Eid Mubarak Greeting Card Outline to Colour Apples Clip Art
13 ways to improve your carte art
Even though I started dabbling in how to draw fantasy art as a teen, for a long time I never thought of information technology every bit any more than a hobby. The first decisive stride on the analogy path was putting my best pencils to one side and getting a Wacom tablet. Switching to digital eventually proved to exist a game changer for me considering it solved both the issue of speed and the loftier cost of art materials.
I attended an fine art school, but constitute that the emphasis was placed on contemporary trends, so I had to learn most of what I know almost figurative painting on my ain.
However, a formal art education gave me a meliorate perspective on technical matters and possibly created a framework for an efficient learning approach. So the tips in this workshop are an assorted collection of theoretical principles I picked upwardly in school, personal observations and advices I found online.
I'm currently illustrating cards for Applibot's Legend of the Cryptids, a fantasy game for smartphones, so I'm going to employ images I created for the company to show how I use this data in practice and, hopefully, provide some useful insight for those who are interested in producing similar work.
01. Deciding on the composition
There are basically two types of composition: dynamic and static. The first is characterised past diagonal lines that add movement, while the second features strong verticals and horizontals that either assist to create a calm temper if horizontals predominate or propose harshness if the verticals are emphasised.
I prefer static compositions, but they tin can be a flake dull for fantasy themes. As a compromise, I use softer diagonal shapes as accents in the foreground. For case, placing objects such as flowing fabric here and there helps to break upward the monotony and develops a pleasing contrast with the background.
02. When to employ symmetry
There'due south a time and a place to use bilaterally symmetrical layouts. Indeed, I'd get so far every bit to say that this type of composition should be used sparingly, just it's certainly effective in appropriate contexts. Its visual impact is loftier because all lines converge and the eye is drawn towards the eye, so illustrated subject matter such every bit book covers or film posters can benefit from it.
Symmetrical poses can make a grapheme await majestic, powerful or heroic. They usually work particularly well with characters who have wings and mythological beings in general, because they remind the viewer of iconic representations.
03. Apply the S-curve principle
This goes back to aboriginal Greek art and is considered ideal for depicting the human figure. The body should be positioned in a way that describes an S-shaped line, so that the shoulders and the hips are angled differently. The most bones pose that uses this principle is contrapposto, where the figure rests all its weight on ane leg.
In illustration, this formula can be taken even farther, and curves and proportions tin be exaggerated or stylised according to your own painting method.
04. Develop focal points
The first thing people observe in a picture are human faces, so they become natural focal points and should, as such, be placed advisedly. There are several ways to accentuate them or shift the interest towards other areas of the prototype. Ane is manipulating light, such as keeping most of the image relatively every bit lit and have stiff light hit the expanse we want to stand out.
Variation in brush strokes or colours can also be used, rendering the focal signal and keeping the rest of the image rougher and more desaturated.
05. Dramatic light
Interesting lightning can quickly requite an image a fantasy look. One of the well-nigh commonly used – and my go-to lightning scheme – comprises a main softer lite and a harsher back calorie-free. This combination is even more than striking if the light sources take complementary colours, but this can soon go cheesy if overused!
Another of my favourite set-ups is a single light source filtered through a window, placed at an angle that suggests the late afternoon sunlight.
06. Framing techniques
Depending on the purpose of an illustration, some limitations tin can come into play and one of them is framing. My carte du jour fine art is viewed on smartphones, and so the characters demand to be large plenty to discern details and this means sometimes they won't fit into the frame.
In that location are a few rules of thumb on how to ingather figures: don't cutting where there are any joints, never cutting through the hands (they should be either visible or out of the picture) and, for portraits, avoid cropping the ears or chin.
07. Detail placement
People organise visual elements in categories and group them into larger shapes, based on their proximity to each other. The Gestalt theory of visual perception has derived a serial of rules from this premise.
An open area or a barely suggested object will exist "autocompleted" by the viewer, as long equally its shape is recognised every bit a whole. This is why it's not necessary to shine every detail or worry about perfect edges – just ensure that the main shape is readable from a distance.
08. Make more of the groundwork
In game cards the focus is evidently on the graphic symbol, but backgrounds and other details add a whole new dimension. Y'all can hint at a character'due south personality through their environment or describe their social status or occupation with various nearby objects.
A scholarly character could exist surrounded by old tomes and scrolls, a warrior volition look more than menacing with a stormy sky as a properties, and a character could be recognised every bit a witch fifty-fifty without stereotypical costumes, but by decorating her place with alchemical paraphernalia and other mysterious-looking items.
09. Costume pattern
The greatest claiming I face when designing game cards is coming up with fresh ideas for costumes, weapons and accessories. I follow various way, history and culture-related sites and blogs, and I save the most interesting wear and armour designs in an inspiration folder.
I occasionally utilise Alchemy, which generates unpredictable brushtrokes and random shapes, and so I effort to detect patterns in the resulted epitome. Costumes tin become quite detailed, so to prevent them from looking too monotonous and "crowded", details should be grouped and placed but in a few cardinal places.
Fantasy art draws inspiration from historical sources, so ornate armour and weapons are commonplace. When dealing with metal objects, I often block in solid shapes and use the the Bevel and Emboss pick (Layer> Layer styles).
This is only to create a quick base to work with and shouldn't be used as a standalone technique (except perchance for very small details), because it'll produce an bogus-looking issue. As a final impact, I add a few highlights using a textured brush that's set up on Color Dodge mode.
11. Advice for painting skin
Subtle colour variation is crucial for illustrating realistic skin, but it tin also take a while to blend assuredly. To save time, I've reduced this principle to alternate between the cold and warm hues that correspond to value zones: if light is warm, then shaded portions are common cold and darkest shadows warm again, and vice versa.
The transition line between light and shadow should be slightly more than saturated. Peel is slightly translucent, and so bright light will smooth through it, especially in areas with prominent basic and/or less muscles, such as the cheeks or fingers.
12. Color considerations
In theory, it seems simple to choice a colour scheme according to the established art theory rules, but achieving realistic results involves more effort than that. You lot take to keep in listen that an object'due south colour isn't as much determined past the mode it's pigmented, but decided more past its environment: direct and reflect light, weather, time of the day then on.
On the other hand, values are even more of import; done right and you can get abroad with less-than- perfect-hues. Complementaries are my customary colour scheme, with the warmer colour as an accent.
13. Across fantasy
There'south no need to limit your concepts at dogmatic sword & sorcery themes; clashing elements that work unexpectedly well together are definitely practiced for fantasy designs, whether the approach is serious or playful.
Besides the obvious cross-pollination between fantasy and sci-fi fine art, other types of imagery, ranging from Renaissance fine art to make clean 3D looks can be incorporated into illustrations to varying degrees. Steampunk aesthetics are known to behave well in the mix and classical pin-up styles are a perfect way to spice upwards a card character.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 131.
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Source: https://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/13-ways-improve-your-card-art-41619873