[Summer Pudding]

Hello there,

this is my first post on this forum, and I'm not really sure if this is the right place for it. Anyway, at the request of Matthew, here's how I made my Stalingrad prisoners of war image on the Finished Work forum. If this walkthrough is strangely remeniscent of other walkthroughs on the Internet, unknown to me, the original authors have my humble apologies.

It was created on Photoshop 6.

I started with a very basic background. Just enough to establish the elevation, and a rough palette and composition. I tried to keep it as loose and non commital as possible. I've found that if I pile on too much detail at this stage, a reluctance to paint over it sets in, even when that detail is blatantly innapropriate. A case in point is the pall of smoke on the left. Beneath it, you can just make out the outline of a distant town. It didn't seem right to me, so I obscured it with the smoke. No worries there, because it was painted with a few non commital strokes.



A bit more detail, but nothing too precise or intricate.



I used reference photos for the rough outline of the tanks, and painted on some rough, blobby Red Army infantry. After a bit of scaling, rotating and nudging around, it was merged with the landscape.



The figures got the same treatment as the landscape. Blobbed on or rubbed out on a separate layer, with a big brush until a coherent, workable shape emerged.



These two layers were then merged, after duplicating and hiding the originals.



Only at this point, did I allow myself to add any significant detail, I hadn't even established the direction of the light. But I found that by roughing all the key elements out first, maintaining a constant light position was much easier.



Here's the final image.



Running out of steam a bit here. Tired, and need a cigarette. I hope someone found something worthwhile in this, and that it wasn't stating the obvious too much.

Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be remembered forevermore as the ass who posted that lame walkthrough on Sijun?

Night all

Pud'

[DJorgensen]

I think it's just great

It's always refreshing to see someone's process once in a while, especially when the make great art like you Pud'

I've got just one question however - how long did the entire piece take to complete?

Keep it up!
Denby Jorgensen
_________________

[Matthew]

pud' many thanks for posting the tut, it is always interesting to see how others work with their paintings.

keep up the good work pud
Matthew

[Summer Pudding]

Thanks guys, I'm glad it was helpfull.

DJorgensen: the whole thing took about eight hours.

post like the wind!

Pud'

[Heysoos]

That is really awesome. I would love to see more tutorials from you puddin'.