Mad HatterNico Di Mattia 4In this tutorial I am going to show you in some basic steps, how I usually work with Photoshop. In this case I made a speed painting of the Mad Hatter, of the movie Alice in Wonderland. This digital painting took me about 6 hours, it has many details and I made it in A3 size, at 300 dpi. While I was painting, I captured the whole process in the screen, I speeded it up and made the speed painting video in an editing software. Hope you enjoy this tutorial guys!

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Happy Easter!

Wishing you a very Happy EasterWith love and Best WishesMay that Easter Day bringsLot of Happiness and Joys in your life!

Marta Kobus

Editor in Chief

photomanipulationAquariumBenjamin Delacour 10

Carried Away Natalia Voloshyn 18

Nowhere BoundPhil Fensterer 26

digital paintingThe Red QueenNicholas Hon You Onn 30

Jake Portrait Lina Eriksson 34

creative classSpace LighthouseMariusz Karasiewicz 40

tips&tricksIronManBert Monroy 46

interviewBert Monroy 48

Mingo Chui / Pdair 52

book reviewAnimation Insiders 54

advanced | 6 h.

adobe photoshop CS4

the mad hatter

5.psd Photoshop

Step 1Create a New Layer. Name it Border Line. Chose the airbrush, number 9 as shown in the image. It works good with the pen pressure. Now start with the basic shapes of the character. As you can see, I work my first lines very sketchy.

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Step 2I created two new layers, below the border lines. One for the background color, and one for the basic colors of the figure. I painted both with a new brush, a textured one, with other dynamics and the pen pressure activated. Remember to do that in separated layers. I recommend you to paint the background first, so you can see the relation between it and the tones and values of the figure.

The Mad HatterIn this tutorial I am going to show you in some basic steps, how I usually work with Photoshop. In this case I made a speed painting of the Mad Hatter, of the movie Alice in Wonderland. This digital painting took me about 6 hours, it has many details and I made it in A3 size, at 300 dpi. While I was painting, I captured the whole process in the screen, I speeded it up and made the speed painting video in an editing software. Hope you enjoy this tutorial guys!

cover artist

6 .psd Photoshop

Step 4I usually make a new layer every time when I have to paint the clothing of hair for example. So, make a new one, above the last one, and paint with some details the hair and the clothes. I decided to make this painting with a particular style, where you can see the brush strokes like if the painting were made whit acrylics or oils, with a huge brush.

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Step 5In a new layer, paint the details of the hat and the tie.

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Step 3In a new layer called face I painted the face. This layer goes above the border line layer. I added the final shapes and colors, and some details. This is one of the most important elements of the painting, when you have to get the likeness of the subject with accuracy. After that, the work will be easier. I used the same brush, with different opacities and flows. Always with the pen pressure activated.

the mad hatter

7.psd Photoshop

Step 7After the character, we have to concentrate in the background. I make a layer above the first background, but below the character. I added some shadows and different textures, with a special brush.

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Step 8As you can see, the background has a lot of hats, around the character. You have two options: To paint each hat single or make some selections, and copy and paste. I created a new layer and I painted one hat. Then I duplicated the layer a couple of times and moved them, one by one, making the circular figure around the Mad Hatter. Then I transformed the scales of them. With the burn and dodge tool I made the values of the hats, depending the zone of the composition.

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Step 6Delete the layer of the border lines. Now, you can concentrate in the details of the hat and the hair. I enjoy doing the hair hehe. I created a new layer to do this. Remember I used always the same brush, with different sizes and flows because I wanted the textures in the lines, not a effect of softness.

cover artist

8 .psd Photoshop

Step 10Finally, I usually put some little details after all the process, like shines, small hair, etc. I want to give some special touch in my paintings, something personal. Making realistic portraits, and using reference pictures could be boring, but if you can give to the piece your particular technique and passion, it will worth it. I made this digital painting with Photoshop CS in about 5 or 6 hours. It requires a lot of practice and constancy. I captured all the process from the monitor, and edit it making a nice performance called "speed painting". But I guess you know that. Hope you enjoy it.

by Nico Di Mattia

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Step 9I created a new layer for the final details. I wanted a special texture and an effect of wet paint in the final rendering. So I make some stains, and dirty effects.

For this illustration, I created a character with a glass effect to be filled as an aquarium. What I need: high quality picture and real statue that will serve as a model. What I should obtain: poetic picture with that unique personal touch.

Aquarium

advanced | 2 h.

adobe photoshop CS3

aquarium

11.psd Photoshop

BaseWe'll use only the curves of the body and not the clothes. You must find a picture of a nude or lightly dressed person. I chose a picture of a woman with closed eyes laying in a calm/serene position. First step (that shouldn't be overlooked) is to trim down the character that figures on the picture. Easy to do with the pen tool under Photoshop. Then, you have to save the trace to use it later on.

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Creating the glass effect.To create a character with a glass effect, it is best to find specific royalty free images of pieces of glass, bottles, light bulbs, aquarium... To save you time during the trimming process. Try to download images with a white background. Create a new blank layer and paste another one above the outlined model, reduce the opacity of your layer while keeping the outlines visible. This will serve as a frame to place the glass over.

Here we go!I found an image of a light bulb with a white background that I'll use to trace the contours of the body. To work this out, you must find the best piece of glass.

photomanipulation

12 .psd Photoshop

Distortion effectWe'll use this piece of glass to transform it with the free transform tool. To do this, we simply need to adjust the size of the piece of glass with the selected part, and shift to free transform mode to fit the contour of the glass with the curve of the model. Don't do a lot with a single piece.

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Layer maskTo blend all pieces together we’ll need a layer mask and you’ll be able to join a line with a curve then another line etc. In a 3 part process. If the shape of the object doesn't match with the contour, delete the unnecessary elements with the layer and take a new piece of glass to finish the contour.

