Barbra is a character I painted for one of my favorite online art forums. The inspiration came from a great stock photo I found over at Deviant Art. I wasn't aiming for total realism with this piece; I wanted something very funky, simple, and with an interesting color palette. More importantly, I wanted the expression of the character to really stand out, so I spent most of the time rendering her eyes and lips, to really bring her life.
Step 1: Concept Sketch
The first step for this piece was to create a strong sketch based on the reference photo. I didn't want the sketch to be precisely accurate to the reference, so I exaggerated some of her proportions a bit to give off a more funky vibe. When the sketch was complete, I created a new layer and redrew it, to give it a very clean look. The sketch is very important, because the more things you get right at this stage, the easier it will be to actually paint it - you don't want to leave anything to chance.
The sketch was done at high resolution (300 DPI). Although I'm going to shrink the file size in the following stage, it's always a good idea to have a high res sketch, which can be used in the later stages of the painting.
Step 2: Color Theme:
Once the sketch is complete, I open a new document in Photoshop and start experimenting with a color theme. I wanted very rich, vibrant colors, so I did a couple of tests until I got desired results. I chose a strong red color for the hair, and a cooler green color to help the figure pop from the background. Additionally, I also tested out some skin tones as well.
I have to admit, most of the time, I end up altering the color theme significally throughout the painting process. Lucky for me, it's easy to do this with Photoshop, and I'll explain how to do this in the later stages of this tutorial. Don't be afraid to experiment with colors, you can get a lot of 'lucky accidents' if you do.
Step 3: Blocking:
Now that we have a good idea of the color scheme, it's time to block in the values. I save the sketch file under a different file name, and then shrink the document down significantly (usually anywhere from 72 -100DPI). The reason I do this is that it forces me to concentrate on the values of the figure without getting caught up in the details (a trap that I usually get caught up in). The trick to painting a breathing, living character lies in the values you use, not the colors, so be sure to establish a strong value statement early on in the painting process.
I block in the values using some tones from the 'palette' document, and use the HSB sliders to further help me define the values. Defining the values (the contrast of the image) is crucial at this point; Don't worry so much about the colors, but concentrate on making the figure appear 3D like.
Avoid using soft edged brushes while painting - this will give your image a very plastic look. Rather, paint with hard edged brushes to define the forms and countours of the figure, and a speckled brush to blend the harsh transitions.
Step 4: Color Tweaking:
When I'm satisfied with the values, I enlarge the image to around 33-50% higher, and continue to add definition to the face. At this point, I decide to alter the colors a bit. The green background against the red tones of the figure was a bit cliche, and not as lively as I anticipated. I rethink my color choices, and decide to go for a much more vibrant color scheme. Changing color schemes in Photoshop can be done in a number of ways; The 'Variations' tool (Image> Adjustments> Variations), and the Color Balance tool (Image > Adjustments > Color Balance) are excellent for this. Once I get desired results, I enlarge the image yet again, and continue to detail.
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Step 5: Detailing:
Now that the colors are looking stronger, it's time to concentrate on the details. I want to bring attention to the eyes and lips, so I make sure I spend most of my time on those areas. To add more realism to the figure, I created some 'skin pore' brushes, composed of several random dots and such. I applied this to her cheeks and nose, as I noticed that's a bit typical of redheads to have. Don't go too crazy with this, however. Over-texturing an image can flatten it out significantly, and it's a good idea not to go crazy with skin texture for female characters.
