Corel Painter:

First step:

 Setting up the canvas:

-In here, we can select the color of the canvas, this will not be erased with the
erase tool.

-Standard size of the canvas: (inches): Width:8; height:11, Resolution:300ppi

(some people use 600 ppi for concept art work)

-When we forgot to do that, we can use the paint bucket tool, then go to
Canvas>Set paper color

 Choosing and Calibrating Brushes: All the brushes can be modified, and the
be preset to their original form.

 Creating Lines with the Drawing Tools: With the straight line stroke tool, it’s
possible to build up forms using straight lines. Also, there is a tool called
perspective tool, used to draw with perspective lines.(very useful)

 Add color: This tutorial will get you started with color selection, which is an
important part of any painting project. There are 3 methods of color picking
that you can use:

- the Color Wheel, which allows you to adjust sliders to select the colors you
want and choose color harmonies

In this tool, when the “s” command is moved backward and forward, we can select
the same color with different contrasts.

- the Color Set Libraries, which allow you to use the existing libraries or
create your own color sets with your favorite colors or specific colors for a
certain project;

In this area, is possible to create a new section with saved color, just select “new
color set”, then

- the Color Mixer, which allows you to add selected colors to the palette and
see how they mix together.

Oils pencils can pick two colors at a time (when they’re mixed), and then create a
gradient while painting.
Book recommendation: Search color theory: james curn gurney (color and life for
the rare less painter)

 Layers and selections

This tutorial covers a couple of tools that will help to streamline your painting
process. You’ll be introduced to layers, that allow you preserve your original
drawing by adding new brush strokes to another layer. And if you aren’t happy with
the new brush strokes you’ve added, you can just delete the layer and begin again
with your original image. You will also learn how to make a selection so you can
easily fill in various parts of your drawing.

- The lasso tool is very useful for selecting shapes (hold shift while using the
tool to add figures, hold alt to delete a part of the figure)

-When selecting the preserving transparency tool, the software doesn’t allow
you to paint outside the drawing in the layer. More info below:

Preserving layer transparency

Areas of a layer that don’t contain images are transparent. In Corel Painter,
you can preserve these transparent areas of a layer. When you preserve
layer transparency, it affects which areas of a layer you can create images
on. It also affects the results of erasing or deleting images on a layer.

By default, the Preserve Transparency setting is disabled, which lets you

paint anywhere on the layer. When the setting is enabled, the transparent
areas are preserved, and you are confined to painting on areas of the layer
that already contain images.

-
The results of painting on a layer with Preserve Transparency disabled (left) and
enabled (right).

If you want to paint on a shape, you must first commit the shape to a pixel-based
layer. For more information, see Converting shapes to image layers.

A good way to think about preserving transparency is in terms of a layer mask. As

described in Creating and deleting layer masks, a layer mask defines the visible
areas of a layer.

Preserving transparency provides a powerful selective editing capability to create

interesting effects by altering the strokes you’ve already applied. For example, you
can enable the setting to fill a set of hand-drawn letters with a pattern, a color
gradient, or other brushstrokes.

Preserving transparency also affects the results of cutting or erasing on a layer.

When Preserve Transparency is disabled, erasing or deleting images restores

transparency to the area and reveals the underlying image.
When Preserve Transparency is enabled, erasing or deleting images reveals the
document’s paper color. In effect, erasing or deleting with Preserve
Transparency enabled is the same as painting or filling with the document’s
paper color.

-
- Erasing part of a layer (the woman’s hair) with Preserve Transparency
disabled restores transparency (left). When the option is enabled, erasing
reveals the paper color (right).
- You can create a layer mask based on the layer’s transparency. A layer
mask defines which areas of a layer are visible in the document window. For
more information, see Creating and deleting layer masks.
-

Add paper texture to the canvas:

Effect>surface control>apply surface texture

(to control the size of the effect):

Window>paper panels>papers>Effects>Apply surface texture

- To change the presets for the image to look like in photoshop: Canvas>color
management settings>change default RGB profile to adobe RGB 1998

 Custom Brushes

- Thick wet impasto is good for mixing colors

- To modify brushes go to window>advanced brush controls
- To save a new brush ( a modified one) go to brushes>save variant>tip the
name a select the category, the brush will be saved and it can be used in
the future.
- To make a new color set (take the colors from an image) go to the pop up
menu of the color wheel, select new color set from image and pick the color
quantity.
- window>brush control panels>color variability and color expression: with this
last two selections, it’s possible to modify the brush, with the first one, the
amount of colors used by the brush is changed (increasing the three
values), with the second, the effect is modified (depending on the
expression selected). Also, when the color jitter is increased in this window,
the two colors selected in the color wheel can be mixed (depending on the
quantity selected in this area).

