Paint soft and loose strokes

Shares his easy-to-follow approach for painting a rugged male character, giving him a stylised and painterly appearance

hroughout my process I always ask myself: “Is it interesting?” We should constantly be asking ourselves that question, at every stage of the artwork.

In my workshop I’ll talk about the design phase of my process and how to create interesting shapes and character. I’ll focus on the face and some general costume design, before starting to paint.

After the drawing is complete, I’ll talk a little about how I approach colour, and

Thow I try to keep things simple. After blocking out my base colours, I’ll tackle the lighting and rendering. I’ll be using a few different Photoshop layer modes, including Multiply and Color Dodge, to block in the lighting. Remember to keep looking at your piece and asking yourself, “Is it interesting?” If some part of it isn’t grabbing your attention, then try something else. If you’re not enjoying it, then it’s unlikely someone else will enjoy it.

To achieve my painterly style, I like to get the painting to a point where I can forget about layers and blend modes, and just paint with my Bristle brush and a Smudge brush.

I think about the light source, bounce light and ambient light while I detail and paint the whole piece. Don’t be afraid of brushstrokes or add messy colours in some areas. It’ll all add to the style of the piece and set your art apart. Okay, let’s see how I get on with my rugged warrior…