MODES and WORKSPACES

Versions 12 and X3 has the ability for customised workspace modes, choose your own personal settings or Full Edit providing you have all tools available for this tutorial.

Version 11 has five work modes.  You will see them listed in the My Workshop Menu.  For the purpose of this tutorial, ensure you are working in "Advanced Mode" in order for all tools to be available to you.

Version 10 has two work modes, Basic and Standard. Basic Mode features a simplified workspace with larger buttons and the most common functions, whereas,the Standard Mode displays all of the functions.  We will be using the Standard Mode in this tutorial.If you see Standard Mode faded out as shown, then this is the mode you are using.  If you change from standard to basic you will lose any presets you may have saved.

STEP 1

Open a canvas 800 x 600 150 resolution.  Choosing the paintbrush, size 116, transparency 75, soft edge 50, paint in object mode  colour #D4F6FF, multicolour, delta hue 2, delta saturation 2, delta brightness 2.  Pressure options (tablet) Size/Transparency, Delta 100, size 1.  Begin to paint the top half portion of your canvas.

click out of mode (paint as object)

Each time you click in 'mode' you are forming a layer.  Look in the Layer Manager and you will see the different layers added each time you paint and click on the mode icon. 

I will refer to the Delta Hue as DH, Delta Saturation as DS and Delta Brightness as DB.

STEP 2

Change to the Cloud Pen.  In your Easy Palette under Image Enhancements, Brushes, Cloud pen and choose the Altocomulus clouds.  Size 80, transparency 45 colour white in mode   begin painting clouds.  Paint in light circling movements.  Sometimes a little practise on a blank canvas helps.  Once you are happy with your cloud formation, click out of mode and right click, deselect or press Enter key on your keyboard.

In the layer manager there should be the white base canvas, a blue sky and another layer for clouds.  Where it says Obj.8 or whatever number you may have, you can double click on that and rename, ie:  sky,  next one clouds and so on ..... this is a good practise to get into, especially if a project could consist of many layers.

STEP 3

Now it's time to sketch in some mountains....... as always in mode choosing the paintbrush, size 6, transparency 75, soft edge 50, colour #8FA2A7, DH 2, DS 2 and DB 2 sketch like below.  Just lightly sketch a few shapes.  If you make a mistake there's the undo icon , but you can also use Toggle/Pen Eraser this enables you to erase whilst staying in mode.  When complete click out of mode and deselect all.

STEP 4

Choosing again the paintbrush, size 24, transparency 93, soft edge 50, DH 2, DS 2, DB 2, Colour #9EBEC7 gently block in the mountains.  When painting your strokes, try follow the contour of the mountain.  There's no need to completely block in heavily.  Below was just painted with strokes here and there of the same colour.

STEP 5

You need to keep in mind the light source will be coming from the east (right), so darker areas will be on the western (left).

Let's add some texture to those mountains.  Paintbrush, size 23, transparency 93, soft edge 50,  Colour #7A99A1, DH 2, DS 2, DB 2.  On the attribute bar, choose a texture - there's a small white box with an X on it - next to it is a down arrow, click on that and choose Select Texture, locate Paper 34. (4th row down).  In mode begin painting over the mountain areas.  Don't go too heavy.  Now change the hue slightly darker, a more grayish blue #578062 and just add shadows on the mountain.

When you've added the texture click out of mode and deselect.  Also go to the texture and choose none. (When you open the Choose Texture, it's the first graphic with the large X on it.)  Doing this prevents the next part of painting having the texture activated.

How about a little snow on those caps?   Oilbrush, size 22, transparency 70, soft edge 50. multicolour, #F9FBFF, DH 2, DS 8, DB 13.  Don't paint the caps, dab them.  Don't paint a lot...just the caps/tops.  Out of mode, deselect.  

STEP 6

Add a little highlight to those caps and the lighter side of the mountain with the retouch dodge tool, size 70, transparency 50, level 36 - in mode gently dab the snow and then drop the level down to 25 and highlight right sides of mountain.  Staying in mode, choose the retouch burn tool, size 67, transparency 50, level 28 and very gently dab areas to be darkened.  Be careful not to overdo it.  When done, click out of mode and deselect.

Now stand back and take a look at your mountaineous region...... looking quite good, isn't it?

STEP 7

Let's do a little with the foreground..... we can have grass, a mixture of snow and grass or a barren looking field.....  firstly we are going to use the drop water brush, size 45, transparency 60, soft edge 50, in mode we'll gently blend the lower parts of the mountain and brush across and down so the whole lower part of the canvas is brushed with the water drop brush.  Don't press hard as you only want a gentle cover. Out of mode, deselect.

STEP 8

Laying down a base.  In mode - charcoal brush.  Open the Tool Settings for the brush.  Under Shape  enter size 90 for brush width and size 11 for brush height, transparency 90.  Noise blend 100, distribution 32.  Options, 54, colour #C7C3BD, DH 0, DS 100, DB 33.  Gently paint across the lower area, but making a path or stream disappearing into the distance to the mountains, but don't make it straight, vere off to a left or right direction.

Next, you are going to be changing colour as you dab and tap and gently brush the foreground area so it doesn't just look like on blob on your canvas.  Keep open the Tool Settings-brush panel and where you see the colour box, as you are painting, tap it open and make the green lighter, to darker hues to some browns and a touch of black at the rear.  The terrain should be varied and a mix of colours.  Next change the colour to white keeping all other settings and paint down the stream in a light side to side brush stroke.  Looks a little like rippling water!  

Below is a sample of the colours for the lower terrain.

                       

When you're happy with the result, out of mode and deselect.

You should have something resembling this image.

Add the trees and grasses provided, duplicate and resize as you desire and you have yourself a nice little landscape painting like the one above.

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