Tribal Warriors

Creating Character Concepts using Photoshop

01

aztec by richard tilbury - Page 04

02

Maori by Chase Toole - Page 10

03

Native American by Branko Bistrovic - Page 18

04

Viking by Jon McCoy - Page 24

05

Fantasy by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano - Page 30

01
aztec

Tribal Warriors Chapter 01: Aztec

Chapter 01: Aztec
Software Used: Photoshop

Introduction
The Aztecs were a group of people in central
Mexico who were prominent between the
14th and 16th centuries. Their civilisation
accomplished some great artistic and
architectural achievements, and their history
demonstrated some rich traditions. Perhaps
one of their most commonly know traditions
is that of human sacrifice, which can be seen
illustrated in manuscripts from the time. In terms
of finding reference material there are obviously
no photographs from the period and so you can
only rely on painted manuscripts and costume
recreations. For the purposes of this tutorial I
thought it would be interesting to create a semirealistic character that was part based on actual
records and manuscripts, and combine this with
an imaginary element.

Blocking In
Due to the colorful nature of Aztec culture
and society, together with the area that they
once inhabited, I decided straight away that
I wanted this painting to have a rich palette
with lots of saturated colors. From looking at
various reference images I got the impression
of elaborate, exuberant costumes and beautiful,
decorative jewellery. These were most likely
used for ceremonial purposes; however I liked
the idea of adorning my warrior in something
similar to make him look more interesting.
I therefore imagined a warrior who may be
dressed up slightly for some form of ritual or
ceremony.
The first stage was to fill in the background
with some vivid greens and a suggestion of
some jungle foliage and ground. Fig.01 shows
the initial block in using some textured custom
brushes.

and uses a Dual brush. The other brush I used

As this background would be on a separate layer

can be seen in Fig.03. At this stage it was just a

to the character it didnt matter too much if it

The brush I used to create the leaf shapes can

case of getting rid of the bland white background

remained vague at this stage as it could always

be seen in Fig.02, which has some scattering

and providing a base to work on.

be modified throughout the painting process.

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Chapter 01

Chapter 01: Aztec

Tribal Warriors

With the backdrop roughed in I started blocking

in the warrior (Fig.04). I filled in most of the
body in a single color which would be the midtone. Upon this base color I could work in the
shadows and highlights.

Building the Detail

Fig.05 shows the next stage in the process
which now incorporated a third layer where I
began to add some clothing and accessories. If
you were working in the games industry it would
be a good practice to separate your painting
into layers in case you are asked to change
anything. Having the clothing on a different layer
to the character means it can be modified with

I roughed in a feathered headdress, which is

ease. Your art director may require changes to

something that seemed prominent in much

the costume and so splitting up elements can

of the Aztec art I found and was an aspect I

save a lot of time and headaches.

wanted to include. I also started to develop

the features of the face a little more with the

light source being somewhere to the left of the
picture frame.
Using a textured Chalk brush I started to
build the anatomy (Fig.06). I also moved the
character slightly up and to the right on the
canvas as he looked a little squashed.
I added an extension to his ceremonial
headwear, which can be seen in Fig.07. To
create a highlight across the left side where the
sun is hitting it I duplicated the layer this was
painted on and then set the blending mode
to Screen (inset 1). I then used the Eraser to
delete the areas that werent directly in the
sunlight, leaving just a small section (inset 2).

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Chapter 01

Tribal Warriors Chapter 01: Aztec

I wanted to add some war paint across my

the adjustment layer to the left-hand side of the

The overall lighting was another aspect that

warriors body and so created a new layer for

character (left image in Fig.09). You will also

was troubling me at this stage as it seemed

this so I could experiment with the color and

notice that I have added some extra decoration

dull and did not have the vibrancy that I initially

blending mode easily without it affecting the

around his neck and chin now, labelled Layer

intended. To rectify this I merged the two

main image. I started with the face and in the

3 in the palette above tattoos.

previous adjustment layers with the character

layer and then applied two more; a Curves

end chose Normal as the blending mode. To

make sure the paint was consistent with the

I wanted to have a few tattoos across my

and a Brightness/Contrast layer. On the left is

lighting I used the Eraser tool to make the

warrior and so created a new layer in order to

the image before these were applied and on

highlighted areas semi-transparent (Fig.08).

experiment, as Id done with the face paint.

the right is the effect of these along with their

The Overlay blending mode is probably the

settings. You can see now that the general color

The skin tones looked a little flat and so in order

most suitable setting and using a chalky green I

scheme has been enriched and the light feels

to increase the contrast I applied a Brightness/

painted some shapes across his torso and limbs

much warmer and more tropical.

