This looks great! Can you explain how you created some of the effects? For instance.. the carpets have a nice mottled look? and the woods have a nice light/shade effect?
Almost all of the fills uses in this image have at least 2-3 solid fills combined with 2-3 stroked fills and 2 strokes for the outside line. So before you embark on on replicating these effects you need to make sure that your computer is able to handle it. This makes for a file that will tax your video card!
Bear in mind that this drawing was produced to be viewed rather large - 36"x48" so it needed lot's of close up detail. This much detail would be counter productive on a drawing that is intended for a smaller scale.
Most of the textures are created as follows - shown from the 'top down' as they would be in impression.
A dark wavy line stroke with a slightly roughened effect.
A lighter line stroke without any rougening or other effects (this keeps it all from starting to look too loose.)
Two stroked fills running perpendicular to each other. Usually with a roughened line. At about 30%-50% transparency. I make the first one, tweak it to perfection, and then simply copy it and rotate the direction of the lines.
A transparent fill layer - no noise - I put a layer here to use as a color adjustmentusually at about 20% transparency. I find that it is useless to fine tune the colors until most of the drawing is created and all of the elements are in place. At that point I use this layer to make final adjustments.
A gradient fill layer - radial and darker around the outside edges for seating and fabric items. Linear and angled for wood surfaces. Darker on the lower right side. I use noise here if creating fabrics - not if creating reflective surfaces.
A 100% opaque fill - white - to make sure that nothing bleeds through all of those transparent layers above. I add the drop shadow to this fill layer only.
Lastly - you will notice that I don't add any roughen effects to the style overall - only to the outline strokes at the top of the set. I find that applying a roughen effect to the entire style is a sure way to crash my computer when using these complex fills.
For the wood try using a base of very wide transparent marker strokes with a high percentage of variation. Followed by a layer or two of smaller and more controlled strokes in a slightly more opaque tone.
I just can't give a simple answer! Hope this helps.
No advanced tutorials - although I will say that I've looked at all of the tutorials that are available at this point.
Mostly just experimenting - but I've also done a good bit of colorization of drawings in Photoshop and Illustrator. And the process of creating the fills/strokes is fairly similar.
Hi, |I love your images - they are great!!
I am new to Impression and was wondering, how do you apply more than 1 fill to the same area? I just end up replacing what I have previously put there!! Thanks for any advice!!
Lynsey
I think the answer is to create styles with more than one fill within the style. At least that's the way I do it.
You must, of course, be aware of the transparency of each fill as you layer them up within the style editor - or soon enough you can't even see the fills at the bottom of the stack.
At that point they are useless and a liability as they have added complexity to your drawing that isn't creating any visual interest. And the complexity will slow your drawing down.
What an exceptional and thorough explanation - my compliments to you not just for excellent work, but the intelligence, skill and attentiveness to help educate the rest of us.
(not to mention actually using paragraphs to make the directions all the more readable).
User Comments
This looks great! Can you explain how you created some of the effects? For instance.. the carpets have a nice mottled look? and the woods have a nice light/shade effect?
Posted 2/5/2007 4:14 PM by Jessica Cooksey
Jessica,
Almost all of the fills uses in this image have at least 2-3 solid fills combined with 2-3 stroked fills and 2 strokes for the outside line. So before you embark on on replicating these effects you need to make sure that your computer is able to handle it. This makes for a file that will tax your video card!
Bear in mind that this drawing was produced to be viewed rather large - 36"x48" so it needed lot's of close up detail. This much detail would be counter productive on a drawing that is intended for a smaller scale.
Most of the textures are created as follows - shown from the 'top down' as they would be in impression.
A dark wavy line stroke with a slightly roughened effect.
A lighter line stroke without any rougening or other effects (this keeps it all from starting to look too loose.)
Two stroked fills running perpendicular to each other. Usually with a roughened line. At about 30%-50% transparency. I make the first one, tweak it to perfection, and then simply copy it and rotate the direction of the lines.
A transparent fill layer - no noise - I put a layer here to use as a color adjustmentusually at about 20% transparency. I find that it is useless to fine tune the colors until most of the drawing is created and all of the elements are in place. At that point I use this layer to make final adjustments.
A gradient fill layer - radial and darker around the outside edges for seating and fabric items. Linear and angled for wood surfaces. Darker on the lower right side. I use noise here if creating fabrics - not if creating reflective surfaces.
A 100% opaque fill - white - to make sure that nothing bleeds through all of those transparent layers above. I add the drop shadow to this fill layer only.
Lastly - you will notice that I don't add any roughen effects to the style overall - only to the outline strokes at the top of the set. I find that applying a roughen effect to the entire style is a sure way to crash my computer when using these complex fills.
For the wood try using a base of very wide transparent marker strokes with a high percentage of variation. Followed by a layer or two of smaller and more controlled strokes in a slightly more opaque tone.
I just can't give a simple answer! Hope this helps.
Greg
Posted 2/6/2007 11:08 PM by Greg Bates
Wow! Thanks!
Did you come up with all this by experimenting or did you have some advanced tutorials?
I think I'll try some of that.
~Jessica
Posted 2/7/2007 8:16 AM by Jessica Cooksey
Jessica,
No advanced tutorials - although I will say that I've looked at all of the tutorials that are available at this point.
Mostly just experimenting - but I've also done a good bit of colorization of drawings in Photoshop and Illustrator. And the process of creating the fills/strokes is fairly similar.
Greg
Posted 2/7/2007 7:55 PM by Greg Bates
Hi, |I love your images - they are great!!
I am new to Impression and was wondering, how do you apply more than 1 fill to the same area? I just end up replacing what I have previously put there!! Thanks for any advice!!
Lynsey
Posted 2/14/2007 5:46 AM by Lynsey Pavey
Linsey,
I think the answer is to create styles with more than one fill within the style. At least that's the way I do it.
You must, of course, be aware of the transparency of each fill as you layer them up within the style editor - or soon enough you can't even see the fills at the bottom of the stack.
At that point they are useless and a liability as they have added complexity to your drawing that isn't creating any visual interest. And the complexity will slow your drawing down.
Greg
Posted 2/20/2007 9:33 PM by Greg Bates
Greg:
What an exceptional and thorough explanation - my compliments to you not just for excellent work, but the intelligence, skill and attentiveness to help educate the rest of us.
(not to mention actually using paragraphs to make the directions all the more readable).
My thanks.
Posted 8/20/2007 11:14 PM by Scott Raymond