Lee's art challenge
-
If I do this...it will really be a success because I am not a digital artist yet
So I will be challenged on all fronts! -
Marsha, you can also do this one in reverse if you are trying to learn digital a bit better. Make a traditional piece that you like, then try and copy it digitally.
This exercise works so well on so many fronts. It lets you explore and analyze your own mark making, color, and composition in detail. You will look at your work in a totally different way when you are done.
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
when I read your post on facebook yesterday, about making a study digitally before painting it traditionally, I thought I would give it a try. so I'm up for it
it's a great idea, thanks for that -
Here's another I'm working on now. Digital version on left. Work in progress painting in the middle. Color swatches for testing mixtures below...
-
almost done. Here's an iphone snap of the in progress painting...
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
@Lee-White that is amazing! I started mine on the weekend!! Such a learning process and not sure how much like the digital version mine looks like ! Great challenge though, thanks for the suggestion!
-
challenge accepted!
-
This is my progress so far, not very good. My second time with water colours but determined to keep going!
-
looking god so far. You may or may not be able to hit your reference depending on your paper. Some paper will let you keep building up, and others won't. You will find out which one you have very soon. : )
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
@Lee-White thank you
thank you yes my print out came our much darker than my on screen version..so aiming to try get those colours more . I miss working with Acrylics 
-
@Lee-White great idea! I have a tablet and clipstudio pro that my son bought me for my birthday. I haven't really tried it yet because I've been working on book projects and trying to learn business skills to sell my book. I've sold 50/300 so far
Still have a long way to go but I'm pressing on. I even signed up for an scbwi illustrators day. My first event since being a member for two years. I need to put a portfolio together and I might have a really rough dummy by then too. I think that this will be my first assignment for myself to do on the tablet Thanks!! -
@Marsha-Kay-Ottum-Owen Congrats on selling 50 books! Great going
Okay, so I had a go at this challenge. I was in the middle of seeing whether I could improve my recent duckling image digitally, when I figured, actually let's use it for Lee's challenge instead - ie doing the reverse challenge version by trying to recreate the watercolour in digital. The original has had the colours deepened with a multiply layer, and a few bits of pencil, but not much.
I started out using the original sketch as a template - as I figured this exercise was more about learning to copy the painting/mark making in a new medium rather than a precision drawing exercise - and then tried to figure out exactly which digital brushes I had which mimicked the watercolour best. This in itself was SO useful - really worth doing - as although I already had a list of favourite watercolour brushes, I hadn't gone down to this forensic level of copying and it really made me dig through and the result is my favourite brush list has had a huge influx of new favourites.
I took a screen shot early on to show the workings out:
And the result (traditional on left, digital on the right):
Thanks @Lee-White for suggesting this!
-
@Dulcie Wow! They both look great!
I've been trying to achieve a decent digital watercolor look and have failed so far. Would you mind telling me what brushes you used? So far the best success I've had is with Kyle's watercolor brush set.
-
@Dulcie this is awesome! Practically indisitinquishable from the original version. Really not easy to duplicate watercolor digitally, so a big congrats to you - I am sure it was a really useful experience!
-
@lilyhanna Thank you! I used Kyle's Real Watercolour set to do this, sounds like you have that one already..there are so many brushes in it that I hadn't explored all of them before - the new ones I found were the Wamazing ones and they were very good (as they all are, really).
I think the difficult part in doing this digitally is creating the same look without the reference to go on, because you don't naturally go through the same process digitally. I'm going to try another piece in the same style without doing the traditional first, will see how that goes...
@smceccarelli Thank you! I'm glad you approve of the result, yes it was definitely a useful experience to go through. I'm hoping I can transfer the process to other digital pieces, fingers crossed.
-
I want to try this! I usually think of going the other direction--doing a digital master copy of a traditional piece. Color matching I think would be a finiky one, since it can depend on your screen and printer and such.
-
For anyone trying to do digital watercolours or any real media in digital do try Corel Painter - site link http://www.corel.com/gb/
There are many hobbyist versions at much reduced prices, the latest Painter Essentials 5 is about £/$30.
Review here http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/reviews/creative-software/corel-painter-2016-review/
Hope this helps
-
@Dulcie Wow! They look almost identical!
-
Fantastic job here! So glad you are trying the exercises we are recommending. I think doing them is so important for both your actual skill as well as your confidence. : )
-
@Lee-White Maybe I could do a copy of an artist I like as is sometimes mentioned. Do it traditionally and then digitally. That would REALLY be an exercise
Once I get my book business figured out and a well oiled machine, I can spend more time on things like this again...I hope 
