Illustration guide: how to make brand style recognizable. Creating character illustrations in Adobe Illustrator

The same word "illustration" refers to images that are different in content and form, in meaning for the work and the reader, in the connection between the drawing and the text, in the technique of execution. scientific and educational(maps, plans, schemes, drawings, etc.) and artistic and figurative(interpretation of a literary work by means of book graphics). Illustrations may be an explanatory image to the text, complementing the text, and an image almost completely independent, sometimes even subordinating the text".

“Depending on the size and location in the book, there are the following types of illustrations:

- Frontispiece. An element of artistic design of the publication, which is an illustration placed on the left page in a spread with the title page.

- Screensaver. Screensaver illustrations are placed at the beginning of a part or chapter of a book on the slippage along with the text, signify the beginning of one of the parts of the story, are usually located at the top of the page and are separated from the text by a white margin. They help the reader to focus on new material, emotionally tune in to it. Screensavers may depict the scene described at the beginning of the chapter; talk about main topic parts or chapters; show a scene or landscape that should evoke the appropriate mood in the reader. Screensavers can also be subject-decorative or symbolic.

- Strip illustration (full page), half-page illustration (on half a page), spread illustration (on two pages). The choice of illustration format is determined depending on the importance of the illustrated event, image, etc. The content of such illustrations usually has a direct bearing on the text that precedes or follows them. For large centerfold or strip illustrations, important events of the work are chosen. Illustrations largely determine the architectonics of the book, so it is necessary to pay attention to their rhythmic alternation and uniform saturation of the entire text with them.

- Defense(small figure surrounded by text), marginal drawings - less significant events.

- Ending illustrations placed at the end of parts, chapters or the whole book. They, like screensavers, can be subject-thematic, ornamental-decorative or symbolic.

Intros and endings should be done in the same style, as they are interconnected and are often side by side on a book spread.

Technician there are a lot of illustrations. They can be used alone or combined with each other. Let's consider some of them.

- Painting materials(watercolor, gouache, acrylic);

- Graphic materials(charcoal, sanguine, sauce, retouching, Italian pencil);

- Collage(French collage - gluing, sticker) - a technique for creating a work of art, when various materials(fragments of newspapers, wallpaper, colored paper, finishing materials, fabrics, wire, wood, rope, metal) are attached to the base and perceived as a fragment of reality. Collage was introduced by P. Picasso and J. Bracom in 1912. K. Carra, J. Severini, H. Arp, A. V. Lentulov worked in this technique.

- Application - lat. applicatio - application). Pieces of any material (fabric, paper, fur, straw, etc.) are sewn on, glued onto fabric, paper, cardboard. Images or ornaments created in this way give the work a special relief and expressiveness. .

- Photomontage- a composition made up of photographs and their fragments, sometimes supplemented with graphic elements. Used in the 20th century. in printed graphics, poster. The name was coined by Berlin Dadaists to refer to works assembled from photographs. Photomontage was used by J. Heartfield (1891–1968), A.M. Rodchenko, L.M. Lissitzky.

- computer graphics:

"Bitmap is a data file or structure that is a grid of pixels or dots of colors (usually rectangular) on a computer monitor, paper, and other display devices and materials.

Vector graphics is the use of geometric primitives such as points, lines, splines, and polygons to represent images in computer graphics. The term is used in contrast to raster graphics, which represent images as a matrix of pixels (dots)."

3D graphics (3D, 3 Dimensions, Russian 3 dimensions) - a section of computer graphics, a set of techniques and tools (both software and hardware) designed to depict three-dimensional objects. It is most commonly used to create images on a screen plane or a sheet of printed matter in architectural visualization, cinematography, television, computer games, printed matter, as well as in science and industry.

The oldest way of illustrating is to use printed graphics. Linocut,woodcut,zincography, lithography, engraving on cardboard, engraving with a chisel on copper, etching, mezzotint, aquatint, drypoint.