CarvingSometimes you'll need to rework some pieces to follow closely the contours of a shape. You can do this with the free transform tool and carve the contours to obtain a realistic effect. Remember to store your layers in easy-to-remember folders.

aquarium

13.psd Photoshop

Carving again!You have to repete the same process as above for smaller parts by reducing them to perfectly stick to the fingers and ears of the model.

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FaceUse the black brush with a selection to create the eyelashes and eyelids.

Finishing with the body aspectsDisable the layer on the model to see if your outline is properly done, and eventually correct assembly and merging errors. You can see that all internal parts of the body (armpit, neck and shoulder) have been worked similarly but with layers of reduced opacity compared to the contours.

photomanipulation

14 .psd Photoshop

WaterGet the selection trace of your character, and paint a new layer with a transparent blue color to give an aquarium effect. With a white fine brush draw the surface of the water, do not paint too close to the glass if you wish to get the thickness of the glass. You can also darken slightly the surface of the water to give the impression of a wave motion.

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Water dropsTo achieve condensation effect in the aquarium, use royalty free images of water drops on a window or take your camera and spray water on a glass. Give a 75% floodlight effect on the water drop layers.

Add vegetationYou'll need as much images of flowers/plants as you can to fill the aquarium. Create a folder under the glass and water files to simulate transparency. Flowers we'll be in the glass and feet in water. If the edges of the glass hide some of your flowers, create a layer mask on the folder and paint inside it to reveal flowers.

aquarium

15.psd Photoshop

Fill your aquariumContinue to place your flowers to fill your aquarium, while keeping in mind to vary shapes and colors. Make flowers overflow slightly with the free transform tool and reshape them to give a plastered effect against the glass.

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Vegetation shadowsSelect a layer of flowers and add a drop shadow effect. Right click on the layer effects that we've made previously and copy them, then select all the layers of flowers and right click to paste to the effects on all layers at once. You'll just have to modify a specific layer if necessary. I also added 2 goldfish, to emphasize the aquarium illustration.

Background I tried to make a simple but textured background that gives a transparency effect on the glass. You simply need to find a texture and place it on a layer below plants. You can also add a slight gradient to draw attention to the center of the image.

photomanipulation

16 .psd Photoshop

Lights and shadowsYou can add to your model other effects such as reduced opacity on shadows with a large brush. On another layer you can add some light.

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ReflectionTake your light bulbs and glass pics and place the reflections on your character. You can also draw yourself the reflections by making a selection and painting them with a white brush.

Final stepGive the final touch by creating adjustment layers above all other layers. I added adjustment layers for contours, saturation, blue photo filter etc. Well, that's about it!

by Benjamin Delacour

1702/2008

contributing writers

Nico Di Mattia

Nico Di Mattia was born in Cordoba, Argentina. On 2005 he graduated as a Technician Producer In Audiovisual Media and he directed the short fantasy film “La liga de los Imperfectos”, which took part and was awarded in various National and International Film Festivals.He also directed two new animated short films between 2007 and 2008, which are participating of different national and international film festivals.Nowadays, he works independently in animation, film direction and postproduction, as well as a freelance illustrator and caricaturist for different business and private clients from all the world.Website: http://nicodimattia.com

c o v e r a r t i s t

Benjamin Delacour

Graphic Designer for over 10 years, I currently work as a freelancer. Passionate about design and image retouching, I work regularly on complex image editing for products of various organizations. I take the time to perform personal projects that allow me to discover again and again Photoshop.

Lina Eriksson

I’m a 22 year old from Sweden who loves to paint, especially when I started doing it on the computer. Messing with sticky oil colours has never been my thing. I’ve been painting more or less since I was 17 but it wasn’t until 3 years ago when I started to use the comp and corel painter to draw that I was hooked. So I am still quite a noob and learn new things everyday!When I’m not painting I study Digital Media Design at a university and I hope I can use my interest in a future occupation.

Natalia Voloshyn

I’m a 21 years old master student from a beautiful city of Lviv, Ukraine. Though my occupation (I’m a linguist) can hardly be called arty, I’ve been madly in love with Photoshop and photography for nearly 3 years. Being an artist is an amazing feeling.http://voloschka-photo.deviantart.com/http://voloschka.deviantart.com/

Nicholas Hon You Onn

Hi, my name is Nicholas Hon You Onn a Graphic Design Student from Malaysia. I do Digital Illustrations as a hobby and pastime and I’m planning to go into Advertising. If you’re interested in viewing my artworks you can find them here: www.r3myx.deviantart.com/gallery/www.r3myx.deviantart.comwww.mr.nic.hon@gmail.com

Mariusz Karasiewicz

My name is Mariusz Karasiewicz and I’m from Poland. I have been interested in graphic designs for over two years now. I love to do photo manipulations and fantasy art.. You can check all my work on fishbot1337.deviantart.com

Phil Fensterer

I’m a digital artist residing in Dallas, TX but born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Tools that I use to create my work include Photoshop, Illustrator, my own photography, Lightwave 3D and some traditional art. My art has been featured as cd covers, book covers, in TV, movies, magazines and artbooks including Expose 5 by Ballistic Publishing and Fantasy Art by Imagine Publishing. I have also created poster and t-shirt designs for bands such as The String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic and more. Though my personal work is more surreal, I am a varied artist and experiment with various styles to fit my personal mood or a clients needs.

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provided by contributors.

medium | 2-2,5 h. photoshop CS4

carried away

19.psd Photoshop

Choosing the stockFor this picture, we’re going to need a picture of a blooming field, a grunge/vintage texture, and a picture of a model(s). As to the background, many pre-made ones can be found online at stock websites but we will try to make our own.

