120

Issue 120 | December 2015

Paint light
and color

Create a light-filled,
atmospheric fantasy
scene with this tutorial
from Christoph Peters

plus

10 of the best digital images

Paint like the Impressionists
Create a sleek interior
and much more!

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Editors Letter
Welcome to 2dartist issue 120!
Hello and welcome to issue 120 of 2dartist magazine!
In this months issue we have an interview with Lip
Comarella, the art director behind animation studio
Salon Alpin. We are also talking to traditional artist
Scarlett Fu and get a peek at the sketches of the highly
popular Marija Tiurina.
ANNIE MOSS
Junior Editor

2dartist is now on
Facebook!

This issue also features a tutorial by Ian Jun Wei Chiew

on how to speed paint a futuristic interior. Wadim
Kashin guides us on how to paint in Photoshop like
the traditional Impressionist painters, while Christoph
Peters gives a tutorial on painting a fantasy character
on a throne. Oscar Gregeborn also shows how to paint
an underwater alien landscape. Plus check out our
new competition on page 41!

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Contributors

2 | 2DARTISTMAG.COM

LIP COMARELLA
Coming from the heart of the Italian Alps, Lip currently
works as an art director at Salon Alpin. The animation
studio focuses on mixed media solutions for advertising
games and films.

OSCAR GREGEBORN
Oscar Gregeborn is an up-and-coming artist from Oslo,
Norway. He continues to study art and design while
making a living and growing his reputation with his
freelance work.

SCARLETT FU
Scarlett is a London-based graphic designer and
illustrator. While doodling on the bus, the illustrated
series Busy City was born. She currently freelances to
become an environment concept artist.

LUIGI MEMOLA
Luigi Memola is a senior vehicle concept designer and
the founder of EPTA Design Ltd. He works on projects
ranging from function-driven, advanced transportation,
to visionary conceptual art.

MARIJA TIURINA
Marija Tiurina is a multimedia design graduate, illustrator
and character artist currently based in London. She works
as a concept artist by daylight and a freelance illustrator
by night.

ARTHUR HAAS
Arthur Haas is a concept artist and illustrator from
Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a passion for science
fiction. He has worked on a variety of book and film
project since 2011.

WADIM KASHIN
Wadim Kashin is a self-taught artist based in Moscow,
Russia. Interested in art from a young age, Wadim
started drawing seriously in 2008 and he now works as a
freelance artist.

CHRISTOPH PETERS
Christoph Peters is a freelance concept artist living in
Chile. He creates illustrations for games, graphic novels
and books, specializing in fantasy illustrations with an
emphasis on color and light.

IAN JUN WEI CHIEW

Ian Jun Wei Chiew is a concept artist and illustrator
working in the film and gaming industry. He currently
works at Sucker Punch Productions in addition to
freelance work.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUBMIT TO 2DARTIST?

We are always looking for tutorial artists, gallery
submissions, potential interviewees, writers and more.
For more information, please send a link to your work to:
[email protected].

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Junior Editor
Annie Moss
[email protected]
Sub Editor
Adam Smith
Graphic Designer
Aryan Pishneshin
Advertising Manager
Kinnor Wroughton
[email protected]
Studio Manager
Simon Morse
[email protected]
Managing Director
Tom Greenway
Advertising
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Disclaimer
All artwork, unless otherwise
stated, is copyright 2014
3dtotal.com Ltd. Artwork that
is not copyright 3dtotal.com
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holders of materials included
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Contents Issue 120

006_ Innovative animation

Discover the contemporary mixed media

animation of Salon Alpin

022_ Crowd inspired drawings

See the detailed traditional illustrations of

graphic designer Scarlett Fu

031_ Compelling character illustrations

Dream-like artworks from freelance illustrator
Marija Tiurina

042_ The Gallery

Sandra Posada and Jones Sousa show their work

in our gallery of 10 inspiring images

056_ Paint like the Impressionists

Learn how to recreate the painting style of the

traditional Impressionist painters

068_ Paint light and color

Create a light-filled, atmospheric fantasy scene

with this tutorial from Christoph Peters

078_ Create a sleek interior

Speed-paint a stylized, retro interior setting in

only an hour

090_ Underwater alien landscape

Oscar Gregeborn shows how even beginners can

paint an awesome underwater landscape

102_ Render a sci-fi vehicle

Learn to develop a quick sketch into a complete

rendered design

114_ Digital Art Master: Arthur Haas

Look inside Digital Art Masters: Volume 9 and

create a vibrant forest scene

SAVE 30%!
Subscribe today
Go to page 088 for details

4 | 2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Innovative
animation

Art director Lip Comarella gives us a look behind the scenes at the
visual production studio Salon Alpin

The Artist

Lip Comarella
salonalpin.net

Interviewed by:
Annie Moss
Coming from the heart
of the Italian Alps, Lip
currently works as art
director at Salon Alpin.
The animation studio
focuses on mixed media
solutions for advertising
games and films.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Innovative animation

Although he began his career at an advertising

agency, Lip Comarella found that his desire
to create work with an emphasis on art
and craftsmanship demanded a change in
direction. Mid-way through a Master diploma in
advertising, Lip turned his attention to exploring
ways of visually expressing human emotion
resulting in his short film, Much Better Now.

with his creative partner Simon Griesser. The

studio combines a number of creative fields,
from visual art to animation, typography to film
direction, in order to develop inventive new ways
to promote products and businesses.

The animation centered on a bookmark character

stuck in a forgotten book, who discovers a new
world of endless challenges when chance frees
him from the book pages.

Their ethos is to combine different creative

practices which promote the artistic handicraft
and simple storytelling. This month Lip tells
us about working as a visual developer,
collaborating with artists from different
disciplines, and maintaining a strong sense of
narrative in his work.

The film has since won a number of awards and

launched Lips career in animation. In 2012, Lip
opened the visual production studio Salon Alpin

2dartist: Hi Lip, thank you for talking to 2dartist! Can

you start things off by telling us a bit about yourself
and your work?

A Round brush exploration of sharp strokes and color

2DARTISTMAG.COM

Lip Comarella: Thank you for having me. In short,

I left my small town in the Italian Alps to pursue a
creative education in Vienna. While still studying I
started to work at an advertising agency but never
really enjoyed it, so just before my final diploma I
decided that I wasnt going to be happy without a
strong visual, crafty and artistic component in my life.
I was also interested in the visual expression of
human emotion and the principles of simple and
clear communication, so working in animation
seemed a good plan and an ideal match for me.
Therefore I tried my very best to acquire the technical
skills and fundamentals to be able to do so for the
following two years on evenings and weekends.
Eventually the result was my diploma work, a
short film called Much Better Now. I still get a little

A New World Order, a personal work

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Innovative animation

Lip uses these personal works to explore his individual style

emotional when watching those six minutes of stopmotion/CG hybrid.

Right now I direct the art team at Salon Alpin, a
Vienna and Lisbon based production studio for
animated content. I am happy to have made this
step and feel lucky to have this opportunity.
2da: Salon Alpin likes to combine creative
disciplines; what benefits come from working with a
team with such diverse creative talents?
2DARTISTMAG.COM

LC: Working in visual production always needs

diverse input together with quick and compact
feedback. I dont mean the kind of feedback-letters
your client would give you. I talk about those little
comments or that second pair of eyes that help you
to see your work in a new perspective quickly.
If I, for example, work on a concept for an upcoming
production, the feedback from Simon (our director/
scriptwriter/animator) is very likely to focus on
motion. He is looking at all parts of the story,

analyzing where the message came from and where

it needs to evolve in order to make sense. Sometimes
feedback also sets crucial technical boundaries for
myself which helps to eliminate some options and
helps not to get lost. On the other hand discussion
about an idea or a design with Daniela (our
traditionally trained sculptor, paper and 3D artist)
brings me to a whole new level in terms of space,
volume and materiality. We all understand and see
the world in so many different ways; it would be a
shame limiting us to our own mental barriers.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

I feel like the eternal

struggle to escape the
obvious is probably one of
the bigger challenges in all
my artistic output
Besides feedback, a team like the one at Salon
Alpin gives my rough concepts or starting points
all options of output. It can be print work, it can
be content for games, it can be video content for
museums or TV broadcasting assets as well as classic
TV commercial work, a graphic might be modeled
in clay, other things will get 3D printed and laser-cut,
and so on.
2da: When collaborating with other artists, how do
you strike up a balance between your independent
creative styles?
LC: I guess it is about setting clear goals and having
clear roles within the team. I dont push my visual
style to the front. My style is just one opinion out of
many, and I am thrilled to hear more stylistic point
of views.
Of course someone needs to set the boundaries for
consistent work. In an ideal world I see my starting
point evolve and get so much richer by working
together with my team and the external artists that
work with us. They filter the initial vision and add
up their own impressions. If a nice blend of styles is
reached we focus on conveying the message as well
as possible. Good preparation and precise goals that
are outlined clearly to everyone involved are key to a
successful collaboration.
2da: What do you find most challenging about
working as a visual developer?
LC: I feel like the eternal struggle to escape the
obvious is probably one of the bigger challenges in
all my artistic output. In depth preparation, fighting
laziness and comfort zones is something I have to
consider and conquer all the time. If you do your
homework properly first, the greater the reward will
be when you complete a project.
The ultimate challenge for me as a visual developer
is in finding a way into the hearts of the audience, to
create that subtle balance between the style and the
subject matter that makes your work transcend the
project itself.
2da: Do you have any tricks or tips to keep yourself
motivated on a difficult project?
LC: Overall I think being able to do what I like every
day keeps my motivation on a reasonable level.
Of course we all know those days were we wish you
could just go to the next coffee shop or zoo and

Lip finds inspiration in films and videogames for these personal

works; this one was inspired by The Witcher

If you could write a letter to your younger self, just

starting out, what advice would you give?

Well its hard to answer this one, as it feels to me I am still just starting out really. But if I had to
advise my younger self four years ago, I would say get your week, your day and your hour as
structured and planned out as much as possible. Keep track of what you learn and dont keep
doing the same mistakes. Take more risks and grow with the challenges.
From the moment I realized that setting myself short-term reachable goals works out best for
me, and keeps me growing, things started to improve quite quickly. I wish I had done it that
way from the beginning. So good habits and even better time control is, in my opinion, a basic
requirement for any form of professional satisfaction. Also I would probably tell myself read
more books and play less StarCraft.

11

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Innovative animation

Concept color mood keys for a short commercial sequence, Falter Inferno
Image credit: Falter/Jung von Matt Donau

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

13

2DARTIST
MAGAZINE
| Innovative
animation
This key
visual was
inspired
by ideas of sparks and danger

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

A shot of one the characters in production. Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

scribble the day away, without having to find that

one right solution for the problem that stands in
your way.
When I feel I lose steam or catch myself
procrastinating, I take a step back, take a deep
breath and try to remind myself what in particular
can be learned from this specific task. How the
solution to this matter will help me to grow? If I am
lucky the idea of self improvement gives me that
extra push to get this over with. Switching between
projects has proven to be helpful for me to not get
stuck within decreasing motivation.
2da: What are your preferred tools to work with,
generally? Are there any tools you find yourself using
again and again?
LC: I dont think I qualify as a particularly technical
digital artist, even though for efficiency reasons
I try to use all the new tools that make our work
easier, faster and gets the message across. I dont
think anyone cares how stuff is made as long as it
connects with the audience.

