Photoshop tutorial for digital painting #003 using Multiply mode

Photoshop tutorial for digital painting #003 using Multiply mode. Photoshop tips for digital painter #003 using multiply mode. What is multiply mode?


Here is the definition of multiply mode according to Adobe, “Looks at the color information in each channel and multiplies the base color by the blend color. The result color is always a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces black. Multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged. When you’re painting with a color other than black or white, successive strokes with a painting tool produce progressively darker colors. The effect is similar to drawing on the image with multiple magic markers.”


Multiplying two layers basically means that the top layer will darken the bottom layer. Black in the top layer is opaque. Pure white is completely transparent, showing the below layer as is. When I first start painting digitally using photoshop, multiply mode is the first thing I actually use a lot. It is easy to understand and I can get an accurate result using multiply. What you can do with multiply mode?


1) I personally often use multiply mode to get the darker value of the base color. I use it to create shadow area for the most part. If I want the light shadow, I will use the base color with 30% opacity to paint on multiply mode layer on top of the existing layer. If I want darker, I will use 50%-70% opacity. Beyond that it will be almost black. And multiply mode only make the darker value when paint on top, not the same or lighter value.


2) If you have a scan line art, you can turn that layer from normal to multiply then paint underneath it. Though you have to make sure the empty (white) area is absolute white. You can make an adjustment using adjustment function called level.


Below are the sample of using multiply mode
A) On blue background, I paint it with 80% black (20% brightness), it shows darker blue on the mute (desaturate) side of hue. Then I paint it with medium gray, it shows dark blue also but not as dark as the previous one. Finally I paint it with its own color (blue), it shows darker blue on the more saturate color. I use 70% opacity on all the strokes I made on the sample.


I perform the same task on B) and C) except that both use different color base.



Here is a new step by step tutorial from one of my sequential art. As for the application of multiply. I use it to get value of the image from 2 to 3. Then from 3 to 4 I use overlay to get the color down.


Below is some new sequential art work from my Zombie comics.


Master artist quote: “Maybe think about doing things differently, contrasts in all things, including edges and detail levels and flat versus textures, abstract versus delineated, line vs mass, big planes and forms versus smaller forms, curves versus straights all of that. Play up the differences that you see. Think of yourself as an entertainer, and you have an audience with a short attention span, and you have to figure out many different ways to do things to keep them interested. “ ~ Craig Mullins


I hope you enjoy the post, peace!

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Photoshop tips #002 using overlay mode part 2

Photoshop tips #002 using overlay mode part 2. Using color with overlay blending mode for your digital painting. In part 1, I explained how to use overlay mode with gray-scale or black and white range (Photoshop tip 001 using overlay mode), now we are going discuss the use of colors.
To me, overlay mode is extremely useful tool to create color scheme once you have your value established in your digital painting. If you’ve read my blog and watched my video tutorials for a while, you will know that I usually work in monochromatic (and/or gray-scale) first in most of my digital paintings. Like many professional digital artists and painters, you begin with drawing, establish shapes, create light and shadow (value), apply color paint, then figure out edges. Similar process also applies in oil painting. Only occasionally I start of with colors right away.
Other than establishing color scheme, overlay mode also very useful when you try to add more colors (hues) to your painting. Though the process can be unpredictable for many beginners, and often novices. But once you understand its function, you will be able to predict the outcome.


In the post you will also need to know HSB mode in color window if you don’t already know that. I use that the most. Personally, I think it is more useful than color wheel, more rational, and better precision. H = hue, S = saturation, B = brightness.


1) Any color (Hue) is fine, but it’s the brightness (value) that matters. If you have a painting that you already worked out its lighting (value) and you want to maintain the value, it is safe to set the brightness range between 50% to 80%. If you go lower than 55% (darker), it will shift the overall value to very dark, except for the bright area. Assuming saturation stay the same, it is safer to go brighter though beyond 80% brightness will also light the shadow area up. On the color window in HSB mode (I use the most), along the B bar, it is more predictable to stay from the mid section toward the brighter area, but don’t go too far right. Below are images demonstrate how brightness (B) level effect overlay mode with blue hue and 85% saturation on all A, B, and C.





A) I painted with 50% brightness.
B) I painted with 20% brightness.
C) I painted with 80% brightness.


