Digital Illustration Software Workflow

I’ve used a lot of different software over the years in search of a digital illustration workflow that I really like, for various reasons. I still like a sketch book, but when I’ve got tools like undo, layers, resize, and more, I actually find myself feeling a little more free from the dreaded “fear of the blank canvas” block,  and notice that my drawings exhibit more creativity.

Until recently, I had just decided that I would never be satisfied with a wholly digital process. My computer was just where my drawings ended up when it was time to color them, mainly because of weaknesses in the inking phase. Now, though, I think I’ve found something that will satisfy me in those times when pens aren’t an option.

Here is the pipeline I’m using, with some other comments:

INPUT DEVICE: WACOM TABLET
First of all, it kind of goes without saying that if you want to do any serious digital hand-drawn illustration, you’re probably going to want a pen tablet. Any of them will work well, with varying levels of benefit, but the real formula is just “the bigger, the better.” After working my way up through virtually every stage of tablets, the smallest to the largest (all of which were helpful), I’m finally using a Wacom Cintiq, and I’ll never look back. Even if you only get a 6″x8″ tablet, though, you’ll love it.

PENCILS: PHOTOSHOP or PAINTER (ESSENTIALS)
This one is almost a tie. I’m definitely more familiar with Photoshop, which is a plus, but I really think that Painter edges out PS in the short time I’ve used it.  All I can really say is that it “feels” better.

Another great program that I tried was Alias Sketchbook Pro. I can’t say enough about how smooth the demo was for sketching.  Honestly, if I felt like dropping the cash, I would probably use this one exclusively for penciling, but it’s hard to justify when I’ve already got multiple pencil solutions. And multiple real pencils.

INKING: PAINTER (ESSENTIALS)
This was my unicorn. I felt like I had tried everything for inking, and the only solution I mildly liked was Flash, which is a weird way to ink, but I liked the vector tools it offered.

Then I found Painter. While I still can’t stay it’s the answer to all of my prayers, the “Fine Point Pen” does give me a result with which I’m satisfied. There are some anti-aliasing issues I’m not thrilled about, but I can usually remedy them by working larger than I need and then downsizing in Photoshop.

So far, I use Essentials, the inexpensive version, which has all I need. I’m sure that the full version would offer more flexibility.

COLORS: PHOTOSHOP
Photoshop all the way. Clipping masks are a life saver, and Photoshop’s post processing tools are hugely beneficial for giving my illustrations a little extra character.

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Nothing will ever replace the feel and the look of a pencil in your hands or of real paint on a canvas – and most of the time, I try to use as many real world elements as I can – however, digital illustration offers a lot of perks, so a solid pipeline can be invaluable.

“The Ghost” inspired by Pierre Michel

Ok, I’m just going to lead with it: in this piece, I leaned way too heavily on my inspiration from Pierre Michel (warning: some of his work contains artistic nudity). I was actually surprised (and embarrassed) by how much it looks like his “Fire Flower,” since certain ideas I thought were original were actually straight copies from my subconscious.  Give the credit to him on this one.

Having said all that, this is the promo for the LifeChurch.tv October message series. Our main goals were to capitalize on the feel of the fall season while capturing the power and awe of the Holy Spirit, all without getting too creepy.

Initially, we wanted to go with a stark white look (which, in hindsight, would have avoided the similarity issue), but it just didn’t feel “October.” The fire’s contrast with the black looked more powerful in the print art, so I changed direction.

All in all, thanks to an incredible script by Kevin Ely and casting by Beth Johnson, I think it succeeds in its objectives. I just wish I didn’t feel like a thief.

How about you? Have you ever created something, only to discover that it wasn’t nearly as original as you’d imagined?

5 portfolios you should see

Here’s a list of 5 portfolios I’ve stumbled upon that I really think you should see:

Ars Thanea – Agency
An agency out of Poland that does some sick design work thanks to Peter Jaworowski.

Trevor Grove – Sculptor
I’m pretty sure this guy isn’t human. The likenesses he’s able to forge out of clay are unbelievable. It doesn’t hurt, either, that his subject matter (Indy, Star Wars, etc) is a geek’s dream.

