[Mari]

I was really motivated to start painting nicely, even if it's just backgrounds for silly anime pictures or something. Well, especially backgrounds for ANY picture whatsoever.

And I have no idea how to start. I know I should start flopping big patches of flat color on that canvas, and I'm working on a piece in Open Canvas (although that may just be the wrong program to do it in, but I like my lineart in there), and my theory is that as long as you have a brush, you can figure it out anyway.

So I painted in the bigger colors... but that's about it. >.> I have no idea what to do from here. How detailed should I start? What the hell am I going to do now?

I really have no idea what I'm doing, please help! I've seen loads of tutorials but none that teach me how to paint, well, leaves for instance. Or castle walls. Or whatever! I want to know it all =)

Please help me?

[matter]

ah... usually the best way to work is simple to complex, but work all parts of the painting at the same pace. that means, start with middle values (4 basic values preferably), monochromatic.. then start rendering and finally color. that is the easiest way, but not always the best. you only learn with practice. if you want to make castle walls or leaves, you ought to use reference. no one can just paint any old thing out of their head *realistically* unless they've worked from it before. reference isn't enough either - it takes years of practice experimenting with effects of light and shadow, form, composition, blah blah... you're right, though. all u need is a brush. but no one can tell u how to use it, u hav to learn for yourself!

-matt
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Sorry! for any digressive, pompous, or just plain off-topic rants.

[Mari]

Thanks a lot! That really gave me some courage. I figured I could've thought of the reference thing myself - I use reference for MANY things, after all. =) Thanks though, your reply in general has made me motivated to start on it again.

[jfrancis]

http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=37497sijun.com

[Mari]

Thanks! I can see this one is from last year - it's a doozy browsing through all the topics here, what with all the things I still have to do.

You deserve a hug, but I'd probably scare you with that. =3