Each instrument has its own sound and its own feel in the fingers. From the choice of tools largely affects the nature of the image. Often the theme of the illustration itself determines the technique and style of the image. “Style is pretty much the choice of instrument. In good typography, the trace of the calligraphic tool is always visible. It's not a problem if you're illustrating on paper, but in digital art, you have to make some effort to keep the genetic imprint of living drawing." For example, Jonathan Edwards - uses a vector, but his illustration lives on (Figure 25. Appendix 1). Drawing even with the use of raster, vector or three-dimensional graphics is necessary to "keep the life" of the image.

Absolutely all fine art techniques are available for illustration, according to tradition, graphic materials are used in illustration, but this is far from being the case.

In modern illustration, certain innovations and trends are constantly being formed, it can be black and white linart (the use of one black line when depicting, without shading, spots and fills), the inclusion of a bit of such strange neo-Gothic in the drawing, there may be small op-art effects, vigorous color expressism, street art.

But the question is, what trend should a modern illustrator support - one that is abundant in various publications or one that one likes?

And yet there are signs that vector, and in general digital graphics, is beginning to annoy the public as well.

There is a trend recently discovered Sergei Pervushin(Fig. 26. Appendix 1), a famous illustrator: a photo with drawn elements, a way to tell about the presence of the unknown. “The presence of photographic elements in the illustration (it seems to be rather the opposite, here photography occupies most of the area - but the drawn elements confidently scoop it up under themselves and turn it into an illustration) gives it so many graphic delights, so much reliability that, in general, it is strange that this the story has not yet merged into a normal illustration, but remains some kind of self-sufficient game. It is worth a little to go beyond the plane of the sheet, as much more interesting things begin. Illustrators work with collage, using traditional materials (paper, fabric, photographs), or such medium as

- plasticine(Fig. 27, Annex 1);

- papier mache;(French papier-mâché “chewed paper”) - an easily shaped mass obtained from a mixture of fibrous materials (paper, cardboard) with adhesives, starch, gypsum, etc. Papier-mâché is used to make dummies, masks, teaching aids, toys, theatrical props , jewelry boxes, etc. In some cases, even illustrations;

- book sculptures(Fig. 28. Appendix 1) - Books can not only be read, but, it turns out, you can create from them. Like Nicholas Jones.

- paper plastic(Fig. 29. Appendix 1) - in terms of creativity, it is very similar to sculpture. But, in paper plastic, all products are empty inside, all products are shells of the depicted object.

As a result of folding a sheet of paper, a system of stiffeners is created for any design. For more complex products, in addition to straight lines, curvilinear ones are used. Objects for the image in this technique can be illustrations.

Yes, anything, the main thing is that the material corresponds to the theme of the work. "Needlework- a great way to compensate for the lack of pure drawing skills - a way that is more effective and, most importantly, trendy than the imposed trends associated with the pure use of graphic editor technologies.

The type and technique of illustration should be a function of creative task. The choice of technique, as a bunch of proven moves, allows the artist to be confident in the quality of the illustration.

Conclusions on the second chapter

In the history of illustration, we are talking about its constant change, in accordance with the development of culture and art in general. About its synthesis with fine art, design and book graphics. The tendencies of illustration of the 20th century are also considered. influenced by the styles of the Modern era. And the main trends 21st century, refer more to the side of the illustration technique. The concept of illustration is revealed according to three signs, according to one sign it can be attributed to high art. What distinguishes it as a special genre of fine art. These are drawings, works of painting and sculpture, which were performed on literary themes, but at the same time had an independent artistic value. According to others, an illustration is a type of book graphics, which is a work intended for perception in a certain unity with the text, that is, located in a book and participating in its perception in the process of reading. According to the third illustration - explanation of the text by demonstrating visual image, active interpretation of the text. These are scientific and educational illustrations (maps, plans, diagrams, drawings, etc.), as well as illustrations that design utilitarian products (images on money, stamps, information materials, envelopes, packaging). Such an illustration can be attributed to applied graphics.………………………… The right choice of technique and type of illustration allows the artist to be confident in the quality and relevance of the illustration.

