Natural digital painting?

Skelly B

I've been poking around some lately, so I thought I'd share some of my stuff and ask for some advice.

When I've tried painting digitally in the past, but I'm not really a painter. Things normally turn out too soft or plastic looking and obviously digital. I'm wondering how people get a more painterly look in photoshop.

I just finished this tonight. It needs a real background, but I'm pretty happy with the results.

The strokes show more, but it is still lacks real texture. Is the trick to just use different brushes? Even natural brushes seem to blend into soft gradients when I try this.


Here are some old self portraits too

Sublimus

Custome brushes can help, but they are not going to do all of the work. Based on your first image, it just looks like you need more practice with color and tone.

The best way to learn a new medium is to do studies - either from life or from photo.

So as usual, the only real answer is the age old 'practice practice practice!'

(The first self portrait is really nice, so I know you can do it!)

Tam

The brushes you're using for painting in Photoshop are way too small. You need to paint with as large a brush as you can so it doesn't come out looking strokey like that first one.

The second one there is really very nice.

beavotron

love that second one
and for a more natural look, i use some custom brushes and also textures really help

try http://hibbary.deviantart.com/gallery/#resources for some excellent textures and
http://zhuzhu.deviantart.com/art/Z-PS-Brushes-V2-55088505 for some good brushes
the brush pack i use the most though are here: http://beanslayer.deviantart.com/art/Yazooy-Brushes-1-46599725 i effin love this brush pack

but mostly, as tam said, it's the size of the brush you use.

i will use really big brushes for laying down base stuff, and then cut in with smaller brushes for details
much like you would with real paint.

Skelly B

I'm not a traditional painter either, so that's part of the problem.

Thanks for the tips and the links. I'll be using some larger brushes next time.

beavotron

Skelly B wrote: »

I'm not a traditional painter either, so that's part of the problem.

Thanks for the tips and the links. I'll be using some larger brushes next time.

in this day and age i don't think that really matters
i am not a traditional painter, my entire knowledge of painting is 100% digital.