Transcripts
1. Introduction: Hi, my name is Dan hammer. In today's class, I'll
be demonstrating how to correct form and volume
using watercolor pencils. That will make your Outlook
more three-dimensional. Tenure up from
something like this. I'll show you what
I've learned over the years as an illustrator. And you'll see how
easy it really is to improve your
character designs. I'll be using one of my current
projects as an example. I'll begin by transferring my preliminary pencil
sketch to watercolor paper. Then using watercolor
pencils to build the colors and shadows to
create volume and form. Then for the class project, we're going to implement some of the techniques you've
seen in the class and create your own
project to help you improve your skills are
creating volume and phone.
2. Tools of the Trade: For this demonstration, I'll
be using watercolor pencils. I'm using Faber Castell, outbreak dura
water-soluble pencils. You can use any brand
of watercolor pencils. The following colors
for this project. Our light green, earth green, cold gray for black, warm gray, three, NuGet, light, sepia,
light ocher, terracotta. The million, cinnamon, beige
red light phthalo blue, topic multiline
minor, 0.3 sepia, and a Copic nylon brush pin, 0.5 mechanical pencil to lead typewriter eraser with brush to remove
residue when erasing. And a plastic eraser. Nylon brushes. 19 millimeter flat. Number four, round,
number six round. Long head size 0
brush for details. The surface. A4 watercolor paper,
hot press, 300 GSM.
3. Transferring the sketch to watercolour paper: The first step in the
painting process for the sea creature is to transfer my pencil drawing
to watercolor paper. I do that by using a lightbox and placing my watercolor paper
over the sketch, holding it in place
with some type. The watercolor paper
is thin enough to allow light to shine
through from beneath. I can see the outline
of my sketch. Now you don't need to own
unlike box to do this. You can use a clear glass
window to get the same effect. Here I'm using an alcohol
based multiline a pin. The benefit of using an
alcohol base pin of a water-based is that
it is less likely to bleed when we start to
use any water on the image. I have also chosen to use a sepia colored pen
rather than black, so that my outlines are not
too strong at this stage. In case I want to make any
changes as our progress.
4. Covering the illustration in the base colour: The next stage of the illustration process is to cover the image in
a light green color. The creature will have a
dark green flesh tone, but even dark objects
or reflect sunlight, creating the appearance
of lighter areas. This lighter base
color will represent those areas that are
reflecting more light. When working with
watercolor pencils, it's best to work
from light to dark, building colors gradually,
rather than filling areas with two darker color
and then trying to lighten them as the pigments
are quite transparent. This base tone I'm
using now will represent the lightest color
within the craters skin. At this stage, I'm not too concerned about how
neat my coloring is. I can go outside
the line work and some areas might even be
slightly darker than others. My pencil strokes are in
different directions, which will add to the
more natural aspect that nothing is
perfect in nature. The main focus is to cover all parts of the illustration
in the base color. Once I feel that the image
is completely covered, I'll use the 19
millimeter flat brush, dipping it into a jar of water. I always have at
the ready to begin smoothing out the
green pencil strokes, filling in any gaps that maybe weren't reached with
the dry pencil. Again, I'm not too concerned if I go outside
of the line work, this can be fixed later. In fact, it's better
go over the edges to guarantee I have completely
covered the illustration. I'm not leaving any
white of the page.