If I had to pick I would always go for those tools that

have a minimal technical barrier and let the artistic
or intuitive process go as freely and un-compromised
as possible. In terms of packages I use Photoshop,
After Effects and CINEMA 4D to get stuff out of my
head. I write down a lot in a little notebook as the act
of writing causes me to remember stuff better.
2da: Your personal works feature a lot of bold colors
with plenty of energy; how do you stop yourself from
over-working your images?
LC: I am cursed with some degree of impatience,
so over-working images isnt a huge issue for me.
Nevertheless, the danger of falling into the trap of
over-thinking and over-rendering a piece is always
around the corner. As soon as my neck gets too
stiff or my back hurts I know in general I have been
noodling around too long.
I try my very best to be able to call it as soon as my
intention is clear and working. On the other hand
sometimes you just love the process of drawing,
painting or designing so there is definitely also a

room for projects that just serve as a personal source

of joy and satisfaction.
2da: What do you like to focus on in your personal
work? Are you a little more experimental in your
personal projects?
LC: The little experience I have so far already told me
one thing: clients dont like risks or experiments, they
prefer a reliable pipeline they know and understand.
So my personal work tends to be that missing
playground where you are allowed to be wrong,
delete everything and start over again. In some cases
your personal exploration produces a new style or
approach to your work that you end up being hired
for in your next professional project. As mentioned
above, my personal work is a mixture of exploration
and pure therapy; doing what gives me peace.
2da: How do your personal projects help you to
develop your professional work?
LC: When I start a new personal project I always focus
on things I want to learn, dive into and discover.

Artist Timeline Lips career so far

2011: Master diploma in advertising at the University
of Applied Arts Vienna

2012: Opening of Salon Alpin animation studio with

partner Simon Griesser

2011: Career u-turn from advertising and release of

Much Better Now

2014: Animation projects for Montblanc and creative

partnership with ESL gaming

2015: Work featured in multiple publications

and platforms

15

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Innovative animation

Garanga, a creature design for a friendly herbivore

Tingra, a hostile predatory creature design

Lips designs are intended to compliment his tree illustrations

with creatures that live on or interact with trees

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Lips creative turning point

It was with no doubt my very first animated project and short film Much Better Now that served as a turning point for what I am and do right now.
On the verge of giving up my graphic ambitions and working in advertising, this one loose story script of a bookmark stuck in its own forgotten book was
the initial sparkle that let me meet the right people and learning the right tools to change my perspectives.
That improvised movie set in an old basement with no internet, cell phone coverage or heating served as an ideal place to prove myself and self-reflect on
my intentions. In retrospect I can say that there is very little that makes you question your motivations as hard as a stop-motion production. After the movie
was done and it turned out fine, I saw my chance at doing it professionally.

A still from Much Better Now

the short film which signaled a
turning point in Lips career

These topics are mainly about visual language and

techniques and how to combine analog and digital
tools in an unusual way. So most of the personal
works I do start out as a challenge I give to myself.
The experiment then becomes more down to earth
and sometimes leads to a valid execution of an
artwork series. All of that influences my professional
work deeply.
Basically there are no boundaries between
learning something new for personal projects and
implementing it to whatever professional project
comes next. It is a constant drive.
2da: How do you go about maintaining a strong
sense of narrative in your work?
LC: As a kid me and my brother loved to make up
stories. We imagined what happened when our
heroes, in between the action scenes, of our favorite
movies or cartoons had to go to the bathroom and
what would happen to them when there was no
camera. It was great fun and produced some of
the most insane and whimsical plots ever. I think
realizing and being aware of the fact that every

image or frame you design has a past and a future,

strengthens up the narrative of every story piece.
When it comes to animation at Salon Alpin, it is
all about the script and mood boards and about
working on it as a team. It is vital to stay on the same
track with everybody involved. Everybody should
feel the story and should be able to read between
the lines. Moods, expression, feedback, music, light,
color, camera; everything is driven by this internal
notion of understanding the narrative path that your
production is based on.
2da: Where (and when) do you feel you are at your
most creative?
LC: According to the clich of being a man I am
terrible at multitasking or juggling around different
things at the same time. So over the last few years
Ive realized my brain activity is the most productive
when I can focus and reflect on one single thing
at a time; even better if I can minimize all other
information coming from various bodily senses. A
fun fact is that I have come across my best ideas or
concepts while sitting in the sauna, in the dark, with

nothing really to care about but sitting and getting

my thoughts rolling. Nothing to look at, nothing to
hear and not even distracted by my own clothing!
Apart from this, as a team player I think creatively
I work best while interacting with other people,
bouncing ideas and thoughts back and forth.
2da: You also sometimes work with traditional art
materials. What advantages do these materials give
you over digital work?
LC: Sadly I am a terrible traditional painter and
sculptor. It probably can be backtracked to my
tendency for impatience that made me mediocre at
mixing colors, or learning all those wonderful analog
techniques lots of my colleagues master so well. This
is very unfortunate.
Nonetheless I miss the inherent physical limits of
traditional media compared to the digital: the way
watercolor disperses on the paper, how carved wood
looks and behaves or paper bends and folds. I find it
easier to produce a true coherent feeling to my work
with traditional art materials.
17

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Innovative animation

Stills from the animated narration

produced for Montblancs
international Christmas campaign
Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

Aside from some particle and

color correction these sets
were entirely handcrafted.
Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

The story follows a young woman

in snowy Paris, in a tale written by
Tatiana de Rosnay
Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Salon Aplin collaborated with a

number of paper modelers to create
the scenes and characters
Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

Each character and set

was handcrafted
Montblanc/Scholz & Friends Berlin

Every real physical media is unmatched in terms of

richness and variance. We all struggle to bring that
soul into our digital productions that all physical
material automatically has. Sometimes I wish I had
an original piece of my work, to hang on the wall, a
unique creation to hand my future kids some day.
2da: What was it about the digital tools that made
you want to pursue a career in the industry?
LC: To be honest I feel the real reason I started
to draw in Photoshop is because it was the least
complicated (as a teenager I may have referred to it
as less annoying) way to paint. I mean it in terms of
getting all the right materials, setting up your working

space, learning all those so fundamental preparatory

tasks that are not directly connected with making
an image or visualizing a story. Photoshop was just
about sitting down and starting to do (terrible) stuff
right away.
The digital tools are as you say tools only. I
change them a lot except for the core tools that
everyone uses. Maybe its not me being in the
industry because of the tools, but the tools are
following me. If they cannot keep up with me, I let
them go and vice versa. Of course the main feature
of digital production is versatility, efficiency and nondestructive workflows, with little to no expense on
production equipment.

2da: Finally, where will we be able to see your work

next? Are there any projects we should look out for?
LC: First of all, the incredibly talented designer, artist
and director Daniela Leitner is about to release her
animated short film which we worked on for the last
two years; I really cant wait to see it done. I know its
a huge deal for her and all of us. On a side note we
are working with an independent game developing
studio helping to design and animate their cut
scenes. I really like their game idea and mechanics
so we are all excited to contribute something to the
whole experience.
Thank you Lip for chatting to 2dartist!
19

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The Artist

Scarlett Fu

scarlettfu.com
Software Used:
Photoshop
Scarlett is a London-based
graphic designer and
illustrator. While doodling
on the bus, the illustrated
series Busy City was born.
She currently freelances to
become an environment
concept artist.

A R T I S T

S P O T L I G H T

Crowd-inspired
drawings

Graphic designer and illustrator Scarlett Fu shows us her personal projects

and talks about how traditional art has aided her digital work

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Crowd inspired drawings

Originally from Hong Kong, Scarlett Fu studied

for a Masters degree in Graphic Branding and
Identity at the University of the Arts, London.
Since completing her course in 2011 she has
established herself as a graphic designer
who specializes in branding, advertising and
illustration. Her freelance work has seen her
work appear in a number of different projects
for a variety of clients across the world,
including product branding, graphics, logo
design and illustration.
In her spare time, Scarlett also works on a
number of personal projects such as her Busy
City series of illustrations which she produces
in a sketchbook when commuting. The
opportunity to concentrate allows Scarlett to
relax in this stressful environment. Another of
Scarletts personal projects, Project Samurai,
is an ongoing self-initiated digital project to
bring to life the imaginary worlds Scarlett has
created in her mind.
Here, Scarlett talks to 2dartist about the
various ideas behind her work, drawing to
relax and how creating traditional art has
aided her digital artwork.
2dartist: Hello Scarlett! Thanks for talking to
2dartist. First off, could you introduce yourself
with a bit about your background and projects?
Scarlett Fu: Thank you for the opportunity. It is
an honor to be here! Ive always experimented
with pens, painting, screen-printing and etching.
I studied for a BA Graphic and Media Design, and
later, an MA in Graphic Branding and Identity at
the London College of Communication.
Scarlett likes to create fantasy
paintings in her spare time

2DARTISTMAG.COM

Scarlett likes to create fantasy

paintings in her spare time

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

A drawing from the

Busy City series

Scarlett creates these works on a commuter train

Scarletts interest in architecture

has influenced this series

The divide between built up areas in this image provides a

contrast which stops the images becoming overwhelming
So far Scarletts Busy City drawings have been faultless
despite being drawn on moving transport

25

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Crowd inspired drawings

Scarlett also likes to spitpaint

some of her ideas

In 2012, I was honored with the Gold Award in the

Graphis Poster Annual for my image Adventure
of Silver Blaze, an homage to my favorite sleuth
Sherlock Holmes. I currently freelance to allow
more time to work on personal projects, such as
Busy City and the on-going, self-initiated project
called Project Samurai.
2da: You have said in the past that you are driven
by ideas and stories; when you are creating a new
work what is it that develops first for you? The
idea or the story?
SF: The idea always comes first, and it can come
from anything. Random words, things you hear
on the street, mind maps (I do like creating mind
maps. A lot!) What comes next depends on how
the ideas unravel to become the story.
I am entranced by vivid descriptions and
fantastical environments in books, videogames,
films and Manga that bring the fictitious worlds
to life. Youd often catch me watching movies,
notably by Studio Ghibli, Disney and Pixar among
others. Ill watch them more than once to marvel
2DARTISTMAG.COM

On the Forest
Floor, part
of Scarletts
Project
Samurai

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

A citadel street scene

The Portal, another image

from Project Samurai

27

A pleinair of a Colombian landscape

Take your time, dont rush.

Enjoy the process as much as
the outcome of your work
at the lighting, soak up the beauty of the scenery,
the characters emotions, and importantly, the
story itself.
2da: When creating Busy City where did you look
for inspiration?
SF: Im quite a fan of architecture and how it
creates a relationship between the sky and its
surrounding buildings. London is filled to the brim
with a variety of architectural styles; one discovers
the many sides of historical and modern aspects
of the city with a sketchbook and pen.
Otherwise, I draw from my head. I find it a relaxing
and fun way to pass the time while traveling to
and from work, allowing the cities to develop
and reveal themselves on the page. I have gotten
2DARTISTMAG.COM

some lovely compliments from strangers along

the way (thank you)!

2da: When working traditionally, what are your

preferred tools to work with and why?

2da: Your drawings for this series are particularly

detailed and multifarious, how did you keep
these illustrations from becoming over-worked
and messy?