Contrast adjustment layer. I increased the

(Fig.10 inset). You can see how these finally

values by around +30 in both cases and then

appear in the full image when the blending

During the painting process I realized that the

used black to paint into the mask and restrict

mode is altered.

right leg looked a little twisted and the curvature

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Chapter 01

Chapter 01: Aztec

Tribal Warriors

through the lower leg seemed exaggerated. I

Embedded along its edges were pieces of

In the case of the first one I made a selection

decided to change it by making a selection area

obsidian (volcanic glass). This material was

area around the large foreground leaves and

from the knee down and then rotating it (Fig.11).

naturally robust and sharp and made a perfect

then pasted these into the painting (Fig.13).

You can, of course, opt to use the Warp tool

material for cutting and piercing.

Once both pictures had been pasted in, I color

in Photoshop although this can sometimes

distort the overall contours of the image. Either

Finishing Touches

way works fine really; it just depends on your

The picture at this point was reaching its final

preference.

stages, although there were a few adjustments

corrected each by reducing the contrast and

also the saturation of the leaves in the lower
image.

that could help improve things. Although I

I also found a useful image of some ground

Once the lower leg was duplicated I rotated

wanted to focus the attention on the warrior and

with scattered grass and earth and decided to

it and then used the Eraser tool to delete the

not the background I thought that some textural

overlay this across the jungle floor (Fig.14). I

unwanted areas on the character layer as well

realism might help in the way of some foliage.

used the Transform tool to scale it vertically in

as blend any obvious seams. Here you can

I looked through the free library of photos

order to create a more accurate perspective and

see the before (upper left) and after results

available on 3DTotal and found the following two

then set the blending mode to Soft Light (lower

(right). After doing this I then rotated the ankle

images which were perfect for the task:

image).

http://freetextures.3dtotal.com/preview.php?i

I decided to increase the contrast in the Curves

mi=13022&s=c:Leaf&p=2&cid=17

adjustment layer and then added one final

decoration on the clothing layer to match the

new position of the leg.

layer which was some reflective light across the

You will have noticed that I have also deleted

the red feather headdress, which I felt was

http://freetextures.3dtotal.com/preview.php?i

warriors right side. With this the painting was

somewhat out of balance. I was quite keen on

mi=13018&s=c:Leaf&p=2&cid=17

complete.

this part of his costume and so replaced them

with a smaller bunch (Fig.12).
Although our character is wearing some
ceremonial clothing he is nonetheless a warrior
and so I thought it only fitting to supply him with
a typical Aztec weapon: the Maquahuitl. This
was a weapon that was somewhere between
a club and a sword and was made from wood.

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Chapter 01

Tribal Warriors Chapter 01: Aztec

Richard Tilbury
For more information please visit:
http://www.richardtilburyart.com
Or contact them at:
ibex80@hotmail.com

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page 9

Chapter 01

02
maori

Tribal Warriors Chapter 02: Maori

Chapter 02: Maori

Software Used: Photoshop
I usually start my pieces by using color to sketch
out fairly abstract shapes using an approximate
palette. Since the piece I am working on is set
in a jungle scene it seems appropriate to use
greens, blues and yellows (with some reds
and purples to balance). I tend to use a lot of
large brushes with rough edges at this stage so
I can try and get some random shapes that
might inspire ideas and help the concept along
(Fig.01).

Adding some figures early on is pretty important

Creating eye movement is pretty important and

because it helps maintain a cohesiveness in

I try to do this by creating blocks of interest and

the colors and in the shape of the composition.

visual noise. I create the visual noise using

This part is usually pretty tricky because you

custom brushes. I like painting textures so this

must think about the composition, narrative,

stage is usually the most fun (Fig.03).

scale, mood etc. I indicate the light direction and

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intensity in this part because I like to see the

When I want to really ramp up the amount

potential drama (Fig.02).

of noise in an image I create a new layer in

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Chapter 02

Chapter 02: Maori

Tribal Warriors

Photoshop and make a lot of large choppy

marks. I then create a layer mask and mask
parts out using a smaller textured brush
(Fig.04).
Since the guy in the middle (farthest to the
right) is pretty centrally located and has a
decent amount of contrast on him hes basically
the main character of the narrative, so I start
fleshing out his design first (Fig.05).

color schemes this way. I also have two hotkeys

I want the channel of light to split the group

set to flip the canvas; one flips vertical and the

of tribesmen to add a little depth and mood.

