How to build a digital painting from the ground up using Photoshop and Blender

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This illustration is a personal piece representing a queen out on a walk with her two beloved pets. I started this illustration in Blender to experiment with architecture and mood before exporting it to Photoshop to draw the different characters.

I then started rendering, starting with the queen and creatures and working my way from the front to the background while going back into Blender to detail the architecture. A complex scene can be intimidating! In my experience, taking it slow and building a strong base is more than half of the work.

Although I used Photoshop and Blender, you might be able to find a comparable workflow that works for you by combining the best digital art software and 3D modelling software . You might also want one of the best drawing tablets .

01. Build strong foundations

Define the global values, colours, and composition first. The goal here is to keep things simple and focus on legibility, so pay attention to the shapes and silhouettes the characters make in the scene.

Remember to keep the figures in separate grouped layers to easily move and scale them if needed.

02. Start detailing

Start detailing your focal point with the range of values and colours you established, but keep a slightly bigger range for the main characters compared to the others.

The focal point should also have the highest amount of detail, but remember to periodically zoom out to make sure you're not losing legibility.

03. Complete the scene

Continue rendering the characters and blend the hard edges that take away from the focus. For the background, simplify your rendering style to avoid overcrowding with details.

Don't hesitate to change things if you feel like it improves your illustration.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

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