While art is pure creation, pure self-expression, professional digital art needs both skill and an efficient/effective
method of workflow to get it done in a timely manner, and to assure the final product turns out professional in quality
and effective in appearance. To learn the best method of workflow, it's best to learn the methods with which professional
artists work. For that, I do suggest you go to
The Gnomon Workshop to pick yourself up one or more training DVD's featuring lectures by Real Professionals
working in the industry.
In the meantime, here is some quick information about the methods I've learned from them that have helped my art skills
and techniques. (A more detailed segment on training can be found on my
Training & Tutorials page.)
First, you need to come up with creative ideas fast. The best ways of doing this are to either draw, or print up, a bunch
of small rectangles on a piece of paper and start scribbling in quick images to get Thumbnails of ideas you can blow up
later, or to pull up Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro and start sketching various quick rough sketches of art ideas. Remember to
focus on Form and Composition
first, rather than on Detail.
Then, take one of those ideas and draw, or digitally paint, a larger, more detailed version of the image, focusing first on
basic shapes (form) and Composition, then on Lighting, and gradually more and more on Detail. Answer as many questions as
you can so you know what's expected of you when creating the Final Image later. If you worked on paper, once you've done
as much detail as you feel you need, you can scan it into the computer, pull it up in Photoshop, and begin digitally
painting over the image until you get a final digital sketch.
Whether you started on Paper or in Photoshop, once you have your final digitally painted Sketch, and you've answered all
the questions you can about lighting, color, texture, and design, it's time to start building the
Final Image.
You can either blend pieces of photographs together to finish the scene, or you can blend rendered images of 3D Models
with it, or you can build the whole thing in 3D and composite it later in Photoshop or an Effects Compositing Program... It's
up to you.
Then, make sure your Post Production is professional in appearance also. I usually frame my posters in a blur of the colors
contained within the image to give it a glass or metal feel that flows with the image. I don't typically use an
all-black or all-white frame, but I have seen some artwork framed with all-black that looked very professional. So, it really
is up to you. But watch to make sure your Title isn't too large and overbearing, or made in some kind of cartoonish or
goofy font, as this can give even well-done works of art a very unprofessional appearance.
So there you have it - a basic art method used by Professionals to help you be the best digital artist you can. Good luck
with Your Art and Thanks for Reading!
