Tetsubo said:
orbitalfreak, what are you using for coloring? I really like the metal shading/highlighting.
Photoshop. Here's the process that I used for this picture, and one that I think I'll use from now on, since the results are pleasing to me (and others! woot
)
1) Image -> Adjustments -> Levels.... Mess around with the sliders at the bottom to get rid of most of the grid lines. Go in with a white color brush and paint over any lines that remain that I want to erase.
2) Make a bunch of new layers, labeled by part of the weapon. For this piece, I did:
a) Pommel
b) Handle
c) Studs (in the handle)
d) Crossguard
e-g) Three gems, each one separate
h) Sharp edge of the blade (light area)
i) Body of the blade (dark area)
3) Pick a layer, say "pommel," and a color (i use the Swatches in Photoshop, the continuous palette gives me trouble due to color-blindness), then paint a blob on that layer to cover the piece. This makes a layer with color on a certain area, without touching the background outline of the piece. In the Layers navigation pane, switch Opacity to 50% or so to see the outline behind the paint. Touch up with an eraser tool, using the now-visible lines for a guide (brush style eraser, not the pencil or block). Repeat with each piece you want to do.
Helpful hint: Doing things like the gems, where they overlap the Blade Body, it helps to turn off visibility of layers to make sure colors won't overlap later.
4) After coloring all the layers you want, make sure they are all at 100% opacity, and set their "Blend Style" to "Multiply" in the Layers pane. Then select all the colored layers, and merge them, so you end up with a full colored piece, and the outline as well (2 separate layers).
5) Grab the Dodge tool, set to highlights, set Exposure to around 3%-5%, and pick a brush; I prefer the ones with softer edges, it gives a more continuous and flowing look to the highlights. Pick a direction for the light to come from; I usually use top-left corner or so. Start playing around with the Dodge brush until you get the results you want. I suggest moving the brush in a full, filled-in circle pattern, lowering the radius of the circle each pass, to give a barely-there look at the edges of the highlight and a bright spot at the center of the highlight. Not very complicated, just swish the brush around till you get what looks right.
6) Look for areas that are in shadow. Bottom of the pommel, handle, and crossguard, and some curves here and there. Use the Burn tool, I usually keep it set to highlights, the other settings get too dark for me. Also, again use about 3%-5% exposure. Grab a brush and Burn in the shadowed areas till it looks right; just like the Dodge tool from step 5.
For this piece, I also used the Burn tool to shade in some fingers at the bottom of the handle, going up vertically, and a little bit up top where the palm and thumb would be. I pictured myself holding the weapon, and Burned a little where flesh met wood; this gives what I think looks like an oil-stained appearance collected from use. Inspired by the dark spot on my door where I grab it to close it all the time
.
7) After all the highlighting/shading is done, make sure the colored-and-highlighted layer is set to "Multiply," then do Layer -> Flatten Image, to give a single layer to the piece, and save.
Total time for the Knife was about 2½ hours, counting goofing off and experimenting with different tool settings.
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Colors:
Pommel and Crossguard -- Medium Warm Brown
Handle -- Light warm brown
Gems -- some random green, pure blue, pure red.
Blade back -- 40% grey
Blade edge -- 20% grey
I use a 19 pixel default brush for most of the work, switching to 9, 5, 3 for the smaller details. And lots and lots of Undo/Redo action.
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