Fundamentals

I have bought an 'Art Fundamentals' book by 3dTotal (see image below) back in the end of December 2013 to refresh all the art fundamentals knowledge. Even though I have some other books related to this subject I have bought it because it was created by digital artist. The book contains many digital drawings and I thought it would be interesting to look at art fundamentals through the digital artist’s point of view. Also, all the paintings can serve as a good inspiration source for my projects work.

When I had some time I was doing some exercises in the book. Here are some of the things I have looked at:

Light and shadow

Starting image

Added key shadow

Added key light

Added cast shadow

Added reflecting light

Added key highlight

Added spot highlight

Added rim light

For this light exercise I have used some of my own custom brushes to give a bit of texture to the ball.

My final game idea is to have a low light scene in the forest light by the sunset sky, so obviously getting light and shadow areas right will help improving the overall image. Even though it is a fantasy world some basic things need to work (look realistic) to make since and light and shadow is one of them.

Colour was another area I wanted to refresh, as it will play a major part in my final work. Also mixing colours digitally is not the same as mixing them on canvas. It differs how it’s technically when using brushes, opacity and layer or brush modes but also do to the fact that is mixed on screen and within an environment of particular software (in my case Adobe Photoshop). For example the issue of mixing blue and yellow to create green with does not happen in an expected way when doing it digitally (There is a discussion o this topic in CGSociety forums: http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-427907.html and can see an example of it in video that can be found here:  http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2005/06/digital_color_m.html ) Also there is an issue about colour mixing in general even in traditional painting. Scott Naismith's YouTube Video where he actually explains the problem with RGB colour wheel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQqxN8LpGzw) (Scott Naismith is a Scottish landscape painter and a part-time art tutor at Reid Kerr College)

Colour wheel used by traditional media artist (mixing paint) Subtractive system.

Colour wheel when working with light (also on screen) Additive system.

Colour wheel

Complementary colours

Colour Hue

9 Value scale in black and white

and the same 9 value scale in colour (see image below)

And here is a CMYK colour wheel that works much better than a RGB

Scott Naismith.[No date].Colour Wheel Plain.[online]. Available from: http://scottnaismith.com/buy-online/product-category/resources/colour-wheel-for-artists/ [Accessed 10 January 2014]

* 3dTotal. 2013. Art Fundamentals: Color, Light, Composition, Anatomy, Perspective and Depth. 3D Total Publishing