As I move forward with the piece I usually

other flips horizontal and this has been pretty

The light hitting the forest floor is also creating

play with color adjustments and levels just to

important in helping me to see errors in my

some much needed eye movement across the

freshen my eye. Sometimes I find some nice

painting (Fig.06).

illustration. I add a spear to chop up some of

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Chapter 02

Tribal Warriors Chapter 02: Maori

the verticals and create some framing for the

or just causing unwanted noise. I also squint at

I want him to be really imposing so I use the

background guys. Its a gamble to put the spear

my work a lot as it means I can see the forms

Lasso tool to select him and copy and paste him

in there and Ill probably end up taking it out, but

without all the details (Fig.08).

into a new layer, where I modify his body and

its good to make these mistakes as they teach

us more about ourselves (Fig.07).

give him the beginnings of a face (Fig.09).

I am starting to see the potential for this brute in
the foreground. His frame and posture are going

I start flipping through my references at this

Whenever I start painting smooth surfaces

to become pretty important so Ill be revisiting

point to make sure I am heading in the right

like skin or leaves I try to make as few strokes

him quite a bit too.

direction with the weapons and apparel. Oh and

as possible. I feel when I start going over the

tattoos it wouldnt be Maori if there werent

same mark I totally wreck what I am doing. I am

trying to get into habit of making the mark and
walking away, so to speak. As I am working the
details of the piece in I am constantly zooming
out to see if what I just painted is helping out

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Chapter 02

Chapter 02: Maori

Tribal Warriors

tattoos (which is a good point; whatever it is

stay away from leaf brushes as they tend to

I notice the scenes light source is kind of losing

youre illustrating find the essence and make it

stick out like sore thumbs if not used properly.

its power so I create a new layer and set the

very visible) (Fig.10).

Besides leaves are fun to paint so why not do

layer to Screen. I then pick a yellowish orange

the fun thing (Fig.11)!

and airbrush my light back in. Its pretty easy to

I finally get rid of the spear and add more leaves

get carried away when airbrushing light rays so I

and trees. A good and easy way to do leaves

I dont like how the central guy isnt really

is with the Lasso tool. It gives you nice edges

engaging with the viewer so I change him again.

and a lot of freedom to experiment while not

He also has a lot of over-painted marks, so I

For detail work I try and keep the brushes as

contaminating the rest of the piece. Generally I

want to start fresh with him (Fig.12).

large as possible and edit the brush properties

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try and leave that for the end.

Chapter 02

Tribal Warriors Chapter 02: Maori

as needed. It also helps to figure out where the

flipping my canvas a lot more to catch anything I

smudge the transitions between the strokes to

eye is moving around the page and polish stuff

might have missed, now that I am almost done.

emulate (or try at least) fresh paint (Fig.14).

on the way (Fig.13).

Moving around the page I can see that there are

lots of little spaces where I can hide some more

The final step is adding the last few touches and

Im trying to resolve the key points to make them

color and noise. I use the Smudge tool a lot;

helping along the composition as best I can. I

readable with as little effort as possible. Im also

usually I will do two or three strokes and then

do a few color and level adjustments at the end

to separate the colors more. I also use a slight
un-sharpen mask at the end to pop the edges
a little more (I find that the amount of sharpen
is relative to the size of the image e.g: bigger
image = less sharpening ability). Adding the soft
light rays and some dust particles should occur
after sharpening and color adjustments because
you want as much control over the light as
possible. And I think its done (Fig.15).

Chase Toole
For more information please visit:
http://chimpsmack.blogspot.com/
Or contact them at:
chasetoole@gmail.com

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Chapter 02

03
native american

Tribal Warriors Chapter 03: Native American

Chapter 03: Native American
Software Used: Photoshop
Its always a tricky thing depicting historical
stereotypes when character designing. How
much accuracy do I lend to the concept? Do
I make it entirely historical or do I suspend
some of it for artistic liberty so that instead I can
render something I think is more engaging?
You also have to consider what might be
offensive as the wrong depiction could cause

wasnt too concerned with it just yet. I sketched

the character, grounding them to the piece. Yes,

some headaches. The last time I checked, few

this out in Photoshop and simply used a Hard

going about this image in the way I did resulted

people like headaches.

