of the brush (see middle panel).
Creating dual custom brushes in the

brush settings
I finally set the Opacity to Pen Pressure under the

Transfer tab (right panel).
Defining the selection area when

creating a new brush
Changing the brush settings to create
the right brush stroke
Altering brush settings: Once you have

opened the Brush Presets panel, start at
37
05
The final brush: Once the brush is

saved out it resembles this image here,
where less pressure results in a smaller and
lighter tip.
06
Focus and detail: The color scheme

and composition at this stage is well
established, despite the absence of the characters
which will eventually become the key focal
points.
It may be worth mentioning that you should
always work on the image as a whole and not
get carried away with details. As part of painting
a secondary composition I included some
characters to get an idea about their placement,
but if I hadnt explored this aspect then it
would have been wise to include them during
the blocking-in phase. From this initial sketch I
realized that a foreground character was what I
wanted with one or two set further back to help
lead the viewer into the scene.
In this image, one thing I quite like is the
cylindrical section in the left foreground, perhaps
suggesting a fallen engine component, so I decide
38 | 3DTOTAL.COM
to include this along with a few duplicates on

the main wreck. At the moment the scale looks
a little inconsistent between the foreground one
and those in the background but we can fix that
later. You may notice the suggestion of detail in
the shaded underside which comes courtesy of
photo overlays; an effective technique for quickly
adding realism.
online or use a camera and photograph a

subject with specifics in mind; it is up to you, but
obviously there may be a limit to what you can
find yourself.
07
08
Using photos: If we look at this image,

the silhouette of the ship is rather vague
with the upper section appearing to merge with
the atmosphere, while the distant section looks
clearer by contrast. We could simply sharpen
the edge, but instead will use a photo to suggest
a mechanical structure. You can either search
I found this image of some abandoned machinery

which looks like it was used in mining to carry
materials along a series of conveyor belts.
Scale: One aspect to be aware of is scale;
it is important that whatever you sample
fits within the context. Thats not to say that you
need to find an image that perfectly matches
the perspective and proximity of your image
but if for example you are describing a distant
building then a close up may prove inconsistent
The final brush effect
and difficult to integrate. This is not an absolute

rule but rather a guideline as indeed there are
instances when this will work.
blending mode. At the moment it looks far from

satisfactory but if we alter the blending mode
and reduce the Opacity it looks entirely different.
Part of the reason it works well is that the original
photo is quite desaturated. This means that when
you set it to Overlay it will adopt the color of the
base image.
You can see here that the scale of machinery is far

smaller than the spaceship but the level of detail
within the selection area is consistent. There is a
section of grass and sky included which obviously
isnt ideal, but can remain depending on the
Generally you will need to make some color

adjustments in order to ensure the photos blend
in with your color scheme, but the degree and
choice of the blending mode will depend on the
context. If you wish to use Overlay, for example,
Getting the right scale is important use

adjustments to make any additions fit
the image
The degree and choice of the

blending mode will depend on
the context
Working on the image as a whole and

choosing a focal point to add detail
Using photos to add texture and
definition to silhouettes
39
40 | 3DTOTAL.COM
then you will probably need to desaturate the

photo. The important issue is to maintain the
tonal range and make sure that the contrast
is similar. Sometimes you may prefer to keep
the blending mode as Normal and use Image
Adjustments to modify the color and contrast so
they match.
09
Integrating a photo: This image is

a good case in point; youll see that
the highlighted cylinder was extracted and the
brightness lowered slightly. Once the Opacity was
lowered the blending mode did not need to be
altered as it worked quite well. This was due to
the fact that the color scheme and contrast was
sympathetic to begin with.
Apart from this reference the rest of the ship and
areas of the background used the same photo of
mining machinery.
10
Photos in the image: Here you can see

the culmination of all these additions
with their associated blending modes and opacity
settings.
The far left region was set to Luminosity as this
is a section at right angles to the underside and I
therefore want it to be a little lighter. If it was set
to Overlay it would have adopted the value of the
ship layer and appear darker.
Always remember that the photo overlays should

be used to reinforce your painting rather than
dictate the content. Once the photo has been
color-corrected then you can use your brush to
blend it in, adding the mortar between the stones
as it were. You can also use the Eyedropper to
sample colors which can in turn be used to add
additional detail.
11
Comparing effects: This image shows

a section of color-corrected detail on
the left, and color-corrected and painted detail
(using the color apparent in the photo layer) on
the right.
The Artist
Richard Tilbury
richardtilburyart.com
If your layer is not set to Normal mode you will