Are you ready for the risks in web design? Most likely, not each of you will give an affirmative answer. However, there is a risk that over time has become a kind of standard, a trend in modern web design. We call this “something” a risk only because it is important not only to fantasize about a theme and mix variations of elements, but also to imagine how appropriate this is for your website design project. It's about combining photos and illustrations in one design.

Photography is now used to give realism appearance project, the possibility of focusing the visitor's attention on the fact that we are talking about quite important and necessary things in the life of every person. An illustration or drawing is more often suitable for narrowly focused projects and is subconsciously associated in a person with action, "cartoonism" or even frivolity.

But web design is the art of innovation and professionalism graphic editors. Therefore, it is quite possible to combine two types of images. Today we're going to take a look at not only how webmasters use this kind of imagery, but also the ins and outs of creating them in Photoshop.

Custom accents

Incorporating illustrations into web design is almost easy if they are user interface elements. But they also don't have to be hand-drawn or just specific buttons/arrows. It can be high-quality plot vector graphics. In the examples below, you can see how the design came to life with the help of illustrations (www.wittycookie.com), and the hero-character represents the capabilities of the company.

Logo image illustration

If you love illustration as such and plan to focus on it in the web design of the project, then good option will use an illustrated logo image. Madebyfew.com's first project represents this perfectly. Moreover, drawings were everywhere used as separate design elements in the form of circles, serpentine ribbons, smiles, miniatures for materials. Since the site is dedicated to the conference and displays its participants, such a picture can be used instead of a mass photograph of participants.

Another example, onehappycampernj.org, is a little more modest, as it uses a texture with plant elements as an illustration. The peculiarity is that the image was created for only one section on the main page. This allows you to focus on the information, enliven the site and emphasize the peculiarity of the information. In one of the previous articles, we already talked about huge collections of textures. Then you only need to change the color in Photoshop, transparency.

Belgian construction company konosair.be also decided to create an illustration above the photo. At the same time, hand-drawn pictures are no longer used in the design of the site. However, even on home page this combination looks very interesting.

Typography illustration

There is a way to add captions on top of a photo. But imagine hand-drawn typography and even animated typography (archrival.com). Such a "chip" can be used over an existing video or image.

Steptoandson.co.uk/about/ looks more modest, where typography and type pairs were used not as an illustration, but as a text layer. However, a well-chosen style gives the impression that it was painted and written on top of the photograph by hand, calligraphy or stencil.

Tell a story

The mamyfactory.com/fr/ project is interesting in that the drawings are used literally everywhere, but they are combined with photographs. Creating such a design is more difficult. Firstly, you will need a real photograph of the hands busy knitting, and secondly, you will have to carefully select the threads and knitting with a magnetic lasso in Photoshop, and then translate it all into a drawn look. It may already require plugins, the ability to draw, or simple knowledge of how to convert a photo into a drawing.

The web design of the discoveryphototours.com/photo-tours/ project can also be called a beautiful combination of illustration and photography. Here, photos are framed in page breaks, and prints, headings are created in the form of strokes and illustrated typography.

Gili-lankanfushi.com looks similar, in the design of which illustrated icons and inscriptions are located on top of the photo of the Maldives, leaflets, in the sidebar and footer, all the more enhance the effect of drawing with their appearance.

Rules for the use of illustrations

The use of illustrations and photographs in one project is an occasion to develop imagination, add intrigue to the project, and give the design a little refinement. But at the same time, some rules must be observed. Yes, yes, alas, but even for a combination of photos and pictures, they also exist.

• The style of the illustrations should match the overall design. This means that icons, pictograms, as well as text should also be in a common style.
• It is better to use illustrations for icons and buttons, additional small pictures, but for visual emphasis and interaction with users - only photos.
• Create a template with illustrations to get started and then accentuate it by adding photos and videos.
• Not just pictures, but animated elements look great near photos. For example, tmfp.co.uk; they are barely noticeable near the photos and do not distract the user from studying the information at all.
• In the form of drawings, it is appropriate to create a label or company logo and place them next to or on top of photographs.
• Illustrations help the visitor navigate the site, tell him a story and guide the user through the pages of the project.

