This tutorial aims to help assist you in creating your own fantastical composition using illustrated and decorative techniques. In this tutorial the idea is to take a theme and run with it, adding detail and decoration to enhance the original idea.

The title of the piece is MAGIC and the basis of this is the font constructed from various magical elements that work in harmony not only as letters but also as a composition. When creating lettering in this way legibility is also important and whatever design you settle on must be readable and re-enforce this with its content. When creating lettering or even custom fonts, scale is the one thing that converts a set of images into a readable typeface.

The scale of the type must be very close so that the letters appear the same size and volume. The complexity is of course up to you but the main thing is to have a consistent approach when undertaking any project of this sort. When adding decorative elements it is worth taking the time to arrange them in a way that really enhances your image and draws the eye to the font and into the direction of reading.

With decoration it is really easy to get carried away with placing and arranging, or to go for a simple repeatable quick fix but taking the time and care to create some of your own decorative elements and limiting the amount you use will pay dividends in the end.

1. Creating the text from a rough

The rough allows you to take ideas and distil them into a sharper more polished version, in this case I modified the shapes to improve the legibility of the font. To create this font I planned out what could fit into the shapes of the letters, and once the idea is strong enough adding extra parts doesn’t interfere with readability.

2. Separate the text from the background

Create a new adjustments layer, levels and use the slider to create as much contrast as possible between the white background and the letters. Select the background using the magic wand tool, make sure to have anti alias set off and contiguous on. Then use Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection so that only the outline of the letters is selected.

3. Clean up the selection

To clean up unwanted marks from the image create a new layer above the main text layer you were working on and use the bucket fill to make it pure black. Set the layer properties to colour burn and this will allow you see and erase any imperfections on your main layer using the erase tool.

4. Add a textured background

Alter the levels adjustment layer so that the pencil lines, then set the layer properties to multiply. Import the old book image onto a new layer below the main text layer and lower the opacity to take the harshness away. The main text layer should now appear as if printed on the old paper.

5. Create a template

Use the ellipse shape tool with the path box checked to draw a large circular template then stroke the path using the right click on the new layer. As this is a path it will be visible on all layers and can be used when placing elements.

6. Place hand the drawn elements

Import the hand drawn elements into a new layer and cut them out from their background using the methods outlined in step two. You can then duplicate the element and position them around the template as you see fit. Once you are happy, convert the layer to a multiply layer from the layer options menu.

7. Make additional decorations

On a new layer use the custom shape tool or the pen tool to create geometric shapes that you can copy and paste around your template to add variety and fun to the decoration. If you have used multiple layers when copying and placing your shapes make sure to combine them to a single multiply layer after finishing.

8. Apply ink layer for letters

Import the ink pattern onto a new layer above the main text layer and right click the layer options and create a clipping mask. Next alter the layer properties of the clipping mask to screen, This will make the coloured ink layer conform to the pencil text below.

9. Bring back the pencil lines

Create a vector mask of the ink layer and use a soft black brush to allow the some of the pencil lines to reappear through the coloured ink of the main text layer. This will add impact and interest.

10. Work into the ink layer

By changing the opacity of the brush you can control how much of the ink pattern is replaced by pencil. Use different sizes and opacities of brush to pick out some areas of the image to be totally covered by pencil and areas that can be left with ink patterns. This is a good chance to experiment with the colour balance.

11. Create a new texture layer

The lettering gives maximum emphasis to the word magic and still keeps the essence of a readable font. I find it useful to draft the ideas before the final render. I used soft pencils to give both tonal range and control and a dark line which is scanned more easily.

12. Apply an ink layer to the decorations

Combine both the digital and the hand drawn pattern layers. Now create a new layer above both the digital and hand drawn pattern layers and import another of the ink backgrounds provided. Right click the layer options to create a clipping mask and convert it to a screen layer.

13. Bring back the pencils again

As with step eight create a vector mask of the screening ink layer and use soft, varying opacity brushes to bring back some of the pencil lines in the imported decorative elements. Again feel free to play around until you are happy with the results.

14. Colour correct the image

At this stage it is possible to alter the hue and saturation of the ink layers if you desire to obtain different effects. This may not be necessary depending on your taste but it is also possible to give the image a completely different feel by altering the colour of the ink layers.