 Quick clone: file >quick clone (the image looks transparent), always check the
show source option to view the reference image.
With this tool, the image can be copied using a pencil to sketch in the surface,
also go to canvas>tracing paper to remove the bottom image and see the
work-in-process. Therefore, in the color wheel, is the clone color option, is use
to pick automatically the color from the image and add it to the painting, while
using a brush.
 Painter for illustrators
 Shortcuts:

Space+click= move canvas

Space+shift+click:rotate canvas

 Painting with paper textures: variable chalk is a great tool to paint with paper
textures, also charcoal and conte (the brushes that contain the word “grainy
on its name works well with papers)

- To make your own paper texture: select the pop up menu of the paper
window, pick make paper, write a name a select a texture.
- To invert a selection of the paper (for coloring inside) click on the right
button on the paper panel (there are two buttons)

- To create a paper from a gradient: window>media library panels> pop up

menu(the one in the top right)>pattern control panel>pop up menu>make
fractal pattern>make the patter (choose 512)>ok>select all>pop up menu for
the papers panel>capture paper

http://learn.corel.com/painting-tutorials/digital-painting-tutorials/painter-for-
illustrators/

 Painting with the default image hose:

-Is important that the selected color and the background color remain the
same as the canvas color, this will allow the brush to work best.
- Hose brushes work creating repetitive patterns in the canvas.

 Painting with a custom image hose: This allows painting with textures and
objects created before to make a pattern (Search: how to make an custom
image hose).
 Liquid brushes: Create a separate layer, they are similar to normal ink, and
can be used in different layers.
 Liquid brushes (resist): they remove the painting in the areas filled with liquid
ink.
 Impasto: Are used for creating 3D effects
-Fiber: looks sparkly
-Gloopy:3D bulks
Grain emboss: looks like fiber (it can be used with paper texture to create
good effects)
Note: The image have to be saved in a riff format, if not when the image is re-
opened, it can’t be altered anymore.
 - How to modify the look in the impasto brushes: Window>brush control
panels>impasto
- For hide the impasto in the image: canvas>hide impasto
Delete it: Clear impasto
Show it again: Show impasto
- For seeing the light applied on the canvas: canvas>surface lighting, this
option also allows to change the color of the light applied on the image

 Painting with F-X brushes:

- Coarse distorto: helps create smoke

- Difusion: Difuse lines
- Glow: Creates a glow of light
- Fire: creates fire flames
- Fairy dust: Makes sparkles of light
- Gradient flat brush. Makes a gradient based on the two colors
selected on the color wheel
- Gradient string: makes a solid string based on the two colors selected
on the color wheel
- Hair spray: creates a hairy pattern in the drawing
- Hurricane: distorts things quick
- Shattered: looks like broken glass

 Create a pattern

Make a drawing in a layer separate from the canvas>select the layer>

click on the patter library popup menu, select paper library panel>click on
the popup menu “capture pattern”>put it a name and click ok.

The pen that works better with this technique is: Pattern Pens:Pattern
pen masked (creates a transparency)

 To save se changes in a brush, adding an image to it: Make a change on the

brush>select an image to identify that change>go to window>Media library
panels>looks>save look>put it a name and click ok

 Painting a face using the mirror tool: Activate the tool and start painting, is
very useful for faces and symmetrical objects.

 Good brush for use. Acrylics: captured bristle

Painting portraits:

Create a separate layer for the sketch: sketch brush: digital oils brush
 Part one: base

1) Create a new layer and paint the background with a solid color
2) For the background: scratchboard tool (Fill everything with this tool)
3) In this case, we’ll use the digital airbrush for details.
4) The blender (coarse oily blender) is use for creating hair and blend the
background.
5) The pinch brush(F-X) is good for refining edges
6) Diffuse blur: (Erase details)

Tab: (only the image appear in the screen), spacebar: move canvas

Part two dark:

1) In a new layer, Use the details oil brush to colorize dark details (Mark with
the darkest color the details in the face
Later, create a new layer called shadow tint, and apply shadow with the
digital airbrush.
The white in the digital airbrush subtracts color

Part three:

New layer: tint (Helps separate other shadows from the drawing)
Other layer: Light (Is used for creating light color in the face)
Diffuse blur: for blurring edges (especially hair in the beginning of the head)
- When all is ready, drop all the layers(except the sketch layer)
- Later, Use the diffuse tool (blender) to blur all the areas in the face
that are subtle.
- Coarse oily blender (creates an effect on the skin that makes it more
realistic, it has to be used carefully)+ Diffuse blur (blur the areas and
mix the colors

Part Four:

- New layer: Layer1 (Screen): Is used for create highlights with the
digital airbrush in the skin and eyes.
- Apply detail oils brush for the detail around the eyeballs
- Drop all layers again
- The coarse oily blender helps to make form to the hair.

