33 replies to this topic

[Harry P.]

Hey there...first time poster! Here are a few of my illustrations...hope you like 'em!

[Diesel Gypsy]

Fantastic work !
Am lovin the Vette & Tona but what is the other car. We dont get many like that in the U.K.

[Chris guthro]

1969 dodge daytona..one of my favorite cars....ohh such a nice4 car

[jbwelda]

yep i would say a rx7, late generation.

you drew those? jeez i hope youre a professional illustrator; if not then the world lost a great talent!

[Harry P.]

yep i would say a rx7, late generation.

you drew those? jeez i hope youre a professional illustrator; if not then the world lost a great talent!

Thanks! Here's a couple more...

[bsoder]

Hey Harry!! great to see ya here...miss your stuff, just don't go over to$@ much anymore ...B

[Harry P.]

Thanks, B!

Yeah, I've been checking out a few new places...

[Jairus]

Acrylic airbrush and paint brush on canvas maybe?
(Could be digital too...)
Very nice work, I agree you must be doing this professionally!
What is the size of the originals please and maybe a little info on the techniques?
8)

[Harry P.]

These are all drawn (painted?) digitally in Photoshop. I use a photo as a reference, but sometimes I change things around to suit me (different wheels, different colors, etc.). The Firepower, for example, has Corvette wheels!

The originals are 12x18, created at 300 dpi (print resolution).

Back in the "old days" I did it all with an airbrush on illustration board (how crude! ) , but I made the switch to Photoshop years ago. Now I never run out of "paint", I have an unlimited color palette, and my airbrush never clogs! When I was using an airbrush I painted with acrylics, and I swear I spent more time unclogging my airbrush than painting!

And yes, I do illustration for a living...I'm a graphic artist/designer. But these car illustrations are just for my own enjoyment.

[Jairus]

You must start with something then. A line drawing perhaps to trap the color?

[Harry P.]

Nope. I start just as I would if I was using a "real" airbrush...by laying down the basic blocks or areas of color, building shadows and hilights over that, then adding smaller details, etc. Instead of masking areas by cutting the shape out of frisket with an xacto, I "mask" the area I'm working on by defining the shape I want with the various PS tools, like the "lasso", the ellipse (circle) tool, etc. Then I fill in the colors in that area using the airbrush, the paint bucket, the brush...whatever tool works best for the effect I'm after, and then I move on to the next area, etc. I use the various Photoshop tools in different combinations to get the effect I want, but basically I'm "painting" electronically. It sounds complicated, but once you get used to the process it's actually easier than painting with "real" paints and airbrush...because I spend no time cleaning the airbrush, or mixing paint, or fixing areas where the paint bled under the frisket, or trying to figure out how to remove that blob of paint the airbrush just spattered onto my work, or...well, you get the idea!

[Harry P.]

Just one more...

[Jairus]

Harry, I am very familiar with Photoshop, having used it for better than 8 years now and you are the first to make the claim to start with nothing but a blank screen. I applaud you because even I must start with a line drawing. That is the only way I figure to end up with a correctly proportioned illustration. Sometimes I trace the basic shape and sometimes, like the Ricky Couch piece in December issue of MCM, I freehand the whole thing.
Good luck Harry and thank you for contributing, your artwork is beautiful.

Jairus

[Custom Hearse]

Hey Harry! I hate to tell you this, but I already posted a pic of yours here.... LOL!!!! Look under, " On the workbench" for "2007 Trans Am...." Thanks again!

[Harry P.]

Jairus, I think I may have misunderstood you when you mentioned a line drawing to "contain" the colors. I DO use a reference photo...I import the photo into my PS doc and use it as a template to get the basic proportions (it's on a lower layer, and my illustration is done in separate layers on top of the reference photo. Once I get the basic shapes, then I take it from there with the various PS tools. The entire illustration is done totally in PS...but there's no initial line drawing. You know PS, so you know what I'm talking about.

When I did these the "old fashioned" way, I would project the image onto my illus. board with an artograph and do a quick pencil sketch on the board to lay down the basic shapes and areas of color...same idea, but different methed.

[Harry P.]

Here's one I just finished yesterday. Fun with Photoshop!!!

[chopt31]

I'm sure happy to have happened on to this thread! Very interesting discussion between two artists whose work I admire. I've got no idea how to do what you're talking about and I don't have enough desire, time, patience to learn, but I sure enjoy seeing the results of your effort! Thanks for sharing!

[Harry P.]

One more...