As seen above, B turns out way too dark, but A and C we can still work with depending on your preference.
Personally, I prefer 50% to 70% brightness when using overlay mode layer.
I recommend to try it out yourself and play around with it to get the better idea.


2) Saturation level of your color also effect overlay mode, but it will not alter your value range. Depending on how color rich you want your image to be. If you want it extremely colorful, set your saturation high. I prefer mid range color and usually set it around 55% to 70% saturation on the bar. Below are images demonstrate how brightness saturation (S) effect overlay mode with blue hue and 65% brightness on all A, B, and C.





A) I painted with 20% saturation.
B) I painted with 55% saturation.
C) I painted with 95% saturation.


As shown above, all do not effect your established value range. Though A seems as if nothing changes. B would be my choice because the saturation looks more natural. C is a little much, but could work in extreme case or stylize art form.


3) Color overlays color on top of overlay, try to avoid it if not necessary. Get the right color in the first place. If you really need to, it is better to de-saturate the area (dull the color down or totally gray it out) first, then apply paint on overlay mode on top. Personally, I will just paint on top with a solid color of choice on normal mode layer with 70 opacity brush. I get the accurate result that way.


4) Again, overlay blending mode can be found on Layers window when you make a new layer. And you can also find it the brush mode in the little scroll down box right below the main menu.


5) More tip from the master painter, "I learned to paint with gouache, which is a flat opaque watercolor. It was nice to learn with that because most people start with oil, and they smudge it around and never really learn structure. You can't blend gouache, so you have to find the edges of your forms and put a real value change there.
So in digital terms, leave the airbrush and smudge tools alone and use a flat brush. I think the give-away for digital is the slickness. Finding the edge of forms is the first step to good shape design. Hope this helps!"  ~Craig Mullins


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Photoshop tips #001 using overlay mode

Photoshop tips #001 using overlay with your digital painting. Overlay mode is probably one the few most useful tools in Photoshop for digital painters and artists. It is also one of the easiest one that can easily be very difficult to understand. In this post, I am just going to cover on just using gray scale or black and white range to paint to avoid further confusion. I will try to cover painting in color in the next post. Here are what you need to know.


1) What is "Overlay" blending mode? Here is from Official Photoshop: "Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay the existing pixels while preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color. The base color is not replaced but is mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the original color." Try to read multiple times, then you might just get it.


2) What and when do I use overlay most? The meaning that official Adobe Photoshop gave above might confuse the hell out of most people. So I am going to just narrow it down for just digital painting purpose. There are two major ways I use overlay for. First, I use it to find value ranges in the drafting or sketching state, after drawing. And at this point, I only paint it in gray-scale (black, white). Second, I use it mostly to establish the color scheme of my painting.


3) What does overlay mode do when painting in gray-scale. If you use white to 60% brightness, it will make your painting lighter. It will be almost just like when you are using screen blend mode. When you use black to 40% brightness, it will darken your image. Again, just like when you are using multiply. This method works on both gray-scale background or any value. Also any color base background. One thing you should be aware of is that if you are using gray-scale at the 50% range to paint, it will barely change your value at all. (include +5% and -5% range) See image below for visual reference.


*Above image was painted over with default round using 80% opacity

4) Overlay blending mode can be found on Layers window when you make a new layer. And you can also find it the brush mode in the little scroll down box right below the main menu.


5) As a painter, do not always rely on "Overlay".  Below is a valuable quote from master painter, Craig Mullins,  "/random thought/-if you guys are doing speedies for improvement as painters, lay off the color dodge and overlay. Or, paint it like that if that is the way you want it, like Rembrandt. You might say you have seen a lot of that in my work, and yes, a while ago I did do a lot of it. Not for a while. I even used a lensflare or 2 in 94. Not since it was widely abused. I think the leaf brush is going the same way. If it is easy and effective, it will be abused and become commonplace. But that is for learning I think For getting a real job done quickly and well, anything goes--feel free to disagree! /end random thought/ "


continue to part 2 Photoshop tip 002 using overlay mode in color


Anyway, here are some daily sketch from my Zombie comics panel (yes, I need to catch up really bad.  I know I am easily distracted by other things.) with step by step process.



Here is a final image


And one more extra panels ;-)




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