Articles you would like to see

[Leaflin]

If you go to Channels at the top of the page, and scroll down to Airbrush, you will see that under our "Latest Channel News & Articles" there aren't any

I believe there are many members in here who would share their expertise and contribute an article or two.
So, let's start a list on the type of articles you would like to see.
I myself would enjoy a basic intro to the Airbrush, Airbrush 101

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

I'd like to see an article showing how to use the 7 value technique to airbrush portraits. This is where you use 7 flesh tones (hilight, mid-light, low light, midtone, light shadow, shadow, dark shadow) and white and black to get the basic form complete in a short time and then add local colors and extra shading to complete the 3D look.

Specifically, I'd like to know how to mix the 7 flesh tones (starting colors with percentages for a basic starting point), what type (brands/models) of pencil/marker is used to create the basic outline of the face/body, whether all phases are done with opaque or transparent colors, how much (if any) freehand masking and frisket masking is done, etc.

I rented a video showing this done but you know how it goes, there are questions always left unanswered and I am very new to the airbrush and art techniques in general.



So, my next choice is anything on portraits.



Thanks,
Tim

[kahlua]

I would like to see articles on portraits, dogs - short haired and some beginner stuff as well.

[kahlua]

I just thought of another one - what about a design that uses a stencil. There would be the stencil layout available so the person could follow along with the article and end up with a nice picture at the end. A stencil would make this easy for someone starting out. Just a thought

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Yes, an article that allowed a beginner to intermediate (me heheheheh) to follow and get roughly the same results would be great.


AND... when the article is done, I'll even proofread and road-test it for ya. If I can do it... heheheeh anyone can. I am good with catching errors, too.



Tim

[Caterwallin']

Leaflin - At what level would you like to see AB 101 start? An intro into the AB itself or beginning AB technique?

Tim - What video did you rent? Skin tone techniques are varied and one of the hardest to accomplish.

Kahlua - no problem.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Sam

[coherent]

I think I have the video you mentioned. It’s an Airbrush Action video called Painting Portrait’s Using the Value System by Michael Astrachan. A web search for the above should find it at a number of vendors. Although I haven’t had a chance to really practice the method at length, I have played with it a bit and it seems to work very well. You’re right, he doesn’t discuss specific paint formulas for skin tones, but I think that’s because he uses only opaque paint for the “values” and then like you mentioned, used transparent colors at the end to shift the skin tone to the required hue. I remember noting that in the video demonstration, his portrait had quite a yellowish look to me, but he then used transparents (red, blue and gray if I remember right) as a final step to finish the overall skin tones and shadows. I’ve noticed that many other well known airbrush artists use transparent colors almost exclusively for realistic flesh/skin tones to avoid a muddy or chalky look. I always thought tranparents were a must to get a realistic translucent look, but, I was impressed at how in this video he created a very lifelike portrait on a T-shirt in about an hour and a half with mostly opaques. Highly recommended video for getting a better grasp on values, shadowing and light if nothing else. (Plus it’s always fun to watch a pro make it look so simple!) I too would like to see more info from someone who has used this technique effectively...
-Marc

[Penny220]

I'm wondering if a survey would help us give this direction.

What we need for now is a wip that everyone can follow as a project (if I did not mistake what leaflin' told us)

level of difficulty

stencil or freehand

landscape, plant or animal (I'm neglecting portrait for now because this is not a beginner project and it has been expressed that a beginner to intermediate project where everyone can achieve similar results is requested)

Did I miss anything?

Is a survey a good idea?

Penny

[Leaflin]

Originally posted by Caterwallin'
Leaflin - At what level would you like to see AB 101 start? An intro into the AB itself or beginning AB technique?

Both

Sam, I was just on the tech page of your web site, and, if you are willing, you could easily use any of those articles on the publisher here at WC. That would give us three articles and a base to build on. When I do an article, I compose it in Microsoft Works, then cut and paste it into WC publisher. It is a "building block" system and quite easy to use once you get the hang of it.
Have you looked at the publisher yet?
If you do decide to do that, PM me when you are ready so I can keep an eye out for it.

A beginning article on masking would be wonderful!

As for projects.....In an earlier thread Masks Deserve A Thread Of Their Own You showed us how to do bird feathers using a fan brush, Penny offered a list of suggestions for masks, and many others offered their ideas. I thought it would be a good first project for us to each do simple, sample masks; even I could do that . This would give us a permanent place to look at everone's suggestions, and give everyone a feel for how the project system works. Give me a bit of time and I'll get a project started in the next week or so.