need to do this on a separate layer, otherwise
the color you are sampling will not be a true
representation of what you are seeing.
This photo was well integrated into the

scene using Opacity
The various additions to the image and
the adjustments made to integrate them
Comparing the different stages of adding
detail
41
Balancing the composition

of your scene by introducing
some characters...
At this point in the image, we can begin to
work on adding characters, which are crucial
to the composition. In this case, I decide to put
one in the extreme foreground, so begin on
him first.
01
Blocking in the figure: The first stage

involves blocking in the general shape
and color, which in this case is a green/blue
hue, deliberately chosen to contrast with the
warm hues prominent throughout the scene.
As usual, make sure you consider the lighting
With the principal character

in place, it is easier to review
the overall composition and
the relationship between the
various parts
44 | 3DTOTAL.COM
scheme and bear in mind the arrangement of

lights and darks. If you look at the initial block-in,
the light is now hitting the left side of the arm
and helmet whereas the right side is in shadow;
something that is maintained throughout the two
subsequent phases.
I try to make the suit well-padded with a large
scale visor but it looks oversized (as you can
see in the middle image here) and so I reduce
the proportions, resulting in a slimmer and less
hunched astronaut.
By having him point, it also serves to guide the
viewers attention towards the second astronaut
who will be placed to the left.
02
Positioning the character: Having

him cropped at the waist feels a little
awkward, so I raise him and give him a more
upright stance.
03
Composition: With the principal

character in place, it is easier to review
the overall composition and the relationship
between the various parts. I realize that the detail
is inconsistent at this point instead of reducing
detail towards the background, I had an area
in both the foreground and the background
that had been worked on heavily, and a large
component that lacked definition in the form of
the main wreckage.
04
Fixing composition problems: To

help balance this inconsistency, I decide
to create an area of detail. I begin by adding
evidence of a wing of sorts and then use an
array of photos to house some mechanical parts
beneath it, perhaps suggesting an engine or
internal support structure.
I use hand-painted elements to start the process
(upper left) and follow by integrating some
color-corrected photos (upper right). The photo
CHAPTER 06 | Learn to balance compositions
The first stages of adding in a character

Re-cropping and positioning the
character in the scene
Problems with the composition that

need to be addressed
Addressing problems with the
composition by refocusing detail
45
46 | 3DTOTAL.COM
CHAPTER 06 | Learn to balance compositions
sections are then blended in with a brush, paying

careful attention to the lighting.
05
Adding detail: I use three photographs

to add detail, as you can see in the
corresponding images. Increasing the detail in
this section of the canvas makes a great deal of
difference and marks the beginning of the last
phase. It is always good to balance areas of detail
with less labored parts of the canvas, and in this
case I want the right half to be far simpler and
more suggestive compared to the left-hand side.
06
More characters: The foreground

character is used as a device to activate
this space and help balance the composition. One
remaining aspect is the inclusion of an additional
character in the direction that the astronaut is
pointing. This is something which will also help
tie the left and right sides together and guide the
viewer into the scene.
I add two additional explorers approaching the
main wreckage and refine our key character,
whose right arm is now complete alongside his
modified helmet. I create a sharp edge around
the helmet using the Lasso tool; you can then
paint inside the selection area, invert it and
then delete outside it (assuming you do it on a
separate layer).
He is the focal point and from here your eye is
led to the other two explorers, guided in part by
a subtle lens flare where light is reflecting off a
metal panel. These characters are composed of
a group of light and dark areas to suggest their
general shape and spacesuits. When you get
a highlight in the right area it is amazing what
effect it can have in describing form, even in the
absence of any detail.
The composition at this point is now complete
and any further work is simply a matter of refining
what is already there.
07
Collapsing layers: It is helpful to divide

your image into layers and break it
down into a logical structure that allows you
to experiment with areas independently, but it
will get to a point inevitably when you want to
collapse a few or indeed the entire PSD file. Once
done you can apply some adjustment layers to
further modify aspects like the color scheme and
contrast for example.
So at this point, I collapse everything and then
create a new group (icon is located at the base of
the Layers palette next to the Delete Layer icon).
Within this, I add two additional layers that make
up the refinements. There is no reason why you
cannot use a single layer or indeed create a whole

new set, but at some point you will probably
repeat the process.
You can see the image and the corresponding
Layers palette with the new group called
Refinements (marked green) and a Curves
adjustment layer at the top with the mask
thumbnail alongside it.
This is used to darken the shaded areas, and by
painting into the mask with black, I can prevent
the lighter regions from being affected.
Using reference images to inspire detail

