Making Of 'The Mining Machine'

At first I would like to point out that the technique I used for making this concept contains some components and aids made in 3d software. To follow my way of working, it's necessary to be able to work with any of the 3d software and have advanced skills in Adobe Photoshop. This tutorial explains effective principles on how easy and fast it is to reach the high quality concept paintings. I hope this will inspire your own work.

Adjustment of Composition and References

Personally I like to combine available digital means - painting with a digital tablet in Photoshop, matte painting and using 3d objects as reference. It is the best way how to hit the ceiling during short time. It is applicable for concepts, final pictures even for illustrations.

At first I generated a really simple low-poly 3d model. During rendering I am trying to find the best position agreeing with my vision of final composition. Where necessary, it's possible to add some guidlines and perspective lines in Photoshop to a rendered scene. the use of this aid covers many advantages : it performs a function of first sketch, where I draft a composition, perspective and lighting. For a person who has just a little control over 3d software this way means a big help. And of course it improves the final face of a picture. If you can not or don't want to use 3d software, you can natuarally use your own way.

<h6>Note: Don't Forget to render the image with alpha channel. You'll avoid a complication with masking the scene manually.</h6>

Note: Don't Forget to render the image with alpha channel. You'll avoid a complication with masking the scene manually.

This is a rough 3d model, I used as a sharp reference. (I'm not going to do tutorial how to model in 3d. I'll only remark - person, who can use 3d, he is able to make this within 30 to 45 minutes.

Painting and Adding Details

Now I am focusing on some picture examples with descriptions of the most necessary operations in this stage of work

1. Basic Reference

2. Colouration, Backgorund and first details

3. Adding more particular details and finishing background

4. Textures, Modifications on Reflections and Shadows, aswell as adding additional effects - smoke, clouds ...

Creation of Smoke Effect

For the smoke, which exhales from under the working mining machine, I used a photo as reference.

1. Basic Shape of Drift

2. Finishing of Drift and Self Shadow of Smoke

3. Dropped Shadow of the Drift and Colour Corrections

After finishing all of these operations I reached for this outcome

Colour Correction

So here is a picture, which in abstract has everything necessary to be good. But there is still something missing. The contrast needs adjusting. We need to do some colour corrections to unify seperated components and adust the atmospheres intensity, which the picture should irradiate. By using picture duplications, colouration and various diffusions among colour channels we can get more credibility and final face to the whole image.

Note: In the nature a black colour is never 100% black, therefore it's good to reduce black in shadow areas just to darker colours that the picture contains.

Here is an example of what I had in mind :

And finally we are at the end. Here is the final concept after colour correction.

I hope you enjoy my tutorial and got some good advice.
Happy hand to your next work.

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