A majority of the painting process happens in the digital realm. I start off with a sketch which is transferred to a tablet and painted digitally for the most part, though I do some work with traditional media.
After I have worked on my piece digitally, it is time for my favorite part of the whole process. ZBrush!
One of the things that sets my work apart from others is that I use 3D software to sculpt some of my pieces. The ability to manipulate every aspect of a figure and make endless changes allows me to create truly unique art which would be hard to replicate using traditional methods.
While I do use ZBrush for all sorts of customizations, sometimes I like to get down and dirty with 3D art, including UV mapping and texturing.
I use the 3D models in my paintings in different ways depending on what type of artwork they are being used for. In simple illustrations, they are usually used as elements that can be easily inserted into a painting. In more complicated pieces, such as those that incorporate watercolor or oil, the model is used as reference material which can help me understand how objects in real life interact with air and light.
I’m back from my long hiatus! I had to take a break because I was working on so many things, but I’m finally able to dive back into blogging. I’ve also updated my website with a new layout and some of the art I’ve created in the past few months, including my latest vectoring project.
Tons of people have been asking me about how I vector, how long it takes, etc. and I figured that since now is as good a time as any to start blogging again, why not talk about this too!
I’ve been vectoring for almost a year now and it’s evolved quite a bit since then – and I hope that it continues to do so! But since I’m only just starting out, there are still many things that I’m still learning. The best way to learn is through practice, right? With that being said, let’s get started!
How I Make a Splash**
I love the ocean, and I don’t get to the beach near my home very often, so when the opportunity arose to do a project with surfing, I was delighted!
The model who posed for me is named Nicole and she was great to work with. I didn’t know what to expect since it was my first time working with a model, but she has been really fun to work with.
Truly one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met. She loves her family and is incredibly talented in her own right. She’s currently studying theater, but also loves photography and painting. And, for the record, she’s a pretty good surfer too (but let’s be honest– I’m not surprised!).
I plan on doing more projects like this in the future so let me know if you’d like to be involved.
Enjoy!
Paint Tool SAI is an affordable, professional-grade painting software (for Windows only) that has been gaining popularity in the past few years. It’s an ideal program for beginners looking to learn digital art, as well as experienced artists who are on a budget.
SAI’s interface is fairly simplistic and easy to navigate, with a tool palette on the left, layers palette on the top right and your artwork window in the center. You can change your brush size by using your mouse wheel, or you can create multiple brushes with varying sizes by either holding down Shift + clicking or Alt + clicking on your brush icon. There are also keyboard shortcuts for changing certain settings of the brush such as softness and opacity.
There is also a variety of different brush types available. Brushes such as Airbrush and Ink allow you to blend seamlessly between colors, while other brushes such as Pencil and Watercolor allow you to get more realistic results with more control over their opacity and intensity. These tools (besides the Ink tools) also come with a variety of pre-set options, allowing for easier and quicker painting.
The first time I saw a Sakimichan piece, it was a drawing of a girl in a green shirt. The style was simple and clean, with just enough detail to make it realistic, but it also had a certain vibrance and vitality that made it seem more alive than the original subject. It was so striking, and I immediately fell in love with her art.
The second time I saw her work was on another website, advertising a sale at Society6 where she has more of her work for sale. It was much cheaper on Society6 than at the store where I had seen it before. After looking around for a bit and noticing that most of her drawings were about $15 or less, I decided to get one.
I ordered three prints – one of each of the three pieces from the original site that I liked the most. They came packaged well, wrapped in bubble wrap inside an envelope within another box. The prints themselves are high quality, printed on cardstock that is 12″ x 18″, and have bright colors and crisp lines.
Sakimichan’s work has an interesting art style that is different from other artists’ styles (at least in my opinion). Her characters are all drawn in a very clean style with very little shading
Paint Tool SAI is a great program for just about any type of digital painting. With this program you can easily create your own unique styles and techniques, with the ability to customize most aspects of the program.
Being a freelance artist allows you to work from the comfort of your own home, so you can spend more time with your family and less time on a daily commute. Like most freelancers, I take on multiple jobs at once. Most of them are portrait commissions. Some of the people I draw are famous (I’ve drawn a few celebrities), but most of my clients are regular folks who want to immortalize their loved ones in pencil or charcoal.
Knowing how to work quickly is an important skill for a freelancer. If you’re working for a tight deadline, it becomes critical to find ways to save time. Here’s one technique that I use often when drawing portraits: sketching out the basic shapes first and then refining them. This can be helpful when creating artwork digitally as well—it’s a great way to make sure your proportions are correct. It’s also especially useful if you’re feeling stuck with a portrait and need help moving forward.