DaniDraws.com

Here is an explanation of the methods I used for my “watercolor” painting.Also see:

Dani’s Videos#5: Watercolor Pumpkins - The video of this painting

Create a Watercolor Painting in Photoshop - Full explanation behind the various techniques used in this painting

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I made this video to go along with my digital watercolor painting tutorial I posted earlier. After you read the tutorial, see how I utilized the various tricks in my own painting here.

Look for the video notes on DaniDraws.com.

Video: Watercolor Pumpkins (Quicktime, 1:27, 2.61 MB)

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to recreate the look and feel of a watercolor painting on the computer. Some topics include:

• How to create a textured “paper”
• Which textures work best
• What settings to use for your brushes
• Specific brushes to use

Every tool I use is included within Photoshop CS itself. With these few simple tips, you can start creating your own natural looking watercolor paintings with all the advantages that the digital world has to offer.

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My illustration demos are now available as a video podcast in iTunes! All of the videos that I post to this blog will be available there. Subscribe now to have them download automatically to your computer as they become available. Check it out at this link:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=210017517

As many of you might know, Adobe recently came out with a new public beta version of Adobe Photoshop (If you haven’t, check it out here). Be sure to download a copy for yourself and give it a test run.

My CS3 Woes
I was so excited to hear about CS3 that I immediately went to get a copy. I installed it, launched it, and opened up one of my unfinished illustrations. I was ready to get to work and start playing with my new toy. But then I quickly realized some problems: all of the brushes, textures, and other tool presets that I spent hours getting just right were not available; all of the preferences that I had set in Photoshop CS were now set to “default” again in CS3; and I had to dig to find some of the palettes that I use frequently while I’m painting. I was now set with the arduous task or resetting all of my preferences, presets, and workspaces so I could get down to painting. In doing so, I have come up with this list that will hopefully make it easier for both me and you in the future.

Prepare for CS3 Now
These tips can be applied to any version you may be installing, not just CS3. Maybe your moving to a new computer, or your co-worker just messed around with your palettes while your weren’t looking. Whatever the case, by going through this small checklist, you can be sure that your transition will go as smoothly and easily as possible. And if you do upgrade when the official version of CS3 is released in 2007, you won’t have to worry about wasting precious painting time by configuring your program. For someone like me who uses this software every day as a means to make a living, this is key.

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