5. Creating the volume in layers: Now I'm using the earth
grain to begin creating volume to create the
cylindrical form of the legs and body. The body shapes are not flat
or hard-edged by darkening the outer edges
of each body part and leaving the light
green at the center. It gives the illusion that these are
three-dimensional shapes. I'm using a shade of white paper under my hand so I
can rest my hand against the artwork without smudging any of the completed
drawing underneath. This stage, I'm going to lightly build up the color to
create the volume. Again, it is not
too important if I go over the edges of my lineup. The objective is to create the form and the focus
is not on the detail. Now I've made a first pass over my entire image with
the earth green. I've got a good idea of where the shape of the
animal is catching more light and those areas
that are in a more shadow. I can make another pass with the same color again
to build the color more and slowly start to
define features on the body. Once that second layer is added, I'm going to use the
size full brush, a little bit of water to begin smoothing and blending
the earth green color. I don't want to
moisten the page too much as this leads to areas
that won't dry as quick. I can also start to
displace the pigment. Too much water is something
I wanted to avoid. I also tend not to stretch my water paper before painting. Referring to just dive in. Too much water may cause
the pipe tobacco a little, which is something
I wanted to avoid. Again, if I go over the lines
a little, that is fine. What I'm trying to avoid
is pushing too much of that darker pigment into lighter areas and reducing
that round, cylindrical look. I want the edges to be darker and where the light is catching and reflecting back to us. I want those areas
to remain lighter. Let's up my first pass
with the wet brush. And I can see how
things look with the first layer of earth
green smoothed out. I can go over it again, repeating the process with
the dry pencil color first, and then using the
wet brush again to blend and smooth out areas. I'm also starting to note where the details are going
and taking note of where the skinfold will be and other areas of the skin
that will stretch. To emphasize areas that
are more stretched and taught like the side of
the body or shoulder. These will reflect
back more light. Therefore, it's
important to darken the surroundings of these
points to make them stand out. The area is not so stretched
with skin begins to fold, will be more shaded
such as around the NIC and the
inside of the elbow. And needs to also emphasize that the
creatures up upon it is closer to us than
the tile doc in the flesh tone as the illustration moves
to the back of the body. This gives it a more
three-dimensional quality and draws the viewer's eyes
to the upper body first.
6. Colouring the branch features: Next, using the colored pencil new UGA publication layering
the branch like areas. In a similar way to how
I colored the body. I'm going over the branches
with the new go and then I'll go over it with a wet brush using the
number four round. I'm also adding
some of that same Newegg or color to the
inside of the ears, around the mouth and eyes, and the hairy feature
at the end of the tail. This is a nonexistent animal that I want to create
a sense of realism. So I'm thinking about
real animals in Niger and how colors
and patterns in those animals can be
spread around the body as a means of
camouflage, decoration. It also feels more realistic if the colors blend
into one another, rather than just a very
hard edge transition from one color to the next. This is the beauty of
working with these pencils. I can wet and blend them again and again without worrying about a variation in color is I'm always blending
the same Collins.
7. Shading to create form: Now using the cold gray
number for pencil, I'll begin adding shadows. Whereas for the darkening
of the skin tone, I'd use the earth
green to add volume. The column grind number four, we'll add shadow, increasing the volume and adding
definition to the form. As with the other colors, It's about slowly
building the shadows. Starting off lightly that smoothing the color
out with a wet brush, going over the smooth down areas with the dry pencil again, repeating with a wet brush. I continue this process. I'm gauging which areas need more shadow because they
won't receive as much light, such as under the chin. The title. These techniques will all help to
increase the realism.
8. Branch details shadows and forms: Now let's return to the branch like features on the
creature's back. I'm again using
the color new guy, going over the areas wherever
established each branch, moving the pencil in the direction of the
branch to give it texture. I'm pressing a
little harder with my pencil lines at this stage
to create more texture. Now I'll use the number
four round brush to smooth out the lines. But I'm not losing
the texture entirely. As I had applying a bit more
pressure to the pencil, making the marks darker. I wanted to define each
branch and give it form. I'll use a darker brown. This time, the light sepia. By using the light sepia on the edge of each branch
on the shaded side, it will give volume
to our branches and selling that idea
of three-dimensions. The idea is that this particular creature
swims like a crocodile, submerged in water
near a riverbank. It's branch like appendages
sticking out of the water. From references I've sourced. Most trees and root systems on the edge of the water
tend to have this grey washed outlook using
the pencil warm gray three. I'm now going to go
over the brown colors. I don't want it to look
completely brown or gray, but I want that natural
look that you see with branches where colors
blend into one another, depending on the shape or the discoloration in
the texture surface. For darker areas that
appear in shadow. I'll use the cold
gray for again. Then areas where I feel a really dark, I'll use the black. Then I'll go over
the branches with the final long
head size 0 brush, blending all four colors
into one another, giving the appearance that
the branch is a twisting and turning and adding to that
wooden wrinkled texture.
