PracticePracticePractice

Trees!!! DAMN TREES!!
I'm doing a few tutorials today.. home sick so i need to work harder before I lose energy..

so here goes! I'm following tutorials on deviantart today! then WATER COLOUR painting on youtube to get these trees right!! even though the water colour tutorials are actually on traditional painting, I can use the same technique digitally! might even attempt to get the good old water colours out at some point of the day.. but yea. Here's what I've done so far today...
Stage1::






Step 1: Random tree trunk shape!
include: a)Roots
b)Stem
c) Branches
Step 2: give the thing some roots!
Step 3: draw round strips to give a sense of DEPTH.
Step 4: Shading- sort the lighting out!
Step 5: ADD SOME DETAIL










Step 6: Outline LEAVES -keep it simple.















Step 7: Shade the leaves! make them fluffy as clouds^___^
















Step 8:COLOUR those leaves!!
( The tutorial actually ended in step 7.. so.. this colouring style was inspired by myazaki's watercoloured concepts I have a book full of.. right beside me as I work =D)














Step 9: Colour the trunk and touch up on a few shadows and we're all done! =DD










Thanks to.....Tur-Ture on deviantart for the basic tutorial of drawing a tree =D

SAI WEEKEND

Colouring this weekend hasn't gone so well.. but at least I have a few images that ARE presentable!.. kind of.. I've also found new techniques through analysing Le Royaume's making video!

Humans learn through copying what they see, its the basics of everything in life.
So I copied a section of one of their backgrounds.. I don't see anything wrong with that since I'm in the process of learning hands on!

So here's the studies...




















I used both SAI and photoshop for this image, the sky seemed a bit empty before so I threw it in photoshop and gave it a good old brush over with some custom downloads!
Sai made the grass and shadows feel so much more natural^^






















The tree I copied from Le Royaume ..practice purposes..
This came out quite well, I loved the way a simple shadow could being out the rest of the forest in the background. Its not strong but ever so suttle.

















This was drawn the next morning before even opening my eyes properly.. as you can see.. the colours are all wrong, but the CONCEPT of using the free transform tool is there! Its the same tree repeated, but if I use a few... and change the opacity a bit, it should in theory look more like a forest without the shadow method I used above.





















This image hasn't been finished yet, but the whole concept of producing it HAS been finished. I wanted to create shadows on the grass, and play around with colour a bit more. Hence the PURPLE shadows.. The trees obviously need more work. And although this scene may be very simple. The lighting's overall effect gives off a very strong and spacious atmosphere. All through working with lighting =O I used a few photographs I found on flickr as reference, will post soon~~

I was originally copying my own sketched image from the day before. I even tested the colour palette Matt uploaded. But then found it was very frustrating to be using them.. So.. I might just make my own to compliment the existing since there isn't enough tones.

18th Nov Lesson...

I didn't some perspective shots in my sketch book with no reference! came out pretty good actually! Michelle's laptop was still broken so I lent her mine to use. She also showed me how SAI had a free transform tool we could use to manipulate our images. Making drawing in perspective A LOT EASIER!! We spent the day working out perspectives on varies images we drew. As Dan said before, since we're both doing backgrounds we should work closely to ensure the continuity.

We then went onto looking for tutorials to make life easier - going back to basics^^
Matt then sent the group TWO tutorials on perspectives, it was surprisingly detailed for a deviantart tutorials =O

Part 1

Part 2

Tree Tests in SAI

Since SAI hasnt got texture brushes... me and michelle decided to experiment a bit and find other ways in imitating brushes without actually using any!

Pics to be uploaded...soon...

11th Nov Lesson...

We went through everyones individual roles. I soon realised the amount of detail needed to get to the same standard as ""Le Royaume". I guesstimated around 10 layers for EACH background. meaning each frame would need good knows how many actual layers in the end. Since ONE picture = at least 4 seperate layers.

