TUTORIAL // Finalizing a painting without over-rendering
Added 2022-02-24 11:41:25 +0000 UTCIt’s time for this month’s tutorial! It’s on finalizing a painting without over-rendering it. This is something many of you have requested, and it’s a very common struggle for any digital artist! It can be super tempting to keep rendering your painting for a long time but feel disappointed with the end result despite all the time and effort you put in. This tutorial has some techniques and ideas for your rendering process that can help you tackle this issue.
I mention my free brush set in this tutorial, which you can find here. It contains the hard round brush I use for all of the painting, as well as the speckle brush I use for the freckles at the end!
The other brushes I used (although they are in no way a requirement for rendering, you can do everything with standard brushes if you like!) were:
• The Macalabs HB brush for the sketch.
• The rake brush for the hair and textured brush for highlights on the skin, which were both from Viorie’s set and are called “hair” and “rough”.
Here are some process videos that show my full rendering process:
• Abundance, part 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-video-3-62417910
• Flow, part 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-video-3-56182992
• Poppies, part 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-video-3-54422439
• Pink fish, part 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-pink-3-48524728
Here are some short reels that show me using these techniques:
• https://www.instagram.com/reel/CNAjvgMgtaz/
• https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRHLjx2AiKP/
• https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRrPdEDgd-8/
• https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTFYLHUgLd5/
This tutorial really focuses on the finalizing stage of a painting, so if you want resources to help you out with earlier stages of creating a painting, here are some other tutorials that can help:
• Constructing a pose: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-video-38377684
• Choosing colors: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-colors-39277902
• Sculpting with color: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-with-53897099
• Simple tricks for lighting & mood: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-video-41372669
I hope this is helpful and as always, please do ask if you have any questions! ❤
Comments
I do not but I will definitely consider that for a future tutorial! I do have a tutorial called "faces: common mistakes" which discusses different ways to fix common issues with faces! you can find it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-drawing-81128829 hopefully that helps!
Loish
2024-04-22 08:39:43 +0000 UTCLove this! It was definitely a trust the process tutorial. I kept thinking how does this all work and then it of course looked great in the end. Your tutorials are incredibly helpful! Do you have a video where you explain more in how to use liquify? I feel like I still struggle to get faces right and this seems like it would be helpful.
Graphic Kraken
2024-04-19 18:11:02 +0000 UTCi'm so glad you found it helpful! I do have plans to make a tutorial about the planes of the face and how to capture through dimensionality in a more geometric way. That might be a good supplement to this tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me!
Loish
2024-03-18 15:02:06 +0000 UTCWow, this tutorial is amazing! Thoughts: 1. It takes a lot of knowledge (planes of the face, shadows) as well as boldness to add hard shapes to the rendering. I think I would shy away from this because when it looks right it looks right, but when it doesn't you can break up the volume rather than support it. But you could also say, you would learn what works really fast... 2. The moment when Loish emphasised the focal point (around the eye) the high contrast made the whole thing imbalanced. But of course afterwards things got balanced out. So this process was great in teaching me that this off-balanced in values is part of the process. (I think I have a tendency to play it too safe, push all the values overall bit by bit) 3. The using of a small mid-tone next to a high contrast line is a great tip. 4. I also want to share, the cheat-sheets recently are so great. I had to make my own cheat sheet for this.
mangoburn
2024-03-17 12:15:46 +0000 UTCso happy to hear that! thanks for your kind words aline!
Loish
2023-07-11 11:14:21 +0000 UTCBrilliant tutorial! I really needed your clear perception to move on to rendering (finally!). Thank you. <3
Aline Cordeiro
2023-07-09 20:26:13 +0000 UTCthank you so much for supporting me here and for the kind words! i hope you'll continue to find the content here helpful :)
Loish
2022-07-04 11:00:55 +0000 UTCJust joined your patreon a couple of days ago and I am SO enjoying all your material. I have had a Wacom tablet for many years, but only done simple sketches from time to time, as photography has been my main hobby area. I recognize a lot of your paintings from the past, but never understood you were the artist behind them. Your videos teach me to have more patience and, as you write it, avoid going into auto mode. I am really going to attempt to become more patient and focus on making conscious decisions as I draw and paint. Once more, your work is simply AMAZING and SO inspiring!
Fedde
2022-07-01 22:34:01 +0000 UTCso glad you found it useful! thanks so much for the support :)
Loish
2022-05-23 07:46:05 +0000 UTCI recently just joined your patreon, and you are an INCREDIBLE teacher, seriously, I’m in awe. So well spoken and so easy to follow, and you make what you do look so easy. I can’t wait to try some of what I learned here! I’m skipping around from tutorial to tutorial and I was creating a piece using your hair tutorial, but found myself over rendering the face of the character. This was SO helpful and I can’t wait to give these techniques a try!
Ava
2022-05-22 09:46:23 +0000 UTCthanks so much for the kind words!
Loish
2022-05-02 08:50:09 +0000 UTCI was so happy and smiling through this tutorial, it's amazing to see how your mind works and how you make your own method to it. Everytime I finish a new tutorial I find you more amazing. Thank you for all the knowledge you are giving us. <3
Blu Lavie's Art
2022-04-28 20:38:06 +0000 UTCreally cool tutorial! Thank you so much Lois!!
ChrissaBug
2022-03-18 09:48:02 +0000 UTCthank you!
Loish
2022-03-14 07:04:26 +0000 UTCThank you for this detailed explanation, I use a lot of your advice in things I'm currently working on, even though it's not digital art, it still very much applies. You are a gem! Take care, stay safe!
Tomara Maitra
2022-03-13 00:43:59 +0000 UTCglad you liked it alex! I use the lasso tool a lot less in procreate too, it just feels less intuitive there. i have a few tutorials on my workflow in procreate that show how I use tools there without the lasso tool!