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Background 1To create a vintage-looking background we need a picture of a field in bloom and a grunge/vintage texture. The latter can be of any colour but brownish one fits best as it creates the effect of an old postcard or picture.tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku tresc kroku.

Carried awayThis tutorial will tell you how to create a dreamy image of a girl who has got trapped in an old image and whose dress in turning into a profusion of dandelion seeds.

• Model: http://faestock.deviantart.com/• Blooming field: http://www.sxc.hu/ , ID 583988• Texture: http://www.sxc.hu/, ID 1088066• Bottom of the dress: http://dazzle-

stock.deviantart.com/• Dandelion brushes: http://redheadstock.devia

ntart.com/

Stock credits

photomanipulation

20 .psd Photoshop

Background 3To make our background look more postcard-like, we can add vignette. To do this, go to Filter -> Distort -> Lens correction. Set the vignette amount to -82 and its midpoint to +40. (though, again, choose what looks best for your picture).

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Background 4We already have our vintage-looking background, however, it is still a bit too bright as for an old picture. Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Vibrance/Saturation. Set Vibrance to – 19 and Saturation to – 21.

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Background 2Open the blooming field picture with your Photoshop. Open the texture as a new layer and duplicate it. Set the first texture layer into Soft light mode with the opacity of 100%. Set the second texture layer into Multiply mode with the opacity of 56 % (this is not a must, choose the opacity which fits you best and makes your background look perfect).

carried away

21.psd Photoshop

Background 6Merge the layers. Our background is ready! Now we can start working with a picture of a model.

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Model 1Open the picture in a separate tab. You can also open it as a layer of the background picture but I prefer working in a separate tab as it is more comfortable. Then right-click on your layer-background and choose Layer from background.

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Background 5Our background looks almost perfect. However, I decided to change colour balance slightly to make it look more bluish/washed-out. To do this, go to Image -> Adjustments -> Color balance and set cyan to – 11 with the tone balance on midtones and preserving luminosity.

photomanipulation

22 .psd Photoshop

Model 3Copy-paste the roughly extracted model onto the background picture. Fix the size and the position of the picture. Remove the remaining ‘dirt’ around the edges using a soft eraser brush. This will soften the rough edges and prevent our model from looking like a cardboard cutout.

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Model 4The model looks good but there is something definitely wrong with the bottom of her dress. Let’s replace it. To do this, we’re going to a picture of a lady in a dreamy dress/skirt. This one will do.

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Model 2Erase the background of the picture. You can use eraser or magic eraser. If you use the latter, make sure the tolerance is not very high as it might remove essential parts of your picture.

carried away

23.psd Photoshop

Model 6To make a dress turn into a profusion of dandelion seeds, we are going to need dandelion brushes. The can be downloaded for free and are easy to use. We will use them in two steps: first – as the easer brush and second – as a painting brush. Use the eraser around the edges of the dress, especially around the bottom. Make them look as if they’d been torn into many small pieces. Then use dandelion paint brush and work around the edges changing the size and the opacity of the brush. This will give an impression we’re aiming at. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the brushes.

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Model 7Our picture is almost ready. To make the bottom of the dress stand out, dodge the parts of it. Use the dodge brush set to the opacity of 57% and midtones.

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Model 5Open the picture as a new layer. Remove everything from the picture with the eraser but the bottom of the dress. Fix the size and position so that it fits. Then set it to Lighten mode with the opacity of 100%. Remove any ‘dirt’ around the edges with the easer if necessary. Merge down the two layers of the bottom of the dress and the model.

photomanipulation

24 .psd Photoshop

Model 9You may add details to you picture, such as an umbrella or hair decorations. I did not do it as I thought it would distract from the very picture. Now, when everything’s ready, merge visible layers. Et voila, your dreamy photomanipulation is ready!

by Natalia Voloshyn

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Model 8Finally, our picture is almost ready. You can adjust the brightness and contrast of the background and the model if necessary. I set the brightness of both of them to 5.

This is a tutorial on how I created the image Nowhere Bound. This took just a few hours during a few late nights and wanted to create a simple but surreal fantasy scene.This tutorial was not written for the beginner but if have basic knowledge of Photoshop then you should be fine!

Nowhere Bound

medium | 6 h.

adobe photoshop

nowhere bound

27.psd Photoshop

Step 1I started with a few photos I took around the area I used to live. I found the ship at a local antique store. Using a layer mask, I blended the mountain image and the lake image to create one single photo.

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Step 2Using curves and levels, I adjusted the image to have a higher contrast. I also used hue/saturation to saturate the colors a bit.

Step 3To create the darker edges, I added a new layer of dark gray and erased the middle with a radial gradient layer mask and adjusted the opacity to whatever I thought would look good. I also added a gritty texture and set blending mode to multiply and again adjusted the opacity of that layer to a setting I liked.

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photomanipulation

28 .psd Photoshop

Step 4I wasn’t happy with the clouds and thought there was too much texture at the top. So, again, I used a layer mask to blend in some new clouds over the mountains and removed some of the gritty texture.

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Step 5After using the pen tool to remove the model ship from it’s background, I placed it in position on the image and began to digitally paint a rough idea of a new organic hull for the boat. I used a normal hard edged brush for the main shape and then used the dodge and burn brushes to add some 3d relief to the hull.

Step 6I had made a wood texture using a tileable flooring texture I created in Photoshop a long time ago and decided it would be a good texture for the hull. I used the pen tool to create a good solid shape for the hull. After making it a selection I pasted the wood texture into the selection and adjusted the angle by using free transform. I set the blending mode to overlay though to get it looking right, you may need to duplicate the layer once or twice and try out different opacity settings and modes. Next I added the ship’s shadow and used free transform to get the correct angle I wanted.

nowhere bound

29.psd Photoshop

Step 7I needed a light source and decide to add a white gradient layer on the right side of the image. This also helps with adding a touch of atmosphere to the image. I dropped the opacity to about 90% and added a layer mask so the foreground isn’t obscured by the white layer. Next I added a blueish base color layer to the entire image.