15. Finish up and clean the image

This is the stage to go over the image for any scratches or unwanted marks and remove them using a combination of erase and clone stamp tools. Once you are satisfied with your results and the adjustments of your levels layer save it off as a new clean version

MEGAMUNDEN is an llustrator, tattoo designer, muralist and senior designer at ILoveDust

If you’re sitting comfortably and ready to combine your pens and pencils with your computer, let’s get going!

Step 1 – Start with the basics

The client wanted me to create the image like an elaborate logo, an image that was self-contained. So I simply began with a circle. Firstly create a decent sized document A3, CMYK, 300dpi would do it. Create vertical and horizontal guides by using View>New guide>Then typing 50% vertical. Repeat this for horizontal.

Step 2 – Begin with a circle

Using the Elliptical Marquee tool, draw a circle as large as possible within your A3 document and fill with a medium grey colour. Print this out at A3 size, use two A4 sheets if you do not have an A3 printer and tape them together.

Step 3 – Create your border

The circle you create is used to help you draw an accurate circle by hand. This will act as the framework for the rest of the image that you are creating. Using tracing paper and a soft pencil (I used a 6B) draw around the edge of the circle, then draw a second circle inset by about 1.5 inches from the first.

Try to be accurate to a degree but slight wobbles add to the hand made feel of the artwork. In addition the soft pencil helps keep the line edges rough.

Step 4 – Time to scribble

Now fairly roughly (but not too rough) shade the area between the two circles with a solid fill.

Step 5 – Scan and tweak

Continue shading until the circle is completely filled. Don’t worry too much if you miss the odd little bit, this helps it to feel grainy and textured. Scan the image, and using Image>Adjustments>Levels, make the lightest areas white and the darkest areas black. Try to leave a tiny bit of graininess in the blacks.

Step 6 – Circles within circles

Using the Lasso tool draw small circles with the main black circle area you have just created (see the final art for reference). Once you have drawn all the circles, you can delete (using the Backspace key) these areas from the black shape.

Step 7 – Time to type

I used a simple font to type out the album title, I think it was Helvetica. The client had sent a very specific reference for the type that they wanted. First time round I didn’t draw it correctly so I had to make the angles a lot squarer on the final thing. Using a typeface, layout the title and make a print out. Then, adding to it in your own style, redraw the type in a straight line. It’s best to print the type out nice and big to make it easy to trace.

Scan the type, and using the Warp tool (Edit>Transform>Warp), curve it to fit the shape of the circle. When curved, invert the type layer to make the type white.

Step 8 – Use photos to help you out

When I need to draw things accurately and quickly (sometimes deadlines are tight) I use photographic mock ups, often made with a number of found photos. For the body and guitar in this piece I did exactly that. Find similar photos online and assemble them as shown. Some useful tools whilst doing this are the Lasso tool, Free transform and the Warp option within the Transform options. Once composed, print at A3.

Step 9 – Drawing with reference

Using a soft pencil again, I referenced portraits of some of the artists included on the compilation, and mixed their general appearance with the style of artwork that I had been asked to take influence from. Add swirly eyes to enhance the psychedelic element of the music and try to keep the rest very simple. Trace off the body shape in a simple manner then have a go at creating your own head for the character.

Step 10 – Add the foliage

The last bit of drawing is the foliage that encapsulates our guitar playing character. To do this I simply improvised looking at a lot of plant references. As the shapes are simple it was quite easy to draw some nice lines.

I kept in mind that I wanted the foliage to be reflected, so you only really need to draw half of it, and also I wanted them to almost wrap the character a bit to show he’s enclosed in the woods. This concept links into an element from the brief I was given.

Step 11 – Flip and reverse

Once you have drawn the foliage, scan it in. Clean the drawing up using the Levels palette (Cmd/Ctrl+L) and then duplicate the image layer if you only drew half of it and plan on reflecting it. Then go to Edit>Transform>Flip horizontal. Align the second layer to its reflection you can use the blend mode Multiply to help you line it up, then merge it with the first layer.

Step 12 – Fill in the gaps

Now, using the Magic Wand tool, select the areas that need to become the sky (use my final piece as a reference if you need to work out which bits these are). Once selected, invert the selection, Cmd/Ctrl+I. Invert rather than filling in with the Paint Bucket as it gives a slightly rougher effect.

