| Bans's Art Techniques - Art Hint's and Tips - Bane-Huntress.co.uk - |
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Welcome to Bane's Art Techniques I always think these kinds of pages are a little vane, especially where my stuff is concerned... But through the years I've always been asked how I do it... What can I say, it's the way I've always done it *shrugs* but then I've always been a little shy about my work... But this page is just a little insight to how I do
things in a step by step guide. |
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First off this is just one of my Pen/Pencil drawings, :: Sakura Fairy :: So not much CGing (Computer Graphics) involved, and mostly cause that kind of project would take ages to explain and I only have Pain Shop Pro 7, and only have access to PhotoShop 4 which is crap in comparison. Done for a friend of my best friend who just happens to like Fairies, but seen as I cant do the wings this is a little Angel-Fairy sat on Sakura (cherry Blossom) branch... Ok so it's the only flowers I can do! blame Clamp :P Hint's & Tips at the bottom... |
| Step 1: |
[ No Image ] |
I forgot to scan this example in;
First get your basic figure down, this is the most important part, get
this bit wrong and the rest of your effort will be useless... also the
general lay out can be quickly lined in... All in Pencil, usually a HB is best, make sure your Light Handed with this basic outline, easier to rub out later. . |
| Step 2: |
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Fully sketched
out Pencil. This is what you hope the finished peace will look like, any changes can be done at this point. Again using a HB graded pencil is best at this stage used lightly... Then you have one of two choices. i) The more complicated and more alternate lines you have done it's best to start the Penning immediately, otherwise you can forget what goes where and you could bugger up your later penning. ii) Leave the sketch somewhere where you can see it often, I find on top of a TV or by your monitor or bed side, is the best. Living with it for a day or more you will be able to see better what needs fixing or altering. Usually better on the REALLY complicated or simple drawings, or if your just not satisfied with your sketch... Remember keep your pencil lines as light as you can for rubbing out later, also I find if you keep your sketch for a few months, rubbing it out just get's harder the longer you leave it... And never press to hard, when you come to shading and penning later the bumps in the paper can be annoying and again ruin your work. . |
| Step 3: |
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Penning in Over the Pencil
Line. Pen in over your original pencil lines, for this use good (normally expensive) black Fine Liner (I've used a good Biro pen and it can work fine, but...) try and get indelible ink. The best pens normally don't fade when you come to rubbing out the pencil lines, other wise you will need to go over it again... Also when Penning, do the foremost lines first then build off them. In this image I started with the hair covering the face, then the lines of the face. The wings that are at the back of everything were last. Doing this stops you going to far into other lines that's almost impossible to fix later... You can also sketch in a pencil guide lines to keep your background lines straight. You can also fix any remaining alterations when doing this... The crisper your pencil line the easier this is. You don't have to use a pen. I've done this part with a really fine Paint Brush and Indian ink, you have more freedom over your line thickness that you see in most manga's, but I'm crap at it so I stick to Fine Liners... You could also use a Fountain pen, the artist kind, again I cant use these they annoy me and I always end up with blotches of ink :P . |
| Step 4: |
(I'm not sure what the Americans or anywhere else calls these... Putty Eraser maybe?) |
Rubbing Out !!! Ok so this isn't as easy as all that! ^_~... For the best results and less damage to your Penned in lines and paper... Use a :: Putty Rubber ::, you can get different types of these, just go for the "medium" white ones (I've tried using really soft ones that are blue and they have ruined whole pieces of work, and stain the paper). You can get these in any good stationery shop or just find the nearest back ally Art Shop. Putty rubbers also last longer than normal rubbers, I've had one for 3 years... For best results either hold them in your hand till they are warm and soft, or sit on it while your drawing ^_^ Also remember to go over ALL the paper with the putty rubber to get rid of all smudging from your hand. Alternately, you can use a normal rubber, the softer and more flaky they are the better, doing this WILL fade your pen lines and you might have to go over them again when finished. Image Opposite: Ok so they don't look all that nice, f1 = This is a small corner of a slightly mucky putty rubber, I cut them up when I get them cause there easier to use that way, When they are warm they have the texture of blue-tack. you can also pinch the corners for highlights when shading. f2 = a well used and old putty rubber, despite the look of it it still wont stain your paper and is as good if not better than a new one... Putty rubbers can last you years. . |
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Finished Pen
Line. This is where you check for anywhere where your penning might have missed it's end and fill in gaps (Believe me, I've missed out legs and arms before now) then this bit is finished... From this you can do either do as I've done below, and launch straight
into your pencil shading. or... |
| Step 6: |
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Thick Line
Penning. I don't normally do this, and in this image began shading before I realised... I picked out the most important bits on the figure and used a thicker fine liner. This is just an option I chose for this piece. And as a happy accident it worked well I think... You could also do some cross hatch shading at this point. |
| Step 7: |