Creating illustrations inphotoshop

Even though the “risk” we talked about at the beginning turned out to be not so terrible, the question arises of how the easiest way to create an illustration. On the one hand, you can use clipart (clipart), of which there are many on the Internet with a free license. But on the other hand, you can create a drawing yourself.

The important thing is that the quality of the final material can be improved for a long time, lightened, darkened, played with contrast, color. And yes, there are a lot of illustration styles, freehand drawing.

But we will bring small example how you can create an illustration in general and how to use it further. Remember that then it can be converted into a vector or made vexel, you can remove unnecessary details with an eraser and leave only the contours. For example, you need a drawing of a handbag or shoes, but there is no suitable clip art or drawing style. Translate into Photoshop and then remove all unnecessary, make it more saturated contour lines and .. voila, the drawing is ready.

For example, take a kitten.

Open Photoshop, copy the photo to a new layer, create a copy of the layer. So that there is a background and two layers with a photo.

Select the last layer (top) and Blur it according to Gauss. The parameter is selected "by eye", because all photographs are different in detail and color. But after a couple of attempts at different levels blur, you will see exactly what you need.

After that apply layer properties - Divide. You will already receive a blank for a pencil drawing.

Now it's up to the little things. Copy content to new layer (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E) and Desaturate (Image-Correction-Desaturate).

Create now a copy of this layer and select the option Linear dimmer.

That's all. Now especially black areas can be Lightened from the toolbar. You can create even more layers, achieving transparency. You can tint gray areas with a brush to avoid stains. But it all depends on the specific material and your imagination.

What to do now, it would seem, with an incomprehensible illustration? It can be inserted into a template. We chose with kittens, where there is a section with sections and inserted our kitten into one of them. Added more layers and made it clearer. If next to use other drawings of kittens in different poses, to give a slightly different style, to make the kittens more contoured, then the personification of the theme of our material will turn out. The source was taken from here: templatemonster.com/ru/demo/47111.html.

As for the text under the paw, it can be moved apart in this place, and the background of the kitten can be decorated with a page break. Additionally, adjust the edge, correct the spots around with the eraser, apply sharpening, or even send it to Illustrator for tracing and vectorization. It is more convenient to translate architecture and faces into a drawing.

Completion

It is quite possible to use illustrations in combination with photographs within the design of one site. It even looks amazing, but it is difficult to create if exactly the drawings that are required are not available and you have to create them yourself in graphic editors. This is more difficult to do if you are not very good at drawing by nature and life. However, creating an illustration is possible, you just need to understand what style you need. If it’s analogous to mamyfactory.com/fr/, then you can draw the store building yourself, but translate the dog from the photo, highlight the contours, and delete everything that will appear inside (dots, artifacts, pixels) with an eraser.

Web design is a creative profession and requires not only time, but also imagination, love for art and search for inspiration. And knowledge too.

The post contains a selection of tutorials on creating vector graphics. In my opinion, most of the materials will seem interesting for beginners who are just beginning to comprehend vector art. But I think that specialists will also be able to find useful lessons for themselves.

Tutorials are free, but almost everything is on English language. For convenience, they are divided into three categories: getting started, creating faces, character design, landscape and environment, and special effects.

So let's go:

This tutorial explains how to create vector illustrations using Adobe Illustrator. An explanation of key parameters and tools is provided, supplemented by expert advice.

In this comprehensive tutorial, you'll learn the basic terms, workflows, and techniques to get you started with vector graphics.

The pen tool is one of the main tools in the program's arsenal, it is especially important for the initial mastery of vector graphics. it detailed guide aims to introduce you to the features and methods of working with an indispensable tool from Adobe. And also with the most rational ways to use it.

This video tutorial is a really valuable resource that explains how to create vector graphics in Illustrator and what role drawing plays in the process.

From using Bezier curve points to stroking, filling and making vector graphics more natural look- these are just some of the secrets of Illustrator from the lesson, which will significantly replenish the beginner's arsenal.

Learn how to create simple organic shapes in Illustrator with this easy-to-follow tutorial from Veerle Pieters, graphic and web designer.