Step 13 – Bring your layers together

Copy and paste your foliage layer into the main artwork PSD. Align the foliage layer with the character layer.

Step 14 – Character invert

You’re nearly done with creating the actual graphic, but first you must invert the character layer so it matches the foliage layer. Image>Adjustments>Invert.

Step 15 – Time to tidy

There may be a few areas that need tweaking where certain bits overlap or don’t line up. Use your designer’s eye to go in and edit these. The Marquee tool, delete and fill will be useful to tidy areas up.

Step 16 – Turning flat art into texture

Set up a new document 240mm wide by 310mm high. Find a wood texture (there are plenty available online) and copy and paste it into your new document. Using the Hue/Saturation palette, adjust the wood tone to the colour you would like it.

Step 17 – Bring your artwork in

Go to the file with the woodcut style artwork in, Select All (Cmd/Ctrl+A) and Copy All (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+C). Return to your new final artwork file with the wood texture in it and paste the woodcut art into the document (Cmd/Ctrl+V).

Step 18 – Layer via Copy

Select your woodcut art layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Click on the layer in the Layers palette). Select the wood texture layer then Cmd/Ctrl-click on the canvas itself. This brings up an Options palette, select Layer via Copy.

Step 19 – Create a raised wood effect

Double click the new wood texture layer. Check the box titled Bevel and Emboss. Adjust the settings as shown in the screen shot. Make sure the drop down menus are set to Outer Bevel and Smooth, Chisel Hard also gives quite a good effect, though it’s a little harsher. Press OK. This process makes the design look as if it is raised from the woodblock.

Step 20 – Get transparent

Make sure the original solid black woodcut style art layer is turned on. Set this layer’s blending mode to Overlay.

Step 21 – Draw in some residue ink

Using the Pen tool, draw in some ink like shapes. The aim here is to make it look like someone has made a print from the woodcut and there is residue ink left smudged on the wood itself.

Step 22 – Duplicate duplicate

Duplicate the layer you have been working on a number of times, this strengthens the black colour up but because the layer is set to Overlay it allows the wood grain to show through from underneath.

Step 23 – Erase to create depth

Using the Eraser tool I rubbed away some of the extra ink areas I had added in with the Pen tool. This allowed the design to show more clearly and the residue ink to appear a little fainter, adding depth.

Step 24 – Add some final ink splats

You can create some ink splats from scratch or there are plenty free online. Open the file, and using Image>Adjustments>Threshold, create a solid black and white version of the splat. Copy and paste this into your artwork file. Double-click the splat layer.

At the bottom of the Layer Style palette, adjust the top slider bar using the right hand white slider, move it to the same position as shown in the screengrab. You will see the white is removed from the splat layer. Ok this.

Create a new layer and merge it with the splat layer.

Step 25 – Final tweaks

I added a few different splats to the composition, then a mild Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) to all of the layers except the wood grain layer and the artwork wood grain layer. This just helps to soften any harsh, digital looking lines.

I then used the levels to re-adjust the wood grain texture (Cmd/Ctrl+L) just to lift it all a bit. Finally I created a new layer, filled it black. Then Selected all (Cmd/Ctrl+A) and went to Select>Transform selection, scaled down my selection and feathered this by 250 pixels.

I deleted from the black layer and set the layer to the Multiply blend mode. This gives a vignette effect – a nice final touch. Job done!

More like this

How to make your own 8-page zine

How to use Google satellite images to set up a 3D landscape illustration

How to create decorative lettering

How to create a screenprint effect in Photoshop

On the cover of Digital Artist 27 we’ve got a beautiful piece of anime-influenced art by Schin Loong. Here are some great free resources to help you create manga and anime artwork.

1. This teaser brush set by jeklynhyde is our number 1. You can also get the full set for $7.00US from Renderosity
2. In at 2, here’s a great set of hiragana sound effects for manga comics by bakenekogirl
3. At 3 it’s these brilliant background halftone patterns by Bill
4. Proving that it’s not all Photoshop and Painter, Charlie’s in at 4 with these ArtRage stencils
5. And finally, these anime faces by Sei-ten are at number 5

Enjoy!

Here are our top 10 favourite digital painting brushes. Everyone likes different brushes for different things, so if you’ve got a favourite that we’ve missed, let us know in the Comments or on Facebook. All of these brushes are available by default in the program or app they’re featured in.