in the image
Working out the best composition by
adding more characters and a subtle
lens flare
Collapsing the layers and adding a few
final adjustments to complete the image
The final image
08
Final thoughts: This concludes the

end of the process though no doubt I
will look at the image in a few months time and
see a number of flaws this is a scenario that
could apply to almost every piece you undertake
however. Ultimately there is a point at which
you must decide to stop, and sometimes the
temptation to continue can prove difficult to
resist, but this is simply another step in the
learning process.
47
The Artist
Richard Tilbury
richardtilburyart.com
Discover how to create a

strong starting point for your
complex images...
In the following tutorial, I am going to give a
detailed walkthrough on the creation of the
image The Hunt. The tutorial will focus both
on the fundamentals of creating visual art and
the technical aspects of the digital painting.
This scene takes place within some ancient
temple ruins, showing a few characters
chasing after a beast.
52 | 3DTOTAL.COM
Research, thumbnails, sketches of the ideas:

I never under-estimate the importance of
the researching stage in the creation of
my images. It gives me the opportunity to
brainstorm the given subject and find proper
designs for the architectural elements and the
characters in the image. With the given brief
of the image, I can quickly sort out a few key
words: ruins, hunters, beast. Then, it will be
around those keywords that I will sketch out
the ideas.
01
Sketching the ruins: I will start by

setting the temple ruins within the
environment. I have found some really good
references on www.freetextures.3dtotal.com/
index.php. It contains a large royalty-free image
database, so dont hesitate to use it for finding
useful and high-resolution references.
Its also very useful to build your own visual bank
by taking tons of pictures during your trips and
daily life routines. What is good about them is
their copyrights totally belong to you. Not only
CHAPTER 07 | Sketching with texture brushes
can you manipulate them freely for making your

own textures and patterns, but you can also
make your own custom brushes. When you lack
ideas for your next image, just go through your
visual bank; some nice sunset clouds, building
shapes or a giant old tree root may trigger your
imagination and inspire you to come up with
fresh, new ideas.
Since the ruins significantly dictate the
composition of the image, I choose to start with
these. Iconic shapes are the foundations of any
good composition, so I pick some gray values and
make some blockings of big iconic shapes. At this
point, you can use any default brushes that come
with Photoshop, however I prefer to use charcoal
brushes rather than the round airbrush ones,
since they can give you crisp and sharp lines.
02
Adding small details: It is important to

spend some time drawing small details
on the outlines of those big shapes in order to
make them visually appealing and realistic. Those
cracks can tell the viewers that these are aged
bricks and rocks. Along with the broken shapes,
the very few gray shapes that I have just put down
are already solidly setting the basic tones for the
overall image.
03
Using texture brushes: As I continue

with the sketch, I continue using different
textured charcoal brushes to add brick details to
the basic blocking. I also use photo references
that I have gathered as texture bases that I

overlay as reference.
Since we are in the researching phase, it is
important to observe the material properties,
mainly the old stone bricks in this case. To make
the stone brick textures pop out of the image, it is
essential to not overpaint every single brick in the
ruins, just carefully draw out the ones where the
light hits the most, and hint subtly at the rest.
04
Perspective: Atmospheric perspective is

another trick to make your image easy to
read. The areas that I circled in red have different
degrees of value contrast: the two foreground
shapes are the darkest facets against the light
sky, so they have the highest value contrast in the
image. Such contrast makes them instantly stand
out in the foreground. As our eyes move further
in the distance, we can notice that the central
architectural element has less value contrast, as it
is a mid-gray value against a light sky backdrop

this less perceptible value change makes it recede
into the background.
Since this is still the sketching phase, I stop
polishing the image too much and start exploring
with another sketch.
Blocking out the shapes of the ruins to

set the composition
Adding small details tells the viewers
that these are aged buildings
Isolating one or two bricks in the wall
really makes them pop
Creating perspective by varying the
tone of the objects
53
The characters and the

ruins should have a similar
perspective/horizon line, as
it will make our life easier
to integrate them in the
environment later
05
A new sketch: Since the first ruins

sketch is composed of heavily broken
parts, I want to make something a little different
for the second one: its a less destroyed ruin on
a hill, and it has a more dominating presence in
the image.
I will elaborate the technical aspects of the
digital painting using Photoshop, such as how to
make custom brushes, in the other parts of the
tutorial. But in this researching and sketching
part, I really want to put the importance on the
54 | 3DTOTAL.COM
basic artistic notions to make a visually appealing