7. Adding Texture to Vector Illustrations

Adding texture is a great way to make your vector graphics more expressive and give them perspective. This is very available video Illustrator expert Alexandra Cecilio demonstrates how to do it.

This tutorial by Andrey Marius will help you create a vector line chart. Step by step: from a simple grid to guide lines, using only the Appearance panel (one of the most powerful tools in Adobe Illustrator), adding some simple text and subtle shading.

Creation of faces

This is very helpful video a tutorial that shows the process of creating a vector eye, as well as darkening the skin.

This is an in-depth video course that will help you master the art of creating vector portraits from photographs.

Another great tutorial on vector graphics. Ruslan Khasanov shows how to manipulate the work of vector lines and gradients to make the work more dynamic.

With the resurgence of the geometric trend, it's fair to say that WPAP can be represented in more different design aspects. This tutorial will show you how to create your own WPAP in Illustrator using the WPAP wizard.

Drawing hair in vector can be tricky. This tutorial shows step by step how to turn photo hair into vector hair.

In this tutorial, you will create an illustrated self-portrait in a geometric style. Your own photograph will be used as the basis for the illustration. She will help you sketch and then complete the rest of the work.

Illustrator and designer Yulia Sokolova shows how to create a set of portraits that are perfect for social media or, for example, to signify various categories and professions on your site.

Jonathan Ball, Founder of Poked Studio, explains how to use Illustrator to geometric figures transform into unique, colorful characters.

In this tutorial, you will create a very simple stencil in an easy and fun way that can be used on various surfaces(including t-shirts, walls, canvases). L. Carroll's fairy tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" inspired the author to create a vector image and write a tutorial.

With this tutorial, Mary Winkler is going to show you how to draw a chibi character from scratch using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M), Pen Tool (P), transparent gradients, and many other Illustrator tools.

This guide walks you through the process of creating a simple anime character from start to finish.

Learn how to create cute bunnies in this vector graphics tutorial. Training uses simple shapes and gradients that are easily applied to illustrations of other characters.

This tutorial introduces so many basic shapes to achieve a really slick illustration style. And then "revives" the yeti with a palette of cold colors.

Here you can see how video game characters are created. You will have the opportunity to review the work from the first sketch to the very end.

If you are an avid football fan, then this tutorial will come in handy. In the tutorial, Sergey Kandakov creates a vibrant illustration with a retro effect.

Landscape and environment

This tutorial from vector artist Andrei Marius shows you how to create a simple card design in Illustrator.

This tutorial shows how to create a spectacular landscape in llustrator environment. Basic knowledge about the tools of the program will be enough to complete the task.

A very simple and consistent tutorial from Diana Toma that shows how to draw beautiful flowers using gradient meshes.

In that step by step guide You will learn how to create electric text in vector.

Tom Mac shows you how to create a drip-effect portrait in Illustrator using the Pen tool and some additional techniques.

In this tutorial, we will make a simple and beautiful oriental pattern in Adobe Illustrator, which will consist of various objects of Asian culture.

Over the years, vintage illustrations and retro styling have become popular again in design. In this tutorial, developer Ben Steers shares his techniques to help you convert vector art into retro style.

With Illustrator, you can create flawless vector graphics. But sometimes illustrations are required that resemble artistic sketches made on hastily. The lesson shows how to draw a vector drawing in this style.

By following this tutorial you will be able to create a sparkle effect in Adobe Illustrator. The illustration is based on three effects: note paper, stained glass and torn edges. With the help of quick tracing, they turn into a shiny vector texture.

Halftone is a way to reproduce a monochrome image. It is based on the specifics of the perception of the picture by the human eye for which the image area filled with large dots is associated with darker tones. Conversely, an area filled with smaller dots is perceived as lighter. Artist Chris McVeigh shows you how to create a vector halftone.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a graphic Batman logo using simple shapes in Adobe Illustrator. Are used simple tools, like the Ellipse Tool (L) and the Shape Builder Tool (Shift + M).

36. Convert bitmap to vector

This Inkscape tutorial demonstrates how to convert a bitmap image to a vector image using the Trace Bitmap function.

Slider is a popular web design element. This tutorial shows how to create a slider in vector.