• Photoshop’s Hard Round brush – a do-everything workhorse for sketching and colour blocking
• Corel Painter’s Tinting>Basic Round – grainy opaque coverage that’s perfect for glazing
• ArtRage’s Impasto brush – depth, loft and the ability to use Metallic paint makes this a lovely chunky paintbrush
• Photoshop’s Scatter brush – the go-to brush for creating variations in skin tone
• Corel Painter’s Scratchboard tool – an exceptional inking brush
• SketchBook Pro’s Pencil – does exactly what it says on the tin!
• SketchClub’s Sketchy – possibly the best digital pencil in the world ever
• ArtRage’s Gloop Pen – fun inky and marbling effects
• Corel Painter’s Impressionist brush – scattery Divisionist colour that gives a perfect early Modern look
• Zen Brush’s black ink brush – perfect sumi-e strokes every time

Many people ask me which is ‘better’, Corel Painter or Photoshop. The truth is that they’re both incredibly useful and work together remarkably well (especially with the Photoshop integration in Painter 12). Nonetheless each one of them does have some advantages over the other.

• Photoshop has more brushes: It’s easy to make Photoshop brushes so there are thousands of homebrew brush sets out there to download, from traditional styles to contemporary ones
• Painter has better real media brushes: Painter has more real-media emulation, meaning that its range of brushes are better at pretending to be traditional tools
• Photoshop has more layer styles: You can add drop shadows, gradient overlays, adjustment layers and many other effects (which aren’t always compatible with Painter)
• Painter has unique layer styles: Painter has the Gel layer style as well as unique Watercolor and Liquid Ink layer types to give a realistic look and feel
• Photoshop is brilliant at image editing: It’s easy and intuitive to cut, copy and paste, create repeating motifs, group and modify layers and adjust colour
• Painter is brilliant at image creation: Many artists prefer to do their initial sketching, colour blocking and final painting in Painter, making Photoshop edits along the way
• Photoshop has its own file type: PSD keeps layers and effects intact across different programs and is an industry standard
• Painter has its own file type: Painter’s RIFF file type keeps unique Painter effects intact but is incompatible with other programs
• Photoshop has lots of added extras: You can create 3D and even animation in Photoshop and buy plug-ins for specific functions
• Painter has painting-specific extras: You can import textures and patterns to create unique brush effects specifically tailored to your painting or illustration

So which one is your favourite? Do you use Painter and Photoshop together – how and why? Let me know in the comments below or over on Facebook or Twitter. Personally, I like to start off sketching either in pen, pencil or with the Inkling, import my work into Photoshop to adjust the composition with Selection and Transform tools, then bounce into Painter to refine the sketch into line art and start applying values and colour. As I create details I’ll bounce back into Photoshop for some copy-pasting and Liquifying magic (particularly handy when you have a lot of repeating subjects like plants) and then back into Painter to work them up, and I’ll keep doing this until I’m basically happy with the image, when I’ll finally pop back into Photoshop to apply a texture overlay and some adjustment layers for the final tweaks. How about you?

Missed out on an issue of Digital Artist? You can now complete your collection as Volume 1 of the Digital Artist eMag, containing issues 1 to 20, is now on sale in the Imagine Shop, priced at just £19.99.

These issues are now out of print and, for the most part, completely sold out, so they’re incredibly hard to get hold of. Don’t spend a fortune buying dog-eared copies on eBay – you can get all 20 issues as high-res PDFs that you can view on a Mac or PC and even print out so that you can follow along with the tutorials comfortably. There are over 1500 pages of digital art goodness in here (our long-suffering senior multimedia editor Tom would like me to point out at this stage that there are actually 1855 pages; he knows because he had to count them) so you might think that it’d be difficult to navigate. Not so! The eMag disc has an easy-to-use Search function which you can use to find your way to the content you want – so if, like me, you’re occasionally taken with the odd late-night urge to learn the finer points of typography, vector illustration or how to make manga characters look cute, it’s simple to find the content you want.

This is a great snapshot of the first 18 months of Digital Artist’s life, and because we’re lovely, we’ve thrown in some fantastic extras including textures, stock photos and Photoshop brushes. If you’ve missed an issue – or even if you’ve got all of them but would like to keep your hard copies pristine and perfect – this is a great way to get all the content from the first 20 issues of the magazine… and it also makes a delightful present for artists, illustrators, designers, or anyone who’d like to get more from their creative side. But hurry – stocks are limited!