image. Those notions remain the same no matter
whether you use traditional tools or digital
software for achieving the final result.
06
Adding to the composition: After

completing the second ruin sketch, I find
something is lacking in the image, even though I
do like the massive shape of the ruins. I think that
it is because the sketch is missing some depth,
especially some foreground elements, to lead the
viewers eye into the image.
Suddenly the ruins become alive they tell a
story. They start to show that back during the
temples glory days, the people would follow the
path to climb up to the hill, to the central part of
the temple for worshipping their God.
07
Sketching the characters: I am pretty

satisfied with the environment now, so
it is time to do some sketches of the characters
as we move forward in the process. As the ruins
are static visual elements, it would be nice to add
some motion in the image with our characters
who are chasing after a wild beast. It should be
appropriate for the story to have the characters as
native people living on this land since the time of
their ancestors.
I use some big brushstrokes with the intention
of sketching out the movements of the hunters,
without worrying too much about their designs. I
make more sketches, paying attention to creating
depth with the positioning of the hunters.
The characters and the ruins should have
a similar perspective/horizon line, as it will
CHAPTER 07 | Sketching with texture brushes
make our life easier to integrate them into the

environment later. Now they are all approximately
at our eye level, so if you want to save some time,
dont sketch the characters from a birds eye view
or from a low-angle view unless you just want to
experiment freely and have some fun.
08
Close-up details: I had the hunting

mood going on with my last character
sketches, so I decide to create a close up of the
native. He has some fundamental features of
a native: dark skin, and a clear and hard facial
bone structure, along with a few feathers as
decorations on his headwear. I am not sure if
this close up will be useful for the final painting,
but doing some side studies on the topic is
always good, as reference, to have a better
understanding of the image context.
09
Finalizing the characters: To finalize

the character sketches, I draft a dark
back view of the hunter. It can be very useful as
a foreground for the final painting as this back
silhouette can lead the viewers eye into the
image for the hunting action.
After doing all those sketches, I now have a pretty

solid understanding of the image context, and
am very confident to start the black-and-white
painting for the final image. From here, we need
Creating something a little different for

the second sketch
Building up the sketch to enhance the
narrative and story
to blend these sketches into a more complex and

finished composition with a strong, convincing
storytelling characteristic.
Drawing extra versions of the characters

broadens your knowledge and skill on
the topic
Finishing the black-and-white sketches
Sketching characters on the horizon line
55
Learn how to build up your

scene using custom brushes
and incorporating characters...
In this tutorial, I will focus on how to bring all
the sketch elements together in order to build
a complete black-and-white image.
01
Adding the hunters: Since weve

already created a series of solid sketches
of both characters and temple ruins, we have
a solid base to start from. I finally choose the
second environment sketch, showing lessdestroyed ruins standing on top of a hill, because
its path leads the viewers eye into the image well
and it has good story-telling potential.
I take the first character sketch that I did in the
previous part and try to integrate the natives into
the foreground. Dont be afraid to use the Free
Transform tool to scale and flip the characters
to find the best way to blend them with the
background. I usually make two to three versions
to pick the best. With the added hunters, the
image suddenly becomes more alive and gains an
extra layer of information.
02
More characters: I take a step back

and look at the image. The left side feels
As digital artists, we dont

only need to master all the
traditional art notions; we also
need a few technologically
enhanced tricks to help us to
achieve the best visual result
58 | 3DTOTAL.COM
very empty, so I decide to add another group of

characters. I take the second hunter sketch that I
did, and reduce them in size considerably to place
them behind my other hunters. Much more depth
is then suggested with the newly added hunters:
I reduce their sizes proportionally as they recede
further into the distance.
03
Creating custom brushes: In a fastpaced entertainment industry like ours,

production speed is one of the most important
requirements in the workplace. As digital artists,
we dont only need to master all the traditional
art notions; we also need a few technologically
enhanced tricks to help us to achieve the best
visual result.
CHAPTER 08 | Create custom brushes with photos
For the background temple, I want to add a few

tree silhouettes. I already know that I will also
need them later for my foreground, so I create a
custom brush to ease the process.
I open one of the pictures that I took during my
trip to Texas. Since the trees are in dark tones
against a light sky, it will be much simpler for us
to extract the intricate and nice tree branches.
Please note that this kind of level of detail and the
natural randomness of the tree branch shapes
and distribution cant be hand-painted with a
round brush, but it would take ages.
04
Preparing the image: I then simply