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Step 8A purple color layer and an orange color layer were added and I used layer masks to erase the parts I didn’t want the color to show. I then added a subtle cloth texture to the entire image and set that layer to 12% overlay.

Step 9I wanted the ground to pop a little more so I duplicated the ground layer and set the blending mode to overlay and dropped the opacity a bit. I then added one more dirt texture to the entire image at a low opacity to help create a bit of uncleanliness. I used hue/saturation again and adjusted the levels slightly to add a little more vibrancy. That’s it!

by Phil Fensterer

The

Red Queen

medium | 4,5 h.

adobe photoshop CS3

the red queen

31.psd Photoshop

Brush SettingsSelect the Brush Tool then open the Brushes. Palette Select any Hard Round brush. Adjust the settings as show here. There are many ways to adjust the brush according to your liking. Different settings have different effects. Try to experiment. Finally save the brush and it would appear in the Brush Presets Menu, you can also save in under tool presets.

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LayeringThis is the layering for my basic paintings. The can be tons more layers depending on the artist example the artist might want to paint each person separately. Maybe even add a couple more layers for details. This layering system does not include texturing. Thus if you do decide to add texture each texture would be placed in different layers.

Blending and SmudgingBlock in Flat tones in areas where the tones are needed. Reduce the brushes Opacity about 10% 30% 50% depending on how much you want to blend. Hold Alt while the brush tool is selected to switch instantly to the color picker. Pick colors from the flat tones while blending. I Use smudging mainly for fur and hair as It blends the tones together and creates a sense of direction. Block in Flat tones in areas where the tones are needed. Use the smudge tool with 60% strength and make sure the size is not too big. Smudge in the direction needed. Try smudging from both ends.

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digital painting

32 .psd Photoshop

Step 1Create a detailed outline. Include the basic highlights and shadows just to roughly know where the tones should be. This should not take up too much of your time as it is a guide to your painting and would be of no use in the final piece. Select a background color that is able to be a strong base color or a mood color.

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Step 2Lay down a few basic colors which you can spot from your reference image. The colors should be placed on a new layer above your outline. These tones are the main tones used for blocking in color.

Step 3Block in all the colors that you’ve lain down and start blending them together (refer Blending). You also want to identify all the highlights and shadows and paint them in as well. Do this on a separate layer below the outline layer. I personally like painting in parts e.g. id finish one half of the face before I continue with the other areas. I feel it gives me a stronger sense of satisfaction and it motivates me to complete the painting

• Use Grid lines if necessary• Tracing is alright if your doing it for

learning purposes• The base color will help blend tones

together• The outline is the highest layer• The background color is the lowest.

Beginner’s Tips

• Select colors either from swatches or manually adjust them.

• Picking colors from the reference image is not advisable.

• Use the colors to blend and create tones.

Beginner’s Tips

• Use the colors from the swatches laid down.• Toggle opacity levels to create extra tones.• If there are extra tones which you think may

be useful like mid tones lay them down as well.

Beginner’s Tips

the red queen

33.psd Photoshop

Step 4For the crown, the blending can be quite harsh as it is shiny and metallic. Just blend the edges of the blocked in colors on the crown because if you blend it too smoothly it may turn out to look like silk or satin.

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Step 5For the hair, Lay down the base colors including mid tones and highlights. Then start smudging them in the direction you want (refer Sudging). after you’re done smudging create a new layer and start painting in the extra highlights and shadows that you may have missed. Lastly, begin adding outer hairs, this will make it look more real. The outer hairs should be fine and light, use 40-60% opacity and toggle between light and dark colors.

Step 6After painting in all the details. The finished artwork. There are artist who use filters and effects to enhance their painting. If you are unsatisfied with the color you can duplicate the detail layer and set it to overlay or any other setting to enhance it’s color

by Nicholas Hon You Onn

A tutorial in painting Jake Sully with airbrushes. I use corel painter but this can easily be done in your programme of choice. I use a digital airbrush with different opacities according to what I'm painting. Lower opacity on shades and highlights and higher opacity on hair and details. I use a lot of layers for control and often use the multiply tool on my layers when shading so I get the same colour in darker tints.

Jake Portrait

medium | 2-3 h. corel painter | wacom tablet

jake portrait

35.psd Photoshop

Step 1Start with two layers. One with your sketch on it and one layer with a background colour of your choice. I usually work with grey since it's easier to rest your eyes upon than white.

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Step 2Add a new layer beneath your sketch layer so that you can see your sketch at all time. On this layer you add a blue colour for the skin. Start with the eyes and look at your reference photo which colour that fits your base. I chose a yellow to work with.

Step 3Now work with other tints and darker ones to creates the shades in the eye. Try out different shades of brown and some green. I create tiny highlights with a very light yellow or beige tint.

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digital painting

36 .psd Photoshop

Step 4Now I add a darker blue as the base for my lips. Start shading it with darker blue. I also use a blue colour with a lot of grey in it. I recommend you to mix your own colours in the colour palette which you can use over an over again. Then you'll always have your favourite colours at hand and you know what colours you are using at all time.

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Step 5I use a darker grey to create the creases in the lips and a light blue for some highlights. Paint the teeth as well and remember that they are very rarely white. I use different grey shades.

Step 6Paint the facial marks with a darker blue. Start adding you basic shadings. Think big and don't make them too dark at this point. I've also painted the nose here with the same technique as the lips.

jake portrait

37.psd Photoshop

Step 7I add some other shades of blue and I use a low opacity on my brush when doing the highlights in white. Add the sparklies with a white or light blue colour.

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Step 8Continue your shading and highlighting and experiment with the layers using the multiply setting.