Round brush with Size Jitter set to Pressure

in some delightful hair tearing down the line

(under the Shape Dynamics options).

when I tried to get the warrior to fit properly.

been part of Western culture for dozens of

I also attempted another more dynamic pose. Ill

Speaking of the warrior, as you can see, I

decades now and has had its own road of

never know if it would have worked out better; it

worked up some volume and an early indication

evolution. Initially thought of simply as a wild

might very well have, but I already had an idea

of skin tone (Fig.02). I was mainly still focusing

savage, todays Native American warrior is still

forming in my head with the former sketch and

on his posture though. I was imagining a scene

considered a brutal fighter, but also one of honor

kind of wanted to see it through (Fig.01b).

in which hes just killed a buffalo and hes

The motif of the Native American warrior has

standing on his kill. I didnt want him to look

and wisdom. They also have a connection to the

land they live in and its wildlife. They are more

This is not the best way to go about starting a

arrogant, just raw, if that makes sense. Kind of

like introverted survivors than savages.

piece, at least from my experience. Usually,

like, this is who he is and this is his element.

if your character is going to encompass a

Lets see if I can do the subject matter justice.

full scene background and all its best to

There was something that wasnt quite working

As with any historical subject its important to

establish the dominant colors and lights in the

at this stage, but regardless of this feeling I

start with plenty of references! Search pictures

scene first. This means that one should start

moved on to quickly sketch out the buffalo, and

online of course, but dont neglect books on the

with the background and then work on the

planted both of them on a surface (Fig.03). I

subject. They allow for a more concise breath of

character, as this way some of the background

used some warmer colors on the buffalos coat,

knowledge since theyre usually accompanied

colors can naturally bleed through the colors of

which I wasnt sure was the best idea as I didnt

by captions or full-on explanations.

Also look at films and documentaries. These
are the best bet if you want to stay accurate,
but if youre looking for something a little more
fantastical then a good epic drama on the
subject matter will help too. Anyhow, on to the
piece!
I generally like to start off loose so this sketch,
although quick and dirty, was actually more
focused that usual (Fig.01a). At this stage I tried
to capture the posture and the attitude of the
warrior. I also considered composition, but since
I knew that I was going to be changing it soon, I

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Chapter 03

Chapter 03: Native American

Tribal Warriors

want it to feel warmer than the warriors flesh

as the buffalo was supposed to be reading as
dead. I went for some vignette lighting here
to add some drama to the scene. To paint the
grass (for what it is) I used a Hard Edged Round
brush, with the Dual Brush option clicked. I
then bounced around the Dual Brush options
depending on whatever secondary brush
appealed to me at the time. Really, its a very
poor example of how grass should be done
the only reason it works at all is because of the
light and color, which is okay. Ill be getting back
to it though, dont you worry!
I then think I worked out what was bothering me
which was mainly the fact that he was standing
on his kill. It looked kind of cool, but like I stated
earlier, I was aiming for a non-arrogant but
confident air. The character standing on a dead
buffalo didnt really project that, so as you can
see, I lowered him in front of his kill (Fig.04). It
took away from some of the dynamic factor, but
I knew Id find ways to work that back in later. At
least now he didnt look like he was gloating.
Finally, after hours of delay, I got around to
establishing the rest of the background. I was
thinking of a cloudy, tempestuous, windy day
on the plains. I used the Round Fan Stiff Thin
Bristles brush thats native to Photoshop CS5.
This is especially great if you have the Wacom
art pen, since they preview the rotation of your
brush, not just the tilt. On the negative side
though they do have an annoying preview
window that kept popping up no matter how
many times I clicked off (Fig.05).
To recapture some of the lost dynamic I opted to
tilt the whole piece about 20%. I simply grabbed
all of the layers, went to Edit > Transform >
Rotate and fiddled. I also continued to work up
the warrior, giving him a lean build. I decided
Id probably scale it back some though as it
was a tad too ripped for me (Fig.06). I also
began focusing more on how to decorate him
as I wanted to keep it simple, without too many
adornments. That way the pose wouldnt be

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Chapter 03

Tribal Warriors Chapter 03: Native American

lost in a bunch of layers and nuanced details. I

detail, along with accent colors (the red straps

also worked up the buffalo, giving him a darker,

coming from his hair) that helped drive more

shaggy coat. I started considering whether or

focus to his face.

not to just entirely darken the eyes and take out

the little glint because it was quite difficult to

Yep, back to a tilted piece (Fig.08). I decided to

project him as dead.