SF: When working traditionally, my preferred

tools would be pens and paper. They can be used
anywhere and allow for doodling and jotting
down ideas on-the-go; it helps to think visually
this way. I mostly work with pencils, fine liners
and ink-brush pens, giving a variety of tones and
emotions from random shapes. Being a graphic
designer as well, I consider the paper stock used
when a more substantial piece of drawing is being
created, where Id be taking into consideration
the emotions according to the papers stock
weight, color and texture.

SF: My experience as a graphic designer helps

immensely to reduce visuals to their core essence
without jeopardizing the tale behind them. When
I draw, I tend to be a lot more relaxed and open
my mind up to whatever comes to my head, and
surprisingly, every single Busy City illustration has
been without fault so far, and this is while being
on moving transport!
In the case of Busy Cities, contrast is a
tremendously handy method to create
atmosphere by emphasizing certain areas of the
image, without overwhelming the viewer with too
much information.

2da: What advice can you give to our readers

who want to develop their drawings into more
complex illustrations like yours?
SF: Go for a walk, explore the environment
around you. Read books, and lots of them! Go

to museums. Stay curious. Take your time, dont

rush. Enjoy the process as much as the outcome
of your work.
Find out how things work. Explore different
methods, different types of medium to work and
experiment with. Showcase and get critiques for
your work, learn from them. And importantly,
keep drawing!
2da: Although you began as a traditional artist
you have now developed your skills into the
digital art industry. How has your background in
traditional fine art enhanced your digital work?
SF: Hugely! In fine art, drawing or sketching
from life is very important in training your eye in
capturing the right tones and lighting.
When we paint digitally, we want to imitate the
characteristics and qualities of real life to a certain
degree before adding fantasy elements if desired.

So having the knowledge in traditional art is

useful when you want to embark on digital art.
The most important thing, digital or traditional,
would be to learn the fundamentals in color and
composition. Digital painting simply makes it a
faster process of creating work.
2da: What skills and techniques, either traditional
or digital, would you like to learn in the future?
SF: In the traditional aspect, I would like to allow
myself to be freer when I sketch, to notice the
important parts of a figure or an object through
observation rather than shading and focusing on
details all the time.
In the digital realm, I want to learn more and
improve on the composition and perspectives
of my paintings, which is where Project Samurai
comes in to keep track of my progress. I would
also like to learn more about 3D software in
general, to make my workflow more efficient in

blocking out environments before I start each of

my pieces.
2da: And finally, what can we expect from you in
the future?
SF: Hopefully many great things! I would love to
create a game in the future, I dont want to talk
too much about it as there are lots of rough ideas
in my head which I havent yet put down on paper
or screen.
In the meantime, some of my work has been
showcased at exhibitions lately. In addition to
the continuing development of both the Project
Samurai and Busy City projects, I aim to find a
more definitive style that I can embrace as my
own. I hope that this can lead to commissions in
illustration and environment concept art.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to
2dartist today!
29

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F
S
U
L
P
VIDEO
NG!
TRAINI

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a
in
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iu
T
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ij
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Ma

arija
trator M
s
lu
il
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to
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-bas
t goes in r art
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London
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lets us s ating characte
Tiurina
in
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creating awings
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and line

The Artist

Marija Tiurina
marijatiurina.com

Marija Tiurina is a
multimedia design
graduate, illustrator and
character artist based in
London. She now works
as a concept artist by
day and as a freelance
illustrator by night.

Sketchbook of Marija Tiurina

See the inventive sketches
behind her illustrations...
I started drawing at a very young age, at first
drawing and painting memories from nursery
rhymes. My older sister was a great influence
as she was the one who could hold a pencil
well and I asked her multiple times to teach
me how to draw.
With time she switched to other topics of
interest while I continued to fall in love with
drawing, and when I was in high school I
realized this is what I want to do for a living.
A sketchbook is a collection of thoughts,
processes and ideas. Its great to have one,
two or ten, as these notebooks or albums are
little factories of the creative mind. Sketching
is useful because it creates a base.
After that its all about the process, though
the base is what defines the direction and the
outcome of this process. It is hard to estimate
the highlights of my career as I see myself
traveling in quite a steady way, sometimes
taking part in contests and exhibitions,
sometimes hiding from everyone and keeping
my drawings to myself.
I think that the best motivation is knowing
that theres no limit to perfection, and with
every new piece you can feel yourself grow; it
is quite rewarding.

A sketch for The

Bouquet Man, an A2
watercolor painting
A sketch for reimagining the story of
Little Red Riding Hood

32

2dartistmag.com

2dartist magazine | issue 1 20

The completed image Aquarius was finished digitally

33

Sketchbook of Marija Tiurina

A selection of sketches for Marijas personal project illustrating zodiac signs

A painted sketch representing Gemini for Marijas zodiac signs project

34

2dartistmag.com

2dartist magazine | issue 1 20

The Magic of Motion is a digital painting developed from a simple portrait study

I love the detailed pencil and

ink drawings and the way the
material just stands out from
the whiteness of paper
Inspiration and ideas
I get tons of inspiration from online art posts by
artists, magazines and galleries. I love the works
of a number of contemporary artists and painters
like James Jean, Ozabu, Sam Wolfe Connelly,
Hsiao Ron Cheng, Casey Weldon, Sachin Teng,
Joanne Nam and many others.
I dont personally go to many galleries (and I keep
telling myself off for that) but I will always make
sure to catch up with the online galleries and
ongoing exhibitions.

Most of my ideas come to me when I least expect

them. Sometimes it happens as I ride my bike
through London streets, or when Im having a
coffee in a nearby cafe, or when looking at other
peoples work.
I have plenty of ideas and I rarely trash one until
I give it a try. It might sound great in my head but
then the sketching stage proves me wrong, and I
trash it or put it aside until better times.
Materials
My favorite materials are probably watercolor
and ink. I also love pencils and digital painting.
The best thing is being able to have variety in
materials and techniques; this way you never get
tired of what you use. I love the detailed pencil

and ink drawings and the way the material just

stands out from the whiteness of paper. I have
tried many other materials and discovered that I
am rubbish with oil and acrylics, and am not very
good with pastels. But I am sure that this would
change if I spent loads of time practicing the use
of these materials. Unfortunately, I do not have all
of the time in the world for this if only!
I wouldnt say I favor particular brands. I stick
with whatevers good, and do not buy a product
that is of a particular brand just out of principle.
Sometimes I get a little tired of my beloved paints,
pens and pencils and switch to something new.
But very soon I realized that I miss my family like
crazy and it always feels great to come back home
to them.

35

Sketchbook of Marija Tiurina

Marija has also experimented with drawing onto wood

Marija recommends getting the best quality paper you can for watercolor painting

36

2dartistmag.com

2dartist magazine | issue 1 20

Pixelating Girl, a piece created using
pencil, ink and watercolors which
Marija then cut and pasted by hand,
and finally edited in Photoshop

Sketching techniques
I think that I prefer watercolor
painting and ink drawing the most.
The only tip I would give is to use
the best materials and paper you
can get (especially when it comes
to watercolor). That influences the
result a lot. There are times during
the sketching process when you are
about to give up as you feel it is not
going anywhere. Its very important
to keep going and push it to the very
end; you never know what comes out
as a result, and practice will be always
worth the time.
I had a couple of years back in high
school when I went to evening art
academy classes where we covered
composition, classical drawing and
painting techniques as well as some
design and art history. I must say
that education like that is always
beneficial but is not a key point that
guarantees success in the future.
I think I would like to continue
developing my drawing skills, while
also growing in scale (more large
works, and murals and so on). Oil and
acrylic painting is on my list too, but I
think that will be a form of meditation
for my older self rather than a
profitable activity.

37

Sketchbook of Marija Tiurina

An illustration using watercolor paints, ink, colored pencil

and light markers which was finished off digitally

38

2dartistmag.com

2dartist magazine | issue 1 20

Origami features in several of Marijas works

39

Would you like to see your sketches

featured in 2dartist magazine?
Were always on the lookout for talented artists
and their artwork to adorn the pages of our
magazine. If you think you have what it takes,
get in touch!
To submit, simply email Annie at
[email protected] with a selection of your
images or a link to your portfolio online, plus a
little information about you.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Need inspiration for a

fun project this month?
2dartist is starting a regular readers challenge
where you could win a 3dtotal shop voucher worth
60 and see your work featured in our magazine.
Challenge yourself to create an artwork based on
the mini-brief below and submit your creation and
contact details to [email protected] with
the title Challenge gallery by 22nd January 2016 to
be in with a chance of winning!
Mini-Brief: Paint a vibrant scene depicting Chinese
New Year celebrations (Remember, your work
should be original and not use fan art).

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Each issue the 2dartist team selects 10 of the best digital images from around the world. Enjoy!

Seascape
Halil Ural
Year created: 2015
Web: artstation.com/artist/mrdream

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Submit your images! Simply email [email protected]

43

The Queen's walk

Alexey Egorov
Year created: 2015
Web: alexegorov.cgsociety.org
Alexey Egorov

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Barcelona Smoke &

Neons: The End
Guillem H. Pongiluppi
Year created: 2015
Web: guillemhp.com

45

American Bison
Fogarasi Hunor
Year created: 2015
Web: facebook.com/fogarasi.hunor
Fogarasi Hunor

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

47

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Abandoned trains
Jos Julin Londoo Calle
Year created: 2015
Web: artstation.com/artist/handsdigitalstudio

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

49

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Sanya
Magdalina Dianova
Year created: 2015
Web: magdalina.artstation.com

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Honey
Pham Tung Quan
Year created: 2014
Web: phamtungquan.com
Pham Tung Quan
51

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

Sub-Human
Tristan Rettich (worn pixel studio)
Year created: 2015
Web: tristanrettich.com

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Violetea
Sandra Posada
Year created: 2015
Web: artstation.com/artist/sandraposada944
Sandra Posada. All Rights Reserved 2015

53

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | The Gallery

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Final Mission
Jones Sousa
Year created: 2015
Web: artstation.com/artist/Jones
Jones Sousa

55

The Artist

Wadim Kashin

artstation.com/artist/septicwd
Software Used:
Photoshop
Wadim Kashin is a self-taught
artist based in Moscow, Russia.
Interested in art from a young
age, Wadim started drawing
seriously in 2008 and now
works as a freelance artist.

Paint like the

Impressionists

Wadim Kashin shows how to use vibrating strokes to

recreate the painting style of the traditional art masters of
Impressionism in Photoshop

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint like the Impressionists

Develop your painting

techniques with Wadims
Breathing of the Forest...
Hello to all! In this lesson I would like to tell
and show you the process of creating a digital
illustration in the style of the Impressionists.
One of my main ideas was to show an
atmosphere of the changeability of the world
in the flow of time, and similarly to use as
many bright and juicy colors as possible. The
basis and main purpose of this lesson for me is
to imitate great Impressionist artists such as
Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and William Merritt
Chase. Using methods and theories of color I
will try to show the spirit of Impressionism by
means of modern technologies.
All my work is created in stages. On every
stage I will tell what instruments and methods
I use, what needs attention paid to it, and how
to give the work some charm. I will discuss the
method of vibrating strokes, about the mixing
of color, and about the functions of tools.
In this process an emphasis will be given to
abstraction and abstract thought.

