FARP : Photoshop Hard-edged Airbrush

By Liz Chesterman (imaginatorcentral@hotmail.com), Gallery 8.

I don't often use the ultra-smooth technique of coloring with the

airbrush in Photoshop, simply because it's too smooth. This technique
uses the airbrush with a harder edge on it.
Page 1 (Page 2) (Page 3)
The character featured, Fyre Uni, is copyright/property of Kelly Meeks.

(images will open in a new window, and load in that same

window)

I start with a simple sketch. First a quick pose, then

refining that pose and adding clothing. Sketching is
done with the pencil tool at 72dpi for speed.

Once I have a sketch I like, I blow the document up to

300 or 360dpi and ink it, often with Painter.

Next I'll use the pencil tool to block in an outline of the

whole image, then fill it with the paint bucket tool.

I lock the layer, and using the pencil and paint bucket
again I'll block out the various color sections.

I use the pencil tool because my next steps involve using the magic wand to select
areas of color. If all my areas of color are aliased (ie, hard-edged) the wand has much
less trouble selecting areas without mixing edge colors. The lines on an upper layer will
easily cover up the hardness of the pencil tool edges.

With the airbrush tool on a low opacity (10-20%),

and my tablet settings on vary opacity and size I
sketch in the ring of fire. This I will use as a guide
to lighting on the character, and overall direction
for later when I finish the ring.

I use the magic wand with antialias unchecked to select

the tail, then CTRL+J to promote that to a new layer,
and lock (preserve transparency).
With the airbrush on vary opacity only, I use a medium
sized brush with a hardness around 70% to sculpt in
dark areas of the tail, then go back to 'sharpen' with a
lighter color, then use screen to add highlights.

Alas, I do not like how the tail looks, so I start over, but
with the brush a bit softer.
This time the tail looks to soft.. like clay or bad 3D
modeling. My brush settings were softer this time, and I
used the push tool. So I scratch this version too, and
decide to move on.
I'll come back to the tail again later.

Next I move onto the creamy colored fur. I want this to

be almost buttery-golden when I finish, but with some
nice purple hues in the darker shadows for dramatic
effect. Using the airbrush on a low opacity, varying
opacity, I use the same add dark, soften edge with light
technique of before.For the final lights I use the
airbrush on screen.

Comment

FARP : Photoshop Hard-edged Airbrush

By Liz Chesterman (imaginatorcentral@hotmail.com), Gallery 8.

I don't often use the ultra-smooth technique of coloring with the

airbrush in Photoshop, simply because it's too smooth. This technique
uses the airbrush with a harder edge on it.
Page 2 (Page 1) (Page 3)
The character featured, Fyre Uni, is copyright/property of Kelly Meeks.

I then do the darker areas of short fur, toning in the

same manner as the cream.
Because her hands are surrounded by fire I have to use
somewhat more dramatic lighting, so spots of bright
orange appear on the bits I believe would be most
illuminated.Midway thru toning her hands I decide to
completely illuminate her palm.
The effect is immediatly notiacable and makes for a
more interesting contrast. (Airbrush on screen.)

The shirt is done in just two quick steps of dark, then

light values. I did it so quickly I didn't think about
stopping to make two different visuals for the steps.

For the skirt I started with the areas I wanted to lighten,

then worked in the darker values on the outside.
Next I worked on the inside folds using mostly warm
shades, and then I went back to the outside surface to
give the folds a bit more depth and light.
This is all done using the airbrush on a very low
opacity, around 10%, with the stylus on varying opacity,
but not varying size. The final highlights use the
airbrush on screen.

Using the airbrush on screen with a red-orange color, I

add splashes of fire streaks and dots to give the hooves
an interesting shine.
I then do the horn with the airbrush on normal.

I like to call this technique 'sculpting,' because I use the

airbrush to build up darker areas of color, then use the
lighter base tone to refine the chunky areas into
sharper refinement, like using sculpting tools in clay to
subtract from the main piece.
The first step of dark shadows are done with a lower
opacity (10%), mostly hard-edge, large brush, stylus on
vary opacity. The second step of darks are done with a
medium opacity, smaller brush. Highlights are first done
with a regular brush on low opacity, then with a smaller
brush on screen.

Back to the tail again. This time I start off with large
areas of a slight dark, then in the shadows I add darker
reddish shadows. I like the look this time.
Next the highlights with the airbrush on normal, hardedged small brush. Then I go back and use a very
large, low opacity (5%) to intensify the bright areas.
I spot-touch a few areas with a small brush as well.

Name

Oct 8
2003

Oct 8
2003

Elfwood writer:

Elfwood artist:

*sigh* I had to learn how to

use the hard edged airbrush
the hard way. Great job, really
helpful tutorial, glad to see
with this tool.

Oct 15 Elfwood artist:

2003

Gotta say, the hard-edged

brush is my love. That is the
only tool I really use, aside
from the layers. Good stuff.

Nov 4
2003

I have NO idea how to use or

even GET photoshop...am I
hopeless? I want to be good at
the only thing I have ever
done well.

Shadow Moonstone

FARP : Photoshop Hard-edged Airbrush

By Liz Chesterman (imaginatorcentral@hotmail.com), Gallery 8.

I don't often use the ultra-smooth technique of coloring with the

airbrush in Photoshop, simply because it's too smooth. This technique
uses the airbrush with a harder edge on it.
Page 3 (Page 1) (Page 2)
The character featured, Fyre Uni, is copyright/property of Kelly Meeks.

Using the same type technique from the hair I do the

lockes on her feet.
These areas are a little more difficult because I have
more angles and areas of depth to think about when
selecting areas of shadow and light.

For the scarf I change technique a little. I use a layer

above the scarf set on multiply, but with a low opacity,
and using a light reddish-brown, shade the folds.

I go back to her face and add a few more shades and

accents. Later I will also go back and raise her eye to a
more proper level for her face.

And then the most difficult part, the fire ring.

I start with a large airbrush, low opacity, stylus vary
opacity and begin to smooth over the areas I began
earlier. Then I switch the stylus to vary size as well, and
continue to work, building up lighter areas from darker
red-oranges.
Eventually I hit a point where I want the brightest
yellows, and start to lay them in with smaller brushes.
Then I put the airbrush on screen, take off vary size,
and work in smaller areas of bright yellow or yellowgold-oranges.
Finally, I splash flecks of color, like cinders all over the
brightest areas, and splash a few in the darker areas as
well. I vary using the airbrush on screen and normal to
get different vaules of bright.

After the fire ring is completed I consider this piece finished.

click to view the finished piece