stick with this as I was starting to dig the slight

sense of vertigo. I went back into the sky and

Enter doubt! I rotated the whole piece back to

reworked it, using the previously mentioned

an even level. I wasnt sure if I liked it more

bristles brush and the Hard Edged Round brush.

like this, but I was still trying to figure out the

I kept it all loose as I wanted to give the sky a

composition. Tilted it looked a little wonky, but

sense of motion to counteract the stillness of

a part of me still liked it because it pulled me in

the two subjects. Usually if you refine something

(Fig.07). Regardless of this I continued to add

you tend to make it look more static, which is

pretty logical if you consider the fact that in real

life the quicker a thing is moving the blurrier it
appears. I also introduced some rim lighting to
add extra drama. All of this was done with the
Hard Round brush. I also cropped the canvas
as I felt like we were too far away from them
before.
I also started to build up the grass. I began
by using the Grass brush that comes with
Photoshop and angled it in the direction I
wanted it to go. I also varied the size and
spacing. Once the brush was set I simply began
to layer it over the ground. Theres not a big
trick to this; you just have to study some grass
references and figure out how much of it you
want to accurately portray in your scene. I was
going for semi-realistic, keeping it a tad on the
fantastical side. After I was done with the initial
laying in of the grass I grabbed a Hard Edged
Round brush, set the Size Jitter and Opacity
Jitter both to Control Pressure and went in to
vary and touch up the grass some more. From
this point onwards it was just a case of further
refining.

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Chapter 03

Chapter 03: Native American

Tribal Warriors

Here we have the pseudo-final piece (Fig.09). I

never really feel like my work is complete, and
this example is no different. Theres plenty Id
still like to render, but for the sake of the tutorial
and time this will have to do. I pretty much just
went over everything and refined it further. I
solidified the clouds just a tad more, and also
detailed the bison a bit more, trying to push
its sheer bulk. I got the clumpy texture look by
setting my Hard Round brush to a speckled
brush. To do this just enable the Scattering
options in the Brush Options window and vary
the sliders. Make sure to also play with the
spacing option of your brush for better results.
I also added some body designs, but nothing
that would cover up the physic too much. I think
a warriors greatest tool (after his mind) is his
body; the better that is honed the more deadly
he should be. For a quick and agile character
like the one we have here, its important to see
his build.
As for the grass, I copied the former layer, put
it to Overlay mode to pump up the contrast and

then continued to paint on it. This gave it that

just to play around. I used the speckled brush

extra kick of light to dark. I also made an overlay

on a different layer, then used the Filter > Blur >

layer for the body and just painted lightly over

Motion Blur.

him with the earlier mentioned speckled brush,

to give him a bit more texture.

After that I just went in and did some hands-on

smudging and painting of raindrops in motion.

So there you have it, a rather loose take on the

Remember to keep them blurry!

iconic Native American. I hope you enjoyed the

tutorial and best of luck in your version!

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Branko Bistrovic

Note: Just for the fun of it, I also made a quick

For more information please visit:

version with rain in it (Fig.10). It is not quite

www.brushdreams.com/brankosfurnace.swf

accurate the skin should be more glistening

Or contact him at:

and the lighting is much too warm now but still,

bisvic@gmail.com

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Chapter 03

04
viking

Tribal Warriors Chapter 04: Viking

Chapter 04: Viking
Software Used: Photoshop
For this tutorial I was set the task of creating a
concept illustration based on a Viking. I started
by coming up with some keywords for myself.
This helped me settle on the aesthetic style of
the painting, along with the lighting and mood.
I wanted the Viking to be very powerful and set
against a foreboding and grim scenario. This
helped me find a pose and expression that
worked. I used references at every step and
listened to music that reflected the feeling I was
aiming for. I hope you find this tutorial useful!

Blocking and Silhouette

With this image I knew I wanted something that
had a strong silhouette, and that the silhouette
should be as Viking as possible. Viking
horns were an obvious way to do this. Once
Id blocked in a rough shape, I started thinking
about the other elements I would need to

doing. At first I thought about having a wounded

If the Viking was chopping a tree down instead

develop the blobby scribble, such as indicating

Viking taking his last defensive strike. Then as

of a person, everything would be different, even

the arms and weapons. I blocked in using a

I continued blocking in and moving elements

though the pose and costume wouldnt be.

standard Hard Round brush with Pressure

around (such as the sword) I thought it would be

Sensitivity turned on (Fig.01). I then used the

interesting to show the Viking as an executioner.