01

Find an idea: During work on this

illustration I will stick to bases and
methods similar to those of the Impressionist
masters such as Monet and Degas. In the search
for an idea I get inspired by such moments from
life as a sunny day in a forest and the atmosphere

2DARTISTMAG.COM

it creates. One of the main ideas is the obligatory

presence of bright and juicy colors to create an
interesting illumination in the piece for the viewer,
and similarly to try to perfectly replicate the spirit
of Impressionism by means of digital art.
One of the main differences between
Impressionism and other classic styles and
directions of art is its abandonment from
contours and black color. Beginning with the
creation of rapid colored sketches, I search for
interesting variations of the general color gamut.
Being based on the idea of the presence of bright
and vibrant colors I choose colors such as pink,
yellow, orange and green. I create sketches in the

standard Photoshop profile sRGB racemes-2.1

using the Textures option.

02

Vibration strokes: One important

distinguishing feature of the
Impressionist artists style, besides the
abandonment of contours, was the abandonment
of the classic methods of creating brushstrokes.
Instead of this, the Impressionist masters used
chaotic divides in their strokes. Such strokes
helped these artists to create some vibration
in their works, which creates a feeling of the
worlds changeability in the imprinted moment.
At the creation of works I often do a slope on this
method by causing off strokes.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Now I have a sketch that I like, I take this for a

basis of my artwork and begin to inflict the first
strokes which help me to find an interesting
composition. I create all this chaos at this stage
with the help of the Mixer Brush tool with the Dry
option chosen.
At this stage the main detail that I focus my
attention on is the combining of strokes and
colors. The mixing of such colors as orange and
yellow will give me the general background sense
of heat, and the mixture of green, red and blue
will help me to create a general depth for all of
the illustration.

03

New details: In the process of creating

illustrations I always try to focus in on
some areas of the works. Such details I usually
distinguish with a bright color or by working
deeper into that area. Because the basic idea is
of a forest and a moment of changeability in the
stream of time, I begin to create the first details of
foliage, stones in the foreground and the barrels
of trees in the background. For these actions I
applied two or three types of brushes that are in
the standard set of Photoshop.

PRO TIP

Vibrant strokes

I use the method of causing vibrating strokes very often. This action can help to give
special dynamics to work and can attain a very interesting effect.
First use ordinary brushes. Make hand motions up and down creating easy feather strokes.
It is similarly possible to use circular motions to do this. All such strokes are inflicted
chaotically and unconnected with each other.
Mixing up two or three colors, for example yellow, blue, and green, create some skeletons
for future forms from the strokes. Further to this you can use the Mixer Brush tool set to
Dry and repeat the procedure only doing accents of abstract and varying forms to suggest
how they will look in the future. The variations in how the forms look will depend on the
locations of the strokes that you make.

I want to mark that for practically every new

combination of strokes I create a separate

Create a series of rapid color sketches to

find interesting color variations
The preferred color sketch can then be
used as a base for your artwork
Quick, sloped strokes of color replicate
the chaos of paint strokes used by
the Impressionists
The use of orange and yellow hues gives
a sense of heat to the background
Use the Mixer Brush tool with the Dry
option to increase the look of chaos
59

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint like the Impressionists

layer. This method helps me to make adjustments

later as chance does not always offer the
best results (for example, I can wipe away an
unnecessary element). Similarly, creating on
separate layers is very good for saving time in the
future; for example, it is possible to copy one of
the layers and use this in other areas of the work,
only correcting it with Levels, Color Balance, and
Transform options.
In parallel with the addition of new details I
do not forget to correct the general contrast of
all the work. As I already said one of the main
features of Impressionism is the abandonment
from black contours, therefore all emphasis goes
to the mixing of colors. Thus at the creation of
every new form or detail I use at least two or three
different colors.
Speaking of working out in detail and the addition
of new elements in the work, I also use textures
sometimes. Taking a photo of the forest, I cut out
an element that feels necessary to me in the piece
and in the layer modes adjust the Lighten and
Darken settings. I apply this to the work.

04

Focus on more details: After working

and adjusting the first details I again
go back to the search for the composition. The
search for a more interesting variation passes in
two stages for me.
First I transform all that I did already. I unite all
the layers into one with Flatten Image, then I

2DARTISTMAG.COM

create a copy of the basic background and apply

Transform with the options Skew and Warp. I try
to remedy the prospect of all the work looking
the same and foreshortened, so that it is more
interesting. It is important to remember that to
create an Impressionist style you need to keep
working and constantly love what you do.
The second stage of this addition of new forms
and details is to create a new layer and add more
details on the front and back planes. On some of
these layers I use the Transform tool which helps
to expose new combinations of strokes to me to
make a more interesting corner. In the middle
distance, I make the focus of all the work. I decide
to add the silhouette of a young deer there. If I

create a landscape I always try to add silhouettes

to them, be it animals or people. Such figures
always give work additional volume and whats
more they create some narrative. In this case the
silhouette of a young deer will help in the creation
of an interesting focus for the viewer.
On the layer with the silhouette I recover a
layer that I can inflict yellow with an opacity of
10% to give the effect of the silhouette moving
away. After these actions I continue to work on
the details, adding more detail to the earth like
stones and grass on the barrels of trees and some
surrounding flora. During the further working out
of details I use similar combinations of ordinary
brushes and the Mixer Brush tool.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

05

Feeling of colors: It is important not

to forget that in the stages of creation
of this illustration, namely those where I worked
with only brushes, I use the method of vibrating
strokes chaotically. Further to this I work on the
adjustment of the color gamut, regulating such
parameters as Color Balance, Curves and Levels.
In some works I create a separate layer and add
out different colors. For this image I apply to the
new layer the Lighten or Overlay modes helping
to determine where color tone needs to be
strengthened. These manipulations help to create
a depth of color that pleases me. Similarly, I do

not forget to correct the light and dark areas of

the work through such instruments as the Burn or
Dodge tool with Exposure set to 10%-15%.

06

Start adding details to the scene to

make a more interesting composition.
Use a photo texture if necessary

Texture fragments and brush works:

For the execution of this illustration I use
mainly ordinary brushes and similar instruments
such as the Mixer Brush tool. Now I will pass
directly to the addition of textures in some areas
of illustration.

As Impressionist art doesnt use black

contours, definition has to be built up
using a mix of light and dark tones

I use two or three photos of the forest and stones

in this image. Because photos can differ in light
and dark tones on a color palette, to every photo

Use tools such as Dodge and Burn to

strengthen areas of light and dark

Add a silhouette to provide a point of

focus in the middle distance

61

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint like the Impressionists

I apply the actions: Image > Adjustments > Match

Color and choose for each photo the source for
a color gamut. I only correct the Fade parameter
proposing values with limits from 0 to 25. I try
to do the same to every such photo to keep the
color identical with my illustration. I also cut out
the piece of photo that seems necessary to me
and using the modes Lighten, Darken or Overlay,
2DARTISTMAG.COM

I apply the textures to the necessary areas of

the work. All such areas that are exposed to the
textures I correct with the help of the Mixer Brush
tool using Dry or Wet. In this situation I am helped
more by a variant with a Wet setting. This function
perfectly washes out and gives greater artistry
to some elements of work. When I add textures
to my work, I use this method often. It helps me

to do these textures a bit washed out, but at the

same time improving the transitions from detail
to detail.
In parallel with the addition of textures I add more
details with brushes, regulating the levels and
opacity if necessary. On the whole during all the
process of creation I use usually five or six types

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

of brushes. After working with the textures I again

unite everything in one layer and easily adjust
the image using the Burn or Dodge tool. Also I will
stylize the work using some of the above effect.

07

Stylization: After the basic process of

drawing, and addition of textures, I start
to work on the illumination of the image and dark
to light tones. I try to add this special effect to
practically all my illustrations.
The essence of this effect consists of a simulation
of the traditional painting effects using graphic
work. On some areas of work, for example there is
a smooth transition from dark tone to light tones.
To this image I add new strokes on the edges of
some forms with the Mixer Brush tool, with the
Wet option chosen.
This method helps me to add to the work yet
more effects of vibration and changeability in the
environment. Such effects replicate the methods
of adjustment used in works of traditional art.
It is important to remember that such strokes
should be made on a new separate layer. If I dont
like how some strokes are arranged I correct them
with a rubber. Similarly for adjusting such effects I
sometimes copy a layer with the already prepared
strokes and carry this copy in to other areas of the
illustration, regulating the parameters with only
Opacity or Flow. I continue to add more strokes to
increase the stylization.

08

Final color correction: On the last step

of creating this illustration I work only on
the adjustment of colors and tones. In this case
I use Color Balance, Levels and Curves and in
parallel with these actions I use the Burn tool and
the Dodge tool.

Use photo textures to add details to

sections of the image

Sometimes on the last stages of the creation of

a work, I experiment with focusing the front and
middle planes through the Blur tool, but here I
decided not to use these. Instead, I spared more
attention to editing with Match Color > Color
Intensity, and brought in some easy changes
using Exposure to supersaturate the work by
using contrast and make some of the tones softer
and smoother.

The image now has a lot more

interest and depth but keeps the
Impressionist style

Blend these textures into the image and

use more brushstrokes to add some
further detail

Now we have the final image!

63

The Artist

Wadim Kashin

artstation.com/artist/septicwd

Do you struggle to get over a

blank page? Need a trick to help
you with perspective?
2dartist will be running a new feature in 2016
where professional artists will give advice
on your creative problems. If you have a
creative area you would like help to improve
on, get in touch!
Submit your question by simply emailing
Annie at [email protected] with the title
2dartist Clinic.

The popular Digital Painting Techniques series returns in its seventh

spectacular installment to once again showcase the latest digital
painting trends and techniques from talented experts, including Rene
Chio and Cris Delara.
In Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 7 you will discover a variety of artists methods
for creating perfect pin-ups, impressive vehicles, breathtaking environments,
magnificent mythological creatures, and much more! Plus you will learn how to craft
matte paintings using Cinema 4D and brush up on your speed painting techniques.
Browse for inspiration and to pick up top tips or follow project workflows in more
detail with the step-by-step tutorials either way, youll open up the book and
find something valuable to take away. Useful for intermediate digital artists and
professionals, this title is another must-have for any digital artists bookshelf!

ONLY 29.99 (APPROX 49.99) | 288 PAGES | ISBN: 978-1-9094142-0-4

The Artist

Christoph Peters

trejoeeee.deviantart.com
Software Used:
Photoshop
Christoph Peters is a
freelance concept artist
living in Chile. He creates
illustrations for games,
graphic novels and
books, specializing in
fantasy illustrations with
an emphasis on color
and light.

Paint light and color

Christoph Peters demonstrates how to use light and color effects
in a fantasy scene

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

Get tips on how to create an

atmospheric scene...

of what I want to portray in the illustration or

concept Im making.

Over the course of this tutorial you will see

how you can simply master the properties of
painting light and color in Photoshop to create
a lustrous fantasy scene. By creating a striking
character in a throne setting you can explore
how these elements affect drama and emotion
in fantasy art.

At this stage I dont have a clear idea of what

the final piece will look like and usually this
process is an experimental journey which I enjoy
a lot. For this process I use some large textured
brushes that are really useful to make quick rough
sketches. You dont need to work on the details
now, just draw roughly to get a quick approach.

