[Ko]

Hi guys/gals

I'm about to do my first highrez painting in Photoshop, and I could need a few hints.

Here's the sketch... (orig. 1800x3400 pixels)
Done in Photoshop with the view zoomed to 50%



I'm figuring on doing the lighting from the top down, for a nice gloomy mood... so that the bottom of the kane and the lower part of the dress will be almost black.

How do you guys start out with the initial shading?

I'd like to get started in the "Right" way!

The background will be fairly easy in the detail area... just some stone/wood wall and a cracked stone floor.

I'm seeing the light as being a spotlight from above the character, so that the wall will be illuminated around the character and the floor will have a circular light.
This will give some contrast to the dark lower part of the character.

Any suggestions are HIGHLY welcome!!!

Ko

[Loki]

1. Determine the general background color you want to have.
2. Switch your drawing to 'multiply' and put a layer filled with your bg-color under it
3. Now take the biggest hard paint-brush your machine can handle, pick the colors wisely and start establishing a 'big look' for your image - don't worry at all if the paintstrokes are rough and don't really follow your linedrawing. Establish a lightsituation, INCLUDING the backround - since you want the image to be one piece, not foreground and background.
4. take a smaller brush and do the same thing - correct the areas you don't like from the big brush.
5. Hold off with detailing until the end.
6. Repeat with smaller brush if necessary

this is only a very rough guide if I'd do it ... maybe you have a better way

[Ko]

Thanx Loki!

The multiply trick does wonders!
Well... back to painting with them big brushes

Ko