Blake Loosli – Illustrator
I love this guy’s portraits, and I’ve been noticing them popping up more and more lately, in places like Communication Arts and Rolling Stone.

Mike P Mitchell – Illustrator
Another great illustrator with a very strong, unique style.

Aaron Knapp – Motion Designer
This guy is the real deal. His clients include MTV, Directv, Smirnoff, and tons of others. He also has lots of links to other talented designers.

OKC Redhawks Animation

This year, the Oklahoma City Redhawks (the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers) decided to undergo a brand update. While the rebrand was done by someone else, I was asked to create animations to help pump up their new look. These are just a couple of the scoreboard graphics I created for them.

And here was one of the many game openers I created to supplement their “Taste of the Big Leagues” campaign, in which they transformed the park each game to contain elements of Big League parks from across the country. They even matched the hot dogs and concessions you’ll find at those parks – like Dodger Dogs, Chicago Style pizza, etc!

It was a lot of fun to see my stuff as part of the game experience.

After Effects Tutorial – “Leaf-Growing” Logo Reveal

I was honored to have been asked by the TUTS+ network to create a tutorial for their AETUTS+ site. The TUTS+ network is an incredible resource for designers of all types, with resources for After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D software, and more.

This was my first go at a recorded tutorial, so I’d love to hear your feedback…unless it’s about my Oklahoma accent, because I don’t have one.

At the Movies’09 – Animated

Here’s the AtM’09 animated promo as promised.

It turns out that it’s pretty difficult to represent a lot of movie genres without using people. The result is that this ends up being a little sci-fi/action heavy (which is fine by my inner geek). I just can’t believe I didn’t add a Western element…

Had a lot of fun with this. Cinema4D has made the transition from Lightwave for 3D animation a smooth one. Here’s a quick capture of some of the process. As you can see, the whole project took about 2 minutes to complete. I’m that fast.

(Unfortunately, Previous Bryan didn’t think to start capturing until after a great deal had been done. Man, that guy’s an idiot sometimes.)

*edit: To see the print version of this art, LICK HERE. <–(This was a typo, but I found it way too funny to correct)

At the Movies 2009 art

Here’s the finished artwork for LifeChurch.tv’s “At the Movies” series, in which we (legally) watch edits of Hollywood films to find Biblical truths in the stories.

This was a lot of fun and was my first full project since my recent switch to Cinema4D.

In addition to this, there is a fully-animated promo of these elements, which I’ll talk more about here soon.

The Vendor/Client relationship (video)

Ha! Stumbled across this video and loved it. A must for anyone who’s done much freelance work. We should all make our clients watch this before beginning any work.

And if you like this, here’s a similar comic I drew last year. I think it’s kinda funny we both went with the restaurant analogy.

Staging concepts

We’re working on the development of a much-needed new stage at LifeChurch.tv and, though this is extremely preliminary, I thought it would be interesting to see the initial design (with my complete lack of construction knowledge), until we can see what our construction gurus are able to do with the idea. This is from a concept that Mark Dawson and I collaborated on.

My main focus was to create a stage that could be completely changed for a new series with the press of a few buttons (by changing a few light colors and uploading a new graphic).

Here’s the base idea (the blue squares would be large LCD TVs), followed by a few examples of application with various series art or elements. (Click any image for a larger version)

a “One Prayer” version:

an “At the Movies” possibility, illustrating that the stage doesn’t always have to contain the actual art:

and an older one, with art from “You Don’t Have What it Takes”:

“Elijah” promo – steps in the process

Here’s a promo for the series “Elijah” at LifeChurch.tv. When concepting, we ultimately decided that one great symbol of God’s provision, and of Elijah’s faith, would be found in the ravens that God sent to provide food for Elijah in the wilderness. With that concept, I couldn’t help but lean to Hitchcock for inspiration.

And for a little “behind-the-scenes” action, here’s a quick peek at the steps in the process, with Photoshop, Cinema4D and After Effects using Particular.