Step 9If you haven't done the ears, this is as good a time as any.

digital painting

38 .psd Photoshop

Step 10When staring to feel finished with your face, add a black base for the hair. use a higher opacity on your brush to get cleaner strokes.

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Step 11I used a soft white and some brown to create the strands of hair.

Step 12Then I paint the neck with the same technique as the face, working in layers between the face and my base skin colour.

jake portrait

39.psd Photoshop

Step 13When you feel pleased with your character, start doing the background! Work in layers beneath all of your Jake layers. I use a low opacity on a big brush. Don't be too detail picky. Just swoosh the colour on there!

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15Step 14Just paint until you are satisfied.

Step 15Turn off your layer with the sketch on it and ta-daa! You're finished!

by Lina Eriksson

Space Lighthouse

medium | 2 h.

adobe photoshop CS3

space lighthouse

41.psd Photoshop

Recourse and StartFirst you must find some nice stock. Mine I found on sxc.hu. If you find some with no colorful sky you can easier blend space. We open a new stock in Photoshop and change a canvas size but only hight about 2x. Click on Image then Canvas size and change it.

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SkyThe next step is to add a color sky on transparent background. Use eyedropper tool and click on the highest place on the stock then use a new color and fill transparent background by it. Then we must add some dark area on the top. To do this use a gradient tool chose a black color for foreground and background and set opacity to 0% for one of them. Place the pointer/cursor inside the image on the top and drag to dawn.

StarsNext step is to do some stars. The fastest way is to open a new doc about 2000 pix – 2000 pix and fill it with black. Then we add some noise (filter -> noise -> add noise) amount set about 15 – 18 % set gaussian and monochromatic. Then go to image adjustments and levels. Set it like me 0 – 0,4 – 160 click OK and you have stars. Drag this image to your work and set the layer on screen. You must also erase some bad looking places.

creative class

42 .psd Photoshop

Space gasIt’s simple step. In my work the biggest think will be planet so I decide not to do a big and colorful nebulas. Like you see my nebulas is small and almost transparent. I just reset color (pres D) to black and white and use cloud and different clouds filter . To do it go to filter -> render -> Clouds and after it use different clouds go to filter -> render -> different clouds (repeat different clouds several times by pressing CTRL + F). Now in my art I change blending mode to screen and change opacity to 20 % of course you must erase some area.

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SunNow we must do sun. In my work I use lens flare to do this. On new layer we must fill all canvas to black and go to filter -> render -> Lens flare. Set brightness about 120 % and lens type to 105 mm prime. Set this layer to screen and we have nice looking sun.

PlanetTo do nice looking planet we must find or make good texture. The easier way is find some on deviantart.com. My I made using several type of textures. If you have your texture use elliptical marquee tool and select nice ring on it (hold SHIFT to do it symmetrically). You must invert your selected, to do this press CTRL + I and press DELETE to erase unnecessary places. OK now we have a circle, we must do a nice 3D planet. Next step is select your planet, to do this hold CTRL and click to layer icon whit your texture then go to filter -> Distort -> Spherize set amount to 100 % and press OK. Now you have almost done planet we must only add some blending options. Set all like me (look at picture below. Some of my setups will not fit to your planet. Everything is dependent on the size of your planet). The Last thing to do is place your new planet on your work.

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My name is Mariusz Karasiewicz and I’m from Poland. I have been interested in graphic designs for over two years now. I love to do photo manipulations and fantasy art. You can check all my work on

fishbot1337.deviantart.com

iron man’s metal

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elements within the scene is a billboard for the movie Iron Man. It was necessary to get the character right because Iron Man is a popular character with many fans. In this article you will learn how I created the metal texture for Iron Man’s armor suit.

I create every individual part of the overall image in its own, separate layer. This will facilitate any alterations that might be

Tips & Tricks from Bert Monroy

Iron Man’s Metal

There are many things to consider when creating elements for an image. Highlights and shadows are obviously very important. If the object is reflective, it must reflect other objects around it

in the scene. Texture also plays an equally important role. All these factors working together will determine what an object is made of. In the creation of my latest painting, Times Square, one of the many

Figure 1.

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needed once all the parts are put together to form the final image. In Figure 2 you see two separate layers that make up the gold-colored arm guard of Iron Man’s armor. The shapes were generated using the Pen tool. A golden color fills the main shape while a darker tone was used for the insets.

With the Dodge and Burn tools, highlights and shadows were added by stroking the layers. The addition of these tones gave the shapes form as seen in Figure 3. A Layer Style of Bevel and Emboss

was applied to the insets. The insets were also blurred slightly (Filter > Gaussian Blur) to soften the edges. The highlights and shadows certainly add drama to the armor but it is the texture that gives it the feeling of the rough metal that the actual super hero has on his face.

As is usually the case, filters will provide the needed texture. A separate layer was filled with a 50% gray. To this layer, the Add Noise filter was applied (Filter > Noise > Add Noise). A large number was used for the Amount in order to produce a lot of noise (Figure 4).

Figure 3.Figure 2.

Figure 5.Figure 4.

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This noise became the basis for the texture. Then the Noise was stretched to make it look like a brushed metal. This was done with the Motion Blur filter (Filter > Blur > Motion Blur). A large number was input for the Distance to lengthen the lines (Figure 5).

There was one more effect needed to make the brushed metal appear rough and that called for a third filter — Ocean Ripple (Filter > Distort > Ocean Ripple). This filter, with small numbered settings, gave the texture that final touch to make it look like the texture on the real Iron Man’s armored suit (Figure 6).

Using the Warp command (Edit > Transform > Warp), the texture was molded to fit the shape of the armor. In Figure 7 you see the texture being warped to follow the contours of the arm plate. You will

notice that the Warp grid is being distorted in a shape that follows along the lines of the actual shape of the arm plate. The mode for the layer containing the texture was set to Soft Light to make it add the texture to the existing gold of the armor without discoloration.