01

For this tutorial I really want to change the

common impression of the bad guy on the

Sketches: To start I always make a

couple of sketches to get a better idea

throne. I want to make my character look fresh

and mystical, avoiding that rude or renegade look
we usually see in films and videogames.
To achieve this result, I focus myself only on
drawing the opposite of that whole common
concept of what the guy on the throne looks like.
I decide to draw a young guy with a reclined and
relaxed pose, but always keeping the dark feeling

Christoph sketched out a selection of

designs for a male figure on a throne

69

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint light and color

on it. I draw a few quick sketches to help me

define the character.

02

Review the sketches: Sketches number

one and two are not what I am looking
for in my final illustration. These ones are viewed
from a front view which makes the composition
look too static and boring. Option number four
is much better than number one and two, but I
finally decide to work with sketch number three.
I think that it has the passive feeling that I am
trying to achieve, and also the camera framing
has an interesting viewpoint that I like a lot.
The first thing I do now I have my sketch is put a
blue layer over the sketch in Multiply mode, just
to see a solid unity between the drawing and a
mass of color.

03

Lighting source: First of all you must

understand that a wide variety of light
sources exist, and that there are some reactions
and other complex lighting phenomenon that
are almost non-reproducible for digital painters.
However, you dont need to be afraid of not
being able to reproduce a lighting effect in a
photorealistic way. NO! We are interpreters of
lighting reality. We study the light to be able to
represent it in the most efficient way and emulate
the function of the lighting in reality, so dont
force yourself to be too photorealistic.

Keep in mind these simple concepts about

lighting and light sources:
a) The main light source: this is the light source
that affects all elements found in the geometric
space, and it can be present in a natural or
artificial way.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

b) Natural light: the natural light of a scene

comes directly from a natural lighting emission.
For example, the light that comes from the sun
or the moon provides natural light.
c) Artificial light: the artificial light comes from
a synthetic source, which means it can be a
lamp, a neon light, or flashlights, and so on.

Once you have a type of light source you need to

consider the properties of that light, such as the
energy and distance.
The energy of the light is the intensity at which
rays are emitted from the light source. Distance is
a basic property and just represents the existing
distance between point A and point B, A being

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

the light source and B the object and its surface.

The distance also influences the force of the light
energy. It is understood that at a greater distance,
the illumination on an object will decrease.
We can conclude that not only does the linear
distance determines the light intensity that the
objects receive, the height and the position that

the object possesses in relation to the light source

will determine its light exposure as well.

Compare the sketches and pick the

image which you find most interesting

In this case, I place the light source to the left

side of the illustration composition. I also decide
that a cold light coming from a non-existent (for
the viewer) source would give the illustration an
interesting atmosphere of mystery.

Here you can see how the effect of

light differs depending on the distance
between the light source and the object
For this image the light source comes
from the top-left corner
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint light and color

04

Choosing colors: I think that almost

every artist has their own process of
choosing colors when painting an illustration.
Some artists choose colors influenced by
personal tastes, while others choose color
influenced by their daily mood, and others make
a more detailed study, playing with various
factors such as the concept idea, character, and
environment, and so on. Personally, I have an
uncommon taste for gray tones and limited color
palettes, which usually gives me good results.
The benefits of gray color palettes are that it is
much easier to handle the color values and its
much easier to edit your colors if you start with an
unsaturated palette. You can then apply lighting
effects along the way without worrying about
over saturating the colors too much. You can
also create interesting atmospheres, and create
more realistic environments which have a strong
contrast between desaturated colors. The colors
which are saturated will then have more intensity.
I choose a simple color composition for this
illustration, using cold lighting in contrast to a
warm palette for the shadows. The color formula
will affect all the elements on the scene.
I pick up colors using the Color Picker tool in
Photoshop to create the color palette. As you can
tell, it is a limited color scheme but it does have
some color accents on it.

05

Rendering: We can describe the

rendering process as the final resolution
that well apply into the digital plane. It involves
painting, texturing, materials, understanding of
lighting and many other factors.
Its important to order and simplify your analysis
chain to render the element in a good way,
otherwise we wont be able to achieve the results
we want to create in the final stages. Disorder will
end in frustration and a bad understanding of
how the process works.
An example of a simple analysis chain is to:
a) Order the space around an object in
the composition.
b) Define the light source.
c) Secondary data which includes the light
source properties (natural source, artificial
source, and energy, the objects geometry,
natural color (the basic color of the element)
and the material and texture of the object.
d) Any shadows that are cast by the objects.

While painting you need to analyze all these

factors to understand how the rendering works.
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

06

Rendering a simple volume: Any artist

has their own way to render the elements
in their illustration. I find that an easy way to
render an element is to make a basic shape to set
the forms and basic structure of the object.
You can do this by making a selection in
Photoshop and filling it with a flat color. Then you
can create basic volume with soft-edge brushes,
just like in figure 6. Keep the selection so you
dont overcome the borders of the shape. Finally,
you can add brushstrokes to create a painterly
feeling, in order to paint the volume. The brushes
I use to create the render here are very simple; a
calligraphic textured flat brush and a simple softedge brush from the custom set in Photoshop.

07

Set the atmosphere: A way to further

simplify the rendering process is to
create a couple of spheres using all the colors you
will need while painting the illustration. Then you
can pick up the colors from the spheres and use
them to paint the different volumes in the scene.
This can be a great color and volume reference!
I now have a sense of the whole illustration
and the very first colors I add to set the basic
atmosphere. As said in the beginning of the
tutorial, I choose a cold atmosphere with warm
contrasting colors on its shadows. At this stage
I start playing with the overall design elements
such as the face, armor, hair, and little details
and so on. I try to design a very simple guy with
nothing too complex.

08

Rendering the face: The first step

to rendering the face is just to use a
medium brush to start painting in the large
masses of color, not the details. At this stage,
you can also set the simple shadows and lights.
Dont get worried if everything looks like a
speed painting at this point; you are just paying
attention here to the overall piece, rather than
any specific point.

Shadow can be shown in color choice as

well as tone
Use the Color Picker tool to create a
color palette for your image
An analysis chain can help you fully
render your objects
Soft-edged brushes can be used to
create basic volume
Add atmosphere to the scene by
contrasting warm and cold colors
73

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Paint light and color

Now you can start going through some details,

adding lighter tones and bringing to the character
a sense of life and expression. This is where we
start searching for the gesture which suggests the
mood and the intention of the character.
Step by step you can paint new lighter colors,
saturating the whole palette by adding pure
colors on to specific areas. Just like the purples,
pinks and blue tones I am using here. I now need
to define the main aspects of the face, like the
eyes, nose, mouth and hair, always taking care
over the whole structure in unison.
Keep adding lighter tones and focus mainly on
the little details, such as the lips, a little hair and
some skin texturing. At this point, you can define
the final details on the face. Use small brushes
to achieve this result. If needed you can zoom-in
on the canvas to see where the little details are
needed easily.
Its very important to not lose the gesture of
the face, so try to keep the original solidity and
structure. You can use references to make a
comparison between the photo and the face you
are painting. Finally add some effects with Color
Dodge layers. To do this, simply use a smooth
custom brush from the custom set and try
painting with darker tones the areas you want to
light and to clarify.

09

Render the body: I now repeat the

previous process for the hands, legs
and armor details, starting from the big masses
of color and then going though details and tiny
highlights on the reflective materials, such as

2DARTISTMAG.COM

metal and glass. Always pay attention to what

you are painting, so you dont lose the way;
always have in mind the lighting source and its
properties. Otherwise, you will struggle to get a
solid lighting composition.

Try to change the brushes you are using to get

new brushstrokes while painting, and play with
the texture setting to create cool painterly effects!
Remember to always start from basic forms and
shapes as this will make the process a lot easier.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

10

Final adjustments and effects: If

you are just getting to the final stages
and you feel that the image needs something
refreshing, or perhaps you feel that the
atmosphere you started with doesnt fit with the
current image, you can make simple adjustments
that could make the difference.
These days, most artists are using the famous
Dodge and Overlay lighting effects. Yes, theory
can be really cool, but if you dont know how to
use them you can really ruin your painting, and
the time you spent painting the piece could go
directly to the trash.
You dont want your painting look like a complete
mess right? So pay attention to these simple tips
to manage the Color Dodge and Overlay lighting
effect like a champion!

Color Dodge: Always control the tone and value.

You dont want your painting looking like an
electro party. Use dark tones to give the painting
nice, soft highlights in the areas you wish to direct
the viewers eye. You should also use soft-edged
brushes, or soft border selections to give the
dodge effect a smooth feeling. Use mid-tones and
never use saturated or pure colors to paint with
dodge mode.
Overlay: This is a much simpler tool than the
Dodge tool. You can play in a freer way with this
layer as it has no rules, and you can just have
some fun painting with random colors to see
what crazy results you can produce.

11

The last touches: Finally, you can apply

some final filters such as Levels, Color
Balance or Curves (you can find these filters in

the image menu). For this painting I add bluish

Overlay layers, with purple, green and warm
dodge effects. All of these were done with a softedged brush.

Add lighter tones with a medium brush

to detail the face
Repeat the rendering process with the
body of your figure
Changing brushes during the process
adds texture to the image
Here you can see the Dodge and Overlay
color settings for each effect, and its
values and tones
75

The Artist

Christoph Peters

trejoeeee.deviantart.com

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124

December 2015
Issue 124

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The Artist

Ian Jun Wei Chiew

ianchiew.com

Software Used:
Photoshop
Ian Jun Wei Chiew is a
concept artist and illustrator
working in the film and
gaming industry. He
currently works at Sucker
Punch Productions in
addition to freelance work.

Create a
sleek interior

Concept artist Ian Jun Wei Chiew shows us how to use shape
assets and layers to quickly create a modern interior

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Create a sleek interior

Paint a modern sci-fi interior in

an hour...
So for this one hour tutorial, Ive decided to
go with a modern, sci-fi theme of an interior
as Im heavily inspired by modern and
contemporary architecture. In my head I dont
have an exact subject except for that it could
be some sort of lobby or lounge. I also want
to take on a warmer color palette compared
to a cold one. Once Ive gotten an idea in my
head somewhat, I start hunting for reference
images; most of which are modern hotel
lobbies and sushi bars. The reason why sushi
bars are such great reference is because they
usually have some wood for the counters and
tables, therefore it can give me a nice warm
color palette.
Once I have all my images in a folder, I
compose a big image that consists of all
the reference images in a collage. I always
do this so that I can have all the images
open in a single JPEG file that fills up my
second monitor instead of having to either
individually open each image or open them all
with many windows. I also do some value and
color adjustments on all the images so that
they feel more unified and since I am going
for the warmer palette. I also do some color
tweaks to give me a better representation of
what I want the final result to look like.

01

Setting up the interface: I have my

toolbars moved from left to right just
so that I can access it within the same vicinity
as my layers. I use a plugin called Coolorus that
gives me a nice color wheel on the top right.
The Navigator is a great window to have in your
interface because you always want to check and
see if your image reads well in a thumbnail size,
so I would occasionally take a glance at it instead
of zooming in and out all the time.
I keep my layer Adjustments window at the
bottom as I use it very often and prefer to have
the adjustment itself on its own layer instead
of having it directly applied on the layer youre
working on. This is so that I can have more control
with the opacity and masks of that adjustment
layer and so on.
I also have my F1 hot-keyed to flip the canvas
horizontally. I use this often to give me a fresh eye
whenever I get too deep into my image. Finally, I
have actions at the bottom. Actions help speed
my process up a lot as it basically records a set of
actions/menu items that you can just map to a
single button.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

PRO TIP

Experiment!