desaturate the original image and use
the Curves adjustment to boost up the contrast.
You can also use the Levels adjustment or the
Brightness/Contrast adjustment to achieve the
same result any Photoshop technique that suits
your work habits will do.
05
Extracting the image: With the highly

contrasted tree silhouetted against the
almost white sky, you can use Extract under the
Filter tab, or Color Range under the Select tab, or
any other masking methods that work for you to
get rid of the light background.
Now we are left with a clean cut-out of the trees.
And, of course, all the tiny tree branch details are
neatly preserved!
06
Refining the image: I continue erasing

all the extra trees on both the left and
the right sides. This step requires some patience,
as it is extremely important that the silhouette is
exactly how you want, otherwise when you turn
this into a brush, the unwanted single black dot
will repeat endlessly with each single brushstroke.
Integrating the sketches of the natives

into the scene
De-saturating and tweaking the contrast

to make the best base image
Adding more hunters and reducing them

to create the impression of distance
Extracting the tree image and preserving

the fine branch detail
Using an image of a tree to create a

custom brush
Making sure that all the details are exact

on the image
59
07
Naming the brush: Now select the

tree, go to the Edit tab and click on
Define Brush Preset. Give it a name as you will
have many brushes in your Brush Preset window
and it is important to name it properly to avoid
confusion later.
08
Adjusting the settings: The newlymade brush should appear now in your
brush collection, but it is not over yet. Open your
Brushes window under the Window tab and you
will be offered many options to alter your original
Tree brush. You could spend half an hour playing
with the settings, but I will talk about just two of
them that are used the most frequently: Shape
Dynamic and Other Dynamics. You can use them
to give some random effects to your original
brush. So when you apply your brushstroke,
the original brush shape will change in size,
angle, roundness and perhaps opacity along the
brushstroke path.
In our case, since it is a recognizably shaped
brush, unlike those Charcoal, Pencil or Oil
brushes, which aim to mimic certain specific
traditional media, you dont want to go too crazy
with the settings. I would only apply some Size,
Opacity Jitter, and maybe some very subtle Angle
Jitter to it, because if I want to build a forest with
the brush later, I dont want to have upside-down
trees there.
After you have played with all the settings, please
dont forget to save the brush again and give it
60 | 3DTOTAL.COM
CHAPTER 08 | Create custom brushes with photos
a new name, otherwise all the settings that you

have just spent 20 minutes to get will be lost once
you change your brush.
09
Using the brush: It will be fun to not

only paint with the brush, but also to
erase with it. You can see some results that I had
with my new brush in this image here.
If I have to make a digital painting with more
forest/trees content, I will certainly make a few
other brushes by repeating the previous steps
that I just have explained. It will give more
variation and more appeal to the vegetation.
However, for this painting, I only need it to hint a
few silhouettes, so I will make one or two strokes
here and there, and then move forward with the
black-and-white painting.
10
Adding more elements: I select the

tree brush and place a few trees near
the temple top. As long as you select the right
gray tone, they should blend in easily with
the rest of the painting. I continue by adding
the hunters target: the tiger. Now the image
becomes complete in terms of story-telling.
The confrontation is set right at the center of
attention: the beast is fierce and the hunters have
their eyes on it ready to capture the wild animal.
11
Framing the image: Finally I put some

big tree trunks on the left and right top
corners of the paintings to make the composition
more visually appealing. All the subtle details of
the small branches are done with our new brush. I
have circled all the areas that are touched up with
our new brush in red.
12
Adding more elements: This last image

shows the final black-and-white painting
that I achieve before moving forward with colors.
Applying the custom tree brush to create

silhouettes in the scene
Adding the story-telling elements to
complete the narrative
Give your brush an appropriate name to

avoid confusion
Adjusting the settings of your custom
brush to create random effects with
each stroke
Creating a more appealing composition

by adding tree trunks around the frame
The final image ready to begin coloring
the scene
61
Learn how to add color to

areas of your image using
masks and adjustment layers...
With the final black-and-white base painting
completed, we can move forward with the
coloring process. It is important the keep the
gesture and loose feel of the black-and-white
painting throughout the coloring without overrendering the image with small brushstrokes.
Hence, we will focus on the overall feel and
color scheme in this part of the tutorial and
worry about the finer details later on.
64 | 3DTOTAL.COM
01
The Hue/Saturation window: The