Remember that it is the steps that have been outlined here that are important. You might never have to create an image of Iron Man but adding texture to a shape might come up a few times in your future. Have fun!

by Bert Monroy

Figure 6.

Figure 8.Figure 7.

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interview with bert monroy

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Interview with Bert Monroy

You consider yourself as a Hyper-realistic artist. Can you explain what that means?My style is similar to Photorealism, however, I do not fully fit the criteria as a photo-realist. Photorealism adheres to a photograph. Depth of field and certain atmospheric effects are part of the painting making them look photographic. If you study one of my pieces you will find that it is not photographic because everything is in focus.

I call it Hyper-realism because it is more like being there. Wherever your eyes looks everything is clear. It is as if you were actually standing in one of the places I have painted.

How has your work changed over the years?The advancements in hardware have allowed me to work on higher resolution and larger canvas sizes giving my greater detail than before. The advancements in the software have given me new techniques that I can apply to get greater effects.

How has the advancement of digital imaging tools changed your creation process?I think I answered that in the previous question though I can expand on it. The evolution of digital imaging tools has changed my creative process by forcing me to take greater risks in my projects. I am challenged to make things more realistic. Textures, for example, are no longer left as assumed in the eye of the beholder, every thread of a garment has to be there. Every sign of wear and tear must be put into an object no matter how small.

Born and raised in New York City where he spent 20 years in the advertising industry as an art director and creative director for various agencies as well as his own. Upon discovering computers with the introduction of the Macintosh 128 in 1984, he embarked on a new digital career. He embraced the computer as an artistic medium and is considered one of the pioneers of digital art.

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interview with bert monroy

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What changes do you like, or dislike in digital imaging tools available today?I have a strong say in what goes into a lot of the tools being created so there is much to like since I am getting what I ask for. What I dislike is when something I want is not in the tools.

I understand that some of my requests are not mainstream so they don’t get much attention. One such item is the addition of grouping of Paths like Layer Groups in Photoshop. It is not common for users to have hundreds of path sets in one image so I understand why they don’t hurry to implement this feature.

Do you have any book that you are currently working on and when do you expect their release?Right now I am focusing only on my latest painting. The only time I spend away from it is to write the magazine columns that I responsible for and the occasional article for other magazines. A book requires too much work and I don’t have the time for one right now. I will be writing sections of two books. One is for Adobe on the new 3D features of Photoshop and the other is a collaborative book with Jack Davis, Cher Pendarvis and Jane Conner-Zizer on painting with Photoshop.

These books are slated to be worked on later this year. A series of video training for Lynda.com is my next big project. The series will concentrate on the creation of my latest piece. I have been working on it for over three years and hope to be finished by mid-year.

What recommendations do you have for people just starting out in the digital imaging field? What do you recommend in the way of books, coursework or tutorials that they can help them discover their own digital painting skills?My best recommendation is to sit there and play. The best way to learn a new program is to open it up and push all the buttons to see what they do. There are tons of resources for learning. Online offers many free sources. I have 160 free episodes of my weekly podcasts

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interview with bert monroy

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available at revision3.com/pixelperfect. I did end the series recently but all the episodes are still available for downloading. Books are plentiful with new titles coming out every day. With the release of CS5 we can expect many, many more to arrive on bookshelves soon. Still, the best way to learn is to push those buttons and see what they do.

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interview with bert monroy

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Do you have a tour schedule for upcoming events?I have many tours planned in the future. I have a series of events in Italy this year as well as a seven country tour of South America. When CS5 releases I will be starting my Creativity Tour with Kelby Training again that goes to a different US city every month. I also speak at universities and other organizations around the globe. The News and Events section of my website announces most of the public events.

How will the recent 3D animated movies inspire people in the digital painting field?The same way all movies inspire—by stimulating the senses. What these new 3D movies do provide is a new vehicle for work prospects. All those 3D objects need texture maps that are an entirely new venue for artists that did not exist before.

What do you like or dislike about the new 3D animations?I like them all. Some are better than others. One thing that is always important is storyline. 3D and special effects are great to watch but the true experience is the story they help to tell.

If you could "do it all over again," what you you change in your professional career? What would you leave the same?If I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing. Everyday is a change. My work evolves. Each day brings new challenges. Yesterday is gone. I try to only focus on what is ahead.

What tools or computer systems would you recommend to a new person considering digital painting?The fastest Mac they can afford. I prefer Macintosh computers because they are what computers should be—transparent. They

provide the tools and ease of use without all the extras that only get in the way. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are my tools of choice. I think people should try whatever is best for them. Oils, watercolor, Photoshop, Painter? It’s what makes you feel comfortable that is important. The tools are only the means to your end product.

How do you know when you are finished with a piece of art work? Do you have a tendency to tweak and change it after it sits for a while or do you know when it is finished and leave it be?I have what I call the “once-over file”. This is the final composite file where all the elements of an image have been assembled to form the final piece. I will set the view of this image to 200% on my working screen. On my view screen the image will be set to 100%. I start at the upper right-hand corner and move down one window space at a time. I look for imperfections, mistakes or necessary additions in each view. I make any necessary changes. When I reach the bottom I move to the right one window size and start moving up.

When I have reached the last window size on the lower right I am done. The image is renamed the final title and I never touch it again.

What tips can you give Photoshop users on learning and advancing their the skills?Sit there and play. Think of it as a journey that has many things for you to discover and enjoy along the way. It should not be work, it should be fun.

Thank you for your time Bertby Ed Werzyn & Psd Team

interview with

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Where are you located?Our headquarter is located in Australia, with branches in HK / China and UK.