I change up my process every so often depending on the subject matter, but the tools I use
are pretty much the same. The Transform, Clipping and Smudge tool are essential to my
workflow as I prefer to create a collage and finding shapes, rather than painting right from
the get go. I find this method to be more fun and experimental which can lead to ideas and
compositions you would never think of composing. There are endless possibilities with
Photoshop; you can find a new use for any existing tool. At the end of the day, what makes
a good image is your own personal knowledge of the foundations such as composition,
values, color and lighting.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

You can also transform

a single abstract shape
and clip it into the same
silhouette to create countless
shapes and variety

02

Creating initial shape assets: What

I occasionally enjoy doing is creating
some abstract shapes and use them as assets
for the painting. This is done by first blocking
out a silhouette with the Lasso and Marquee
tool, making a new layer and clipping it to the
silhouette layer. Make more abstract shapes so
that it stays within the silhouette.
To clip a layer to another one below, you hold
Alt and hover your cursor in between the two
layers, then left-click. You can also transform a
single abstract shape and clip it into the same
silhouette to create countless shapes and variety.
I then add a basic color scheme to them. As we
move forward you will see how the Transform,
Lasso and Clipping Layers tools are essential to
my workflow.

03

Compose the image with assets: I

set up my document with the canvas at
the bottom and have the asset sheet on the top
keeping each individual asset on its own layer.
This is so that I can easily look and pick which
assets to use to start composing my image.
I first add a background color gradient and then
duplicate an asset to the bottom and transform
it to a shape I like. In this case, I take one and
transform it to look like a one-point perspective
ground plane. The shape possibilities are endless.

04

Composition focal point: I try to

incorporate all my assets and transform
them in place to get a basic composition down.
Having those assets already made speeds things
up a lot which at the end gives me more time to
explore different shapes and compositions.
In this case I keep it a simple one-point
perspective as we look down a lobby towards
the focal point right in the center. I also make
a new silhouette and clip multiple assets in for

Ian uses the Coolorus plugin, the

Navigator and layer adjustments
window to help him keep an eye on how
the image is progressing
Create a number of abstract shapes to
become assets for the painting
Compose your image by adding a
background gradient, duplicating and
transforming your shape assets
81

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Create a sleek interior

quick detail and interest. I make the center focus

consist of more vertical and horizontal lines
which contrasts well with all the angled shapes in
the foreground and mid ground.

05

Cleaning perspective issues: I

generally prefer to add my perspective

2DARTISTMAG.COM

guidelines a little further into the painting rather

than right from the start. This is because if I have
a guideline at the very beginning, I tend to be
very restricted on what I put down on the canvas
and have to follow every detail of the guidelines.
Therefore it slows down the entire process as well
as restricts you from some compositional ideas.

Once I have a sketch down and ready to move

forward, I then add the guidelines and clean up
all the perspective errors, even changing the
angle of view slightly.

06

Applying colors and adjustments:

Ive got my basic color palette down

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

from the colors already on the individual assets

but I feel it needs some kick. I play around with
some adjustments such as the Hue/Saturation,
Levels and Color Lookup to get something closer
to what I have in mind, which was brighter, more
saturated warmth to the overall tone. I have all
my layers set into a group and clip the adjustment
layers to that group.

07

Detail passes: Now its time to add

some more visual interest around the
image. I start by just thinking about what shapes
and colors can contrast well with the current
state of the image. In this case, I think that blue
contrasts well with the reds and oranges as well
as the circle shape to contrast with all the angular
ones. I also remove the wall on the right as I think
it feels too busy, therefore it made a nice break for
the eye to rest on that side. I use the same asset

for the ground plane and use them as a framing

element for the figure at the counter. This helps
focus the image to the center as well as provide
more interesting shapes. I also add some kind
of railing towards the right to get some small
concentration of detail which contrasts well with
the open space.

08

Ctrl+Shift+C: During the early

sketch stage, I often experiment with
Ctrl+Shift+C which copies everything in a
selection regardless of what layer I am. This is a
quick and easy way to copy a certain part of an
image and keep all the layers intact. This is then
moved around the image and transformed with
layer adjustments to get an abstract look which
will help you find something cool or some happy
accidents about where it can be placed. In this
case, I copy a section of my painting and move
it to the right, as well as rotating it 90-degrees
counter-clockwise. I also add some value
adjustments now, and some quick details in the
background of the image.

09

The Smudge tool: The Smudge tool is

great for filling up blank areas and also
for creating more complex shapes. You do this

Play with the composition to find a focal

point in the foreground and mid-ground
After the basic composition, perspective
lines can clean up any perspective issues
Set layers in a group and clip new
adjustments to the group
Create interest by adding shapes and
colors that contrast well
Copy a section of the image and
transform it to find interesting details
Details such as another blue circle is
added and the pattern in the bottom
right corner is smudged
83

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Create a sleek interior

I copy whatever is above the

reflective surface (Ctrl+Shift+C
is great for this) flip it upside
down, move it into the
reflection area and apply a
vertical Motion Blur to it
by setting the Smudge tool to 100% Opacity and
moving sections around. This is done best with a
hard-edged brush. I tend to use a square brush for
this tool as it gives me straight and clean edges.
After working on more details and adding a blue
circle right at the center (I feel that the center
focus needs to read stronger and have more
interesting contrasts), the bottom-right corner
looks odd. I think this is because the thickness
of that patterned line is the same width as most
of the lines throughout the painting. Therefore
by smudging parts of that line downwards, not
only do I fill up that area, but also it looks a lot
more unified with the pattern. So this is a very
2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

quick way of adding detail that fits well with the

surroundings, instead of having to paint and fix
details into fit.

10

Reflections: How I go about reflections

is I will copy whatever is above the
reflective surface (Ctrl+Shift+C is great for this)
flip it upside-down, move it into the reflection
area and apply a vertical Motion Blur to it. You
can then erase or mask out certain parts of the
ground that are not reflective.
Fortunately, theres a quick way to control
where you want the reflections to show. When
you double-click on a layer (a little towards the
right-side of the layer name text), you bring up
the Layer Style menu. Right at the very bottom
there are sliders that let you control whether
you want the dark or light values of your current
layer to be transparent (fig. 10b). Also, you can
control if you want the dark or light values of the
underlying layer to show through the current

layer. This is great for masking out reflections

that are not supposed to show on a dark (or light)
surface instead of having to manually hand Lasso
and mask out areas, as sometimes the reflective
material shape could be very complex.

11

Final touches and details: As we get

close to the end, I add some more blue
circles to the top-left corner of the image as it was
too heavy on the right side. They are meant to
be some contemporary sculpture or decoration.
I add more details on the counter with some
text to show small details. I also decide to add
an arc shape right behind the counter as I think
the overall flow of the image seems too stale, so
having that there makes it so that theres more
eye flow that leads to the figures and logo.

center to brighten and saturate that area up. I also

tend to add a noise layer right at the end just so
that it unifies the entire image slightly. I sign it off,
and Im done! Thanks for reading this and I hope
this little insight of my process was helpful!

Add reflections to give the image extra

depth using Ctrl+Shift+C
Sliders in the Layer style tool allow you
to control the light and dark values of
a layer

I darken the edges of the image so that the

contrast is higher towards the center which
makes a better focal point. To even further the
contrasts, I do a slight warm color dodge at the
85

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Create a sleek interior

The Artist

Ian Jun Wei Chiew

ianchiew.com

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

87

120
Issue 120 | December 2015

Paint light
and color

Create a light filled,

atmospheric fantasy
scene with this tutorial
from Christoph Peters

plus

10 of the best digital images

Paint like the Impressionists
Create a sleek interior
and much more!

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The Artist

Oscar Gregeborn
oscargregeborn.com
Software Used:
Photoshop
Oscar Gregeborn is an up
and coming artist from
Oslo, Norway. He continues
to study art and design
while making a living and
growing his reputation with
freelance work.

Underwater
alien landscape
Discover how you can quickly and simply create an
atmospheric alien underwater landscape with this step by
step guide from Oscar Gregeborn

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Underwater alien landscape

Refresh your skills with these

handy tips...
My work is often referred to as the marriage
of strange color and outlandish landscapes.
Throughout this project I am going to guide
you through the making of an entire painting.
I will show you how I generate ideas, and how
I bring those ideas to life, as well as how I go
about creating full-blown illustrations. I will
touch upon subjects like; light, color, values,
and much more. You will also learn a plethora
of tips and techniques that I have gathered on
my own journey into the world of art.
It was not long ago that I sat there myself,
looking at tutorials, buying art books, and

2DARTISTMAG.COM

studying the old masters in an effort to

become what I am today. Because of this, I
hope I can provide greater insight into how it
is done, but also more importantly, why it is
done. Let me make myself clear though: I am
still learning, a lot. I still look up to and admire
the work of many, many people that are far
above me. I still struggle, and I try to learn
something new each day. I try to push my
boundaries every time I paint, and so should
you. It is the best way to improve as an artist. I
hope this tutorial is insightful, and I hope you
learn something new from reading through it.

01

Starting out: It is said that staring at

an entirely blank canvas is the most
intimidating feeling when it comes to painting,

and I wholeheartedly agree. Luckily there are

ways of combating this feeling. I have found
that looking up references and inspiration puts
my mind at ease, and I have a much easier time
approaching the beginning of a painting.
Knowing where to look however, can be a
daunting task in itself. I like to approach it from
multiple angles; the internet is teeming with
creative work, but its also great to find inspiration
beyond the usual portfolio sites. One medium
that I enjoy in particular, are art books. I own
a handful of them, and look through them
religiously every fortnight or so. In this case
though, I found myself jumping into the task
without much research in advance, eager to start
the painting.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

02

Getting comfortable: It may sound

alien to many of the seasoned
professionals out there, but becoming
comfortable with the digital medium is one
of the biggest hurdles for beginners. After a
good while spent in Photoshop you are going
to stumble upon a fair few shortcuts that help
out immensely. There are two easy techniques
however, that I simply cannot live without. While
having the Brush tool selected:
1. Holding Alt brings forth the Eyedropper tool,
and you are free to select any color on the
canvas. This means that you can rapidly
select a certain color on the canvas, and
keep painting with that color at the press of
only one key.

2. Holding Alt+right mouse (Ctrl+Option for a

Mac) and dragging your pen over the tablet,
will change the size of your brush.
Mastering these techniques can take some time,
but they will definitely speed up your workflow as
you paint.

03

Make a mess: Whenever beginners ask

me how to start a painting; the first thing
I suggest is that they lump a ton of paint onto
the canvas. As mentioned in step one, a blank
canvas is extremely intimidating, and doing this
helps with the intimidation. Use absurd brushes
and insane colors, you can even photo-bash and
use filters if you wish to; the digital medium is
incredibly malleable. This works great both as a

warm up, and to get the creative juices flowing,

so to speak.

