| |
Gemstone/Waterdrop Walkthough
I've broken this down into many steps,
but after some practice you'll learn to combine many of
these and it won't seem so involved.
|
 |
Start off by sketching
out your shape. I've darkened this somewhat so you can see
it, but be gentle, you only want a guide.
Choose your colours. If you want something simple, choose
your main colour and a neighbour from the spectrum - blue
and green, red and orange, purple and blue etc.
For something a little more dramatic, be adventurous with
your colour choice. Put together colours that you normally
might not. Just make sure they are not going to turn into
mud when mixed. Try to avoid opaque colours. Bright, vibrant,
transparent colours will work best.
I've chosen purple and yellow. |
 |
This next bit you can
either mask or just miss. It really depends on how comfortable
you are with avoiding highlights. I have an aversion to
masking fluid, so I carefully wet my "blob", missing
the highlights as shown (i've drawn them in digitally so
you can see - a circle at one end and a cresent at the other.)
If you use masking fluid, wait until it's completely dry,
then dampen the whole shape. |
 |
Colour! While your blob
is still damp, drop some of your main colour in at the top,
and some of your secondry at the bottom. Blend the two in
the middle.
Before it dries, lift some colour from one side by either
dabbing at it with some tissue, or using a dry brush to
soak up some of the colour. |
 |
When dry, you can lift
out a little more colour in the left-side highlight if you
think it needs it. |
 |
And now would be a good
time to soften the edges of your hard highlights. |
 |
Ramp up the drama a bit
if you like by adding a strip of another colour (in this
case, red) just under the cresent highlight, along the bottom,
and blend in it.
Consider including colours from any surrounding objects
in your painting. |
 |
To "deepen"
the gem a bit, darken the purple at the top, around the
top highlights, a little down the right side and also a
little at the bottom. |
 |
Still not dramatic enough?
Lift out a little bit of purple next to the top highlight
and drop in some bright blue.
Darken the top edge again, and add a teenythin line of bright
blue along the outside top.
Now is a good a time as any to start on the shadows. Leave
a tiny thin white line around the gem, though. Also, remember
that the shadow is going to fall opposite your top circle
highlight. |
 |
You can also leave a
little, brighter, patch in your shadow, also opposite your
top highlight. This is your gem reflecting light through
itself, so it might be faintly coloured.
Add a few more thin-wash layers to your shadow, to deepen
it. |
 |
Almost done. To finish off, because it's
not shiny enough for me, create a dramatic, bright highlight
at the top with white gouache, Next to that again I mix
a little white gouache with my bright blue, and lay in a
highlight at the top, blending it well. Same again (mixing
gouache with the base colours) in little places to add some
extra "pop".
Done!!
|
| |
One last thing..... tutorials
like these are no substitute for PRACTICE. I figured it
out on my own, why can't you? Also.... observe. If you want
to paint a realistic whatever, get one, look closely, and
PLAY.
It's ok not to get it right the first time (or the second
time.. or ..... ) |
|
|
