ArtRage Studio 3 is Released! Celebrate with ArtRage 2.5 Video Tutorials

Click on image - BIG video will open in new window

ArtRage time!

In Celebration of the release of the new ArtRage Studio 3,
I'm bringing back the video tutorials for a return engagement!

I use ArtRage every time I paint a cover for Nickelodeon Magazine. ArtRage is a digital painting program that imitates the look of real paint, as well as other natural media like pencils and pastels etc. etc. The thing that makes ArtRage such a wonderful program is that it's ridiculously easy to use -- you can just jump right in and play!

And it's not like I knew how to paint before I used this program. ArtRage is so easy and so fun to use that I just gradually picked up the techniques by playing around with the program. I've never even read the manual! Okay -- every once in a while I'll look something up in one of the tutorials... but 97% of all the tools and features are totally intuitive.

But it isn't just for play... I've been using this program for professional jobs for the last three years, and I don't need to look any further for a digital art program that gives me exactly the tools I need and the results I want.

work-in-progress version and finished cover

(By the way, if this is your first visit, I've been posting video tutorials that show how I drew, inked and painted this recent SpongeBob and Patrick cover for Nick Magazine. The list of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop tutorial videos is HERE, and the original post with the full-sized artwork is HERE.)

Here's the weird part -- for some bizarre reason, this amazing ArtRage Studio application only costs $40 (or $80 for the Pro version, or only $20 for version 2.5, which is the version I used for all my paintings). The "other" famous digital painting program costs $400, and it's so freaking complicated that I always end up tearing my hair out before I can actually get any work done.

ArtRage Studio is the bargain of the century. I strongly encourage you to download this application and try it out. And ArtRage runs on both Mac and Windows!

They have a bunch of great tutorials and very helpful forums on the ArtRage website, too.

Since this is the first video in the series, it's primarily dealing with setup and tools. And I'm going to show you the exact settings that I use every time I fire up ArtRage.

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How to import a PSD file into ArtRage

#1 When you import a layered Photoshop PSD file into ArtRage, it has to be in RGB mode, not in CMYK mode. You can change the mode in Photoshop before you bring it in to ArtRage.

#2 When you import your drawing, ArtRage will put it on the lowest layer and give it an opaque paper background......To be able to see through your linework to the color paint below, DO THIS: On your imported Drawing layer, go to "Edit Paper Settings" and near the bottom of the options dial the "paper opacity" (NOT the layer opacity) to 0%

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More ArtRage Tutorial Videos:

ArtRage #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5
ArtRage #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas
ArtRage #3 Painting Reflective Light
ArtRage #4 - More Reflective Light & Colors
ArtRage #5 – Bump Modes & Finishing Patrick

ArtRage #6 – Painting Highlights and Shadows

Note: These tutorials were all done with ArtRage 2.5, but new users of ArtRage Studio 3 will not have any problem following along. The new interface is basically the same as the one shown here, but the new version has more features and more fun options!

ArtRage Digital Painting Videos Start HERE - Video #1 -Intro to ArtRage 2.5

Click on image - BIG video will open in new window

ArtRage time!

That's right -- we finally made it through all of the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop tutorials... and now it's finally time to play with the paint!

I use ArtRage every time I paint a cover for Nickelodeon Magazine. ArtRage is a digital painting program that imitates the look of real paint, as well as other natural media like pencils and pastels etc. etc. The thing that makes ArtRage such a wonderful program is that it's ridiculously easy to use -- you can just jump right in and play!

And it's not like I knew how to paint before I used this program. ArtRage is so easy and so funny use that I just gradually picked up the techniques and going to show you by playing around with the program. I've never even read the manual! Okay -- every once in a while I'll look something up in one of the tutorials... but 97% of all the tools and features are totally intuitive.

But it isn't just for play... I've been using this program for professional jobs for the last two years, and I don't need to look any further for a digital art program that gives me exactly the tools I need and the results I want.

work-in-progress version and finished cover

(By the way, if this is your first visit, I've been posting video tutorials that show how I drew, inked and painted this recent SpongeBob and Patrick cover for Nick Magazine. The list of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop tutorial videos is HERE, and the original post with the full-sized artwork is HERE.)

Here's the weird part -- for some bizarre reason, this amazing ArtRage application only costs $25. Twenty-five bucks! The "other" famous digital painting program costs $400, and it's so freaking complicated that I always end up tearing my hair out before I can actually get any work done.

There's even a free starter version available at the ArtRage website, but after you try it out, I know that you'll see that the $25 for the full version is the bargain of the century. I strongly encourage you to download this application and try it out. And ArtRage runs on both Mac and Windows!

They have a bunch of great tutorials and very helpful forums on the ArtRage website, too.

Since this is the first video in the series, it's primarily dealing with setup and tools. And a lot more trimming on this series so we could get to the good stuff really fast. ...and just as I did before with the Adobe Illustrator tutorials, I'm going to show you the exact settings that I use every time I fire up ArtRage.

