Workshop - Shiny or Wet Leaf

[Vyoma]

How about we do some group study/workshop? (Similar to the beta forum where we did workshops).

Topic: Digital Painting of a Shiny or Wet Leaf

This would be quite a challenge, because it would involve careful study of the color of the leaf, the color of the wax or the water, the way the light would reflect from them, and learning how best to approach it as a digital painting.

I have no images to show for now - because I never tried it. But I think it will be quite a challenging subject to paint that would improve our skills.

Workshop Threads By Members:

Here are links to the WIP threads by the members who participated in the workshop.

Elfdaughter (http://cgpainting.com/showthread.php?t=286)
Vyoma (http://cgpainting.com/showthread.php?t=276)

I will keep adding to the first post, as more members participate and create threads.

[lv8pv]

Intresting, dont know if i will be submiting something because it sounds like way to hard for me, but im surly looking forward to see how it turns out, and who knows mayhaps i do partisipate =)

[lv8pv]

If found a few really nice referance photos, perhaps i do will give this a go.

[Steve]

In terms of making a wet leaf *shine*, it depends on the color variability. Naturally a leaf is green, but you'd need to use an assortment of lighter greens and whites to add that certain *shine*.

[lv8pv]

I have started to work on this. Its going to be interesting to see what you people come up with, im sure im gonna learn lots from this thread as it evolves.

[Vyoma]

In terms of making a wet leaf *shine*, it depends on the color variability. Naturally a leaf is green, but you'd need to use an assortment of lighter greens and whites to add that certain *shine*.
I hope we can see some of your study sketches/paints on this Steve. :) I know you deal usually with landscapes, but would you give this a try? There would be a lot to learn from your understanding of color and light.

I have started to work on this. Its going to be interesting to see what you people come up with, im sure im gonna learn lots from this thread as it evolves.
Hey lv8pv, are those images available through a link or something?

[lv8pv]

Sure Vyoma

This are the referance phothos i found on the web

PS: Know that they are picked from the web with out asking so dload them to your PC so we can remove the image from the web. Dont like to thife work from other people and put them online with out asking first.

http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf001.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf002.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf003.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf004.jpg (this are the one im using for referance on my work.

This is the curent progress of my atempt

First sketch.
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wetleaf01.png

Second sketch cleaning up the lines and fixing proportion and scale
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wetleaf02.png

Iv just started but at least its something on the canvas.

[Vyoma]

Sure Vyoma

This are the referance phothos i found on the web

PS: Know that they are picked from the web with out asking so dload them to your PC so we can remove the image from the web. Dont like to thife work from other people and put them online with out asking first.

http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf001.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf002.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf003.jpg
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wet_leaf004.jpg (this are the one im using for referance on my work.
...
Yes indeed - we should always credit the sources. Best way to do it is, to post the URL to where it can be found. :)

...

This is the curent progress of my atempt

First sketch.
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wetleaf01.png

Second sketch cleaning up the lines and fixing proportion and scale
http://grimwood.wizardz.dk/~lv8pv/wetleaf02.png

Iv just started but at least its something on the canvas.

That shape seems quite good to show the layer of a liquid over the leaf and show the reflection of light from top. :)

Here are some more reference photos I found at Flickr.

http://flickr.com/photos/thereeds/1041070728/
http://flickr.com/photos/craigjewell/2144076170/
http://flickr.com/photos/craigjewell/2144147104/
http://flickr.com/photos/spider69ca/440075226/
http://flickr.com/photos/mjm/55812766/
http://flickr.com/photos/ozguy89/423938426/
http://flickr.com/photos/jackhynes/490438322/

[lv8pv]

I really liked this two.
http://flickr.com/photos/thereeds/1041070728/
and
http://flickr.com/photos/jackhynes/490438322/

The first one because it had so nice colors and nice water drops, but it looked really hard to render. The second i loved because its diferent contrasts and depth with the texture in the leaf and stem.

Which one are you using as referance, or are you dooing your own peace from the depth of your mind ?

[lv8pv]

Do you draw all your lines or are you using the path tool and edit -> stroke at all ?

Im having such a hard time drawing lines and shapes with the mouse (cant wait until i get a tablet for this) Im afraid im gonna have to admit im "cheating" aloth with my lines using the path tool and stroke. Then i go over the lines with the brush and eraser to remove the "perfectnes" of the lines.

[Vyoma]

...
Which one are you using as referance, or are you dooing your own peace from the depth of your mind ?
Not yet decided. :) Probably the first one. Or even this one - http://flickr.com/photos/mjm/55812766/

Do you draw all your lines or are you using the path tool and edit -> stroke at all ?

Im having such a hard time drawing lines and shapes with the mouse (cant wait until i get a tablet for this) Im afraid im gonna have to admit im "cheating" aloth with my lines using the path tool and stroke. Then i go over the lines with the brush and eraser to remove the "perfectnes" of the lines.Not exactly cheating since you are drawing the path yourself. :)

I used to use that when I was using GIMP with mouse. After I got my tablet, it is all free hand. I rarely use the line tools, except when I need to draw reference lines or perspective lines in a separate layer (that I switch of at some point).

[Steve]

I never tried actually using paths for any of this, but I know people who create masks and paint inside the masks.

Well, with the spare time I found, I gave a 5 minute shot at it and figured it'd take more time. Nothing yet.

[Vyoma]

Ok guys - since we have three participants - let us make separate threads for each of our study/workshop threads. Suggested title - "Shiny or Wet Leaf - WIP".

[lv8pv]

Alright will make my own thread for it. I had some really bad luck last night. I had installed that google picasa and after that my Gimp started to crash all over. I lost around 2h work on my WIP and basicly gave up last night. So im back to my sketch and will have to redo the lost work to day.

[Vyoma]

Ouch!
That is a bummer.

[Elfdaughter]

I'll join in with this one. Let me find my tablet and pen and I'll get right on it!

[Vyoma]

Yay! Jump in and just start a new thread. :)

Edit: Seems like you have already started. :)

[Elfdaughter]

Hehe - yip, and finished! ;) Took me about an hour and a half in total.

[Vyoma]

A small update to the first post with links to the WIP threads by members. I will keep adding to the first post, as more members participate.