[Cuddly]

Hi all,

I don't know if any of you have this problem, but I seem to have a block when it comes to painting in realistic color tones.

If any of you've seen some of my newer posts to the forums, you'll note that they're sketches. Just black and white "digital pen-and-ink" drawings. And while there's nothing wrong with that, it's sometimes discouraging and frustrating to try and work in full color.

When I try working in color, I tend to approach it from a history of coloring in comic-book art and not paying enough attention to how colors and light work in real life. And the best of today's digital colorists have a brilliant grasp of precisely those things (witness Spooge, Liquid! and Chapel). And while I'm trying to learn (and desperately trying NOT to copy anyone's style), it's not easy to break away from the "draw-the-outline-then-fill-it-in" mode of working.

For instance, this drawing below started off as just blocks of color that I'd put down, different shades of blue. But in the end, I ended up adding the sketchy outline to delineate features and such and ended up with a very comic-booky drawing.



When I do try to do art in a more "painterly" style, it comes out smudged and IMO lame-looking. The only example of this is a portrait of my wife that I started but have since stopped work on. That's below:



And, yes Chapel, I started on the most interesting part of the piece and ended up struggling with how to paint around the face. Gotta learn to start with the backgrounds...

Anyways, sorry for posting such a long thread and basically whining about things, but I was just wondering if there is any advice anyone can offer to break out of the mode I'm in and start thinking and working in color.

Thanks for listening everyone!

[Chapel]

I'm not really a digital painter, so I don't know how much help I would be. I'd suggest you use the lineart as a crutch. In other words try coloring a few of your sketches in a comic book style.. once you get the basic forms down increase the transparency of the lineart layer and just keep working at it till you no longer need it as a guide. Just like everyone says.. study real life.

By the way, I really don't belong in the same sentence as spooge and liquid!. But thanks for the mention.

[This message has been edited by Chapel (edited February 05, 2001).]

[Cuddly]

Chapel, thanks for the reply.

That's a good idea, though, using the transparency thing.

More thoughts:
I could cop out and say that drawing in a comic book style IS my "style", but I feel that that's kind of missing the point. I've been spending some time rediscovering traditional media and actually painting with real paint and brush with varying degrees of success. But I suppose it boils down to practice. I haven't painted or had to think in color in over ten years. So I am way out of practice. The thing is, I feel like I'm supposed to be practising a specific technique and not just slapping down digital paint hoping to discover "my way" of painting.

Over here though (I'm in Malaysia), it's very hard to find a part-time fine arts course I can enrol in to learn traditional painting technique and theory. All the courses at the local colleges are for full-time students and unfortunately I'm in no position to quit my job and study art. So I'm looking into buying books on technique and theory and I come to Sijun.com. The forum is the place I come to "hang out" with people of similar interests and to learn from whoever is willing and able to teach.

As for mentioning you in the same sentence as Spooge and Liquid!, you're absolutely right. It should've been "Spooge, Liquid, Don Seegmiller, Mike May, Isric, Micke and Chapel". Coz like it or not dude, you guys (and indeed everyone else on this forum) are the people I look up to and learn from. And for the cynics reading this, no sucking up intended.