How to Draw Sci-fi Creature Concept: Step by step painting tutorial, by idrawgirls
What is the essential element when you design a creature? If you want to design a good, convincing and life like then you will have to come up with good idea and some research. Good idea will often produce a good result. First you have to think what kind of environment this creature dwell. Then is it a predatory type or something else. If it hunts what would be its strategy. What kind of presence does it has? Is it creepy, intimidating, or adorable? Can it fly or is it bipedal, or else?
*Click on the images to see the larger version!*
Thursday night, I am sick like a dog, but can't sleep so I thought I would do something useful. I can't just sit around since I can go out...I might as well. Here is another tutorial if you are interested in doing quick Color Concept for Creature: I called it, "SharpFace" This one took me about three to four hours messing around.
1) I start off with looking around in my sketch book for the thumbnails/comp I did. I usually do a bunch of thumbnails and scan them in so when I got bored I have something to do. Thumbnails are quick useful and you can have variety of stuff because your hand is trying to catch up with your brain flow full of ideas. Then I found something I like so I bring it in to Photoshop and enlarge it to about 700 to 900 pix. A very good size to do quick comp.
2) From the first image, now...I decide I would go with dark warm background as color scheme. Usually I just scribble something with texture custom brush for a quick background. Then I select the creature image put it on top of the BG layer. Then I either use Overlay or Multiply. In this cast I use multiply because I want it to be dark and scary. If it is too dark you can goto Menu Bar> Image> Level then adjust the clearity of your image over the BG. Then I layout the rough basic lighting. I put shadow under its torso, neck, and legs. Then lighten up the back and top of its head. Think FORM, not flat.
3) After I get the basic form/structure then I go into tighten up the figure. In this case I want its head/neck/shoulder to be the focus so I am bringing it out by adding more light on it. On creatures, I usually use a lot of texture brush to make it looks more gritty. As for its bottom part I will leave it as fade or soft edge so the torso and neck will be more pronounce.
4) At this stage, I will enlarge the image to about 2500pix to 300 pix. So that I can get more detail painting. Now I am lighten up part of the back ground so that the figure IS separated from the BG. I also add cool light along its outline to make it stood out even more from the overall warm scheme. I also adding more detail to its shoulder to make it pop out.
4.1) *Do not forget to flip and check your image if it looks correct. You will usually find mistake when you flip your image. I suggest you flip then work on it on the flip side for a while, then flip back.
4.2) *Always check your gradient map. Don't get too caught up with all fancy color. Check your value in Black and White. If it looks good Black and White, it will looks even better in color. On this piece, it almost a monocromatic image.
5) After I get the overall form, I am going in for the darkest dark then highlight very sparingly. At this stage I also define muscle groups and try to make it mimicking life like. I also try to make its skin differ from its nail, if you notice you will see that its dark shinny nail and spikes are more reflective than the skin itself. It has to be distinctive so that it will fool your eyes. Lighting is pretty much everything in painting. *For purpose of exercise try painting satin/velvet/steel right next to one another, you will see how lighting is really a big deal in making our eyes see different textures.
6) Finally, I tighten up the figure even more. I bring out part that needs to be on focal point, then soften the further away part. I fixed its toenails because it looks out of balance with toenails that short from the previous one. Then since I give it cool light, I add warm under lighting from below. Cool light = Warm Shadow likewise Warm light = Cool shadow. It's the golden rule if you are doing under lighting. Then I clean up the figure, lighten up the background so that the creature will be separated and stand out more.
I think I am kinda sleepy now,...so I am going to bed and hopefully. I will be way better tomorrow. I hate being sick...it sucks!
So long,
As always any comment always welcome, let me know if the tutorial is any useful or did I even get my point across.
What is the essential element when you design a creature? If you want to design a good, convincing and life like then you will have to come up with good idea and some research. Good idea will often produce a good result. First you have to think what kind of environment this creature dwell. Then is it a predatory type or something else. If it hunts what would be its strategy. What kind of presence does it has? Is it creepy, intimidating, or adorable? Can it fly or is it bipedal, or else?
*Click on the images to see the larger version!*Thursday night, I am sick like a dog, but can't sleep so I thought I would do something useful. I can't just sit around since I can go out...I might as well. Here is another tutorial if you are interested in doing quick Color Concept for Creature: I called it, "SharpFace" This one took me about three to four hours messing around.
1) I start off with looking around in my sketch book for the thumbnails/comp I did. I usually do a bunch of thumbnails and scan them in so when I got bored I have something to do. Thumbnails are quick useful and you can have variety of stuff because your hand is trying to catch up with your brain flow full of ideas. Then I found something I like so I bring it in to Photoshop and enlarge it to about 700 to 900 pix. A very good size to do quick comp.
2) From the first image, now...I decide I would go with dark warm background as color scheme. Usually I just scribble something with texture custom brush for a quick background. Then I select the creature image put it on top of the BG layer. Then I either use Overlay or Multiply. In this cast I use multiply because I want it to be dark and scary. If it is too dark you can goto Menu Bar> Image> Level then adjust the clearity of your image over the BG. Then I layout the rough basic lighting. I put shadow under its torso, neck, and legs. Then lighten up the back and top of its head. Think FORM, not flat.
3) After I get the basic form/structure then I go into tighten up the figure. In this case I want its head/neck/shoulder to be the focus so I am bringing it out by adding more light on it. On creatures, I usually use a lot of texture brush to make it looks more gritty. As for its bottom part I will leave it as fade or soft edge so the torso and neck will be more pronounce.
4) At this stage, I will enlarge the image to about 2500pix to 300 pix. So that I can get more detail painting. Now I am lighten up part of the back ground so that the figure IS separated from the BG. I also add cool light along its outline to make it stood out even more from the overall warm scheme. I also adding more detail to its shoulder to make it pop out.4.1) *Do not forget to flip and check your image if it looks correct. You will usually find mistake when you flip your image. I suggest you flip then work on it on the flip side for a while, then flip back.
4.2) *Always check your gradient map. Don't get too caught up with all fancy color. Check your value in Black and White. If it looks good Black and White, it will looks even better in color. On this piece, it almost a monocromatic image.
5) After I get the overall form, I am going in for the darkest dark then highlight very sparingly. At this stage I also define muscle groups and try to make it mimicking life like. I also try to make its skin differ from its nail, if you notice you will see that its dark shinny nail and spikes are more reflective than the skin itself. It has to be distinctive so that it will fool your eyes. Lighting is pretty much everything in painting. *For purpose of exercise try painting satin/velvet/steel right next to one another, you will see how lighting is really a big deal in making our eyes see different textures.6) Finally, I tighten up the figure even more. I bring out part that needs to be on focal point, then soften the further away part. I fixed its toenails because it looks out of balance with toenails that short from the previous one. Then since I give it cool light, I add warm under lighting from below. Cool light = Warm Shadow likewise Warm light = Cool shadow. It's the golden rule if you are doing under lighting. Then I clean up the figure, lighten up the background so that the creature will be separated and stand out more.
I think I am kinda sleepy now,...so I am going to bed and hopefully. I will be way better tomorrow. I hate being sick...it sucks!
So long,
As always any comment always welcome, let me know if the tutorial is any useful or did I even get my point across.
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