With this sketch, I experimented with using a limited palette of oranges and grays. Painting time: 1 hour 17 minutes
See more info about this video on the DaniDraws.com website.
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Archives: December 2006
The Tools I Use
Well, at least what I use for my digital work. I’ll break out the paint occasionally, but I must admit, I spend a lot of hours staring at my monitor. I’ve had questions from readers asking what computer I have, if I use a tablet, which one should I buy, etc. So, to help you out, I updated my About page to include information about the system I am currently working with.
If you’re reading all these tutorials and wondering what I’m using, this is it. You don’t need the exact stuff to draw on your computer, but I hope this gives you an idea of what you might need. And if you have a different system, please note any differences in my tutorial instructions that are system specific (such as MAC vs. Windows).
Video Notes: Bake Sale Brush Tool
I posted this video several days ago. Here is a little more info about how I use the brush tool in Adobe Illustrator.
Christmas Sketches
Here’s a few sketches inspired by the holiday.
New Links Page
I’ve just added a new page of links that many of you might find useful. These are taken from my personal list of bookmarks that are currently crowding my web browser. They are all how-to’s, making-of’s, and the like. Use the link in the sidebar or click here.
Let me know if they are useful to you or if you have some to add. Enjoy!
Using Masks to Create a Spot Illustration
Spot illustrations, or vignettes, are usually not contained in the familiar rectangle. Unfortunately, that’s the only shape of canvas you can get in Photoshop. However, if you define the shape of your work area before you begin by using a layer mask, you won’t have to worry about “coloring outside the lines” while you are creating your painting.
A Gift For You
I started up this blog so I could readily share my knowledge and also learn from other artists along the way. My biggest challenge so far, besides coming up with some worthwhile posts to share, is getting the word out. So I’ve come up with an idea that might help me in that regard. Many of you illustrators, fine artists, designers, animators, students, and hobbyists have your own blogs and websites. If you help me out by linking this site on your webspace, I have a free gift to give you.
Here’s the Deal…
I recently finished this cute little painting of Santa. In the spirit of sharing and learning, I’ve put together a “kit” that helps you to understand more of the process behind this painting. Included is a fully-layered Photoshop file that you can analyze at your leisure, along with a full text explanation and a high-res jpeg of the image.
How to Claim
It’s quite simple. Just put up a link to DaniDraws.com or one of its posts on your website, email me the link to your page at contact@DaniDraws.com, then I will email you a link to the Santa files for you to download.
Hopefully, this will also give me a chance to see what kinds of work my readers are creating. I can’t wait to see what’s out there!
Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this site.
Dani
Note: You will need Adobe Photoshop to view the file. The painting was created in Photoshop CS, and although I believe it will work in previous versions, I cannot confirm or guarantee it. Also, I will not share your email address with anyone, send you junk mail, or any other unpleasantness.
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