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Art Techniques
13 years ago
A few people have asked about how I go about creating my images.
I work almost entirely digital and haven't created any significant art using natural media in around 14 years. Prior to getting a graphics tablet I used to draw a lot on paper. My primary tools are a graphics tablet and Photoshop. I used to use Painter and sketch programs like OC, but these days 95% of my work goes through Photoshop.
Some people ask if my work is drawn, painted or photographic. It varies from image to image. Some images are drawn entirely from scratch, some are drawn from scratch and augmented with photographic textures. Some are photographs that are used as anatomical reference and are completely painted over. Some are 3D renders that are tweaked in photoshop. Others are 3D renders that are painted over. I rarely do straight up photomanips anymore and much prefer to paint the majority of my images.
The technique I chose is fairly arbitrary depending on my mood or the image I am trying to create. If I find a perfect pose or reference I might use that as a starting point. If I need a simple pose I might draw from scratch. If I need a more complex pose and can't find reference, I'll use Poser or Daz3D to render out a pose. Sometimes I'll put effort into a 3D image as the basis of the image. I'll often use photographic textures to enhance a drawing an add layers of texture that would otherwise be very difficult to paint. Of late I've been enjoying achieving the same effects by painting alone.
Here is a quick overview of technique for some of these images:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9485487/ Clouded Leopard TF - Photos are a basis for the poses, but they are repainted and reworked and relayered and relit, the result being that there is lots of painting and little to no actual manip work.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8405121/ OLD - Puma Dream Transformation - Painted from scratch. No reference.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8772202/ Seaside Transformation - Photograph for pose reference which was sketched out, then rendered from scratch. Look at /scraps for a process .gif.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8366715/ OLD Selkie skin TF - A Poser render that was then painted over.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7383469/ Transformation Ritual - Photos used as pose reference and then repainted. The panther was actually a Daz3D render layered with textures. Everything was then blended and repainted to integrate the whole image.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8981581/ Slick Panther - 95% 3D render, with some photoshop effects added.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6136116/ Ottermorphosis - Painted from scratch, a process .gif is in /scraps
I work almost entirely digital and haven't created any significant art using natural media in around 14 years. Prior to getting a graphics tablet I used to draw a lot on paper. My primary tools are a graphics tablet and Photoshop. I used to use Painter and sketch programs like OC, but these days 95% of my work goes through Photoshop.
Some people ask if my work is drawn, painted or photographic. It varies from image to image. Some images are drawn entirely from scratch, some are drawn from scratch and augmented with photographic textures. Some are photographs that are used as anatomical reference and are completely painted over. Some are 3D renders that are tweaked in photoshop. Others are 3D renders that are painted over. I rarely do straight up photomanips anymore and much prefer to paint the majority of my images.
The technique I chose is fairly arbitrary depending on my mood or the image I am trying to create. If I find a perfect pose or reference I might use that as a starting point. If I need a simple pose I might draw from scratch. If I need a more complex pose and can't find reference, I'll use Poser or Daz3D to render out a pose. Sometimes I'll put effort into a 3D image as the basis of the image. I'll often use photographic textures to enhance a drawing an add layers of texture that would otherwise be very difficult to paint. Of late I've been enjoying achieving the same effects by painting alone.
Here is a quick overview of technique for some of these images:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9485487/ Clouded Leopard TF - Photos are a basis for the poses, but they are repainted and reworked and relayered and relit, the result being that there is lots of painting and little to no actual manip work.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8405121/ OLD - Puma Dream Transformation - Painted from scratch. No reference.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8772202/ Seaside Transformation - Photograph for pose reference which was sketched out, then rendered from scratch. Look at /scraps for a process .gif.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8366715/ OLD Selkie skin TF - A Poser render that was then painted over.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7383469/ Transformation Ritual - Photos used as pose reference and then repainted. The panther was actually a Daz3D render layered with textures. Everything was then blended and repainted to integrate the whole image.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8981581/ Slick Panther - 95% 3D render, with some photoshop effects added.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6136116/ Ottermorphosis - Painted from scratch, a process .gif is in /scraps
Rwolf
~rwolf
wow, haven't heard poser in a long time. I guess there is resource in having a character already rigged up for you, than doing it yourself in a mainstream 3D program.
splice
~splice
Actually, Poser was initially created as an aid for artists and animators much like those wooden mannequins. It's pretty limited, but a lot of people will use it instead of a proper 3D package because it's easy to learn.
Loiosh
~loiosh
Thank you for the post, Gryf.
Zonk
~zonk
Dats kewl.
Kulbara
~kulbara
And here after all this time of thinking these images were created with fancy programs I've never even heard of (perhaps some of them were :P ), I suppose it comes down to good old fashioned painting. ^^ Thanks for the info!