Another layer to the context was what the

same brush as my eraser to cut out the shapes I

The man with the outstretched arm immediately

characters were wearing. Putting the characters

wanted (Fig.02).

worked for me (Fig.03). Everything was in his

in the clothing of the time and place meant

hand gesture and combined with the obvious

researching what they would have worn, how

striking angle of the Vikings sword this gave

they made their helmets, the decoration on their

When I had the Viking design down as I wanted

real weight to the image. In this scenario

swords and shields etc. You have to absorb as

it I started thinking about what he was actually

contrasting elements help to define each other.

much of the style as you can.

Contextual Design

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Chapter 04

Chapter 04: Viking

Tribal Warriors

Atmospherics and Dynamics

Once I was happy with what the image was
doing and saying, I started thinking about how
I could increase the drama. I didnt want to get
into the lighting of the scene yet, so I played
around with losing edges and adding smoke and
cloud effects to increase a sense of depth and

lines crossed at the exact same point, the

background was pure white, it could only go

motion (Fig.04).

composition would distract and annoy the eye. A

darker. Using the Multiply layer mode has a nice

good principle to study is Informal Composition

layering effect that builds the darks very well.

I did this by creating some custom brushes

by Loomis (Fig.06).

I used large soft airbrushes and cloud custom

sampled from clouds and using them along with

brushes, focusing on establishing a lighting

erasers. Another thing to play around with is the

A good exercise for practicing your composition

gradient more than anything else. Then I erased

flow value, which will slowly build up the stroke

is to take three circles. Order them in a neat

out the areas on my characters where it had

and give your brushes a different look (Fig.05).

and boring way in a frame. Then create a set

gone too dark. This was how I established the

of mini-compositions, with the most dynamic

mood and general lighting of the image (Fig.08).

Composition Principles
One thing that I was aware of at this stage was
that the composition was looking very side

combination of the three circles that you can

Fig.09 illustrates exactly what I did for the

(Fig.07).

Viking image. I painted the base painting and

pattern with my characters to keep the image

Using Multiply for the

Background

interesting. Negative shapes and composition

I intentionally left the background white in

design lines helped me find interesting abstract

the beginning for two reasons. I wanted to

shapes, such as the negative shapes around

stay focused on the characters as much as

the axe and hands. I tried to make sure no

possible for the blocking in and I knew I could

Overlay, Color Balance and

Hard Light

more than two of the composition lines ever

use Multiply to make it work later down the

Different layer modes are the way I would

crossed over at a perfect X. You can see in

line. So once I was happy compositionally and

usually apply color to a piece. For the Viking

the example the small triangle made by the

contextually with the image I created a Multiply

image, I applied a wash of blue with orange

sword hand, axe and arm/leg line. If all the

layer at the top of the layer stack. Since the

to get a basic idea of the color temperature

on. I knew I had to create a strong graphic

then painted in a Multiply layer above it. Finally

I deleted the parts of that layer that were in the
highlighted areas.

(warms and cools). Then I used Hard Light

in the darkest darks to paint pure red into
areas. Overlay wouldnt be able to do this as it
doesnt affect pure blacks or whites. Hard Light,
however, brings the black point up really well. I
then used a Color Balance adjustment layer to
grade the image to a tone I wanted (Fig.10).

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Chapter 04

Tribal Warriors Chapter 04: Viking

Fig.11 shows the interesting colors achieved

Studying sub surface scattering will really help

by using just one Overlay on top of a black and

you to understand how skin works and how it

white image. A good thing to do after this is

can look authentic. In Fig.13 you will see how

painting opaque (Normal layer mode) back over

sphere 1 has only one hue going from light to

the top. This gets rid of the obvious wash look.

black. Sphere 2 goes through many hues and

Skin Tone
Sometimes when using Overlay and Hard Light

ramps up in saturation before it gets anywhere

near true black.

layers the skin on characters doesnt look right.