Oscar gathered references, and began to

lay out colored gradients that represent
the palettes he wished to explore
Finding a good brush is equally
important. Oscar often toys around with
brush settings until he finds something
interesting and unexpected
Out of the three variations Oscar made,
he discarded the first two, and began
working on the third
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Underwater alien landscape

As for this project, I spend around 10 minutes

in this phase, though if you are not under a
deadline, you can spend as much time as you
wish. Dont be afraid to create multiples of these
messes, as this is ample opportunity to explore
color and mood. Although you can use any brush
you like, I recommend a brush that contains a bit
of texture; cloud brushes, watercolor brushes and
calligraphy brushes work especially well for this.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

04

Finding the forms: Now that you have a

canvas full of clutter and chaos, you are
ready to start hunting for shapes. Its very much
akin to looking for shapes in the clouds, only this
time you search for ridges, spires, arches and
everything else that make up a fantasy landscape.
I tend to simply continue to paint on top of the
mess I created earlier, but you can also draw lines
if that is what you are comfortable with.

For this project, I neglect to use a perspective

grid. It is something that can often clutter up the
process, and halts creativity for beginners. If you
are comfortable with plotting a perspective grid,
then I very much advise you to use it. Though
for a painting like this, a rough estimate of the
perspective is often enough. For interiors as well
as bigger exterior architecture, a perspective grid
is most definitely preferred.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

05

The value range: It is important to

remember that your painting should
contain the entire range of values, all the way
from snow-white to pitch-black. A general rule
is that the values should get less pronounced
the further back into the image you move. The
foreground should be teeming with both darks
and lights, though often trending towards the
dark. The background should consist of mostly
gray tones, while the mid-ground should have
something of a mix of the two.
It is also worth mentioning that objects tend
to become somewhat lighter as they reach
the background, especially so when you are
painting sunlight. In the case of this painting I am
working with an underwater scene, but the value
range should still stay relatively similar. If your
values are causing you significant trouble, then I
recommend starting your paintings in grayscale.

06

Color palette: Colors make up a large

part of the painting, so it is important
that they work well with each other. In the case of
this painting, I have to make the colors fit an alien
underwater theme. This means that blue should
be the most dominant color of the palette. You
are of course allowed to stray slightly away from
your palette, but it should be used as a general
guideline. I recommend that you switch up the
color of your brush quite often as you paint.
Having a lot of hue variation adds significant
interest to your painting, and its one of the
hallmarks of my own style. This variation is
especially evident in how the rocks in the
foreground are painted. You can see reds, purples
and blues being integrated into the shadows.

07

Recycling: A technique I learned early

on was to recycle parts of the painting.
I will copy parts of what I have already painted,

Use a darker tone for the mid-ground

structures, pushing them away from
the background
The value-chart on the left corresponds
to the different colors on the canvas,
and indicates that the values are
varied enough
Use the adjustment tools Levels and
Color Balance to achieve the
desired palette
Oscar copied the desired area, pasted it
atop a less detailed area, and used the
layer modes to get the desired blend

PRO TIPS

Flip the canvas!

Flipping the canvas can be incredibly useful if you wish to know if your composition is
working or not. Found under Image > Image Rotation > Flip Canvas Horizontal, I suggest
you key-bind it and learn to use it extensively while painting. If your painting suddenly feels
weird or off after flipping the canvas, its a big indication that your composition might
need some work. This is the Photoshop equivalent of looking at your painting through a
mirror. Your eyes are essentially seeing an entirely new painting, and it makes it incredibly
easy to spot problems in your work.

Values matter

Colors are extremely important, but so are the underlying values. A quick way to get a look
at your painting in grayscale is to make a Hue/Saturation adjustment. Drag the Saturation
slide down to 100. Now you can flick that adjustment layer off and on as you please
throughout the painting process, allowing you to quickly determine if your values are
working or not. I use this trick all the time, and I encourage you do the same.

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Underwater alien landscape

One of my favorite tools

in Photoshop is the Sponge
tool. It lets me saturate or
desaturate areas at will. It is
incredibly useful when you
want to create that eerie,
otherworldly glow
usually a more detailed area, then paste it over
a less detailed area. By using layer modes like
Lighten and Darker Color, the copied part merges
better with the background. In this case I copied
the jeweled area on the right-side of the painting,
and pasted it over the hills in the mid-ground, as
well as the larger rock formation in the center of
the image.
Nothing is stopping you from using images
you have painted previously either, as long as
these are personal works. I have a number of
unreleased paintings, in addition to paint-textures
that I often sample to give my new work some
flair. Not only does this technique add an extra

2DARTISTMAG.COM

layer of detail to the painting, but it also spares

you a significant amount of time compared to if
you were to paint everything from scratch instead.

08

A cohesive world: It is incredibly

important that you have a good sense
of the world you are creating, if you wish to paint
a believable landscape. Here we are dealing with
an underwater alien world, so this tells me a
number of things:
1. The lighting should be soft and scattered.
2. The world should feel unfamiliar, not relating
to anything you find on earth.
3. Water scatters light much more effectively
than air, so the atmospheric perspective
should be pushed.
4. The rock formations should be smooth, as
the water grinds away at them over millions
of years.
The intention of a list like this is to make the
world you paint more cohesive. Physics and logic

apply, even though you are painting an alien

landscape. I paint the rocks somewhat round and
smooth, and the jewels on the right-hand-side of
the painting are painted like ellipses in an effort to
adhere to the theme.

09

Making it pop! One of my favorite

tools in Photoshop is the Sponge tool.
It lets me saturate or desaturate areas at will.
It is incredibly useful when you want to create
that eerie, otherworldly glow. By keeping the
Flow at around 20%, I can carefully elevate the
luminosity and saturation of certain areas as I
please. I wish to give the jewels scattered on the
rock-formations this extra glow. I also use this
tool to lighten some of the ground near the rocks
in the foreground. This light looks unnatural, and
suggests that something biological might be
giving off the mysterious glow, whether its fungi,
algae, corals, or something entirely different. This
tool should be handled with care though, as too
frequent use can make the painting look blown
out; a look we often wish to avoid.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

10

Ten thousand brushstrokes: It is

pivotal to remember that painting is a
marathon, not a sprint. The only way to get good
results, is to put in the hours needed.

Spending thrice that amount should not worry

you when you are in the learning stages.
I also suggest that you take regular breaks from
the painting.

The painting has to follow the physics

of the world. The rocks are rounded,
the atmosphere pushed, and a few
swimming creatures are added

I recommend that you paint slowly, with an

understanding of why you put down each stroke.
At this point I have spent around two hours on the
painting, but I also have a lot of experience doing
this kind of work, so it often comes more naturally
to me.

Sitting still for five hours is not good for your

body, so go downstairs, go on a short walk or do
something entirely different. Not only do you get
your blood circulation going again, but you also
get to come back to your work with a fresh pair
of eyes!

By using the Sponge tool, you can add a

peculiar glow to areas at will
The devil is in the detail. To get good
results, you have to put in the time and
the effort
97

The Artist

Oscar Gregeborn
oscargregeborn.com

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The Artist

Luigi Memola

memolaluigi.blogspot.sg
Software Used:
Photoshop
Luigi Memola is a senior
vehicle concept designer and
the founder of EPTA Design
Ltd. He works on projects
ranging from function driven,
advanced transportation to
visionary conceptual art.

Render a sci-fi vehicle

Luigi Memola shows how he transformed one of his Inktober sketches
into a fully rendered vehicle design

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Render a sci-fi vehicle

Develop a quick sketch into a

complete design...
The rendering of a design is a lot of fun,
but remember that the design is a form
of communication whose purpose is to
help provide extra information. I classify
information in three types; the first being the
design of information to better understand
the forms, breakdowns and the material
of different components. The second is to
provide functional information to understand
how to use the object, how to work a
machine and so on. Then finally, storytelling
information is needed to understand the
context; where it is used and how the object
interacts with its natural environment.
Obviously, the imagination is the most
important aspect. So despite the partial use of
photobashing techniques, here I did not seek
specifically to achieve a photorealistic result
with this exercise.

01

Identify the right sketch: Having

occasions to stop and draw is a good
way to develop your skills critical to the design
that is being developed. A small sketchbook
allows you to draw at any time. In my moleskin
sketchbook (210mm x 130mm) I collected designs
that would eventually participate, in a small
way, to the wonderful initiative of Jake Parkers
Inktober 2015.
I could not reach the quality and consistency of
other big names in the concept art world such
as Scott Robertson or Vaughan Ling, but looking
at my sketches I did however identify some
decent designs to be published on my Instagram
account. From a practical standpoint, I excluded
designs that were too dirty from the marker and
lacked a strong silhouette.

02

From analogue to digital: Only a few

of the sketches that I do in my albums

PRO TIP
Shadow theory

The secret to shading an object is to identify the

simple volumes that make up its parts. With a few
strokes of black-and-white you can communicate
any form. First, add graduated strips of dark and light
to indicate the curvature of the shape. Then adjust
the shape to fit the sense of volume you want to
give, and a background that highlights the shading
on the object. Finally add a shadow and reflections
indicating how the object interacts with its setting.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

are meant to step into Photoshop or develop into

3D designs. In fact, the drawing I decided to take
into Photoshop was the result of inspiration, and
was not premeditated. From among the drawings
I chose an interesting sketch made on October
17, 2015.
I found that it was sufficient to take a photograph
of the sketch with a phone, but it is important
to try to be perpendicular to the sheet and not
cast shadows on it. You should also avoid clear
shadow on the paper otherwise you may need to
invest some time to solving this in Photoshop.

03

Preparation of the base drawing:

Sometimes the result from a phone is
not as good as expected. This was not a problem
as the adjustments I do are very simple. With
Hue/Saturation (Ctrl+U) I set the saturation value
to -100. Then in Levels (Ctrl+L) I moved the values
of black, white and gray in order to have a better
picture contrast. This adjustment, for me, was
very important because it cleaned the drawing.
Sometimes, the design also presents the lines
(construction lines, section lines or exploration
of style) lighter, which becomes less troublesome
with this technique.

An overview of some of the sketches

Luigi made

The selected drawing had an exciting

and inspiring design

Luigi selected the sketch in the top-right

corner to develop into a complete design

Saturation and contrast are the main

parameters to explore when cleaning up
the image

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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Render a sci-fi vehicle

By increasing the contrast, I emphasized the most

interesting lines.

04

Level zero: The clean image was then

enlarged to be adapted to a slightly
larger sheet (21cm x 16cm at 300dpi). The zero
level was the basic level everything else would
be drawn on, even the background. The problem
of the cropping erasing the background was now
counteracted along the edge of the vehicle.

05

Perspective and grid: To avoid

unpleasant surprises later on, its good
to check that the perspective is working properly
and correct it right away.
I aligned the wheels in such a way that they
were on a horizontal straight line. The drawing
clearly represented the side view of a vehicle, so
arranging the perspective to a central vanishing
point characterized the width of the vehicle.
Although not completely accurate; to identify the
location of the vanishing point I used the wheels
as a template. The vanishing point also allows
you to define the height of the horizon line. I did
not want to remove the freshness of the original
drawing by perfectly reconstructing the geometric
perspective, so I introduced the grid deformation
Fisheye to try to arrange the other two axis.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

06

Variation of grayscale: If you look at

any image completely desaturated (in
black-and-white) you will be able to understand
and distinguish the forms and all the elements
of the scene. It follows that by properly using
the shades of gray you can simply communicate
volumes too. The gray value describes the volume
of items aimed at the light.

