Digital Painting

PfhorRunner

Alright, so for some reason I have an ability to paint realistically in real life... I can draw, and I can paint over it in detail with some nice shading happening. For some reason though, whenever I get into photoshop I get overwhelmed.

I cannot think straight or something, because my shading skills aren't there. It's too choppy/layered and I just for the life of me don't know how some people do it so well. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or tutorials that would help with digital painting in photoshop. I have concepts of mine that I'd only rather show when done, but for some reason I cannot even do a paintover without my shading falling apart on me. Maybe i'm not using tools correctly, or I'm not using enough. For my painting I never use more than 2 brushes (non-digital), and I suppose I cannot really do that for photoshop, I've just never learned otherwise.

I'm not sure if this is really the right place for this, since the tutorials thread is there, but the only tutorials I saw posted were for 3d, and right now i'm just trying to get 2d down.

Mark Dygert

Here are a few to get you started

General art know-how. More than likely a rehash for you but still good to go over.
http://itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm

An ASS-LOAD of painting tuts, how-to's, and "this is how I dun-its"
http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials

Covers the brush system and specificly show you how to do hair without having to result to the old method of scribbling wildly.
http://www.creativemac.com/2003/08_aug/tutorials/pshair030825.htm

More of a creating tiling texture tip, but goes into some good stuff.
http://www.twisted-strand.com/ut_tutorials/text_tut/index2.html

Varrious PhotoShop tuts, some good, some not so good. Still some things can be learned.
http://www.idigitalemotion.com/tutorials/digital_creation5.html

Feather tutorial, it covers some unconventional ways to create a simple object. Its a good tut for getting in touch with some of the lesser intuitive tools. It's a quick one with good results but doesn't hold your hand.
http://www.photoshopnation.com/tutorials...cat=9&cat=9

Cubik

I would also check out this thread on CA:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47859
Useful tips on brush customization and general coloring ideas from people of all skill-levels.

Asthane

If you want ideas on how to use software to best effect, take a look at at the several metric fuckloads of 'video tutorials' from Portalgraphics' openCanvas Community. Most every image uploaded there has an event file, which you can open with openCanvas to watch the painting process-- very useful, and only a couple megs each (They work like game demo files, recording the actions and playing them back, rather than recording video, so they're completely lossless). Skill level and art style varies, but even if you cherry-pick the very best you will get tired before you run out of files to watch.

Erol

Don Seegmiller (excellent traditional/digital artist) doesn't use more than 2 or 3 brushes for digital. It's really not necessary. I usually delete 95% of them from my menu.

I know what you mean though, about being overwhelmed by the program and not understanding how anyone get anything good looking out of that program. But then I met people who actually could; and so I just watch how they do it and practice practice practice. It'll come with time.