Hey John,

Thanks for the props!
As far as the lighting goes, I have an approach to it that's based on my marker rendering days, but that takes advantage of the digital tools.

First, in Photoshop, I'll have my drawing on a layer set to Multiply over the top of everything.

Then on a new layer set to Multiply, I basically handle the light and shadow seperately as a violet underpainting, covering the canvas with a medium dark violet-grey and painting in the light areas (this is another huge advantage of the digital method. It's much more intuitive than painting in shadows on a blank canvas, I think).

Then I'll do the color for everything on a layer underneath. I'll usually pick an overall color to cover the frame with, then pick colors for the indiviual materials trying to limit the palette and even keep some of that initial color in everything. Pick colors that represent the lightest areas on the objects. You'll see why next.

This is the most important layer and how its created:
• Make a selection using the dark areas of the light/shadow layer (you can use Color Range for that)
• Using that selection, copy the color layer
• Paste it to a new layer and set it to Multiply so that it combines with the Line, Light/Shadow & Color layers

That last layer richens the color in the shadow areas and allows the shadow to "sit down" on the objects. That's why you paint in the lightest version of your object's color in the "Color" layer. That represents the light areas of the objects. This way of generating the shadow colors frees you from having to pick colors of different values to render with as you would when painting opaquely.

Well, that's the essence of how I approach rendering using the new digital tools. There's a huge advantage having the ability to experiment with lighting and to automate any repetitive tasks.

This method is really just a translation to the digital tools, of my way of thinking. It's bound to make the most sense to me but I hope you can take something away from it.

I'm sure everyone would come up with personal variations, to this method, but hopefully it might get the wheels turning. It keeps all the phases interesting to me and breaks an overwhelming task into bite-sized steps.

Hope it helps,
I'll post a snapshot of my Layers Palette for anyone interested

John

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MySpace.com/getyoursketch

Thanks for the kind words KakeranoTsuki!

As far as making an impression on the masses, I'm sure a lot of viewers don't really know what to make of "art" which depicts some rather "unartistic" subject matter and is executed pretty roughly.

I think there's a freshess to storyboard art that not everyone appreciates. I like to "solve" a picture and get on to the next problem. That's why I really have no desire to do finishes. Too much pain! Thank you, please pay me now!

John

--
MySpace.com/getyoursketch

change of plans... my Dad just ended up starting a huge ordeal at the Hospital. He's pretty much got full blown heart failure, so they're gonna do everything they can for him, (ie. big surgery, long recovery, (hopefully)). But, anyway this little idea's takin a back seat for while.

Nice transformers Tim. I didn't know you were so hot and heavy in that project. Hope all is well and say hi to Shelley