What were your sales in 2009 and what do you predict in 2010?Our sales kept at a healthy level and we do hope to expand our product range further and to expand to more parts of the world.

What makes your company different than other similar companies?We emphasize on quality and the speed of release and to provide protection to almost every mobile phone out there, in general, we do find that our competitors either provide quality but lead time is long, or they provide protections very fast but lacking in quality, we have successfully brought balance between the two.

Tell us about your Customer Service and how it is different than other companies.Our customer service is pretty much based on product enquires, and on a rare case of returns / exchanges.

Response rates are pretty good, mostly within 1 working day.

What direction do you see the cellphone industry taking in the next year and what new products will be introduced?Exciting news on the cell phone industry is emerging at such a rapid rate, it will definitely continue to grow exponentially in the coming year, we aim to keep up with the rapid changing environment of the cell phone market, and to bring the best protection to those precious little device that they deserve, with style.

How do you predict your inventory needs?We do have our own way of predicting the inventory needed to keep everyone happy, and we do aim to provide the best, the biggest range of products for everyone.

How will the AT&T suit of HTC affect sales of HTC cellphones? How will that affect your company?Honestly, the sales of HTC products have been affected slightly, but we do not see a problem with that, because the marketing has been ever changing, Motorola for example, they have definitely made a comeback recently. Since the days of HP PDA, to the O2 PPC, up till now, with all the exciting devices and brands, we have kept up well with the change of environment, and we aim to keep up with it for as long as we can.

What are your best selling products?Our best selling products are leather cases, aluminium cases, and recently, our own luxury silicone range are giving a better silicone option to our users.

by Ed Werzyn and Psd Photoshop Team

Interview with Mingo Chui from Pdair

Tell us a little about your company and why it was created.When we started our business, the mobile phone accessories market was still growing, and it was already semi-matured. We had our plans and visions on providing the best quality leather and aluminium cases for mobile devices, started off only as a B2B distributor, and entered the B2C market only in recent years.

When did you start the business?2002

What did you do to expand your company to where it is today?Quality control is the biggest concern for us, making sure every purchase reaches every door with a happy face is our aim. But of course, damages in transit is something we cannot avoid in a rare case, so we usually refund / replace the order in such rare cases. Our customers are just happy with our products as a whole, providing the biggest range of choices, holding the most styles/ colors and patterns. We are one of the first to release leather protections for mobile devices, but please let me stress the point that we do not pre-release a piece of product before the device is actually released, because we strongly believe that cases made with only prototypes measurements will not fit the device too well, and it has been proven that some of our competitors have many unhappy shoppers with such issues that we have successfully avoided.

What plans do you have for the future?We aim to provide more variety on our signature products, the leather and aluminium range. It could well be coming out real soon, and we will keep everyone informed once the development is ready for production, like I said earlier, we do not provide false hopes, but rather we will come out with a perfect product every time.

xxxxxxxxxxx

book review

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Mike Nguyen''....In regard to an animated character, my thoughts follow along this thread :

The essence of a being is the soul. The soul inhabits a shell (character design). The spirit of a soul (character personality) affects its shell resulting in a distinct mannerism, both in gesture and texture of movement. The soul has feelings and responding to life with emotions. The temperament of the soul determine the strength of emotion. Emotion reflects through interaction with the shell, pending on graphic looks, flexibility of skeletal structure, numbers of compartment, make and feel of mass, to numbers of joints.....'

Jason Schleifer''...There are two things that really nail emotion for me in a character. One is the pose, and the other is the change between poses. It's really key to make sure that you're aware of how much emotion can come from the change that happens over time. You may find that you can draw a great concerned brow pose, but how concerned does it really feel? It isn't until you tighten that brow just a little bit more that the real concern comes out. Or if you release the tension just a touch, suddenly the character feels a little lighter. Remember we're looking at moving pictures. Don't forget about making the pose move to really make the emotion come through....''

Jason Martinsen'' ... Now I can start the shot with a solid idea in mind. I find a strong key pose that really symbolizes what the character is saying and feeling, even if the pose is not in your shot exactly, and refer to this thoughout my posing. Never stray too far from it emotionally except in really strong takes or action, where great contrast is needed. Emotion comes from the face, nail it then let the posture and silhouette do the rest. If the character is facing away from the camera, the tilt and angle of the head says everything, with the slump of the shoulders and the tension or lack of in the hands and body..... ''

Pablo Navarro'' ... I believe that the workflow depends on the experience you have. I mean, your way of work is not the same at the beginning of your career as later. The biggest tip I can give you is that you should use whatever makes you feel comfortable. I remember when I first started I was told that animators made thumbnails for the animation and I lived by that “holy” rule. So I spent many hours making thumbnails; sometimes it was helpful, and sometimes it was just a nightmare, even though I still forced myself to do the thumbnails for every scene I was given — big mistake! ..... ''

Publisher:SStudiopressCopyright:2010ISBN:978-0-9865330-0-6Pages:120$29.99

Animation Insiders is a series of books dedicated to animation. These books are a compilation of know-how, experience and anecdotes from talented animators. Each book explores a new theme. Animation Insiders is aimed at people who are passionate about animation, those who are looking to surpass their limits and acquire new techniques. Animation Insiders is the perfect tool to learn from the best animators. For more information about Animation Insiders contact us at

info@sstudiopress.com

animation insiders

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Victor Navone'' ... Usually I find that the more research and planning I do up front, the better the shot turns out. Even knowing this, I still sometimes rush through planning; it’s not that I’m so excited to start setting keys, it’s that I really don’t enjoy planning that much. It’s like eating broccoli — I know it’s good for me in the long run, but I could take or leave the taste of it. The way I plan depends on the criteria listed above. If I’m dealing with non-humanoid characters like WALL- E, I find that sketching thumbnails works very well. WALL-E is simple enough (and his rig is fast enough) that I can easily experiment in the computer in addition to drawing. For human characters, such as The Incredibles, I don’t usually trust that I can get by on thumbnails alone. I usually look at live-action films or videotape myself acting out a scene as reference...''

