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this step, I've taken the parts of the
blouse that are hanging over (top of the
sleeves, and the blowing bit on the lower
left) and cut and pasted them to a new
layer. Some cloth doesn't have an inside
that is that different from the outside,
but I began to think it might look a bit
more rich and interesting if it was. I
don't have to be exact at this point,
so I just used the lasso tool (L) to draw
a selection around them. Then, it's CTL-X
to cut, and CTL-V to paste, and a new
layer is automatically created with your
selection on it.
At
the very lower left of the blouse you
can see where the cloth goes behind
her body. You can paint this area without
worrying about painting over her body.
Just paint away, and then when you have
it done, just hold down the CTL key,
while selecting the body layer, and
you'll see a selection based on the
body layer. Get your eraser out (E)
and erase the part of the blouse in
front that's supposed to go behind.
There
are things here to fix... in some areas
the colors don't match up right... there
are definite signs of over-burning...
and something about those sleeves just
don't agree with me.... so....
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fixed 'em. Ahhh...sleeves I can live with
now. A bit more medieval looking, and
more in tune with the look I seem to be
working toward. Yes, you are right; sometimes
not much in my pictures is planned...
I just get there by somehow finding and
inventing things along the way. Hey- watch
out... this blouse might end up with green
polka dots before I'm done.
But
seriously, what you see above is the
finished blouse. It's become even more
golden in color, the folds more defined,
and shadows and hilights well in tune
with where the light is coming from.
Having
the "laying over" or windblown
parts of the blouse on a separate layer
allows me to do a couple things. First,
I can adjust their color, making sure
they are consistent, without messing
with the main blouse. I also makes it
easier to airbrush their shadows underneath,
on the blouse (or an inbetween layer),
and skin where necessary.
Remember
I mentioned another change coming on
those lace shadows? Right. I clicked
a button on the layer palette that created
a mask for that layer. Using a large
airbrush, I painted in the mask, making
the lace shadows in the center of her
chest fainter than those where the blouse
is very close to her skin, just like
real shadows behave in the real world.
Even though this is fantasy, there are
certain real-world constructs that people
expect to see. The way light works in
our world is something that people depend
on in order believe a scene. And that
is why it is so crucial to remember
not only how it works, but where it
is coming from.
Just
like one more thing on her blouse...
the hilight along her left side (right
as we look at it). Notice the darker
shadow (called the terminator) that
runs down her side? Also notice that
it does not run down the outer edge
of her blouse. Along edges, pay careful
attention. Look at reference pictures.
Different cloth acts in many different
ways. But in this picture, the cloth
has a sheen, and near the edge reflects
a brighter color brought on by the skylight.
This
blouse may seem like a ton of work,
but we must remember that good work
is better created by 2000 small brushstrokes
than one large one. Small enhancements,
done gently, one after another, and
pretty soon you are onto something.
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is a close up, a working sized, cropped
version of the picture showing a section
where the laces interact with the rest
of the blouse. Also take a look at the
lace shadows and how they fade as they
get farther away from the body. If you
add details like this, it will only add
to the believability of your scene.
Sure,
there are imperfections, and you know
what? That is a good thing. A little
dirt here and there is real life. Imperfections
in the shadows would be one thing (and
would be something to be fixed), but
slight irregularities in the folds,
in the width of the creases, or in the
colors is just fine.
Ever
seen a spoon without scratches? A shirt
without the occasionally stray thread?
A glass without spots? Hmmm.... maybe
I need to clean up around here....
I
hope this helps you out... if I seemed
long winded about painting a simple
blouse, it's only because fantasy art
is a passion. In bringing a whacky vision
in my head to life, it demands all the
time I can give it.
oh...
and remember where the light comes from.
If
this helped you out, I would love to
know. You will find an e-mail link below
if you feel like commenting. Thanks!
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