Part five
- New layer: brows (with the digital airbrush)
- New layer: brush hair (with the bristle oils brush)
- Use blur to make parts of the drawing look blurry.

Part six:
 -New layer: texture (use the custom sponge tool to crate texture in
the layer freckles, and skin effects) later, blend it with diffuse blur.
New layer: freckles (using pepper brush) and later blurring with the
diffuse blur.

http://learn.corel.com/tutorials/how-to-paint-portraits-part-3/

Tutorial Tuesday: Blending in

Corel Painter
October 31, 2007
tags: Tutorials Corel Painter blending brushes

I confess, I’m a Painter addict. I switched over from Photoshop about three years ago, and
(for the most part) haven’t looked back. I’d say about 99.9% of any of my digital artwork is
created in Corel Painter IX. I use Photoshop mainly for color touchups, resizing images,
and scanning traditional media. I’m not a Painter “Master” by any stretch of the
imagination, and pretty much everything I know about the program I’ve picked up on my
own. Sadly, there’s a severe shortage of Painter tutorials out there.

One of the questions I get asked most often is about blending. If you’re used to Photoshop,
you’re more than likely very familiar with the Smudge/Smear brush. While it has its uses,
too many beginners rely on it heavily instead of searching for better blending options, and
more often than not it makes a painting look blurry, distorted, and amateurish.

This is one of several areas where I feel like Painter really shines over PS. But the sheer
number of blending options (or perhaps the fact that they’re not as obvious as the smear
brush in PS), seems to confuse people who’ve recently made the switch.

What I’ve done here is a roundup of some of my favorite blending brushes. Feel free to bust
out your copy of Painter and play along.

The first set of brushes here can all be found in your Brush Selector bar under “Blenders.”
There are quite a few options there, but these are my top picks.

The Smudge brush is probably my favorite. It blends pretty well, picks up every color
around it, but gives you some grain as well. This makes it especially good for blending skin
tones, where a little bit of speckled grain gives the skin texture.

The Smear brush, in Painter, is pretty similar to the one in photoshop. Basically, you’re
fingerpainting. Nice smooth color transitions, but kinda blah. Not too bad if you don’t mind
a little blur in your blend.

Somewhat better than the Smear brush, you’ve got the “Just Add Water” brush. Not sure
why they call it that, but it does give a nice solid gradation between colors, and a little more
personality than the smear brush.

I demo’d a few others, just to show some of the differences. Play with each one, in a
practical setting, to find the ones that work the best for you.
Most of my paintings are done using the Artist’s Oils brushes. I like these because they
come with the blend settings built into each brush. When you’re using the Artist’s Oils
brushes, you’ll see a “Blend” percentage in your toolbar. By raising or lowering this
percentage you can get different levels of blending for your brush. To blend, just paint and
hold the pen down till its out of paint, then continue to paint over your stroke. For more
options, play with the brush opacity. I prefer a low opacity brush (around 20-30%) with a
high blend setting (90-100%) for most of my paintings.

I also like working with the Oil Pastels. These

blend automatically, depending on your pen
pressure. If you vary your pen pressure as you
block in your colors, they’ll fade and feather
into the colors beneath. Lowering or raising the
opacity of
your brush
will also give
you some nice blend effects. Oil Pastel blending isn’t
smooth, but works well for blocking in color, or
reflective objects that have sharper delinations between
colors. I often use this brush for skin tones and hair.

The various airbrushes work the same way, and you can
get nice gradual color changes just by layering almost
transparent layers of color. Large brushes, set at around 4% opacity, will give you some
sweet large area shading, especially if you build up the area from dark to light or vice versa.

If you’re into layering your colors, you can combine a lot of these brushes to achieve
different blending effects. The result is usually far more organic and painterly than what
you’ll get with just a smudge brush. The trick is to experiment and play with different
brushes, and don’t be afraid to alter settings to obtain the style you want.

If you ever worry that you’ve lost most of the settings that make a particular brush work,
you can reset them in the Brush selector palette by choosing the “Restore Default Variant”
option.
___________________________

I’m planning on continuing Tutorial Tuesdays in the future, mainly focusing on digital
painting with Corel Painter. If you’ve got a question or a topic you’d like me to cover leave
me a comment and I’ll see what I can do.