Loish
2022-03-10 09:23:55 +0000 UTCThank you so much, it helped me a lot, honestly I have to use more the lasso tool, hahah. I work on Procreate though, it's not easy. Like always, you have a great way to explain and simplify any creative method.
Alex Roger
2022-03-09 18:49:33 +0000 UTCAbsolutely agree with all of this! Not to mention Loish explains everything in such an easy to understand and follow way, truly amazing teacher 💙
Blushnik
2022-03-09 09:59:51 +0000 UTCI watched this tutorial last week and I've been trying to apply what I've learn from it to my art since. And I can't thank you enough for all the advice you give because it really works and it really does help tons. of course the level on which you can follow these steps varies depending on style but where I once used a lot of layers and blending modes when I was starting, I now use fewer and paint in the rendering layer instead of adding tons of new and I also recently switched to a brush that allows some opacity variety instead of solid colour so it was also easier to apply. This is truly a weirdly specific topic but you nailed it, imo. I'm consciously thinking about what the focus point is and amount of detail and rendering I add according to it and also thinking about "what exactly am I doing here? is this helping the painting or am I just screwing around for the sake of it?" You wouldn't believe how much difference it makes. Or... You would xD Cause you absolutely know what you're talking about 😄💙💙 Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this 🙏💙💙💙
Blushnik
2022-03-09 09:56:50 +0000 UTCthanks so much :)
Loish
2022-03-07 08:52:55 +0000 UTCYou are such a great teacher!
Nyxa Tisekátis
2022-03-07 05:52:34 +0000 UTCAnother awesome tutorial full of great insights. Thanks again Lois.
JASON WILLIAMS
2022-03-06 21:54:02 +0000 UTCThis was suuuupr helpful, I needed it so much today, Ty!!!
Eri
2022-03-04 09:35:25 +0000 UTCSo so good! I love the colors you ended up with as well. Thank you so much!
Kat Craig
2022-03-01 17:12:01 +0000 UTCthanks so much!
Loish
2022-02-28 09:37:25 +0000 UTCglad you like it! hope you enjoyed your rainy day, dropjes make everything more enjoyable :)
Loish
2022-02-28 09:37:09 +0000 UTCso glad you found it helpful!!
Loish
2022-02-28 09:36:36 +0000 UTCThis was sooo helpful! I learnt a lot. I'd love a part 2 at some point when you might be able to notice things that you missed out of this one seeing as you said you weren't able to capture your whole rendering process
Caitlin Bell
2022-02-27 17:50:24 +0000 UTCGirl, This was everything! 🙌🏻 the shading with shapes is a game changer for me!! I've been smoothing everything away or letting the midtones get to muddied and dark, then tried to fix them with highlights 🤮 hahah. Thank you so much this is perfect prefect!!! 🤗💕
Someone Somewhere
2022-02-26 14:22:04 +0000 UTCHey Loish, thanks sooooo much for sharing your process!!! I love your tutorials, they’re really inspiring. I tend to focus too quick and too long on details and love your way of "blocking" in chunks of color. This is something I’m going to experiment with. I’m a Dutchie and living in Madrid and this weekend it’s FINALLY raining, which makes it perfect weather to stay indoors and cuddle upon the sofa with my iPad and try some of your techniques. My mother just sent me some dropjes, so my weekend started well. Enjoy yours!
Engel Bakker
2022-02-25 18:49:41 +0000 UTCYour tutorials are just amazing! I think art can be a tricky thing to teach, but your tutorials are always so helpful and inspiring. I find that you present your approaches and tips in a way that is really applicable to any art style, workflow or skill level which is really encouraging. Thank you!
Emma
2022-02-25 16:47:24 +0000 UTCah, thanks so much! it's honestly by far the most important thing to me!
Loish
2022-02-25 07:49:49 +0000 UTCsorry about that! I feel like similar brushes should be quite easy to find in procreate. I have a tutorial on rendering in procreate that might be helpful ~ https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-in-44878024
Loish
2022-02-25 07:49:24 +0000 UTChappy to hear that! I'm glad I found a way to articulate my mindset while rendering, I feel like that's much more heplful in the long run than just demonstrating the process.
Loish
2022-02-25 07:48:11 +0000 UTCglad you liked it andrea!
Loish
2022-02-25 07:47:33 +0000 UTCthanks so much leanne! glad you found it helpful!
Loish
2022-02-25 07:47:25 +0000 UTCYour tips, specifically the lines following the volume, "chunky" bits, and drastically different color bounce light/shadow (something I've been afraid to play with), were super helpful! Thanks loish :)
Leanne Huynh
2022-02-25 05:37:56 +0000 UTCI learn so much from every one of your tutorials. This is seriously so incredibly helpful, thank you Lois
Andrea
2022-02-25 00:41:01 +0000 UTCFantástico!!! Mil gracias por este tutorial🙏🏻
Lucía Navarro
2022-02-24 20:36:16 +0000 UTCThank you for this tutorial! The mental image of using a chunky brush to lay down shapes on a canvas is super helpful and makes me more able to see your process and gives me fresh inspiration for mine-- thank you!
Thalia Berard
2022-02-24 17:16:00 +0000 UTCCool! I wish these brushes were also for procreate :(
miphnes
2022-02-24 15:44:58 +0000 UTCI absolutely loved watching this tutorial. Thank you so much! ;)
Flow.Illustration
2022-02-24 14:13:13 +0000 UTCSo excited to dig into this. Thank you, Lois! <3
Rali M.
2022-02-24 13:19:16 +0000 UTCSome artists treat their patreon like its an after thought. I'm always amazed with the effort you put into yours.
PIUS ALIEN
2022-02-24 12:56:14 +0000 UTC