*******************************

How to import a PSD file into ArtRage

#1 When you import a layered Photoshop PSD file into ArtRage, it has to be in RGB mode, not in CMYK mode. You can change the mode in Photoshop before you bring it in to ArtRage.

#2 When you import your drawing, ArtRage will put it on the lowest layer and give it an opaque paper background......To be able to see through your linework to the color paint below, DO THIS: On your imported Drawing layer, go to "Edit Paper Settings" and near the bottom of the options dial the "paper opacity" (NOT the layer opacity) to 0%

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I already have the next two videos ready and lined up for posting this week -- so after you watch this one, keep checking back for the next few chapters. This whole series is going to be fast-paced and chock-full of useful information and killer tips

More ArtRage Success Stories: David, Ryan & Ivan

The most exciting part about making this ArtRage tutorial video series is when I hear from readers that putting these lessons to work in their own paintings and cartoons! Last time we saw the Illustrator and ArtRage work of Julián Hoek , and today I’d like to show off the fine digital painting of three more new ArtRage fans….

David Gale has use ArtRage to experiment in a few different styles! Here’s the latest episode of his Mustard Jar comic, completely colored with ArtRage 2.5 digital paints…

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Ryan Kramer painted this cartoon title card in ArtRage 2.5

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and Ivan Dixon followed the Adobe Illustrator tutorials to ink his Sydney character,
 
…which he then painted with ArtRage 2.5

(Sydney figure only…background painted in Photoshop)

Thanks to Ivan, Ryan and Dave for sharing their ArtRage paintings!

If you'd like to share your digital art success stories -- along with your art and links to your site -- just leave a comment with your info, or email me at: sherm (at) cartoonsnap.com ...and replace the (at) with @.

Previous ArtRage Tutorial Videos:

ArtRage #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5
ArtRage #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas
ArtRage #3 Painting Reflective Light

ArtRage #4 - More Reflective Light & Colors
ArtRage #5 – Bump Modes & Finishing Patrick

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I just finished the next ArtRage video about painting highlights and shadows on SpongeBob, and it will be coming up NEXT post!

See you then!

ArtRage Video #5 - Bump Modes, Paint Thinner and Finishing Patrick

Click on image above for Hi-Res Tutorial Video

In ArtRage Process Video #5 we're finishing up the painting of Patrick -- and along the way I'll be covering a couple very important topics..

.

"Bump Modes" -- that's the term used in ArtRage to refer to how the thickness of the paint on one layer affects the bumpiness and texture of the paint on the next layer. That's one of the huge differences between ArtRage and Photoshop; The paint in ArtRage has THICKNESS and density...and that's one of things that makes it look like real paint!

 

I go into some micro-detail with the painting of Patrick's eyeballs...but it really shows off how a little hint of reflective light and color can create a sense of depth, roundness and ambient light.

It's an effect that people don't notice overtly, but it helps "sell"  the painting and pushes it beyond the everyday type of cartoon coloring. Once again, I have the eyeballs on a separate layer to avoid mixing the eyeball paint colors with the colors on Patrick's body.

Even though I say I'm finished with Patrick, I'm still gonna need to clean up all that extra paint outside of Patrick's outlines. But first, we're moving on to painting SpongeBob!

All the ArtRage Tutorial Videos:

ArtRage #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5
ArtRage #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas
ArtRage #3 Painting Reflective Light
ArtRage #4 - More Reflective Light & Colors
ArtRage #5 – Bump Modes (this one)

ArtRage #6 – Painting Highlights and Shadows

YouTube version is available, too!
 

ArtRage #6 – Painting SpongeBob, Adding Highlights and Shadows

Click on the image above to watch the ArtRage Video Tutorial

We’re finally getting to SpongeBob in these
ArtRage digital painting tutorial videos!

There’s a lot of color mixing in this lesson, and most of it has to do with creating shadows and highlights.

SpongeBob’s whole face and body are basically just yellow, so I’ve gotta make sure the colors look alive and dimensional. I’ll take advantage of the easy-to-use ArtRage color picker to find variations in the color that represent the sunlight coming in from the upper left…

… and the shadows created on the forms on the lower right.

How are YOUR ArtRage paintings coming along?

If you'd like to share your digital art success stories -- along with your art and links to your site -- just leave a comment with your info, or email me at: sherm (at) cartoonsnap.com ...and replace the (at) with @.

Previous ArtRage Tutorial Videos:
Previous ArtRage Tutorial Videos:
ArtRage #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5
ArtRage #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas
ArtRage #3 Painting Reflective Light
ArtRage #4 - More Reflective Light & Colors
ArtRage #5 – Bump Modes & Finishing Patrick
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Here's Video #6 in YouTube format:

Here's a quick summary of the other tutorials in this series:

#1 - Digital Painting Process Overview

#2- From Sketches to Finished Pencils

#3: Adobe Illustrator Inking Process

#4 Coloring Line Art with Photoshop

ArtRage #3 - Painting Patrick and Using Reflected Light and Shadow Colors

 

 

This is the part in our ArtRage tutorial video series where the paint-y fun starts happening!