adjustment layer Hue/saturation is my
dearest friend in the coloring process. There are
two ways to access it: From the Image tab, go to
Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, or use the little
circle symbol at the bottom of your layer window.
I start to give the overall painting a desaturated
blue tone. Dont forget to tick on the Colorize box
in the Hue/Saturation dialogue window; it will
make the whole painting monochromatic. You
can slide freely with the hue sliding bar to achieve
a variety of different color variations, and the
saturation sliding bar to desaturate the painting

to your preference.
02
Adding a basic brown color: I continue

to add more colors to the painting. I use
the same technique to get a light-brown color
layer. It sets the basic color for the temple ruins.
Since I only want this brown color layer to apply
to the temple, I use a gradient mask to reveal the
first blue layer for the sky and another mask to
reveal the characters.
CHAPTER 09 | Explore coloring techniques
03
Darker colors trees: I have kept all

my masks from my last tutorial, so it is
making my job much easier now. If you didnt
preserve the masks, it is not too late to make
them now. However, dont solely use the Lasso
tool to select your elements using any painting
brush to trace the contour so the masks have a
loose silhouette of the characters, will give the
image a stronger traditional painting feel.
Now lets boost up some dark-brown color for
the foreground tree branches using the hue/
saturation adjustment layer.
04
Darker colors hunters: I take a step

back and look at the picture and notice
the foreground hunters are too light, so I darken
them and desaturate them even more since they
are in the shadow, ready to jump out to capture
the wild beast. Also, they should be one of the
darkest elements of the image to further enhance
the atmospheric perspective.
05
Exploring other color schemes: With

all the digital tools that Photoshop
provides us, we have the convenience to try other
color schemes/time of day to make sure that we
Locating the Hue/Saturation window

and working with the hue sliding bar
Using a gradient mask to block out the
sky and characters
Boosting the brown tones in the
foreground trees
Deepening the tones on the foreground
hunters to create perspective
65
have made the right color choice. So even though

I am pretty happy with the basic color tone, I still
want to take a few more minutes to explore other
possibilities. Some traditional painters do this
step on very small color thumbnails on canvas,
watercolor paper and other traditional media
just another way to refresh our minds with
different visual inputs.
06
More color schemes: To have more fun,

I make another evening color trial with
a desaturated dark-blue tone. Now I have three
color directions to choose from: a daytime one, a
sunset one and an evening one.
Based on my personal preference, I find the
daytime one the best. And it should also be the
most suitable one serving for a tutorial purpose
66 | 3DTOTAL.COM
since it has the potential to give more color

information and nuances. The other two are
probably better for speed mood-paintings. If
Im doing this piece as a production art, I will
keep the sunset and the evening ones for the Art
Director and the Lighter maybe they will need
them just for extra references.
Of course, there are still other possibilities such
as dawn, noon, late afternoon, and midnight
to explore. If you want to practice even more,
it is also enjoyable to try out different weather
conditions with the same setting, such as a rainy
day, heavy snow, heavy fog, and so on. You need
to make a lot of careful observations in your
daily life or thorough studies of photo references
to make those different visual explorations
believable. It might be time consuming, but after
a lot of practice, youll be able to respond to the

Art Director requests or production needs with
much more ease.
07
Refining the colors: With the basic

color set, I am going to focus on different
parts of the image to further push the color
nuances. Starting with the temple up on the hill,
I enhance all the facets facing the light with a
lighter brownish tone. In order to contrast with
the light facets, I give all the shadow areas a much
darker purple tone. Suddenly, the structure has
much more depth and a three-dimensional feel
to it.
It also helps to give all the vegetation a very
desaturated green as it shows here in this image.
For the light stone texture on the temple walls,
CHAPTER 09 | Explore coloring techniques
I paste some rock texture and erase it lightly to

make it blend in with the rest of the image.
08
Painting the tiger: It is time to give the

tiger yellow fur and a black-and-white
stripe motif. It is pretty simple because there are
tons of tiger references that you can find out there
on the internet.
09
The hunters and ruins: To continue,

