Trying hard to achieve this look

[benjamino]

Hello

I am currently evaluating ArtRage. I have been doing pencil work on (real) paper for a long time and now I would like to try other media and use digital tools to paint my scanned works.

I have downloaded the evaluation version this morning and I have tried to create a background with the following look (excerpt from an Andy Kehoe painting.... check his work, which is awesome!) :



It seems like he used multiple layers of ??? using a rather dry brush, but I am not sure.

I have tried various ArtRage tools but have not succeeded in creating something even remotely resembling this (I am not trying to copy this work but rather achieve the same gritty and textured look).

Although I feel I am OK with pencil and ink, I am a real beginner for other kind of things such as oil, acrylic or watercolor... Do you think this kind of background can be done with ArtRage ? Are there any tips or techniques you can suggest to do it ?

Thank you very much for your help and pardon my english ! (I am french speaking)

Benjamin

[copespeak]

It looks entirely possible from afar, but a bigger version of it would be helpful.

[benjamino]

It looks entirely possible from afar, but a bigger version of it would be helpful.

Here is the biggest version of the whole painting I could find online :



Thanks in advance for your advice !

[Someonesane]

You could reach something like it; for example:



However, you're going to need to experiment with the full range of ArtRages features and forget the notion of sticking to a single tool. So don't worry about using only the Oil brush, because that's what a certain artist used in their traditional work. We aren't using a traditional medium, so the rules that apply to traditional media won't hold true for us (and vise versa). Our tool/media should be seen as the program, as a whole, not a single feature within it. It's up to us to experiment with the different options, in order to manipulate them to do what we want.

In the image above, I've combined a lot of ideas. I started by filling my base layer with my brightest yellow. On a new layer, set to use a rough canvas texture, I used the oil brush tool to start painting in the color variances, using the following settings:



This allows for the individual bristles of the brush to be more prominent in the stroke. I then used a personal Sticker Spray preset of my own, to add in some stronger rake marks. I followed that with another layer and, using the Pattern feature on the Fill tool, filled the layer with a cardboard texture I made and set the layers Blend Mode to "Overlay". This was to add a bit more "grit" to the overall texture. I then added one more layer, which I filled in (using the "Solid" Fill tool option) with pure white, set it to use a "Multiply" blend mode, and the used light wispy movements to add in the smeary looking areas (again, for the sake of texture).

Nothing can really replace using a true media, but if you fidget enough, you can usually find a way to mimic most of it.

[benjamino]

Thank you VERY much for taking the time to explain the process and make screenshots. Your texture is great!

I understand the steps that you describe and it makes perfect sense.

However, it saves me a lot of time not having to discover it on my own

I will now try to follow these steps and recreate your work !

Best,
Benjamin

[Fashmir]

@SomeoneSane- I have to just say right here that you have made yourself one of the most valuable members of this forum. You add so much.

[gxhpainter2]

@someonesane, I would echo David's comment, I have always found your youTube videos and other technical advice a real eye opener and very helpful ArtRage is capable of so much in the right hands but it takes some time to learn to get a certain effect without struggling and your help shortens that learning curve substantially ..

[Someonesane]

Thank you VERY much for taking the time to explain the process and make screenshots. Your texture is great!

I understand the steps that you describe and it makes perfect sense.

However, it saves me a lot of time not having to discover it on my own

I will now try to follow these steps and recreate your work !

No problem

I just realized that I forgot to mention that I used a range of darker colors for the "wispy" marks I made on the last "Multiply" layer. They're what adds the extra textures, because the darker colors don't appear transparent, like the white does. Using different layer textures there, can also help.

@ Fashmir and gxhpainter:

Thanks guys! It's always good to hear when I'm being helpful