9. Transparent effects: Now I'm adding color
to the finance. I'd set my sights on orange colored fins as I thought it would
look interesting. And I could imagine that
a creature like this might use them like an
attractive plumage, like birds, or even as a defense from prejudice
if it spread its arms out. The fins also helped the
creature swim through the water, like fins of fish. They needed to be
semi-transparent. This is where it was a huge
advantage using watercolor. As I can lie on the colors over the top of the existing areas of the creature already drawn and still retain the
drawing underneath. It gives the impression that the fins are made of
a thinner material. I begin with the light ocher. Covering the entire area
with a fins will be placed that included the toes
and the end of the title. Then with the fins
attached to the body, I darken the area using
the pencil Terracotta. This gives the impression
that the skin of the fins becomes
thicker as it darkens. Just as you would
see on the fins of fish or on the wings of a bat. Using the wet brush, I smooth out the lines and
blend the colors together. Finally, adding a layer of a million around the edges with a FIN touches the body to emphasize the thickness of
the skin at these points, followed by smoothing and blending the cones
with a wet brush.
10. Ears eyes mouth and barnacles: As the illustration progresses, the details start to
become the main focus. In this section, I'll focus
on the features of the face. Was also a request
that the creature have barnacles
attached to its face, like you would see on awhile. Blend the new guy and terracotta into areas where I felt that
the flesh would be thinner, such as the ease and
around the eyes. I also want the eyes to have
the same color as the wings. Inside the mouth. I blend a combination
of cinnamon and beige red with black or really
dark or shaded areas. The teeth. I'll use
the warm gray three, continuously going back over these areas with the final wet
brush to blend the colors. The barnacles, I'm using
a combination of beige, red, and new guy as the
underside of the barnacles. I don't need to be too detailed when it comes to
drawing the bond calls. I just need to create a
representation of the barnacles. They will appear quite small
in the final illustration.
11. Outlines adding black to create definition: Now using the black pencil
and the nylon brush pen, I'm adding a black outline, two edges that are the
deepest parts of the shadows, especially around the
folds of the neck, face and limb joints. Really anywhere I feel
would not be facing the viewer and therefore
not reflecting the light. This enhances the forms of the creature getting
parts more definition. I can safely use a wet brush
on areas with a black pen has been used as it is
resistant to water. I want Ronald bleed. This helps to create very
hard ages to the outside of the drawing by limiting the black outline to areas where the shadows are more extreme. This keeps a sense of realism by creating a three-dimensional
form to the image.
12. Adding highlights: This next part, I'm using
a white acrylic ink. And I will apply around
the outside edges of the illustration to
define a hard edge. Removing any of the
colors that would've bled outside of
the initial line. Fat brush for larger areas
allows me to quickly apply the opaque paint covering up the areas where I
no longer need color. A thinner brush allows me to get in-between the areas where
I painted the branches. Finally, I'll add white
highlights to the areas of the face and body where light would be reflecting
back to the viewer. It's important to not go too
far with these highlights, but they're a nice touch
and keep the surface to the creature and
leathery skin appearance, accentuating ripples and
bumps in skin surface. The final stage of
this illustration is adding the light blue
stripes to the NIC, arms and legs with a light
photo blue pencil going over the dry pigment with a slightly wet brush to blend in those
colors. Once again.
13. Conclusion: From this lesson, you've seen techniques to improve
your ability to create volume in a drawing by building the colors from light
to dark a time. Then adding light and
shadow to that phone to increase the
three-dimensionality of the phone. The big takeaway from this is I want you to see just
how simple it is to create realistic forms with the simple and
enjoyable techniques. Now I'd really like to
see what you've created. Upload to the project section, something that you've been
working on where you feel most proud of your ability
to capture the form, Shofar skills to others or
come up with something new that you feel best represents the creation of form and volume. Using some of the techniques
delivered in this video, try creating a simple
creature using a few colors. You can create something
from your imagination or you can use reference
of an existing animal. Remember, don't focus on the
details in the beginning. The objective will be
to focus on building the form and volume to make
it look three-dimensional. Leave your examples in
the project section for this class and please
feel free to ask me any questions or leave
me a suggestion for a future class you would like to see is I will be more
than happy to help. Thanks again for watching. See you next time.
Dion Hamill, Artist, illustrator, author