Ciara Phelan will show you how you can create an amazing collage by combining vector images and photos.

This tutorial from a design studio shows you how easy it is to draw and trace a photo. The example uses a simple gradient fill to create a realistic illustration.

This tutorial shows you how to create a cross stitch effect in Adobe Illustrator. For this, the Appearance panel and samples will be used.

For many artists, creating an illustration starts with a pencil and paper. In this tutorial, Andreas Preis will show you how to create a beautiful mix illustration. To begin with, he will create an illustration as a sketch on paper, and then add color and effects in Photoshop.

Final image:

Before you start, watch the video on how the sketch was created:

Step 1

It all starts with a white sheet of paper. You can draw an illustration that the author used, or you can draw your own.

Step 2

First of all, sketch the illustration with a pencil.

Step 3

Now draw the outlines:

Step 4

This is the final step: start drawing with ink. If the illustration has a lot of detail, it may take some time to draw.

Step 5

After several hours of drawing, the illustration looks like this:

Step 6

Scan the sketch in grayscale, set the resolution between 600-800 pixels. However, please note that the larger the file, the slower the computer will run. After scanning, open the illustration in Photoshop.

Step 7

It is necessary to increase the contrast of the image using the command Curves(Image - Correction - Curves) (Curves) (Ctrl + M). You need to add as many whites and blacks as possible to the image:

Step 8

Now we need to fix some inaccuracies in the illustration (for example, remove extra lines). Invert the image (Ctrl + I) - then it will be easier to see those inaccuracies that need to be corrected.

Using Tools clarifier and Dimmer(Burn/Dodge Tool) (O). Remove all inaccuracies and then invert the image again.

Step 9

Now we need to separate the image from white background. To do this, select the image (Ctrl + A) and copy (Ctrl + C), then add mask. Click on the mask while holding down the ALT key. Now, you can paste the illustration on the mask (Ctrl + V).

Step 10

Invert the layer mask ( Ctrl+I).

Go from the mask to the layer by clicking on its thumbnail and fill the canvas with black.

Apply the mask: first press the keys Ctrl + G , and then Ctrl + E (this method will allow you to first place the image layer in a group, and then merge the group).

Step 13

If necessary, you can adjust the aspect ratio of the image. For this, use plastic filter(Filter - Plastic) (Filter > Liquify). Here you can change some lines and curves.

Step 14

Now add a white background layer.

Step 15

Select the image with the tool Magic wand(Wand Tool) (W) and invert the selection (Ctrl + Shift + I). Compress the selection by 5 pixels (Selection – Modify – Compress) (Selection> Modify> Contract). Create a new layer (Shift + Ctrl + N) under the illustration layer and fill it with dark color- this will be the color of the hair.

Step 16

Above the hair layer, create a new layer - this will be the layer for the face. To paint the face, use White color and the Brush tool ( brush tool)(B).

Step 17

For each individual detail that you are going to paint, create a separate layer. Now under the face layer create a new layer for the scarf.

Step 18

Finally, create a new layer called "Pearls" and paint pearls in the hair.

Step 19

Now we need to lock the opacity for each layer that has been colorized. This will help you not to go beyond the edges of each of the layers when you darken them.

Step 20

Now you need to color your hair in different shades. This can be done with the Brush Tool ( Brush Tool) (B).

Step 21

To create light and shadow, we will use different brushes. Download the dark spot image from the resources of the lesson - we will make a brush out of it.

Step 22

At this stage, you need to increase the contrast of the image again. To do this, create a brush and dark spot images ( Editing - Define brush /Edit > Define Brush Preset).

In the window that opens, specify the name of the brush:

Step 23

Open palette brushes(F5) and select the brush you just created:

Go to the tab Form dynamics(Shape Dynamics) and experiment with the settings of the items Size fluctuation (Size Jitter) and Angle fluctuation (Angle Jitter).

Step 24

Using this brush, start adding light and shadow to each layer. Start with hair.

Step 25

you can use additional colors, for example those that I used when coloring a scarf.