 

Click on the image above to watch the ArtRage Video Tutorial

The line art stays on top so I can always see what I'm doing

I paint the color fills underneath the line art

 

I use the custom color picker I set up in the last video

 

You can adjust the brush thickness with this slider size control in the lower left corner of the interface.

 

Once I've applied Patrick's base color paint, I go back in and add a sunlight color on the parts of his body that will be hit by direct sunlight

 

I add some green tones on the underside of his arms to show the light that's bouncing back up from the grass and from his green trunks.

 

...and I add some purple tones for shadows. (don't laugh at my horrible grammar as I say in the video: "More darker." More darker. Brilliant. I hope Mrs. Cooper - my junior high English teacher - never sees this).

Purple is on the opposite side of the color wheel from the yellow sunlight. When I use the palette knife to "swoosh it all around," the whole thing starts to come alive with dimension and vibrant color!

Next video: Painting Patrick's Pants! See you then!

 

PS...don't forget to go download the free starter version of ArtRage 2.5.

http://www.ambientdesign.com/artragedown.html

 

Just fire up your Wacom drawing tablet

and have fun! There's no mess!

 

Previous ArtRage Tutorial Videos:

ArtRage Video #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5

ArtRage Video #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas

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You might also want to take a look at the other tutorials in this series:

Painting Process #1 - Digital Painting Overview

Painting Process #2- From Rough Sketch to Finished Pencils

Digital Painting Process #3: Inking With Adobe Illustrator

Digital Coloring Process #4  Coloring Line Art in Photoshop

smaller YouTube version below:

ArtRage Video #4 - Painting Patrick's Pants!

Click on the image above to watch the ArtRage Video Tutorial

More color mixing and blending

You can see how convenient it is to paint in layers! Things like layers make digital painting a breeze ^_^

Next video: Painting Patrick's Pants! See you then!

Here's where you can download the free starter version of ArtRage 2.5.

http://www.ambientdesign.com/artragedown.html

Plug in your Wacom drawing tablet and start painting!

Previous ArtRage Tutorial Videos:

ArtRage Video #1 - Intro to ArtRage 2.5

ArtRage Video #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas

ArtRage Video #3 Painting Patrick

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You might also want to take a look at the other tutorials in this series:

Painting Process #1 - Digital Painting Overview

(this is where it all STARTS!)

Painting Process #2- From Sketch to Finishes

Digital Painting Process #3: Adobe Illustrator Inking

Digital Coloring Process #4 Coloring Line Art with Photoshop

...and here's the YouTube version of today's ArtRage video if you're having trouble viewing the BIG video at the top of the post...

ArtRage Video #2 - Mixing Colors on the Canvas - Digital Painting Tutorial

Click on the image above to watch the ArtRage Video Tutorial

In today's ArtRage digital painting tutorial, we start really slapping down some paint!

First...a couple important points---

#1 When you import a layered Photoshop PSD file into ArtRage, it has to be in RGB mode, not in CMYK mode. You can change the mode in Photoshop before you bring it in to ArtRage.

#2 When you import your drawing, ArtRage will put it on the lowest layer and give it an opaque paper background...

...To be able to see through your linework to the color paint below, DO THIS:

On your imported Drawing layer, go to "Edit Paper Settings" and near the bottom of the options dial the "paper opacity" (NOT the layer opacity) to 0%
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In today's ArtRage tutorial video, you'll get to see how I build my color palette based on the character models and the surrounding environment. I really don't know much about color theory, but I've learned a few shorthand methods to make the colors all work together and look kinda nice.

Basically, I mix a little bit of the surrounding colors in with the colors of the characters. Light from the environment either hits the characters directly (like sunlight) or bounces back off the surrounding surfaces, subtly affecting the main colors. If there's more light, I make the colors more saturated...if less light, I take the saturation away.

Everything else is trial and error. ^_^

That's what's so great about creating digital art -- whether it's in ArtRage or Photoshop or Illustrator or whatever; all these programs have the magical UNDO button that makes you more bold and experimental in your choices;

If you don't like a stroke, BOOM! It's gone.

PS...don't forget to go download the free starter version of ArtRage. If you have a Wacom drawing tablet then you really oughtta give ArtRage a try. It's the ultimate toy box for digital art!

If you missed the first video in the ArtRage series, you can find it HERE. You might also want to take a look at the other tutorials in this series:

Painting Process Part One: The Overview

Painting Process Part Two: Rough Sketches to finished pencil art

Digital Painting Process Part Three: The Adobe Illustrator Series

Digital Coloring Process (Part Four) in Photoshop

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In the next video, I'll take all the groovy colors that I mixed together and start painting the heck out of Patrick. See you soon!