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TheComicStream — Digital Semi-Realism Skin Tutorial

Published: 2012-04-09 17:54:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 81829; Favourites: 2107; Downloads: 920
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Description UPDATE:
This is the main tool for blending I used, also used this solely for step E. ---> [link]
I've updated it since then, but this is how it was when I used it for this tutorial. Hope that helps.


A friend of mine kept telling me about how they were unsatisfied with their painting skills. And so I was inspired to do this, even though I'm not so sure I should be giving advice in this depth to anyone. ono" I'm still learning how to paint myself. My friend isn't the only reason I decided to do this, however. I remember when I first tried my hand in semi-realism and I went scouring the world wide web looking for tutorials. I found very few, and the one that had the most potential didn't make a whole lot of sense to me and my paintings came out horrible because of my lack of understanding. This tutorial has obvious facial errors and isn't of the highest quality, but hopefully it's easy to understand (assuming you can understand my chicken scratch) and gives you a proper grasp of the basics. It's, in short, just a sketch rendered in skin tone, colored in, then blended. A process repeated with different colors until it looks natural. I did a mysteriously gendered character for you in Paint Tool Sai, but I'm more than certain that this process can be completed with any other digital medium as well. Happy painting, I hope my derpy drawing helped! :]
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Comments: 246

TheComicStream In reply to ??? [2012-05-07 00:14:12 +0000 UTC]

LOL. I love Korra.

No problem, btw, and thank you!

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Art-Gem In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-07 13:35:10 +0000 UTC]

Haha, me too And when I found this icon on here I just HAD to get an excuse to use it, lol
And you're welcome!

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TheComicStream In reply to Art-Gem [2012-05-07 20:56:49 +0000 UTC]

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Usagi-Kai In reply to ??? [2012-05-03 00:21:11 +0000 UTC]

that's pretty much how you color anything ;A;
i think most of the problem for semi-realism drawing is just knowing where the light hits naturally and the facial structure...that takes skill and a lot of patience. but i like how the tutorial was short and simple!
i shall now bow down to you, master.

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-03 00:40:25 +0000 UTC]

Yeah. P: Actual photographs are handy for that, especially if you mess around with them in PS to get a better view on which level of shading goes where. It's simply a matter of studying them. Plus, I'm sure that if you look it up... there's handy lighting tutorials somewhere. Moni has a few I think.
A lot of people try to impress upon you that semi-realism has to consist of complicated layers and a series of steps. We all forget that before layers and all these mind blowing steps, there was simply a brush and blending. >_>" It doesn't have to be super complicated.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-03 23:31:13 +0000 UTC]

So true!! some of the best artists on dA use only one layer

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-04 00:05:33 +0000 UTC]

Well, I use separate ones for the hair and such, but for the skin it all comes and series of shading on one piece it all comes together in the end. >3> And none of it is complicated. If it was, I wouldn't be able to understand it. >_>
I don't use the burn tool or multiply layers to find colors, either. I find they don't look as natural.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-04 02:06:21 +0000 UTC]

i never really tried semi-realism...well, i mean i've made very bad attempts at it, which ended up being very cartooney...
first of all i'm still learning how to color anime style, which is pretty basic. >.>

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-04 02:27:54 +0000 UTC]

I like your coloring.
It is a bit more complex, and I'm still learning it myself... but it's just a matter of studying and practicing a lot. >3>
My way of doing semi-realism is just blending an ordinary sketch till it looks 'right'.
Actual traditional realism is the same way. I've done a few charcoal ones for commission before. You just draw it, then put on shadow and blend it. And keep doing it until you're satisfied.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-04 03:01:02 +0000 UTC]

thanks ;A; i have a long ways to go...
i'm a bit nervous with blending since I've been depending on lineart for quite some time now to guide me. without it, i'd be like, "wtf is this blob??" so frustrating

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-04 04:41:43 +0000 UTC]

:] You know... I'm at my friend's house right now. If you you're still on, and you want I can show you through a join me link. It might be easier to comprehend if you actually see it.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-04 09:55:38 +0000 UTC]

? oh, well, looks like i didn't read this. xD
maybe next time? i'm not really sure how this works.

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-04 17:13:45 +0000 UTC]

Nothing to it. I download it, I give you a link... you just go to it like any other url and it lets you view everything I'm viewing on my computer screen.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-04 23:14:54 +0000 UTC]

oh really?! that's cool! a live tutorial by a pro is like heaven on earth

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-05 01:25:38 +0000 UTC]

Oh lawd! xD
I'm not a pro, but thank you. I'm still very much learning. >3> But I like to help out others when I can.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-05 01:59:06 +0000 UTC]

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TheComicStream In reply to Usagi-Kai [2012-05-05 02:00:24 +0000 UTC]

Okay. If you want. I can do it now.

