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Preview of Final Results
Children’s Book Illustration Photoshop Tutorial
- Program: Photoshop 7
- Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
- Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes
Step 1
To begin, it is a good idea to start with the publishing standard 8 x 10 illustration size. You want to make sure that there are enough pixels per inch to allow you to have a good amount of work space, so the basic pixels/inch I go to is 300.
Step 2
Using the paint bucket tool, fill in the background with color # 346900. This is a great background color that I often use for outdoors scenes, just because it offers a very good color scheme.
Step 3
Create a new layer above the background and title it background trees. This will begin to create depth in the picture, and will provide a backdrop for the scene.
Step 4
Now time to begin laying out the trees. Using color # 551F01 and a small round brush* block in a few trees in the top third of the drawing. Do not make them disappear into the background however, as this will make the camera look like it is peering downward at a very sharp angle.
Step 5
Make a new layer above this and title it background tree outline.
Step 6
Using color #262626, outline the trees. By using a grey rather than black, it will soften the edges, and keep the picture from looking too harsh. Do not outline the bottom of the tree. By leaving it, the tree will look like it is growing out of he ground rather than like it is pasted onto the background.
Step 7
Next, create two or three wavy lines running vertically up the tree trunks. Do not create more, or it will look to line-y. This will give the impression of tree bark.
Step 8
Using the same color and brush as before, outline brushes that are surrounding the trees. It may appear awkward looking at this stage, but it will allow the picture to have a solid background, and by leaving the background very green, will make the forest appear very dense.
Step 9
Erase the tree lines and brown color that lies within the bushes outline. Also make any last changes to the bushes’ outlines, correcting shape and placement as necessary.
Step 10
Where there are bare ends of the trees, make a puff of leaves similar to what was done with the bushes. Then erase all lines and tree trunk that falls within its border.
Step 11
Now this is the last step for detailing the lines of the trees. Try to keep it simple by indicating leaves rather than drawing each individual one.
Step 12
Now to color the leaves of the bushes and trees, make a new layer above the tree background layer but below the layer with the outline.
10 comments on “Create a Children’s Book Illustration Part I: The Background”
love the step by step tutorials!! I'll have to get at it this weekend!
I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS TUTORIAL. IT DIDNT HELP ONE BIT.
Confusing what application do U use like paint??
It was good tutorial, I am learning magic of Photoshop, thanks.
Digital imaging is such a grind. But Mr. Grey is an OG.
Photoshop sux
Nice tutorial
Nope.
Nice tutorial! I appreciate the steps and various explanations of brush settings.
No it wasn't good