Ana Maria Alvarado'' ... From Stuart Little 2 to some of the

Warner Bros shorts I’ve worked on recently, I always think twice before committing to a course on the first shot. The reason it’s so hard to get started, beyond the fact that you’re still learning about your character(s), is of course that you are dealing with an art form. There isn’t one path, one way to convey what you need in your shot. It’s up to you to pick a course (one that pleases your director and animation supervisor) and execute it. This is why I love to animate. Granted, sometimes your choices get overturned and sometimes you are spoon-fed screen direction, but every now and then, you get to run with it. ...''

Anthea Kerou'' ... If the movie has many influences from a specific genre, you can watch some of those movies for reference. For example, Planet 51 is reminiscent of the classic 1950s sci-fi movies, so watching some of those may help you. After you’ve been assigned a shot from a sequence, it is important to watch that sequence again more closely, and specifically the shots surrounding yours. In an effort to ensure a smooth continuity of the shots, you need to be clear on the staging for hook up purposes, whether a character is moving throughout the scene or is holding an object in a certain hand and so on. You should meet with your lead, or the lead of the main character you will be working on, to discuss the shot, and, if possible, you should receive your assignment from the director, since they are the final decision-makers and it’s important to know what they want. I also think about the dialogue, how the character is feeling, and the place in the sequence. Is this a slow, calm part of the sequence? Is it building to something? Or is it a frenzied moment? All these details will affect how you approach your planning.. ...''

Jason Ryan'' ... Sometimes, I act the shot out in front of a mirror. If it’s an action shot or a weight lift, for instance, I might actually pick something up that is fairly heavy and then exaggerate it. This way I’m thinking naturally about the weight, the balance and the line of action that I’m going through; I begin with making little mental notes such as “my weight is over in my left leg” or “I have to shift my weight on to that side before I can release my right leg.” In order to get a convincing feel in your animation, you have to observe yourself and feel the twists and turns that your body makes, like your hips, your shoulders, and your line of action through your spine and legs. For convincing acting, You have to think about what is inside the character’s head. It's not just okay to think what you would feel in those situations but rather what your character would feel...... ''

Gabriele Pennacchioli'' ... The director’s handout provides me with all the information I need about my shot. Getting to know the dialogue (if any) and the action is the first step. I watch the shot in the context of the sequence. I look for continuity between my shot, the shot before and the one after. If one of those shots has already been animated, I need to be sure my acting/action will hook up properly. I also pay attention to the layout, props and any technical challenges that might arise. A good example of this is the sequence on the bridge in Kung Fu Panda. In those scenes, the characters had to interact with a moving bridge. So it was crucial to figure out a system to control the bridge and the characters at the same time. Knowing the shot could require some additional research too. Let’s say I have a fish character and I haven’t animated one before. I go and do some research. I study the behavior, mechanics and anything else that can help me to better animate/understand the character....... ''

book review

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Matt Strangio'' ... I’ve always liked to imagine that if Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo were alive in contemporary times, they’d be animators. Because animation takes into account so many different artistic disciplines and uses them to imbue performances that, when done well, conjure emotions or reactions in the viewer, not unlike the art created by those masters of the Renaissance. Design, anatomy, contrast, appeal, being able to direct the viewer’s eye — all working together in time. These elements can work so well together to create believable characters who can, in their own right, breathe, and think, and live, and have their own dreams, and their own fears. It’s a fun way to make a living! ... ''

Emilio Ghorayeb'' ...For an animator, the word "workflow" is synonymous with the word "planning." There are three things I always account for: artistic, technical and workflow, in that order. From an artistic standpoint, performance, staging, silhouette, recognizing beats, timing, spacing, etc., are the keys to developing an interesting shot. From a technical standpoint, preparing your shot before you start setting keys is extremely important, so as to not get into trouble later on. A good example is parenting and constraints. Knowing which character to parent to another, which hand will need to be constrained to which weapon and when, or should you parent the weapon to the limb: these are crucial because you don’t want the technical details to get in your way, and you don’t want to spend time fighting these and not concentrating on the artistic aspects of your job. As for workflow, basic layout, blocking, first pass, next pass, final pass are the cleanest way to work. ... ''

Reno Armanet'' ...Animation — what a fascinating job! Giving life to a character in an adventure is to give a feeling of joy, doubt or tears, or to communicate a message. To bring your character to life for a year or more. To dissect each millimeter of his face and his unique movement, for only a few seconds of the film. All that precision to create a feeling in a scene or to serve the story or message of a film.

For me, the universe of animation is more real than a fiction film because of its uniqueness. There is no possibility of doing several takes for a scene. This is the unique side that I like. The characters really exist in their own world. Strangely, this gives me the impression that it is unique and more exceptional that a fiction film.

Animation is a magical way of expression. A way of giving life to an imaginary world. This is the reason I have always been drawn to this kind of medium. We get to use all kinds of graphic styles to adapt to the story. For me, animation is an art linked to observation. My constant observations of human ways of being inspire the stories I bring to life in these characters. ... ''

Pedro Blumenbaum'' ... After I have all my references, there is one last preliminary step before animating. I have discovered that I can’t just open the video reference in one window and the 3D software in the other and copy the movement just like that. First, I need to make some thumbnails — not only because I like to keep drawing, but to understand what I’m about to animate. I want to know why the arms move like they do, or why that foot suddenly moves a little to the side, etc. You can’t imagine how many little movements (unconscious ones) we do all the time to maintain balance, to compensate an effort in another part of the body, or simply because the body gets bored and wants to change positions. . ... ''

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