I add the dark skin tone to the native
hunters since they are constantly exposed to the
sun and rough weather conditions. Paint in the
different skin color nuances to sculpt the muscles.
As long as their posing conveys some kind of
ready-to-hunt movement, it should be fine. Dont
over draw the body anatomy too much, because
it makes the characters freeze in the image and
you lose the gesture feel of them.
Finally, I repeat the similar process with the ruins
in the right-side bottom-corner. Dont hesitate to
paste rock textures on the ruins and erase them
here and there randomly it helps the photo
integration to fit in better with the painting.
10
The color pass: Our color pass is now

complete! As you can see, the color
pass preserves the nice painting feel that we had
in the black-and-white painting. This is mainly
because of the intensive use of the adjustment
layers. If we were to paint in the color merely with
a brush, the painting would soon become hard
to manage with all kinds of smaller strokes and
color variations.
Even though the creation of the painting relies

intensively on the artistic side of the artist, a
logical and methodical approach on the technical
side can make the whole process much faster
and effortless. As you might have noticed in this
tutorial, I have three secret weapons to help me
achieve this result: the use of masks, adjustment
layers and the integration of photo textures.
A sunset color scheme with a reddominated palette, keeping all the

foreground elements in the dark shadow
Trying out different color schemes
Refining the color nuances in the scene
Adding fur and stripes to the tiger
Adding gestural shapes to the hunters,
and texture to the ruins
The complete color pass
67
Discover how to add

traditional brushstroke
textures to your scene...
The closer we get to the end of the creation
of an image, the more it becomes timeconsuming to render the finer details and
to give some crisp final touches to the
illustration. We might get the impression of
being less efficient, however such slowing
down is quite normal, and necessary to close
the painting process. We are not far from our
final goal, so lets move on!
01
More refinement: First, there is some

work to do on the left side of the ruins.
These ruins are still painted very roughly with
some rock textures, however I want them to be
a continuous part of the right side ruins so I add
some stone bricks that appear to have been
crafted by men long ago.
02
Vegetation: Having added detail to the

ruins, I also have to add some moss,
vegetation and sandy grounds on top of the ruins,
so it integrates well with the right side of the hill
where the central temple is located.
03
Silhouette refinement: One thing

that gives any painting a more finished
quality is well worked outlines or silhouettes of
the different elements. Usually, the closer the
elements are to the viewers, the more they need
crispness or attention to the silhouettes to create
atmospheric perspective.
In our case, the foreground tree branches and
the hunters fall into this category. The vegetation
on the hill also needs some work: even though
they are far way, they are against a very clean
sky background which makes them easily
72 | 3DTOTAL.COM
noticeable to the viewers. I have circled all those

components in red to make them obvious.
04
Overall adjustments: At this stage,

it would be extremely helpful to zoom
out of the image in order to see if it conveys the
ambiance that you have originally imagined. For
me, I find the color tone a bit cold, in particular
the fog between the hunters and the ruins has

a blue tone that dominates the painting more
than what I had in mind. To quickly correct the
color tone, I make a Color Balance adjustment
layer and shift the mid-tone values more towards
yellow and red.
CHAPTER 10 | Learn texture skills
05
Shifting values: I have also noticed that

the values of the hunters are a little bit
too bright since my intention was to have them
in the shadow. So I select the characters with my
previous preserved masks and use the Levels
adjustment layer to modify the values.
Adding some more detail to the left

side of the ruins
Picking out areas in the image to refine

to create atmospheric depth
Applying vegetation to the tops of the

ruins to composite the building into
the scene
Color and mood adjustments on the fog

around the hunters and ruins
Tweaking the values of the hunters to
suit the scene
73
I always bring my Photoshop

image into ArtRage to give it
a brushstrokes effect, then
export it back Photoshop
06
ArtRage texture: Since I started

traditional painting before using
Photoshop, I always love the traditional oil
brushstrokes on the canvas. I try to mimic this
traditional aspect of the oil painting whenever I
can. ArtRage is a very handy software that serves
this purpose.
Compared to Painter, ArtRage is much more
compact and easier to load. It aims to mimic all
kinds of traditional media such as oil, palette
knife, pastel, roller, pencil, pen, and so on.
I always bring my Photoshop image into ArtRage
to give it a brushstrokes effect, then export it back
Photoshop. (See the pro tip on ArtRage for a full
introduction of this software).
I make a quick sample on the right side of the
image here. There are still a lot of effects to be
discovered in ArtRage, and you can try it out to
give a traditional painting feel to your Photoshop
image, or create entirely a new painting in
ArtRage from scratch.
07
Final highlights: If well-worked

