After over 430 posts and closing in on three years blogging, I figured it was time for a "best of" recap. Even though I hate most of those year end lists, I thought it might be helpful to new and long time followers alike to be able to revisit a few of my most popular posts. So, in no particular order are the posts that readers have found most helpful and/or have garnered the most hits.
1- Painting With Texture in Photoshop. This post explains how I create hand made textures, scan and then use them to paint digitally. This previous post also deals with the same topic.
2- Wyeth Shape Design Analysis. Here I break down what makes an N.C. Wyeth illustration from his Treasure Island series so successful.
3- 50 Thumbnails. I explain the value, as Howard Pyle encouraged, of doing more (many more) exploratory thumbnail drawings than you think you might need.
4- Maintaining Tonal Zones. Here I describe how to keep the main masses of a painting distinct by isolating the values in their own zones.
5- Zorn Palette Exercise. Anders Zorn used a very limited palette to great effect. Here I describe how to try it yourself.
6- Master Illustrator Copy. I did a copy of a J.C. Leyendecker painting to explore what he did and why his work was so successful.
7- Eye Path Reverse Analysis. I break down one of my own pieces based on Andrew Loomis' compositional tips as detailed in Creative Illustration.
8- Sticking to the Thumbnail Sketch. I outline why sticking to your thumbnail sketch is so important to the creation of a successful illustration.
9- George Bellows Limited Palette. I describe why George Bellows' simple color palette is so powerful.
10- Salvador Dali Portrait Demo. A simple portrait demo utilizing unusual color choices.
11- Inventing Color From Black And White Reference. In this demo, I take a black and white photo and paint it in four very different color palettes in a side by side comparison.
12- Using Gold (Metal) Leaf. This is a fun demonstration of how to use metal leaf for interesting decorative effect.
If you missed any of these posts or simply want to have another look, please enjoy!
1- Painting With Texture in Photoshop. This post explains how I create hand made textures, scan and then use them to paint digitally. This previous post also deals with the same topic.
2- Wyeth Shape Design Analysis. Here I break down what makes an N.C. Wyeth illustration from his Treasure Island series so successful.
3- 50 Thumbnails. I explain the value, as Howard Pyle encouraged, of doing more (many more) exploratory thumbnail drawings than you think you might need.
4- Maintaining Tonal Zones. Here I describe how to keep the main masses of a painting distinct by isolating the values in their own zones.
5- Zorn Palette Exercise. Anders Zorn used a very limited palette to great effect. Here I describe how to try it yourself.
6- Master Illustrator Copy. I did a copy of a J.C. Leyendecker painting to explore what he did and why his work was so successful.
7- Eye Path Reverse Analysis. I break down one of my own pieces based on Andrew Loomis' compositional tips as detailed in Creative Illustration.
8- Sticking to the Thumbnail Sketch. I outline why sticking to your thumbnail sketch is so important to the creation of a successful illustration.
9- George Bellows Limited Palette. I describe why George Bellows' simple color palette is so powerful.
10- Salvador Dali Portrait Demo. A simple portrait demo utilizing unusual color choices.
11- Inventing Color From Black And White Reference. In this demo, I take a black and white photo and paint it in four very different color palettes in a side by side comparison.
12- Using Gold (Metal) Leaf. This is a fun demonstration of how to use metal leaf for interesting decorative effect.
If you missed any of these posts or simply want to have another look, please enjoy!
2 comments:
Thanks so much for this post--I'm going to take my time and go through them all and try to absorb some knowledge this snowy, snowy weekend!
Thanks Suzy- let me know if you have a favorite!
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