Pose Refinement

I settled on a slight position and rotation change

Its very easy to make skin look dead in an

I continued to refine and add details specific to

(Fig.14). This increased the impression of him

image. This is usually because one hue has

Vikings such as leather straps, belts, studs and

swinging his sword. Every time you change

been used to paint the form of the characters

armor all sourced from references. At this stage

something in a piece, question whether it dilutes

skin. Skin contains so many hues and saturation

of an image I always try to stop and take a step

or enhances the image.

levels it takes more to make it look believable.

back. I try to re-analyze the poses and make

Its something that needs a lot of practice, but

sure everything is as good as it can be. With this

Particles and Finishing Effects

it is key to making character illustrations look

image I moved the peasants hand and head

I knew from the start that I wanted this image

strong. So I re-graded my image, focusing only

around, but decided not to change anything. The

to have a lot of depth and visual effects. As the

on the skin. I had the previous versions color

Vikings head, however, was bothering me. So I

weather in the image seemed very dull and grim,

palette to go back to later. Once I felt the skin

lasso selected his head/helmet and used Copy/

I thought Id try making the rain from one of the

looked natural color-wise, I copied them back

Merge and Paste to create a flattened selection I

previous attempts work. Rain has a great mood

into the blue, grim lighting version (Fig.12).

could move around. After trying multiple options,

and adds a lot in terms of reflections, specular

highlights, particles and things like water splash.
For the rain, I created a custom brush using the
standard Hard Round which I flattened in the
Roundness setting as much as possible. I then
just played with scattering values until I thought
it read like rain. I also used other particle custom
brushes to add miscellaneous texture effects
like grit and mud into the image. Applying a
small amount of Motion Blur to these elements
adds a lot of depth (Fig.15). At the end I created
a vignette to the image and blurred the edges
whilst sharpening my focal points (Fig.16).

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Chapter 04

Chapter 04: Viking

Tribal Warriors

Jon McCoy
For more information please visit:
http://www.jonmccoyart.com/
Or contact him at:
jonmccoydesigns@googlemail.com

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Chapter 04

Tribal Warriors Chapter 04: Viking

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page 29

Chapter 04

05
fantasy

Tribal Warriors Chapter 05: Fantasy

Chapter 05: Fantasy
Software Used: Photoshop
How do you paint a picture with well defined
volume, depth and composition? Im going to
tell you how to work on the dynamics between
the figure and the background, and also how
to understand figures and handle light and
shadows. My idea is to make it fun and easy to
understand.
Lets start defining the drawings details the best
we can, so that when we switch to color itll be
easier to model it. Im naturally impatient and
like to go directly to color, but this time I tried
to calm down and set the picture a little better
before diving into the swimming pool of color.
These are the subjects Ive chosen to discuss:
- How to select base colors
- Figure modeling and light direction
- How do you make the colors match?
- Final details
- Bonus track

How to Select Base Colors

To find out what base colors we should use, we
must keep in mind several things:
- Whether the scene takes place during day
or night

- What we want to show in the painting and

- What kind of environment or scenery we

what is in the background.

to work out whether the selected base colors

are right or wrong.

have (desert, forest etc)

- How many characters there are in the
composition

As you can see, there are three elements

In the first example the color palette is cool,

in the drawing: an Indian, a wild pig and the

therefore warm colors stand out immediately

background (Fig.01). The warrior is the most

in this case the wild pig. This is not useful

important part as he is what I want everybody to

because the warrior is supposed to command

look at (Fig.02). For this reason, we should try

the viewers attention.

to separate the character from other elements

using colors.

In the second example, all the elements are

warm, therefore nothing stands out and it is very

Curiously through colors you can say a lot of

difficult to guide the viewer around the image.

things. It is not foolish to plan which colors you

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are going to use from the beginning. Fig.03

Finally, in the third example we find the best

shows three different examples you can look at

option. The warm background and the wild pig

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Chapter 05

Chapter 05: Fantasy

blend well, and the warrior in the blue color

that isnt very realistic but it makes the image

stands out from the secondary elements. At the

look dramatic and interesting (Fig.06).

Tribal Warriors

same time the warrior shares a cold color range

with the wild pigs body (Fig.04).

If you look at paintings from the Baroque period

you will see clear examples of dramatic lighting

To put in your new color choices you simply

and contrast management. Rembrandt was one

need to set your sketch to Multiply and paint in

of the great masters of this movement. In his

the three colors (Fig.05).

work we find great examples of the use of light

Figure Modeling and Light

Direction

and shadow (Fig.07).

The next step is to start shaping the figure. To

To start painting lets define the strong lights and

do that you must first understand the shapes,

The warriors head and face is composed of

shadows first. At this point well start to cover

and use the direction of the light to try to

several geometric figures. You may have seen

the original drawings line with color. To guide

understand how the character will look in the

these shapes used in diagrams thousands of

the viewers gaze I have chosen a theatrical light

light.

times before, but it is important to understand

the shapes that make up the head as these will
help you paint the head to make it look 3D. You
can see how these shapes work on the face in
Fig.08.
Using the understanding of the shape of the
face that we now have, we can start to put color
on the warriors face (Fig.09). In image 3 you
can see that I have added some backlighting.
This means that I have added some of the
background colors to the skin of the warrior,
particularly on the darker side. This is to make
the character look as if it is standing in its
environment.

