Making of Ash and Sam by Jeff Haynie Web: www.jeffhaynie.com
Step 7: Build up the base colors
I call this stage the ugly stage. I begin to block in the base colors to layout the main color composition. In order not to lose my value relationships, I use ‘color’ or ‘overlay’ mode in my brushes to layout color quickly. Next, I block in the main body colors with a regular brush. I added blue in Ash’s shirt, red on the chainsaw, orange in the background, etc. I don’t get caught up in making the color too accurate since I will be layering lots of colors on top of it. Digital art is so wonderful in that you can undo, try something else or delete the layer if it’s not working. I find it important to work the whole painting and not focus too long on one area. My technique is a loose building-up process where I can make changes as I develop the image, refining the shapes and details as I paint.
Step 8: Start building up details
It’s time to start bringing out the highlight shapes, adding ghoul faces, refining character body parts, etc.
With all the strong red brown under- painting as a base, I start adding the compliment color to red, which is green, to bring the light out.
Step 9: Add highlights and refine details
The painting is now nearing completion. I focus on pushing the contrast of colors and values around the main character’s head and chest by adding highlights. Since this area of the painting is the focal point, I put my strongest value and color contrasts here. I’ve also added some splatters and grit. At this point my focus is pushing the quality of the details in the areas in which I want your eye to focus. I try to stay out of the shadows and do most of my work in the highlight areas. This allows the shadows to blend more together and breathe.
Step 10: Add final details and color adjustments
In the final stage I add the last little highlights and push the saturation of the color to give more drama to the scene. Even up to the end of the painting, I am still refining details such as the smoke out of the shotgun and the body parts. In all, this painting took me about 40 to 60 hours to complete.
|
