Yet even more hand painted textures...
Welp, rather than pollute other people's threads, I'll post them in here.
I'm trying to get down wood textures, just about like everyone else
However, trying to get them to come out resembling planks is... challenging.
First Try
Several Tries Later xD
-EDIT-
Work from later in the thread...
C&C greatly appreciated!
I'm trying to get down wood textures, just about like everyone else
However, trying to get them to come out resembling planks is... challenging.
First Try
Several Tries Later xD
-EDIT-
Work from later in the thread...
C&C greatly appreciated!
Replies
Here's a tip that might help you push the contrast a little more. Try converting your texture to black and white to see how the values are communicating. When I did that to your texture, I saw that you've got mostly low and mid values. Don't be afraid to create a new layer and experiment with some highlights. They can really add a lot of depth. Anywho, goodluck and keep at it!
@3DS.P: Aye, I've been following all hand painted threads
Here's a small one, I started from scratch, but rather than do a whole bunch of planks, i just did one and copied and pasted, lazy me. Imma keep messing around, let me know if you guys think I'm going down the right path this one.
Nice third piece, it's coming along but i think you could still use a little more contrast in the grain.
Pbcrazy: The third attempt is looking a little better. There's still a lot of room to play around with the color you chose for the highlights tho. Also, I know you might have did the copy / paste just for presentation, but watch out for shortcuts like that in the beginning. One of the hardest lessons in the beginning (in my opinion) is about discipline. I think it'd be much better to paint one plank with everything you've got than anything else at this point. Regardless, stay motivated and keep at it. So long as you're dedicated, you WILL see an improvement.
every artist will have a bit a flare based on their observation, cant teach you to paint, but i can try to show you what you are missing and need to see harder
here are some principals you can look at, you may or may not know them, (im writing this in your thread but anyone here can read)
1) edge quality
2) simultaneous contrast
3) focus [with rhythm and harmony]
3b) observation and reference
edge quality refers to the blur between surface changes. If you did Gausion blur 25 everything would be soft. When you want a surface to feel round and soft its edges are blurred (in your wood you can see the edge of the planks has about 2-3 pixels of the last color fading into the black)
first thing i did was take a 1 pixel brush of black and make it sharply touch the end of the wood, defining the shape with very little softness
if you want metal edges like a 90 degree angle on hard wood make sure your corner are done with 1pixel brushes, nice and sharp
simultaneous contrast you seem to already be aware of, (i think) it could be accidental though. it means your eye will see darks darker when put against lights, and lights lighters next to darks.. in this example i bring it up bc it means that if you want something to be brighter you dont have to make it brighter, you make everything around it darker. It is considered sloppy to exaggerate simultaneous contrast by snobby render professors, but the truth is your eye/mind will do it anyway, so as an artist you can use it to your advantage.
you will see simultaneous contrast on the bright edges, where lighter bits are thrown into the light shapes, where the shadow areas have extra dark put next to the light to make them even brighter. i normally put at least some on focus edges, varying the degree based on the sharpness of that edge or the focus i want to give it.
focus, means you can let the eye relax in some areas, and put more detail/contrast in only 1 or 2 spots. rhythm/harmony are like music in art, the patterns and diversity should create unity as well as contrast to keep it interesting (note the "organic shape", thick and thins with consistent wave, and slight changes in that wave)
3b, self explanatory. imitate life/representational means you certainly need to observe reference without the novelty filtration our minds do in everyday passing by.
ok hope this help, merryxmass time for party. high five sxy time
@Devin Busha: I did primarily just went to work on the one board, then I decided just looking at the one board for a presentation just wasn't enough, hence the copy and paste
@Zoid: Ah ha, thank you very much! I suppose I've practiced simultaneous contrast before, just never really recognized it as such.
Very grateful for the posts, now that I'm done playing with my new Christmas toys, it's back to work.
What I'm trying to say is like in cartoons you can imply a brick wall with clusters of bricks.
The first might be salvageable, but i'm not sure what to do about the transition between the dark grain and the edge of the plank...
The second one i think is a total loss. It's too repetitive and straight. But i experimented on the bottom with some new grain, tell me what ya think!
Also it seems like you might be working purely indirectly? I might suggest you adopt a direct method in your initial process, So by direct this means you "paint by number" pick 3 or 4 distinct colors and only use them, just avoid all blending/blurring/100% flow/oppac. But this is personal preferance (I work very indirectly myself). I'll see if I can find some small bids that might explain a bit after work
But, here's a compilation of some photo's i though were close to what i was going for... (wee bit cramped though...).
And then some inspiring works by other members of the forum... (if someone doesn't approve let me know and I'll take them down).
And then for some reason I just felt compelled to try to go back over an old piece that I liked... :S
@Zoid: Well, I haven't been attempting to redo you paint over on purpose. You suggested to try painting more organic shapes, and I tried, but I really don't like what I came up with, I'll keep working though, hopefully I'll come up with something...
As for directly or indirectly, eh, not totally catching on to what you are trying to say. I have a 'pipeline' that I follow for creating planks, and the colors I choose are based relatively off of my original base color. Generally, I paint my large shapes, then go back over and add in highlights and shadows, refine the edges, then I merge all layers, smudge it some, paint in more details, fade/smudge as needed, and repeat. Then i have an overlayed fibers layer.
I'm curious, how many of you use a mouse to paint your textures?
just note you are learning to make reality off a representation, (copy of a copy) So no one wants you to look at a texture and replicate it, not from an integrity stand point but as a model for learning.
The paint overs/examples are helpful to exaggerate what can be re-worked in your texture. Once you become aware of the subtleties you will be able to adapt that sophistication with real reference and create your own style. So the trick/point here is making you aware of the differences between your work and what can make it more successful.
my favorite in this reference piece is the long piece on the left side
i love that look to wood.
this is an indirect method.
direct methods are "paint by number" the result of direct painting is somewhat like hitting "mode 4 colors" in photoshop on what you already have.
you know, this kinda thing
you mix the shades (3 to 4) and apply them to an exact shape, no smudge/blending, exactly as they are mixed,, . i simply state you try direct method for a few hours or so as exercise, you may hate it (as do i)
use the pencil at 100%, create 4 blobs of color, hit "i" to eye drop (or a palette) then "b" and start painting, no smudge, no dodge/burn.
take some real wood and crop its color palette to 3-6 shades and note the patterns. be mindful of those shapes
not me nor anyone i have met. its possible to do it,,, but if you are, i suggest you get your hands on a tablet (used or new) right away! used can be found off amazon for < $100.00, as for its quality <shrug> id stick with wacom consider this a 5-10 year investment.
better, but still needs contrasting variations/subtleties
as a bit of info, discouragement will be what stops you from learning this more than some innate "talent" i would suspect you will need 50-75 hours of hard practice under your belt
no joke: three hour sessions, 3 a week, for 2 months straight. commitment. it just takes time.
I made this texture with a mouse... and after finish it decided that I was never going to use a mouse again.
It was a terrible process, the texture was done using several selections and layers. I wasn't pleased with the result, but it was all I could do with the time I had.
If you're using a mouse, you're going to have to use a lot of selections/layers to get the results you want, and iteration is a pain in the butt