Step 26

Color pearls different shades yellow and brown:

Step 27

Face work is the most hard part. You need to figure out where to add shadows and highlights. Refer to the screenshot:

Step 28

Create a new layer called "Makeup", paint makeup on it and change the blending mode to Multiplication(Multiply).

Step 29

Let's move on to creating the background. To create it, you can use paints of any type: acrylic, aerosols, also brushes. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Step 30

The background can be anything, including paint and scratches.

Step 31

For this particular part, you will need colored spots, drops, etc.

These are photos of two parts of the background (for example):

Step 32

Scan the created background (make sure the paint on it is dry). It is advisable to use quite high resolution(about 900 pixels).

Step 33

Transfer the scanned background to the main image. You can remove the white background layer and put all the illustration related layers in a separate group. To change the background color, add (Hue/Saturation) to it.

Step 34

You can use any color you like as a background. I chose turquoise.

Step 35

Add a second background and rotate it (Ctrl + T).

Step 36

Create a new layer (Shift + Ctrl + N) under the second background layer, fill it with black and merge this background layer with the layer filled with black (Ctrl + E).

Step 37

Add a mask to the merged layer and load the selection (Ctrl + A). Hold down the ALT key and click on the mask thumbnail. Press Ctrl + V to paste everything. The colored background now works as a mask.

Step 38

Move from the mask to the layer, and now move to the mask again without pressing the Alt key. This way you can see what's happening on the canvas, but you can still work on the mask as well. Now apply the command Curves(Curves) (Ctrl + M).

Step 39

The bright areas on the second background will now become visible:

Step 40

Create a new layer above all layers and on it add a shadow for the shoulders.

Step 41

Now add more color spots. This will give the illustration a "street art" feel. Draw each drop on a separate layer.

Step 42

Lower the opacity of each blob layer to around 33%.

Step 43

Select with the Shift key pressed all layers with drops and place them in a group (Ctrl + G). Add a mask to the group with drops and use various brushes to remove some parts of the drops on it to give them a more interesting look.

Step 44

Now I'm going to use the texture of old paper - you can find it on the Internet, or you can scan it.

Step 45

Transfer the image of the old paper to our document and place it above all layers and groups. Add to her Hue/Saturation adjustment layer(Layer – Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation) (Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Hue / Saturation) and reduce the brightness of the texture.

Step 46

To blend the texture of the old paper with the background that was painted with paints, change the blending mode of the old paper texture to Multiplication(Multiply). Add a mask to the old paper texture layer and delete the old paper texture in some places of the image (for example, from the face).

Step 47

Now you can use the same trick that was used to create the colored drops. Add a mask to the "Woman" group (it contains all the layers related to the illustration). Now erase some small parts from image different brushes to give texture.

Translation: Slutskaya Svetlana

Hello! My name is Hatice Bayramoglu, I am a 3D artist and illustrator from Turkey. In this tutorial I'll show you how to draw and color a character - an illustration for a children's book. As the lesson progresses, I will explain my choice of certain tools and my thoughts on the illustration. My tutorial shows how I create an illustration from an initial sketch to a full-fledged drawing. I guess after reading this lesson you will find something useful for yourself. I will be using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet to create the artwork.

This drawing will be entirely created in Photoshop CS2.

Step 1: Sketch
Start by creating a new document in Photoshop. Its dimensions should be around 800x778 pixels. I started by creating quick sketch, reflecting my main idea. Here is a sketch of the main environment around the main character.

So, as you can see, this sketch shows the main character - a little girl standing next to an apple tree with an apple in her hands. She smiles because she is happy, and perhaps a little sad.

Step 2: Adjusting the Brushes in Photoshop
Here is the one and only brush I use to color my character. For painting, I will use standard brushes.

Before you start painting, you need to set up the brush. Start by choosing a tool Brush(Brush), then use the standard brush, which is presented below.