Trust me

Edited for name mess up , sorry.

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Leaflin,

You meant "Sam, I was just on your tech page..."


Sam and Marc, YES! I own the Michael Astrachan video and in fact I called him on the phone today and chatted for a while. He hasn't airbrushed in about 6 years and is working on 3D digital art and animations. I didn't get any specifics on color percentages but I did get a link to a web site where a guy does portraits. I copied about 10 close-up shots of the faces and spent several hours in Fireworks MX comparing tones and I came up with the seven basic values I'll be using but I have not figured out the %. That will happen when I receive the Com Art colors from Dixie Art. He used Createx cuz he was T-shirting. I'll prob try canvases.

The base colors I will use to get the 7 flesh tones are:

Badger Air-Opaque white
Com Art:
Smoke (or perhaps Transparent black)
Azo Yellow (or golden yellow in other brands)
Burnt Sienna
Vermilion


That's it. All opaque except the black but it will only exist as a few drops inside each tone to bring them down from a totally saturated chroma, more in the shadow tones.

Yes, the colors Astrachan used were a bit too yellow for my tastes. Mine will be more traditional (more red than his). But it seems like a time saver since you can alter any detail after the 7 tones are laid down. Chin not green enough? Blow some over w/transparent green. Although, doing that or using gray will inevitably lower the value so you have to be sure to account for value shifts but that is easier said than done. BUT fortunately with using opaques if you go too dark it isn't ruined like it is in transparents since you can never go lighter by adding any transparent color.


I have done ONE portrait in my life and that was a few weeks ago when I made a feeble effort at simulating the Castro charicature Fredrickson did in his video. But it turned out way cool even though I didn't follow hardly any of his steps and I used no frisket and almost no masking. I really just wanted to try shading with smoke and red then covering with yellow and red. I erased to get more hilights. Did it on posterboard. heheheh in 10 years the whites will be brown.


So, at some point I may have the color percentages I want. Probably another week or two. But I start work again and sadly, I won't be able to learn this stuff as fast as I'd like.


So, maybe I'll be successful but I doubt my first tries will be very good. So much info to internalize. Plus, my AB skill is not great due to lack of practice and nerve damage in some fingers and thumb. But I think I can get better. Gotta lay off the fingers off and on or they really start bothering me.




I type all this with pinky knuckles. Yeah, it sucks.




Well, I'd be glad to help with this forum but I am still a beginner in my opinion.




Tim

[Leaflin]

Originally posted by ProfessorGreibowitz
Leaflin,

You meant "Sam, I was just on your tech page..."

Tim

Oops! My apologies to both of you, I'll go fix it

[Penny220]

Tim,
If you really want to learn portraits and the proper value system take a class from Dru Blair. He's a great guy and IMO the best at portraits and teaching both.
www.drublair.com or call 1-800-828-3634

[Colorfast]

Penny220..
I was about to start a thread on an airbrush portrait that I have been working on for the last month. But you want it to be simple, so I will wait and show it a little later. Besides, it is still not out of the tuff stage yet.
Colorfast

[Penny220]

By all means post it! It seems as though most people here have an interest in portraits. I think what is interesting is that no two people will ever use the same approach even if the end result is similiar. I do not do portraits. I have a deal with a local artist, he gives me the animal referals and I give him the people ones.

The purpose of this thread is to get the feel for what people want to see in the form of wips and projects. Linda is using this information to give us direction and to come up with a project everyone can follow but this in not way means that we should not continue to do the wips and projects of the things we normally do.

By the way...
Thanks Linda, you have been the greatest! You gave me the direction required to get us our own forum and you have stuck with us. Interestingly, most of us are new to WC and we definately need you. Thanks again!!!

Penny

[Leaflin]

Originally posted by Penny220
By all means post it! It seems as though most people here have an interest in portraits. I think what is interesting is that no two people will ever use the same approach even if the end result is similiar.

The purpose of this thread is to get the feel for what people want to see in the form of wips and projects. Linda is using this information to give us direction and to come up with a project everyone can follow but this in not way means that we should not continue to do the wips and projects of the things we normally do.

I agree

By the way...
Thanks Linda, you have been the greatest! You gave me the direction required to get us our own forum and you have stuck with us. Interestingly, most of us are new to WC and we definately need you. Thanks again!!!

Penny

Awwww, thanks Penny, I'll have a smile on my face all day
I'll hang in there with you guys!!!
Just got to keep your names straight