(1)Base/ Shape
(2)Lighting
(3)Shadows
(4)Detail

I then discussed this issue with Matt, He then showed me the MAKING video of Le Royame. To find.. so many more layers in one background it was uncountable =_=""

We not only found problems with the amount of detail each background would have, but also the secondary animation involved! Which would include...wind effects, so, wavey grass, trees, maybe the odd bunny hopping?

Dan had set us a TASK each. To be completed by the following week. My aim was to draw a COMPLETED background using SAI. with a nice amount of layers to try imitate the effect.

My reason for using SAI.....

I've been playing around with this program all summer! Its quite nice, I do miss Photoshop's brushes though. HOWEVER, the pressure sensitivity DOES feel far more fluent. It doesnt burn your RAM as Photoshop does, OR give that foreign feeling, since your not drawing directly on the screen, it still feels kind of awkward at times. Like common things such as flipping the canvas WHILST you work. Smoother, more natural brush strokes. SAI's used widely in Japan, and well known digital artists around the world. I first found SAI on deviantart, from going through "redjuice999" 's profile. Its GREAT for blending tones, saving alot of time.

Heres his page, just so that you get the feel of what SAI can produce in the hands of a professional. =D

REDJUICE999//DEVIANTART

I havent quite mastered colouring backgrounds on SAI just yet.. since on photoshop I could cheat by using downloaded brushes/texture. However, on SAI, there is no such function!! you can custom make brushes, but not manipulate them the same as photoshop. So I have decided to use both to compliment the missing features each software has. =D I worked on character designing and colouring through the summer.. so colouring organic backgrounds in SAI has its limits for now.

New Projects -New Groups^^

soOO heres my situation.. For this year, I'll be working on two groups

and woOO^^ I get to work in the same group as Michelle for both the groups^^
Our group for digital environments last year went so well =DD

Group (1):
Matt - SMitten
I will specialise on storyboarding, compositing, and re-working the dynamic angles like a cinematographer.
Matts already asked for a warped feel to the environments, but Michelle seems to have problems with perspectives when it comes to environments. And so, we've decided to find pictures with interesting perspective lines to copy from.

I have been warned though.. it seems as directer, Matts has the skills to do alot for himself, so I could be dropped from the group, depending how much effect my input have on the group since he has a basic animatic already. I'm going to have to do alot of research as a cinematographer working along side of Michelle for this to succeed.

Group (2)
Tex - Wombed Man King of Gods

Our roles havent officially been decided, but it seems as though i'll be doing the same jobs, storyboading, cinematographer and probably make a real animatic since there isnt one to start with. We're encouraged to be really open, freeminded for our creativity to flow. But it seems time might kill us on that one. So after going over Tex's blog, getting the grips of the actual "storyline" this weekend. I want to come up with a schedules together as a group on monday or the project may fall a terible death since there isnt much structure in the making process yet. I see real potential for this project, so I might focus on this project more since theres more jobs available. =)

What im going to concentrate on for Dan's unit...

-Drawing in warped perspectives, lots and lots of perspective fields to practice on.
- and CG dynamics in maya for Tex's project, since it seems da other members have no interest in the dynamics.

(I practiced on perspectives through out the holidays, it was one of my personal aims to improve on. and I did alot of photography during the summer, so I guess playing the role of cinematographer was the outcome of my skills I built during summer.)

ANP09305

Within this unit we were asked to initiate and develop new content solutions that will challenge our productions. We’ve been encouraged to BREAK boundaries, whilst realistically working on several projects at a time. We are required fulfill THREE roles, Artist,Animation and Technical. And choose which to mainly focus on.

I’ve chosen to focus on ARTIST. I want to play the role of a cinematographer and do concept work for several projects. Providing I would have an outlined theme to follow, my aim would be to produce a portfolio of different style, to show my potential and flexibility in various ways. To do this, I will be experimenting on various programs. I believe sticking to one platform would limit the potential in creating an intriguing style.

So I have installed parallels and bootcamp on my macbookpro to work on a windows OS too.