outlines or silhouettes give paintings a
74 | 3DTOTAL.COM
PRO TIP
A brief introduction to ArtRage
There are four important windows on the interface: Tool Picker, Presets, Settings and
Layers. I try to stick with those basic tools without getting too fancy with the software.
In the left-bottom corner, you can select any of the traditional media that you want
to use. Once the tool is selected, oil brush for instance, its related presets will appear
automatically in the Presets window. They cover a wide range of variations of oil brushes,
such as dry brush, day clumps, dry varnished, normal square, thick gloss, and so on.
What is cool about this software is that you can select one preset as your basic setting, and
further tweak it in the Settings window by adjusting its pressure, thinners, loading, and so
on. After few adjustments, you can really get a brush which is very close to what you have
used traditionally.
The last window Layers is very similar to what we have in Photoshop, but more simplified.
It stays very useful for organizing your painting layers. One of the cool characteristics of
ArtRage is that the colors can be blended very naturally together, and create subtle color
nuances in the mixing.
more finishing quality, then adding some crisp

highlights to selected elements is another trick to
reach a higher level of rendering.
there; this is because I dont want to break the oil

painting quality that has been achieved in this
image has for now.
Those highlights make the elements stand out to

catch the viewers attention. I dont want to make
them too obvious and bold on this image, so I just
apply them very loosely to suggest that they are
You can notice that I mainly add highlights on

the hunters hair, the right-side ruins and the tree
branches, this is because our light source is from
the left hand side of the canvas.
CHAPTER 10 | Learn texture skills
painting here.
08
Birds: For any outdoor environment, it

is always nice to add some birds. They
are very useful for enhancing the sense of scale to
the setting.
09
Subtle color aberration: Color

aberration is a type of distortion where
there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to
the same convergence point. Under Filter >
Distort > Lens Correction, you have the option to
add or to remove color aberration. I add some
subtle aberration so the image has some kind of
photographic quality.
10
Final level adjustments: We are really

close to the finished painting! I want to
make a final contrast adjustment to boost up the
central part of the canvas in order to make the
point of interest even more evident.
11
Final image: Now it is time to put your

signature, and you can see the final
Adding texture detail with ArtRage

Some highlights added to the scene
to complement the position of the
light source
Placing birds in the scene to create a
sense of scale
Applying some color aberration to the
scene to give a photo-effect
Boosting the contrast adjustment to
focus the point of interest
75
The Artist
Donglu Yu
donglu-littlefish.blogspot.ca
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FREE WALL CALENDAR

Step-by-step Photoshop environments Chapter 01

Ideas and Sources of Inspiration

In this picture I found my idea and I realized

sight of a battleship parked in a yard. I found

what I was looking for. The world that revolved

Other times Im just interested in color, and look

the color of the image was great, as well as

in my head, that I could not yet identify, was

for photos where the colors awaken a feeling

the composition and the feeling of vastness

great, majestic and something that showed

or ideal climate for the topic Im researching for

power and distance.

skies: sunset, night, cloudy ones, etc (Fig.01).

my drawing. Looking for images on the web for

Step-by-step Photoshop environments

Raising the Scene

As the image would show the greatest amount

an aerial view we should move the horizon up,

Based on the picture I found, I decided to have

of detail and elements, I chose an aerial

so we generate the airplane effect (Fig.04).

a huge ship as the central focus and thereafter

perspective, because in this view I could

arrange all the other items relative to it. So, I

increase the size of the ship and provide greater

To begin detailing each object with the lines

produced a sketch of my initial idea (Fig.03).

detail on the scale of things. Basically, to make

of perspective, I use boxes and buckets for

Step-by-step Photoshop environments Chapter 01

Step-by-step Photoshop environments

complete drawing and the red markings indicate

Again we can define and sculpt each element in

I generally work with a certain degree of

light and shadow that help our composition. As

more detail, because light and shadow will act

uncertainty, unsure of how my final image will

always, what I do first is to define the position

as a guide to help us to achieve this process.

of the sun in the picture. When we know where

Fig.08 shows the before and after of this

the sun is placed, we can cast shadows and

process, from line to volume, using an element

mark points of light and volumes in each subject

I have often been asked how I know where

shadow should be placed, as well as how I can

Step-by-step Photoshop environments Chapter 01

detect it. To do things well, we must first know

Step-by-step Photoshop environments Chapter 02

Step-by-step Photoshop environments

is red, it can also be green, purple, yellow and

Once I finished the base color in a new layer,

orange in turn (Fig.02).

I started painting the whole scene in Normal

To set the color, I took a photograph as a source

setting of 75%, I started in the center of the

of inspiration, from which I extracted the base

scene and began to work on the color of the

color of my drawing. Once I had more or less