It’s that time you’ve all been waiting for – issue 25 of Digital Artist is on sale!

As ever, subscribers may have got theirs just a wee bit early (Thanks for not sharing any spoilers guys!) but you should be seeing this lush papercrafty cover in your local newsagent from today in the UK, and it’ll be making its way around the world too. If you can’t wait that long, check out our online shop – you can also buy back issues to complete your collection.

We’ve got a packed issue for you this month, featuring tutorials from some of the world’s finest digital artists, illustrators and designers. We take a look at a range of styles, from classics like the Renaissance tondo (circular) format to 19th Century Divisionist colour theories like Pointillism, to the retro-futurism of mid-century graphics. We explain some tricks for working with lettering and textures, and explore how a realistic painting style can make a fantasy image fool the eye. Our feature this issue is on creating and selling products, from prints to accessories to ceramics – whoever said craft was a dirty word? Plus there’s plenty more news, reviews, digital art gossip and a disc full of delightful treats too when you purchase the physical edition (Don’t forget you can also buy digital editions of the mag through our app).

Grab your tote bags and get down to your newsagent (or alternatively take out a subscription or buy online) – the latest issue of Digital Artist is out in the UK today and beginning its journey to your local store.

Inside this issue, as ever, we’ve got a great range of styles, techniques and software for you to explore. Go geometric in Illustrator, go Expressionist in Painter, control and customise your Photoshop brushes, create amazing tactile effects and much more. And that’s not all – we interview Toby Morris about his extended illustration projects, and Sora Sabi Creative Studio about their exquisite manga artwork. We take a look at how Matt Daniels’ Squiddles brand is evolving and show you a host of awesome stuff in our reviews and in Zeitgeist. And we’ve even redesigned the way we present the disc – it now has a dinky little cardboard sleeve.

While you’re here, don’t forget our wealth of creative competitions – you can win an Oishi Doll, a copy of How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith, and a standard or Anniversary Edition of Corel Painter 12. And if you’re a graduate, not only do we have the second of our survival guide features on getting a job in the industry, you can also get on Twitter and send me your freelancing questions and anecdotes (@DA_April, #freelancing101) for the chance to win one of five copies of Max Scratchmann’s essential industry bible Freelancing 101. So keep those entries coming in – you’ve got to be in it to win it!

Improve your digital creations and master all the tools of CS5 with this fantastic in-depth guide – which compes complete with a CD containing all the support files and extra resources.

Get the Photoshop CS5 Genius Guide.

Get started
- Learn the basics of CS5 and find your way around the tools.

Retouching
- Enhance your portraits and remove unwanted elements.

Painting
- Become a master of digital art creation with these top tips.

Photo effects
- Add some life to your images using these en vogue techniques.

Also inside…

• Master digital painting
• Work with light
• Remove wrinkles
• Conquer the Airbrush tool
• Transform photos
• Inspirational works of art

Free with this issue…
CD packed with tutorial files and resources

Get the Photoshop CS5 Genius Guide.

We’ve gone a bit wild with the latest issue of Digital Artist. As ever, subscribers will have got their copies just a wee bit early (You’ll be wondering about those awesome giveaways I mentioned, right? Stay tuned!) while the magazine hits UK stores today before winging its way around the rest of the world. If you can’t find it in a newsagent near you, check it out on our online store, where you can also buy back issues to complete your collection.

This issue, we present a complete guide to the freelance industry featuring words of wisdom from artists, illustrators and designers who’ve taken the self-employed route. Whether you’re a new graduate approaching the industry for the first time or you’re taking the plunge after years of working in your spare time, you’ll find essential advice to help you get the most from this career choice (and look out for issue 24, in which we look at other prospects in the creative industry too). Elsewhere in the mag we’ve got some great tutorials from Jason Allsebrook, MEGAMUNDEN, Jennifer Weaver, Amber Hill, Natsuki Otani, Andy Hau and Cladio Juliano, plus interviews with installation artist and illustrator Sam Pierpoint and freelance guru Max Scratchmann (head on over to Twitter where I’m giving away five copies of his essential book Freelancing 101 to those in need!) and all the news, views and reviews from around the digital art world.