Preserved Topic: Painting question

I have a quick question. I'm trying to find a way to make a smoother transition between colours and tones when painting in PS. Some of you say not to use the blur tool or the smudge tool but I can't seem to make shading nice and smooth without resorting to one of them. I don't have problem shading using a pencil and paper, but this is different and I haven't got the hang of it yet.

I'm not sure if I'm missing something or misreading your advice or just need to keep at it. I'm using a soft round brush for shading if that helps.



I'd like to achieve the shading on the right though the left version is more what I'm apt to end up with (not quite so bad).

Lower opacity, and brush hardness to 0% .

I'm still learning, but textured brushes work very well for blending.

Yep - textured brushes, lowered opacity, various blending modes (for the actual brush).

Best trick I've found.

What I tend to do is set my opacity to somewhere around 25%-35% and then I paint on some overlays. After that, I'll sample the colors in between two overlays and paint it in the middle. Rinse and repeat as desired and it gets pretty fluid.

I have trouble writing down the jumble of words in my head properly, so if the above didn't make sense, I can graphically show you what I mean tomorrow.

the Alt key is simply put... a life saver.

When you are using the Paintbrush tool... simply hold down Alt and you paint brush will change to the color sampler until you let up on the Alt key.

My thumb stays on the Alt any time I am painting. To smooth out, I grab a color, then at a low opacity i paint over.... look... mumble to myself, and do it again.

                                   

For smooth transitions, I use a method like synaxs`. Much like the grey overlays in the upper right corner of your example, just overlay the *seams* with inbetween shades at lower opacities and soft brushes. This can be done by sampling the color at the seam and reducing opacity. Then do it again with the seams you make doing that. Repeat as necessary.

For textured transitions (like skin) I use textured brushes and basicly the same technique, but instead of covering the seams you click (not drag) and leave the clicks farther and farther apart. This works pretty well if you`re working large and sizing down.

This should be archived I think. Don't know if it rates as a faq...but certainly in the archives.

Wow! Significant difference using opacity and textured brushes. I can't believe how much easier this is than what I was doing. I don't even want to say how I was going about it before, lol. I haven't even tried the different blending modes yet I'm so happy with the lowered opacity results.

I feel like a jackass as I initially tried lowering opacity, squirted out a few scribbles and let the ugliness of what I'd just done stop me from experimenting with opacity again.

Thanks very much!

Craig Mullins (goodbrush.com) said never to use a soft brush also , but I personally recon the tool is there use it in moderation(small doses here and there) and your fine. But thats not what Im posting .. to get your blends smooth paint at a high res and resize if you can. Or else just indicate shading with a hard brush and keep working it with thick hard brushes at low opacity.

if you've got a Wacom you could use the pen pressure if you can get it accurated, draw in the direction of the fade, starting light and then push it in when you get to the end of the gradient you want. If you try this you gotta keep changing the angle your fading at or it will look shit.

edit: message wasnt clear at all before edit, not sure if it is now.



[This message has been edited by Hugh (edited 01-18-2003).]

Ya... shy away from the softies..
go with the hard at low opacity.

My method is identical to izzays with the exception of using my index finger instead of my thumb. ... mumbling included.

edit: oh... forgot to add this...

quote:

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Some of you say not to use the blur tool or the smudge tool but I can't seem to make shading nice and smooth without resorting to one of them.

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yep. some of us do say that.... and mmm... yep... don't do it. =D


FAQs n' Bits: Michael

Yup..I'll repeat it too: stay away from the blur/smudge tools. Smudge has it's uses - and often times very good ones - but for general painting purposes it is ugly, cumbersome, and cheesy.

But anyway, yes - the ALT key is priceless.

I will quite often work in either multiply or screen mode at about 10% opacity when I need to get smooth transitions or subtle changes.

I also avoid soft brushes about 99% of the time...not counting some of the softer textured brushes...

Suckers! I have my Alt key mapped to my stylus button - that's efficiency!

I have my pen pressure set to change size, but not opacity. Personal preference there.

^ *cough* too bad you don't ever paint *cough*

oh wait.... nevermind...
neither do I. hehe.


FAQs n' Bits: Michael

You fucking panzies with tablets...

*cough* Michael... get off your chicken butt and back to yer wacom *cough*