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PorcelainPoppies — Chain Tutorial

Published: 2008-08-24 01:49:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 7519; Favourites: 163; Downloads: 134
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Description Quickie chain tutorial since a couple people asked. <3

1: Sketch out where you want your chains to go and begin to draw them in. Chains are extremely easy if you break them down into shapes: an oval and a line. I use a semi-hard brush set on 100% opacity.

2: Clean up your lines and define the shape a bit more.

3: Pick your shadows and highlights. As you can see, I picked front and back highlights (you can use only one if you want, depending on the lighting you're using for your picture) and a darker gray for shadows. Figure out where your light source (or sources) is coming from and add your shadows. Don't worry about being perfect. For the rest of the piece, I use a semi-hard brush set on 20-40% opacity depending on how close to the light source I'm working.

4: Once you get all the shadows roughed in, place your highlights. Make sure your highlights are placed where your light source is hitting it. Don't be afraid to add specks of light to the darker places as well. Remember, metal is a very reflective surface.

5: If you are using two light sources instead of just one, add your second set of highlights making sure to keep with your light source.

6: Since it was looking a little flat, I went through with straight black and white and deepened the shadows and highlights to help it pop a bit more.
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Comments: 26

nimoe-chan [2008-12-06 13:58:20 +0000 UTC]

wow thanks

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Asheraine [2008-10-05 17:56:44 +0000 UTC]

thanks for making this! I fail at colouring chains. This'll help.

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to Asheraine [2008-10-07 16:35:22 +0000 UTC]

Not a problem. ^-^ I'm glad you will find it useful. <3

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Rakshiv-Fire-Runner [2008-08-25 00:17:30 +0000 UTC]

That's awesome and can definitely come in handy one day. Chains look easier to paint than I thought.

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to Rakshiv-Fire-Runner [2008-08-25 00:31:16 +0000 UTC]

Chains are very easy if you break it down into little steps. ^_^ It just takes practice and patience.

Thanks for the fav. <3

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Rakshiv-Fire-Runner In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-25 01:02:17 +0000 UTC]

So it seems.
No problem.

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SweetUndine [2008-08-24 07:52:45 +0000 UTC]

I love you for doing this >>! <3

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to SweetUndine [2008-08-24 13:17:29 +0000 UTC]

^w^ You're welcome. <3

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PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 02:32:41 +0000 UTC]

Nice.... but you do realize that shadows are never actually gray or black, right? The only black you see in metal the reflection of.... well, whatever it's by if it's dark..... Highlights in general on metal is white, too.... 'cuz it's shiny....

How d'you make 'em all the same size like that? I do it, and they randomly get shorter and longer.... but then again, I always give 'em line art.... Nah, even when I just circle circle circle them in like this, they still end up different sizes... Yeah, how?

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 03:01:21 +0000 UTC]

Yeh, I knows. :3 But this is just a very simple, quick tutorial to make them look halfway decent (someone asked for something easy). XD (And I hope they do. <.<; )

I made a brush and then I paint over to blend the ends together.

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 03:06:14 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I doubt they do..... because most people use black or gray set to multiply in PS even though it's wrong....

.... That... is what I thought you did.... o.o Never mind.

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 03:11:56 +0000 UTC]

._. I rather dislike painting black with multiply. If you're going to do that, may as well use the burn tool.

Yeh. XD I tried doing it link by link before and it turned out really bad.

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 03:18:25 +0000 UTC]

Well... black... makes it... um... black still anyway, so uh... might as well set it to normal and not even bother with multiply. o.o lol.

LOL. Well, I refuse to use brushes that make things easy anymore, including ones I make, so.... I guess I just gotta force myself to learn that.... Digital art sucks for splatters. D: It really does. Something that takes me maybe 10 minutes to set up some paint, and then 5 more to splat it all over, which is fun takes like, 10 hours on the computer to do. That was random. But yeah...

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 03:30:49 +0000 UTC]

Lol. XD But black on multiply makes everything better. Like Dodge.

Good luck. @_@ Normally I won't use brushes, but I do use them for chain basis. Its just easier. And I won't do splatters on the computer anymore. ._. Unless they're really tiny and...yeh...like, in a place you can't see. XD That is one thing I really hate about digital painting. The really cool effects you get with a paintbrush are almost impossible to copy on the computer unless you spend hours on it. @_@ Which is kinda not fun.