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Chapter 05

Tribal Warriors Chapter 05: Fantasy

Making the Colors Match

This part of the process is about adjusting the
balance of the contrasting colors in the different
elements of the painting. To explain this Ive
draw a blue apple on an orange background.
It is always easier to demonstrate a point with
simple figures. Remember that when you paint
with colors you must cover the whole painting
with one color. This is the base or dominant
color. Then you should add local color for each
element that makes up the composition. Always
keep the base color of the bottom (Fig.10).
If we look at the following boxes, we can clearly
see the contrast between the blue object and
the orange background. As we want this object
to be integrated in the background, but at the
same time separate from it, we have to control
the amounts of orange and blue we use. If the
object is further in the background it will have
much more orange on it than blue. That is to
create a greater sense of depth or distance.
Depending on the material the object is made
from, the object will reflect more or less light.
This will allow us to differentiate a piece of cloth
from a piece of metal (Fig.11).
you can add some interesting features that look

on it anymore. If you feel like this, its best to

visually appealing. Sometimes after working

stop working on it for several hours. When

If you already have the character and

on a image for a long time you can feel a little

you go back to it you can think about what you

background defined and the lighting established

bored of it and feel like you dont want to work

would like to adjust or if you would like to work

Final details
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Chapter 05

Chapter 05: Fantasy

Tribal Warriors

on some of the main focus areas like the faces

things you can explore any style that suits you.

is that anybody can draw using any tool they

of the characters (Fig.12).

Dont let anyone impose a style on you.

like. The truth is that you can paint amazing

images with just one brush without using special

In Fig.13 14 you can see the points of interest

Here is a little gift for you. I have provided the

layers or effects. The most important thing to

that I adjusted.

brushes I used for this painting (Fig.16). You

know is the traditional techniques and to paint

can download these brushes with this tutorial.

what you want to. Try to create a painting with

After some time I decided that I also wanted to

only two layers the first for the sketch and

do a cartoony version. You can see in Fig.15

Conclusion

that the same principles apply whatever style of

In almost all the tutorials Ive already written for

you can do it and that its fun. I hope you have

work you are doing. The other important thing

2DArtist magazine, Ive avoided talking about

enjoyed my tutorial (Fig.17).

to remember is that once you understand these

programs, steps or special effects. My thinking

the second for the painted color. Youll see that

Ignacio Bazan Lazcano

For more information please visit:
http://www.ignaciobazanart.com/
Or contact him at:
i.bazanlazcano@gmail.com

- Free Brush

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page 34

Chapter 05

3DTOTAL.COM

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This eBook series will be split over six separate chapters, all sharing the common theme of a fantasy inspired
medieval scene. Each will be undertaken by a different artist and draw upon a wealth of experience and skills
perfected over years of industry practice. The authors will discuss their approach to digital /concept painting,
the tools and brushes they employ and treat us to a valuable look into their artistic process. The six installments
will cover a different environment each chapter based upon the medieval theme and encompass a multitude of
professional tips and techniques.
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Futuristic cities and landscapes dominate digital art. They form the backdrop of countless films and videogames
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This tutorial series is made up of six chapters, each tackled by a different artist, will be exploring the ways to
design and paint cities of the future. Each artist will draw upon years of experience to demonstrate techniques
and methods for creating original designs in a step by step way that can help any digital artist.
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This eBook tutorial series will revolve around the use of 3d as a starting point for digital painting. In particular we
will explore the value of Google SketchUp, a free program enabling users to quickly build 3d environments using
a set of intuitive tools.
As a 3d package SketchUp is easy to learn and does not require hours of training and as an artist wishing to draw
complicated scenes, this approach can prove a valuable starting point for producing a template on which to paint
over.
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This eBook series will be split over six separate chapters all of which will be dedicated to painting monsters
suited to a range of habitats spanning jungle and aquatic to mountainous and subterranean. Each will be
covered by a different author who will discuss their approach to digital /concept painting, the tools and brushes
they employ and how to create a final image. We shall gain an insight into the thought processes of each of our
industry professionals and the ways in which they develop an idea from concept sketches through to a finished
work.
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