Photoshop Skills

I have used Photoshop before, but I consider my current skills as very basic!

When studying the Foundation at LCA, we were introduced to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator but after that initial session I only ever returned to it to print contact sheets of photographs or to resize images.

I've seen so many illustrators make beautiful artwork through digital media and I've wanted to join in on this movement, but really haven't known where to begin.

My own work is very tactile and celebrates the idea of hand-made images. I admit that I have been a little skeptical of the digital world.

I brought my favourite sketches from the observational drawings sessions to be scanned into Photoshop. I hoped that today's session would refresh my basic knowledge of Photoshop and teach me some useful shortcuts. I would love to learn how to use a wacom tablet and use Photoshop to enhance/colour my illustrations, but I know that this may take some time!

Scanning:

 Cleaning up and fixing levels.

Making black lines darker and whites whiter! Removing traces of paper grain and any accidental ink marks. I did already know about the Levels tool, but I'd not realised quite how important and useful it can be! I will definitely remember this tool and use it again.

Although this session was really just about the process of scanning and cleaning up images, I wanted to use the time I had in this session to move forward and push myself. I understand that next week we will be learning about the application of colour, but I wanted to just have a go myself and test what I do know already.

I spoke to my peers around me, seeing how they were using custom brushes. I'd never come across custom brushes until now and I decided to experiment! Using feathered brushes to apply textures to my parrot.

Scan #2

I had time left over and began work on a second scanned image. An ink drawing of a bamboo plant. 

The above image is the result of using the 'Posterize' tool on photoshop to enhance the deep black marks.

Changing the colour of the black lines. It's amazing how quickly variations can be produced digitally! Photoshop makes the process so much quicker and easier.

A different way of applying colour, I removed areas of the leaves and placed a photograph of a leaf behind that layer so that slight sections of that photo could be seen through the original drawing.

I really liked this way of applying colour and texture. It works especially well with this drawing because it has defined sections, almost a 'paint by numbers' guide to digitally colour.

I've always been attracted to the art of pattern and repeated shapes. I thought that this drawing could create a really lovely jungle pattern if I repeated the shape.

Photoshop makes this easy and quickly changed if any amendment is necessary.