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 03:42:17 +0000 UTC]

.... lol?

But that's just it--it makes it easier. Which means lazy!! I have to not be lazy with that shit anymore if I want to be an animator. D'you have any idea how much work goes into that? They may look like goofy, simple cartoons, but they're simple like that so the people working on it don't lose their hands! I have a lot of respect for people who animate.... As much as I hate anime, I give those people who work on those shows so much credit.... Imagine what they can do when they're not doing cartoons? Gwah.... I need more than luck, lol....

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 03:49:12 +0000 UTC]

Yeh. Lol'ing is correct. Lame joke is lame.

But I can be lazy since I'm not going to animate. XD I know all the work that goes into animations; that's why I won't do them, lol. I'm far too lazy as is. X_X
The old cartoons are the ones I really love done, tho. Everything drawn and colored by hand (instead of colored by the computer). Wonderful work they do.
Uhh...how about a bagel?

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 03:55:53 +0000 UTC]

:D

But lazy is lazy.... D:

The last cartoon ever to be done like that was Ed, Edd, 'n Eddy. I think they only were supposed to have 4 seasons. But they ended up with 5, and that final season was colored by computer because no studios will do it with paints and cells anymore. They were only paying that first studio for 4 seasons anyway...

Besides, the more cheaply done animations.... sometimes you can see the strokes in the paint.... and through the characters a tad.... Basically, I'm glad they're doing it via computer now. It looks more cartoon-real.... if that made sense....

Bagels are nice....

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 04:31:27 +0000 UTC]

<.<; Indeed it is. ._. I have patience, but I am lazy when it comes to stuff like that.

@_@ I miss EEnE. That was a really good cartoon; not like a lot of stuff they throw out now. >.<

Yeh, it does. I like to ones done good. Like Beauty and the Beast. That was really good. And Snow White. ^^ The Classics.

Oh yush!

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 04:41:06 +0000 UTC]

LOL, repetition... is evil....

Gwah, it was great--one could actually relate to it--not like that garbage such as Johnny Test and the redo of George of the Jungle they've got on now.... Chowder and Flapjack are the only good cartoons on that network anymore. Spongebob's the only thing that's good on Nickelodeon.... Live action does not belong on networks that do cartoons. D: Especially since it's all... goofy crap....

Oi, the Lion King is my favorite in that department.... Story-speaking, I'd have to say Beauty and the Beast is my fave.... But good lord, I still have trouble believing that The Lion King is all paint and airbrush.... Just wow.

lol, we have 3 bagels left....

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 04:57:24 +0000 UTC]

Completely. @_@

I saw one episode of Johnny Test and wanted to poke whoever created it with a hot french fry in the eye. I wish they'd put some of the older cartoons back on again.

I don't even watch Nick anymore.

Ohhh...The Lion King was freaking amazing. They really had some great ideas back then...

;^; Lucky...

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 05:05:47 +0000 UTC]

Meh, Johnny Test is actually from some other network, I don't know where.... Still. When I saw the name of that show, I immediately thought.... "WTF? They running out of names now?" Because there used to be a show called Johnny Quest....

Oi, neither do I. When I flip to it, I always hope Spongebob is on.... Too many live action shows on that station now....

Ehh... Don't give them full credit for that. They got a lot of "inspiration" from elsewhere for most of their crap....

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to PsychoGlitch [2008-08-24 05:28:10 +0000 UTC]

I remember Johnny Quest...That was good.

And they're all so *fake*.

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PsychoGlitch In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 05:33:52 +0000 UTC]

I was like... little when they had that show on. So I was too young to understand the point. Therefore, I didn't like it.... I liked Sailor Moon though. Then again, back then all I really payed attention to was shiny pretty crap... D:

Yes fake. Fake to the point of annoying.... >.<

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CSnyder [2008-08-24 01:57:38 +0000 UTC]

oh nice
easy to follow

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PorcelainPoppies In reply to CSnyder [2008-08-24 03:01:43 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.
That's exactly what I was going for.

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CSnyder In reply to PorcelainPoppies [2008-08-24 03:03:19 +0000 UTC]

awesome, youre welcome

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