Matsuri

New digital illustration. Matsuri means Festival in Japanese, and this illustration is about a New-age music album that's inspired by Japanese Festival.

 The initial sketch

Digital Illustrations

 Some random illustrations I did in the summer.

Untitled

The Enchanted Forest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Stuff

 And the process.

My basic process for digital rendering

Here is my basic process for rendering an illustration in PS CS4.

My initial sketches are always very, very rough. This piece is for an adult short story: Landlady by Roald Dahl.

 

Then I started with value study by using a big, textured brush. At this stage, I did't worry about colors, because I will add color later with a small trick.

I don't like working with too many layers, so only the backround(usually a grey color), initial sketch, and the painting layer.

At first I had the landlady standing behind the door, but then I changed the composition, because I wanted the viewer to focus on the young man's gesture, expression, and feeling.

Now let's talk about the trick. I added a new adjustment/curve layer at the top. Note: click "RGB", at the drop down menu, choose blue, red, or green one at a time, and adjust the curve to see how it affects the image. By using this function, you can give the image a new color.

Last but not the least, I added more details and the warm lighting effect, to give it more visual contrast.

It's not done yet. I have to refine it later.

Recent Illustrations for a thrilling suspense story magazine

I really enjoyed pen and ink, and pure Black and White without gray tones, but the art director asked me to add some shading, and make things softer. Anyway, I love suspense novels, and feel happy about some of the illustrations I did for this project.

Photoshop brush -- Leaves and grass

Yes using a brush to create quick effects is CHEAP, but sometimes you'll need it. 

Just use brushes wisely.

These little brushes are also from Blur's good brush (credit to: Xueguo Yang site) I wish I had more free time to translate the whole set to English.

Download the brush here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/chlddm

Again, switch to your "SMUDGE TOOL" to use these brushes!!!

Beauty and the Beast

Go back several posts, you'll find the original painting which was done in my first year of school.

I brought it into Photoshop, and added some texture, took away two other characters, because I wanted the viewers just focus on the white tiger and the girl. The vines symbolizes strains of the relationship, and the crow also means something. Apparently they are not a happy couple!

New Digital Paintings

I haven't updated this blog for a hundred years! Now let's what I have done in the summer. This was a quickie done in Photoshop. Just a 30 min practice piece.