Questions Thread - Technical Help for Art & Music

[CapnCourage]

So I'm using Corel Painter 12, and I'm wondering which layer type I should use when doing cell-shaded lighting (colouring over a layer w/ low opacity). Default seems to make things look very grey, Multiply simply does nothing. Again, just wondering.

[silvermistshadow]

Okay, Why are you masking the horns with the body layer? That looks like it's your main problem. You also need to see if you've got the layer mode set to something like multiply which would make it appear behind a layer that's already pure black. I suspect you set the layer mode to multiply to make the white space disappear, but there's no reason you couldn't just erase it by selecting the specific color range and then pressing delete. Just make sure you don't have anti-alias or feathering on or it'll get fuzzy.

Ah. Thank you very much. That works quite well.

[relativisticCowboy]

Okay, so I'm going around the internet, getting references for the human body. I sketch them out, get a better idea of how the body the shaped, how these different forms take up space, how things work together in a pose, how clothes lay upon the body, etc. I make some structural drawings, some shade drawings, stuff like that. I have no formal training as an artist, and I've only gotten somewhat serious about this as a hobby about three months ago, so I think this is a reasonable since art begins with observing the reality around us.

I then look at my sketchbook, and pick out those sketches which I think work out the best for the piece I'm trying to draw. I then sketch things up again on my medium of choice, modify it to work with the character or to look right, shade everything in as best I can, etc.

Is this sufficient enough to be my own work, or am I plagiarizing from the photos I'm using as reference?

[moonyLunacy]

Okay, so I'm going around the internet, getting references for the human body. I sketch them out, get a better idea of how the body the shaped, how these different forms take up space, how things work together in a pose, how clothes lay upon the body, etc. I make some structural drawings, some shade drawings, stuff like that. I have no formal training as an artist, and I've only gotten somewhat serious about this as a hobby about three months ago, so I think this is a reasonable since art begins with observing the reality around us.

I then look at my sketchbook, and pick out those sketches which I think work out the best for the piece I'm trying to draw. I then sketch things up again on my medium of choice, modify it to work with the character or to look right, shade everything in as best I can, etc.

Is this sufficient enough to be my own work, or am I plagiarizing from the photos I'm using as reference?

I don't think so, as long as they look different from the original picture. But, I don't know exactly. Ask if you can use stuff as a reference if you're taking the pictures from an art site or a blog. Also, it's pretty easy to find stock and reference photos on deviantArt.

I like using pictures from this gallery- http://senshistock.deviantart.com/

[Almighty Janitor]

snip.

What you're doing sounds like referencing and is acceptable. Plagiarizing would be if you directly copied/traced the outlines from the photos, maybe plastering on different hair/clothes and calling it your own work. Here's a few examples of what counts as copying:

Plagiarized | Original
Plagiarized | Original - The copier changed the colour, hair, and clothes, but it's still obviously traced.
Definitely copying despite the spat going on in the comments

Here are a couple posing reference resources:
http://www.posemaniacs.com/
http://www.quickposes.com/
www.scott-eaton.com/category/bodies-in-motion
http://nematodeinspace.com/gallery/bl.png
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBq7r...layer_embedded (Actually a tutorial)

And remember that you can always use real life as a reference! Get someone to make poses for you, or pose yourself in a mirror. Being in a room with a single strong light source and no white walls that will reflect light everywhere will give you nice shadows for shading reference too.

[Dizzyzebra.2]

Okay, so I'm going around the internet, getting references for the human body. I sketch them out, get a better idea of how the body the shaped, how these different forms take up space, how things work together in a pose, how clothes lay upon the body, etc. I make some structural drawings, some shade drawings, stuff like that. I have no formal training as an artist, and I've only gotten somewhat serious about this as a hobby about three months ago, so I think this is a reasonable since art begins with observing the reality around us.

I then look at my sketchbook, and pick out those sketches which I think work out the best for the piece I'm trying to draw. I then sketch things up again on my medium of choice, modify it to work with the character or to look right, shade everything in as best I can, etc.

Is this sufficient enough to be my own work, or am I plagiarizing from the photos I'm using as reference?

If you are planning on doing anything professional or commercial with them, definitely take your own photos. I mostly do that anyway just to be on the safe side where it is possible. n.n Another option is to try learning all the basics then having a go at forming poses yourself free hand; however since anatomy is complex, this takes a long time to perfect. Or you could try purchasing a small anatomy artist's doll. I have a wooden one, they are not as flexible as real people but they help for perspective and things.

Oh, and always go for photo references at first, try to avoid referencing other people's art if you are drawing people, even just for practice, because you'll just pick up their flaws. Even if you want to draw cartoons, start off realistic. You have to know the rules to break them. Unfortunately, this can be boring.

In terms of other people's photos, there are lots of pose references people have made deliberately to help other artists that they don't mind being used. So it depends what you pick.