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Usagi-Kai In reply to TheComicStream [2012-05-05 02:02:29 +0000 UTC]

okay

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theCrazio In reply to ??? [2012-04-24 09:04:13 +0000 UTC]

I always wanted to color like this! this tutorial really helped! ^.^

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TheComicStream In reply to theCrazio [2012-04-24 18:18:29 +0000 UTC]

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TeamHeartGold In reply to ??? [2012-04-23 18:14:19 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for this. I've been recently trying to figure out how to transfer my traditional realism style into tablet art and photoshop, and this has really helped me get a handle for the basics of it.

I appreciate your help!

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TheComicStream In reply to TeamHeartGold [2012-04-23 23:32:55 +0000 UTC]

Any time! :]

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DryBonesReborn [2012-04-21 19:16:48 +0000 UTC]

Sweet.

Is there a book on skin tones and such for digital painting? The one book had limited info about it. It stated zones of the face as yellow, red and blue. Nice work.

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TheComicStream In reply to DryBonesReborn [2012-04-21 19:59:00 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. O.o I don't know about a book, but I was working on a tutorial about choosing colors... I haven't gotten around to finishing it yet, though. :/
I'm sure that if you look on DeviantArt, there might be something already like that on here.

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DryBonesReborn In reply to TheComicStream [2012-04-21 20:47:20 +0000 UTC]

Still cool though.

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TheComicStream In reply to DryBonesReborn [2012-04-21 21:26:56 +0000 UTC]

[link] >_> I hope this helps.

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DryBonesReborn In reply to TheComicStream [2012-04-21 23:56:14 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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TheComicStream In reply to DryBonesReborn [2012-04-22 00:03:23 +0000 UTC]

No problem. P:

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mr-ariesss In reply to ??? [2012-04-21 01:34:49 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much.
You don't know how helpful this is to me.
You've really simplified it to the point that even I could understand. This is freaking perfect.
Thank you. :>

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TheComicStream In reply to mr-ariesss [2012-04-21 01:39:51 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad it could help you. I hesitated about making tutorials at first, but it makes me happy that I could help you and other artists. This won't be my last one.

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BrillBatch [2012-04-16 03:09:24 +0000 UTC]

Mmmm might try this way. Whenever I've tried doing semi-real, the skin never quite came out the way I wanted it. Or maybe my anatomy was just all wrong lol

Thanks ;D

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TheComicStream In reply to BrillBatch [2012-04-18 00:20:30 +0000 UTC]

If it helps, study lots of photos. Playing with the levels of a photo on a digital program helps you get an idea of where the shadows should go, and the form of the figure. A trick I picked up from an artist here on DA.

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Promet-he-us In reply to ??? [2012-04-14 21:49:55 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic - I am sure it will help me over a few hurdles in the endeavours to come!

Thank you for showing!

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TheComicStream In reply to Promet-he-us [2012-04-14 23:59:06 +0000 UTC]

No problem.

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Promet-he-us In reply to TheComicStream [2012-04-15 13:16:35 +0000 UTC]

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Sodayaka In reply to ??? [2012-04-14 15:53:48 +0000 UTC]

This was actually a bit more useful than the ones I've seen before! Thank you!

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TheComicStream In reply to Sodayaka [2012-04-14 16:37:21 +0000 UTC]

No, thank you! :]

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bubblemoon66 In reply to ??? [2012-04-11 09:56:03 +0000 UTC]

This looks really useful thank

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TheComicStream In reply to bubblemoon66 [2012-04-11 16:28:43 +0000 UTC]

Always here to help.

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caboosemcgrief In reply to ??? [2012-04-10 23:07:24 +0000 UTC]

you know who the finished product kinda looks like to me? zacky vengence from the band a7x...just a thought...

nice tutorial!!! i hope i get to use it in the near future

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TheComicStream In reply to caboosemcgrief [2012-04-11 00:03:30 +0000 UTC]

Lmao, It does! xD

Thanks! :]

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caboosemcgrief In reply to TheComicStream [2012-04-11 00:07:01 +0000 UTC]

no problem!

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KimHeiseArt In reply to ??? [2012-04-10 22:51:03 +0000 UTC]

this is great becuase of it's simplicity. nice to see what can be done with just a few simple steps.

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TheComicStream In reply to KimHeiseArt [2012-04-11 00:03:34 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, and thank you for the favorite. :] I'm glad you liked it!

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Buntglas In reply to ??? [2012-04-10 17:09:37 +0000 UTC]

This looks helpfull, I'll definitely try it out later
Thank you!

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TheComicStream In reply to Buntglas [2012-04-10 17:15:47 +0000 UTC]

No problem!

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LittlePonyo In reply to ??? [2012-04-10 17:09:26 +0000 UTC]

great help! thank you!

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TheComicStream In reply to LittlePonyo [2012-04-10 17:16:12 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome. Happy painting to you!

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LittlePonyo In reply to TheComicStream [2012-04-10 17:19:55 +0000 UTC]

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philliasss In reply to ??? [2012-04-10 15:52:19 +0000 UTC]

thanks for this!

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