For convenience, I only used the Only web

colors selection on the Color Picker because it
determines only four shades of gray between
pure white and solid black. These four gray colors
are very similar to the grayscale of markers of
cold grays that I used. All other shades of gray
were achieved by working with the pressure of
the brush.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

07

Main block element: This phase

consisted of defining blocks to
separate the key elements of the subject, or the
components, with obvious contrasts of gray. My
exploratory truck had a central cabin, a group of
wheels and a driving windshield.
On a new layer set to Darken, I painted the central
body with a series of irregular brushstrokes using
C2. I did not use the Paint Bucket tool because at
this stage the pressure of the brush can start to
give a little texture and irregularity to the surface
of the base. Having chosen a darker gray tone
(but not black) I used the same method to fill the
volumes of the wheels. Having a light background
can still also help to define the areas where

there is more light. Using a distribution pyramid

helps to create a balanced picture.

Resize the image so that it becomes

slightly larger

08

The image is arranged and adapted to a

perspective grid forming a fisheye view

One brush painting: The yield of the

volumes was now entrusted to the
creation of the contrasts within the blocks created
before. To carve out the shapes on the light-gray
surface, I used darker tones of gray here in order
to create shadows.
Then to sculpt the wheels and blocks which
have a very dark base color, I used white and the
pressure sensitivity to determine the intensity
of the light and dark areas. I used an equilateral
triangle brush that I had made, and activated the
Transfer and Smoothing with 1% spacing.

Select a gray scale for reference to

describe the volume of the vehicle
The different shades of gray help
separate the graphic elements within
the composition
The brush Luigi chose was an equilateral
triangle-shaped brush

107

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Render a sci-fi vehicle

The advantage is that the

use of the photo brings a
tremendous amount of
information (color, detail,
light, texture) not obtainable
with traditional techniques

09

Sculpting with black-and-white:

The technique I used is to sample color
directly from the design and start painting in an
increasingly precise way to bring out the details.
The strong shadow on the ground suggests
that the light comes from above so the only
rule here was the use of very light-gray and
dark-gray to bend the surfaces to either turn
toward the light or hide from the light. Creativity
is the protagonist, so you can still explore many
different design ideas at this point.

10

Textures and photobashing: The

technique known as photobashing is a
way to use photographs to enrich your work. The
advantage is that the use of the photo brings a
tremendous amount of information (color, detail,
light, texture) not obtainable with traditional
techniques. According to my needs here, I
downloaded photos on which I worked several
hours to make them unrecognizable. I looked for
textures for two categories: subject textures and
background textures.
I use photobashing to understand vast areas,
so for this piece I chose images of fuselages of
airplanes, helicopters, trucks and ships, to use
as textures for the large metallic surfaces on
the side of the truck. Using the Selection tool,
I clipped plates and panels, and applied them
over volumes using the blending mode Overlay.
Overlay can make dark areas of an image appear
transparent leaving only the lightest areas. In this
case I created white rivets and added reflections
to the edges of the plates which constitute the
dark surface of the aircraft.

2DARTISTMAG.COM

11

Painting over: After the first layer of

textures, I then painted in a manual
way. Without a precise order, I sculpted light
by selecting the color with Alt in different areas
to add detail with strokes of light and shadow,
creating vents and fold surfaces. The color was
not desaturated, but affected the texture that
was applied before. Without the use of Patch I
also drew the front lines where there would be a
breakdown sheet.
The selection of textures was done by researching
details of the picture and inserting them into
areas such as the vehicles suspension, the pilot,
and the air intake openings. A texture overlay

allows you to achieve effects of dirt and worn

surfaces. Photobashing textures gave my subject
volume and life because, unlike new vehicles, this
vehicle had been ruined by dirt and use.

12

Background: The background in

this image was just an element of the
composition which would better isolate the
subject. In terms of photography, to isolate a
white object illuminated from above with a strong
shadow on the ground, it was sufficient to enter
dark elements in the background. At this stage I
entered a texture of marble on the ground to add
irregularities to it and give the impression of a
white desert.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

To insert an element of perspective I put a circle

on the ground. A deformed circle immediately
gives more three-dimensionality to the scene
because it also creates a distance between the
viewer and the subject. The background blur
simulated the optical effect of a camera lens
focused on the main subject.

13

Environment: The ambience of the

image is the reverse process of the
background: the setting attempts to place the
subject in context, making it consistent with the
story. In this case I decided to represent a time
when the vehicle has stopped near a lake and fuel
supply is low.
With a mixed media texture and painting, I added
elements such as a lake, the reflection of the
vehicle in the lake, and the red reflection of the
lake on the white bodywork. The white smoke
ahead of and behind the vehicle added volume to
the entire composition.

14

Final touch: The last phase of the

design is to insert elements to enhance
details and make it more alive. I added graphics
such as yellow stripes that help the viewer to
better understand the shape of the surfaces, the
writing and the signs that recall the graphics that
are on military vehicles. I then added more smoke
to slightly increase the depth of the scene.

A slightly concave intersection creates

the central volume and the rear volume
is a sphere

Repeat the photobashing to give the

image greater detail and interest

Large textures are applied to the image

and photobashed using Overlay

A suitable background is essential to

enhance the subject, creating a threedimensional scene

Pull out volumes using black-and-white

to create light and shadow

After the design rendering, you can

develop the drawing into an illustration

109

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Render a sci-fi vehicle

The Artist

Luigi Memola

memolaluigi.blogspot.sg

2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

111

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DIGITAL ART MASTER:

Alien Jungle
by Arthur Haas

Discover how Arthur Haas creates fantastical environments with this sneak peek
inside Digital Art Masters: Volume 9

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

The Artist

Arthur Haas
ahaas.nl

Software Used:
Photoshop
Arthur Haas is a concept
artist and illustrator from
Amsterdam, Netherlands
with a passion for science
fiction. He has worked on
a variety of book and film
project since 2011.
115
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Arthur Haas

My favorite subject to study is, by far, alien

jungles. Id rather be able to actually explore
these strange and exciting places in person,
but the next best thing is definitely painting
them. Whenever I allow myself to dive into
these worlds I try to make my images into an
invitation for the viewer to join me.
I guess its the endless possibilities alien
life forms could offer, a freedom to create
anything I like. I use Photoshop for this
because for me its the best way to create
randomness by using custom brushes and
so achieve happy accidents in shape and
structures. I find this method more playful
than planning out my images.
It becomes more of an exploration this way.
This image took me around 20 hours to make
and was one of my first creations where I
didnt struggle with the composition, a factor I
often I feel less confident about.
Finding a composition
Scott Robertsons method for finding composition
really works for me (you can find his video on
this method on Youtube under custom brushes
and actions). Basically what it entails is this: you
make a huge file with several linear gradations
for the background and on different layers you
start to throw your custom brushes in varying
opacities and sizes (Fig. 1). You can then zoom in
and start looking around for interesting shapes
and compositions, turning layers on and off
to suit your taste until you find one, or indeed
several that you like. You then use the rectangular
marquee tool to select that section of the image.

116 | 2DARTISTMAG.COM

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

What I did slightly different from Scott was,

instead of copy and pasting this selection into a
new file (and thereby flattening it), I cropped the
entire image to that selection and saved it under
a completely different name, thereby keeping the
individual layers.
Custom brushes on the fly
I resized the new image and added some
horizontal strokes until I started to see something
new in it. I used a palette knife brush, which is
a normal round brush flattened with the angle
control option (under shape dynamics) set to pen
tilt, or rotation if you use an art pen (Fig 2a).
That black shape started to become a tree
or fungus-like growth. I put my usual solitary
exploring alter ego under it, staring up in wonder.
I also added a little bit of detail here to several
of the background elements in the lower half of
the image, just playing around with them really.
The main growth also got some translucent sacks
hanging under it and some flower or pod-like
shapes (Fig. 2b).
These last shapes (Fig. 2c) came from a brush
I quickly made from a textured brush (1) with
scattering on both axes and wet edges and then
this applied in a dot pattern around a circle shape
(3). I then made it into a brush, playing with the
spacing, scattering and flipped x/y jitter for a
natural, random effect.

Adding color and mood

It was time to add some color! I find it best
not to wait too long with doing this as it gets
increasingly complicated when there is a large
amount of detail and the number of layers has

Arthur found the composition by

selecting the sections of the image he
found interesting. He then flipped the
image and looked again
Suddenly theres water and boulders
with a huge central black shape
protruding from the right side

increased. This was the first image where I used

this particular composition-finding technique
and one thing I learned was that it is better to
add color even earlier than I did here: ideally,
immediately after finding the initial composition.

Developing shapes into

compositional elements
Playing around with settings like
spacing, scattering and flipping x/y jitter
can give chaotic and therefore natural
looking effects

117
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2DARTIST MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Arthur Haas

Usually I prefer colors that arent too close to

what were used to seeing around us as this can
add to the alien mood. In this case I chose a
pinkish purple palette which is the opposite of
the green/blue colors we normally associate with
nature. Like the shapes I have used, the color
choice indicated that this place was different.
Playing with adding detail
Once the elements and colors were in place I
started adding detail to the main shapes and
118 | 2DARTISTMAG.COM

background. Playing is the right word for this

process as it doesnt need much mental activity.

that mimics natural lighting as well as allowing

me to stay focused on shape.

I used the smear tool quite a bit at this stage

which is great for adding some natural flow
into the sometimes blocky shapes of custom
brushes (Fig. 4a). If you use it too much however,
the whole image will become blurry. During
these processes I also kept things like direct and
indirect lighting in mind. The lighting is diffused
and shines from above, which is a simple effect

I arranged the different distances on separate

layers so it was easy to add detail and some fog
to create an atmospheric perspective. I painted
some moss on the shape in the distance with a
regular brush and added some wispy tendrils with
a custom brush which consists of a few small dots
placed vertically and spacing of 1%, angle set to
pen tilt/rotation.

2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 120

The boulders below were detailed with a colored

pattern using a regular round brush smeared at
98% and the same flowery brush which was used
at the waters edge (Fig. 4b). Finally, I added more
detail to the tree shape in the foreground using
a texture brush in overlay mode. With another
custom brush I added a spine of protrusions
which I smeared into the trunk (Fig. 4c).
In the foreground I used that same flower/pod
brush from earlier, placed them on stilts as tall
plant life, adding more depth to the image. On
3dtotals website I found some bird brushes,
of which I used a few to add life to the scene. I
tweaked the hue/saturation and contrast settings
with adjustment layers and called it finished.
Conclusion
What I noticed when making this image was
that subject does matter to me. Its easy to get
caught in trying to do cool things you see others
do which usually ends in disappointment. Some
themes, however, come naturally to me, such as
this alien jungle.
I believe that if you paint what you love, you
will become better at it in a playful way which
will show in your work. Since this image, Ive
been making the most of my personal work by
employing this composition finding method of
scanning that huge file, flipping it, finding an
interesting view and then the journey can begin.

Colors tend to be more saturated

towards the foreground then
increasingly bend into the horizon

Adding some wavy patterns to the main

shape created more volume
Rendering the background detail

Arthur added some dark colors to the

left side as he felt the image was out of
balance. He also added another element
in the near foreground on the right. This
had to be a light shape for tonal balance

Detailing the foreground

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