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Pencil Shading. I cant really give much information at this point, I've always had a hand for pencil shading... But I can give you some. 1) Choose a direction you want to have your light hitting the object in your image, it's usually best to draw a little arrow so you don't forget (Don't be like me and make it up as you go :P)... If your still having trouble, get yourself a cheep Barbie type doll, strip it of it's clothes and stand it in the vague position of your drawing, then get a lamp (any kind) and in a darkish room, move the lamp around the Barbie till you get the shading you want and work with that. (it's the better alternative to those crap Artist Armatures you can get.) 2) If your still unsure about your shading then, if able, scan and print out the line drawing, or Photocopy it. Then practise your shading on this, if you bugger it up you can just try again. [I do this for my brother all the time when he's CGing] 3) When shading it's also best to have one of those see-through plastic ring binder wallets, so your not resting your hand over existing pencil shading and ruining it, it's the best thing to use so you can still see the rest of your work underneath, and it's non-abrasive so again it wont smudge your work. (paper doesn't work as well.) 4) It's also best to use a variety of soft pencils, anything from HB to 6B, stay away from H pencils those are for graphics more than shading. Though for this I did use a HB for most shading and a H for the softer lighter tones. 5) When you have finished all your shading, if you have a Putty Rubber, then pinch one corner into a point and you can pick out the highlights easily. you can also do this with a normal rubber that you have cut up. 6) Fixing your work to stop smudging... If you just leave pencil work as it is, then with wear and tear it will get smudged, to stop this, get the cheapest hair spray you can, first check that your pen will not bleed when sprayed, on a separate bit of paper. see "Fixers" below in hints & tips. . |
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And finally you have the finished piece ^_^ |
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Hint's and Tips |
| Paper; | I don't go for all that paper nonsense, so long as it's not that really really cheep shinny crap, and it's not watercolour paper your basically OK, even plain printer paper is good, infact if you want to do artwork and scan it in then printer paper is probably your best option, you really want something with a fine grain and the more bleached white the better. | |
| Pencils; | HB = almost any normal
pencil you buy will be a HB grain. Don't bother getting your expensive
arty type HB pencils because you go through them like nobodies business
and it would be a waist of cash. go to some cheep hardware shop (Wilkinson's
for example, 10 HB's for 75p ^_^) and get the cheapest you can find.
I find you can do almost anything with this grade pencil. 2B - 6B = From a fine light grain to a course dark grain, Ok so this is where your cash goes, the better you can buy the better for finer results, ask your art shop clerk for more info about these. 2H - 6H = Avoid these really, there more for Graphic work and are sometimes to light. |
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| Sharpeners; | You can get lots of types of Pencil
Sharpeners, But get Metal ones if you can, they stop the led braking
as much and last you ages. But I couldn't live without my old School
pencil Sharpener, the type you stick your pencil in and turn a handle and
everything drops into a little tray, mine cuts at a flatter angle making a
really sharp point that lasts ages, I have no idea what the modern
electrical ones do. I'm sure mine would say "Made in the USSR" on the bottom if it wasn't so old :P |
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| Armatures; [ Barbie Dolls ] |
I'm sure everyone's seen those Artist Armatures, then seen the price tag on a real one and fainted. Then don't fret, there useless anyway, go out to another cheep or charity shop and buy yourself a descent looking doll, better if it's arms and knees move, Strip it of it's clothes and use it as your armature, there's nothing you cant do without sticky back plastic and glue :P Chop it's arms off at it's elbows and it's legs at the knees if they don't move and use blue-tack to put them in the position you want, do the same with hands and feet if you want. Or just use a willing friend to pose for you, no it doesn't have to be naked :P | |
| Fixers; | You can get proper Art Fixatives
for pencil, but they cost a small fortune, instead go to a cheep drugs
store and buy the cheapest Hair Spray (firm hold is better :P) This
works just as well if not better than Fixatives because you don't have to
be careful with it. How to use Hair Spray: 1) squiggle some lines on a separate bit of paper than your art work, use the same paper and pens. Some pens will bleed badly when subjected to it. if it does bleed, then do not leave it in a sketch pad, put the artwork in a plastic wallet by it's self. 2) If it doesn't bleed, then hold the can about 30cm's above your art work [No closer] and with sweeping motions cover the whole page with a LIGHT coating and leave to dry completely. 3) repeat No2. 4) Finally give it a really good coating of Hair Spray and leave to dry, test a small part of your pencil shading to make sure it doesn't smudge, it should also feel like it's got a slightly plastic finish, though it shouldn't make it look shinny. You can fix some of your pencil work before you have finished, but be aware that it changes the quality of the paper and any pencil work you do over the top of sprayed arias. It can give nice effects, but you will need to experiment with this technique before using it proper. . |
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| Rubbers; [ Erasers ] |
I'll say it again... PUTTY
RUBBERS. read [ step 4 ] above for more details on this.... . |
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| Light Box | If you can't afforded one of those dinky
Light Boxes that you use once or twice a year... then this is the easy
solution. Get a peace of glass (thicker the better) use one from a picture frame or get a cheep Clip-Frame. place an un covered lamp between your feet, rest the glass on your knees and the top on a table edge, put your papers on the glass and turn the light on. It works better if you only have a very soft light as your main lighting, close the curtains for better results and use a bright light in the lamp at your feet... Remember the lamp does get very hot so mind your knees ^_^, also try not to look directly into the light below the glass, it ruins your vision when drawing, it also hurts :P... . |
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