(click on image to enlarge)

Step 3: Color Palette
You must decide on the colors you will use before you start painting. Here are my colors used in the work:

Step 4: Layers (layers)
Create New layer(New Layer) and name it Sketch (Sketch). You can create this sketch in Photoshop or on paper. Once you've created your sketch layer, edit it Blend Mode(Blending Mode) to Multiplication(Multiply) and always keep it on top of all layers so you can see what you are painting over.
Now look at my layers palette. Here are separate layers for each sketch object. Coloring each detail on a new layer makes it easy to make adjustments as you draw. It's much easier to correct mistakes if the main elements of your illustration are on separate layers. This step is really important!

Step 5: Work on the background color
Here let me show you how I paint the background. Choosing a tool fill(Paint Bucket) (G). After you fill the background, it should look like this. Make sure the layers are arranged as shown in the image below.

Step 6: Coloring the Basic Shapes
Before I start coloring, let me show you the order of the layers again. I changed it because the sketch layer should be above all layers and also set to Multiplication(Multiply). On the this stage we can start coloring the sketch and we can define the main shapes. Using the tool Brush(Brush) (B), start painting the main character and the tree on separate layers. Make sure that Rigidity(Hardness) of the brush is set to 100%. A brush with soft edges can result in a slightly blurry result.

And in this step, I would like to change the size of my file, because I want to add finer details. So I open Image(image)- Image size(Image Size) and increase the file size to 1500x1495.

Step 7: Adding Details
Now I can start adding details. In this step, I started by painting the face. main character. Make sure you are working on the correct layer before painting.

And here I made a copy of the tree layer and added some details to it. I also hid the first tree layer.

Here's a screenshot for details. I started adding even more details to my drawing, such as grass and little flowers. At this stage, I created a layer called Flowers (Flowers).

I add even more colors and fine detailed lines to the wood.

Now look at the details I just created. I continue to add details and, if necessary, create new layers.

Step 8: Special attention to the main character
Now, since I'm happy with the detailing of the scenery and wood, I'll add details to the girl's clothes. At this stage, I noticed that my character looks very simple and not very attractive, so I thought I should take the time to make some changes. I tried to give a slightly different look to the heroine and continued to add more details. Pay attention to the order of the layers again. As you can see, in this step I have a few more new layers. All layers have their own names.

Now I start adding small details to the heroine by adding more yellows and greens. By the way, do not forget that in this step you do not have to detail everything. At this stage, I work on the main details and lighting until I get a nice contrast. Sometimes I change some colors. I have almost finished painting her clothes and body. I also moved the sketch layer to one side a little so that you can see what the heroine looks like without a base with a sketch.

Step 9: Adding Highlights and Contrast
I used the tool clarifier(Dodge) (O) to lighten areas. This is what the work looks like after all the adjustments made by the tools clarifier(Dodge) (O) and Dimmer(Burn). I continue to add even more details on the tree using brushes of various sizes and colors. Once enough details were added, I began to smooth them out using a soft-edged brush. I also use tools clarifier(Dodge) (O) and Dimmer(Burn) to give shadows to the branches.

I also add a few strokes with the tool Finger(Smudge). I use it because I want to add soft blurry areas to the clouds and background. At this stage, I noticed that my clouds are not very detailed. So I created a new layer to paint the details to the cloud using two tools: Finger(Smudge) and Brush(Brush).

Step 10: Adding More Details
At this stage, I noticed that I need to add more flowers to my drawing. So I create a new layer and, as you can see, draw some nice and simple flowers. I keep adding more details. I add some strokes with the tool clarifier(Dodge) (O) I'm doing this because I want to add some lightly lit patches of grass.

Now that I've completed the grass and background, I can start adding more detail to the girl's hair and face. Select brush mode Lightening Basics(Color Dodge) and add some strokes to her face.

Now pay attention to the details that I added using only the brush in mode Lightening Basics(Color Dodge).

Step 11: Color Correction
The work on the drawing is almost finished except for the color correction. To start Drain(Merge) all layers. Now in Image(image)- Corrections(Adjustments)- Brightness/Contrast(Brightness/Contrast) Change the color a bit. I want to give the illustration a more sunny effect.

Set the options I have set. This is what the illustration looks like - more sunny and joyful.

Finished illustration
And here is the finished illustration, I hope you found this lesson interesting. Thanks for reading.