Jason Manley: Dark Elf Mage
10/08/02 @185 | Dave | comments (9)

An article that talks about using traditional approaches and techniques learned from the masters to create digital art. The tutorial is illustrated with a character portrait from the Icewind Dale game.

Art Thoughts: A Traditional Approach to Creating Digital Art
by Jason Manley (Written January 2001 for 3D Palette)

Hi all,

I am going to be talking about some things on this site to hopefully give some insight into not only my painting process but also art history and the job of the concept artist in the video game industry. My first writings will be on my art process, my art heroes whom I learned this process from and picture making in general.

Once I have a general impression or idea in my head of what I want to create I will usually hunt around for resource that might help me (swords, armor, or any inspirational images and paintings that help to inspire me). I spend some time looking at what I have found and try to picture what I want in my head. It is usually at this time that I get an idea on what kinds of colors will be in the piece, what mood, what lighting and light direction, and what type of character or area. Once have an impression or impulse of what I want to make based on what I need to make for the job at hand, I am ready to paint.

In the current painting I am talking about, I need to make a dark elf mage with shaman qualities. This character needs to be able to be used as a mage in Icewind Dale or as a priest. I want someone with hints of intelligence, power, and strength. I want to paint someone who look like they could survive in the elements.

Now that I fully know what I want, I do a bit of quick brainstorming to pull together the symbols I will need (color, lighting and object symbols). I decide to go with a suggested stormy sky and more broken shapes to add mood. I also decide to use back lighting to also add a darker mood. I don't want any really strong light on the character as it is of a dark elf. I make the decision to keep most of the colors muted and choose in my head what kind of palette I want. I want to go with a traditional complimentary palette of blues and oranges. This palette is used a lot in suspensful films and it is appropriate for the feel or mood that I want especially when it is in the darker value range. Green and orange is also a good palette for this kind of thing. A perfect example of this palette is the movie Aliens. Almost the entire movie is shot with these kinds of muted colors and in a dark value range. Often, the only really light lights are small little pieces in comparison to the entire format of the screen. It is also like the colors of halloween. It is symbolic color. I also decide at this point what kind of shapes I want. I know I don't want any really clean and polished shapes as more torn and broken shapes, suggested to me, a rugged personality. I have tried to develop a mark making language for mood and this comes out without having to really think about it. I feel it as I go. I learned a lot of this from looking at the works of the masters and from watching film and paying attention to what colors and shapes were used when I felt elation, happiness, sadness, or frightened. I then simply remember the formula used in these works and try to add it to my work when I need to get a stronger feel in an appropriate way.

As far as visual symbols, since it had to be a priest or a mage, there could be no edged weapons (following the D&D rules) I used the animal pelt as his connection to nature in a negative way or a useful way to distinguish him from a druid. The setting is Icewind Dale so I wanted to suggest snow and mountains in a simple way also. His eyes are orange and hollow with magic to suggest his power as well. Some of these symbols will come out as I go. They are things I think of as I paint. I trust that I will get ideas along the way. The minor ones, like the eyes, are usually the last kind of thing I would think of. The same goes for what weapon he carries. (unless specified or I want a particular item)

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First and foremost I choose my mood, lighting and color range. I start my painting by laying down an opposite temperature to the one that I want to be most dominant. If I am painting a cool light such as a cloudy day, I will start with a warm sienna undertone of middle value. I learned this from studying Rembrandt. He did the same thing. If I am painting a warm light, such as a sunny day or sunset, I will use a cooler, middle value compliment of to the more orangish or yellowish light. This is something I learned from studying Monet. Different underpainting base colors will help bring out colors to enhance the light quality and mood of the piece. Parts of this underpainting can be left to show through as well. (see Rembrandt)

 

 

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Now that I have a basic tone on my canvas with a slight bit of color variation in it, I use a dark tone of similar color and temperature to block in the shapes and pose of my figure. I dont do a lot of line work like I used to as I try to not paint or draw things twice. I want to be able to leave as many of my early marks as I can as this decreases painting time. I learned this from looking at Sargent, Velasquez and Frazetta.

 

 

 

 

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Using a cooler light than that of my undertone base I will start to block in the light shapes that will help me to see my figure and help me to carve out my space and my mood. I begin to lay in color to get an idea of exactly what colors I want. The trick at this point is to work fast and let it flow. I dont worry as much about my drawing as I do about composition, mood and light quality suggested by shapes and value range. I learned this from Justin Sweet here at Interplay as well as from doing small color studies when I work with traditional media. The masters also did this in their color studies. The Impressionists became famous for their paintings, that are often just color studies, which are wonderful examples of this kind of thing. The works of Monet, Cassatt, Degas, Sargent (his watercolors) are perfect examples of what color studies should look like. In comparison to the works of Bouveret, Vermeer or Bouguereau they are nothing more than that. But the impressionists are amazing and they also give a feel of real light and movement that the others do not in their more polished amazingly rendered works.

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Since I have an idea of the exact palette, mood, and an idea of the pose that I want blocked in it is time for me to start to refine my painting. I start correcting my shapes, cleaning up the values, the colors, and try to retain as much of the block in as I can.

I dont like painting things twice but will if I have to. I work the entire canvas at the same time. I only work with the general parts of the painting right now as it is easier to do the details later. Velasquez, Sargent, Millet, Daumier, and Zorn did this also. Velasquez is the easiest for me to read this way. His lightest lights. darkest darks, smallest details and most intricate parts are usually on the surface of the painting telling me he did them last. A trip to your local museum will show you what I am talking about. A good art book with really nice reproductions will also help.

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I continue refining until I am happy with the pose, general shapes and with the background which I usually paint in first. Now it is time to start painting in the hands, the sword, and the details in the drapery which are small areas of the painting in comparison to the larger background or the robe in general. I will clean up the face a bit and move around detailing the piece as it interests me. I do this until I think I am done and then zoom in and look over the entire painting in sections to make sure it is all cleaned up. I want to be sure I have the details to the level that I am happy with and then I am ready to check theexpression, check to be sure the space reads to a degree and to make sure that the feel of the painting is what I want it to be. Since I layed out the painting while paying attention to the feel, mood, and to the big things in the painting first I am usually ok at this point. I check anyway.

 

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The reason I check my painting with a fresh eye at this point is that it is very easy to get lost in the detailing and to ignore the general feel of the piece. Sometimes I can render things too far and lose what I had earlier in the piece that I felt was successful. If this happens I will paint out what I did and or open my older saved file and paint again. It is like I am keeping an eye on myself to be sure I dont ruin the good parts of my block in and paint out the parts I dont like.
I start with large brushes and use small ones at the very end. This is another thing that keeps me loose and makes my work go faster.

I will provide some links to the artists I mentioned earlier so that you can see who I am speaking of though you should know them all by heart already. They are some of the greatest artists in history and it is they who can teach you and who can help you when you are stuck. It is these artists who, if you open your eyes

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too and are humbled by, will help you any time you seek. The medias may have changed but the methods are similar.

Jason Manley.  (Formerly Black Isle.  Current Troika Games.)