For this assignment, we were tasked with using a photo reference to digitally paint a new image. The assignment was to paint directly over the image, but to challenge myself further, I decided to work from scratch and just use the picture as a reference. We were also only allowed to use a single brush. I really enjoyed creating my Photoshop Pastel Painting; I love digital art and I found myself completing it relatively quickly.
Something I really valued about the Pastel Painting process was learning how much detail to put into the painting. I used a large brush to paint the blurry grass in the front to give the illusion that it was out of focus in the drawing, and then smaller brush sizes in the back to add details to the puffin. I was tempted to try and make the bird more detailed, but I learned that in a landscape painting like the one I created, it was more valuable to try and capture the shape and idea of the bird rather than every detail.
In doing this project, I realized that my digital skills can stretch farther than one drawing app and one type of tablet. I don’t need my Apple pencil and iPad to create good work; I am capable of also using a small Wacom tablet connected to a monitor. This project increased my confidence in my work and I feel like I’m ready to take on any art related challenge I’ll face in the future.
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