How Do You Draw A Mermaid Fin

Mermaids come in a diverseness of shapes, sizes, and colors. In this tutorial, we'll walk through cartoon and painting a colorful mermaid in Adobe Photoshop.

We're going to both depict and paint within Adobe Photoshop, from start to cease—even the initial sketch. I assume that you accept bones knowledge of Photoshop, such as creating new documents and selecting different tools within the Tools panel. You lot should have a basic understanding of layers, every bit well.Please note that this tutorial requires a cartoon tablet of some kind, with pen sensitivity.

Let's go started!

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1. How to Create the Sketch

Step 1

Nosotros'll starting time past creating a New Document. This tin be found via File and soNew.

At that place are a lot of options here (enough for an entire tutorial on its own!), but for the purpose of this tutorial, I'm going to draw at8 inches widebyx inchestall. I'1000 as well working at300 dpi. Once you're happy with your choices, select OK.

Step ii

Before we commencement drawing, let'southward make sure we've prepared our certificate properly. There are two important things I similar to do before I brainstorm sketching.

Create a New Layer. I use layers very frequently when I'm cartoon and painting in Photoshop, and you'll need them in this tutorial.

To do this, make sure yourLayers panel is open. If you don't meet it open by default, select Window and then Layers.

Past default, you'll notice that there's only one layer here. It's called Groundwork, and nosotros could draw on it, if we wanted to. However, I'm going to make a new layer by clicking on the Create a New Layer icon.

This new layer is the layer I'm going to draw on. This ways it will be contained of theGroundwork Layer (where the white, background color is located).

Stride 3

Now, let'south choose a Brush to create our sketch. There are a lot of wonderful Photoshop brushes out there that you could use, but for this tutorial, we're largely going to rely on the basic, default brushes included with the software. Annotation, these are just possible brush settings—there is no universally right or wrong option, and the longer yous use them, the more comfortable you lot volition likely feel with them.

However, the default settings might not look or feel the way yous want them to, direct out the box. Maybe they lack the sensitivity you lot're more accustomed to seeing in real media like pencils or markers, for example. Nosotros'll make a few simple adjustments here that volition change how they look and feel in use.

You can view your Brush Settings via Windows and then Brush.

Try toggling on the Opacity Jitter and setting it to Pen Pressure.

This setting will increase and subtract theOpacity of your brush strokes, depending on the pressure you put on your pen.

Try setting theSize JittertoPen Pressureas well.

You lot'll notice in the preview that the ends of the brush taper off at present, as opposed to staying at one uniform size. Over again, this will exist determined by the pressure you put on your pen. This may not be a setting that you want on throughout the entire painting process, but I recommend knowing where information technology is and what it does, especially for sketching.

Step 4

Now, allow's start drawing! I'grand going to start with a basic Difficult Round Castor.

Since a mermaid is both a man and a fish, I like to look at references of both, so I become a wait and feel for how the body of each moves. Don't be afraid to experiment with torso types, also! In this example, I'm going to give the character a full figure.

I started past blocking out bones forms to define cardinal parts of the body, such equally the ribs and hip bones. When information technology comes to the tail, I chose to care for it every bit i long, flowing appendage. I'm going to pretend that there's one long os in there, for example.

Since this mermaid is going to be underwater, permit's as well consider how h2o might affect the character. For example, the hair would probable menstruum with the h2o in some style, and the body's weight might non be held in the same mode as it would be on land. The tail, in this case, might also be flowy and light in weight.

Create a New Layer, equally we did earlier in this tutorial, to draw on top of your initial sketch. I like to work this mode when I want to preserve my initial sketch and use information technology as a guide.

ii. How to Add together the Initial Colors

Step 1

Now, let'south commencement working with colors! Personally, I similar to pigment on tiptop of my lines. I first past creating a New Layer and setting the Blending Mode to Multiply. Then, I go ahead and paint on acme. You lot'll notice that this also alters the colors of my lines, based on the color I've placed on pinnacle.

In one case I'yard happy with my choices, I like to Flatten my artwork layers. Warning, this means that the sketch and the colors will all be combined on 1 layer! I frequently like to Save a Copy of my piece of work prior to doing this, merely in case I want to get back, prior to this step!

To select multiple layers, Click-Hold-Shift. So, to merge them, Right-click, and select Merge Layers.

Footstep 2

At present, let'southward add a basic Background Color. Cull a color via the Color Selector in the Tools console, and and then employ it to the Background Layer using the Paint Saucepan Tool. If necessary, make clean up any stray colour around your artwork.

Since I'm going to use the groundwork to inspire the shadows on the character, I'm going to block in some bones background elements. I know I want my mermaid to be underwater, and I'd similar to have some light shining into the water, from above.

To achieve this look, I used colors lighter than the blue of the background, a Hard Round Brush, and both a Soft Round and Hard Circular Eraser, to alloy and shape my lines. I also used the Blur and Smudge Tools to help make the water lines at the top wait more organic.

Step three

To block in shadows on the character, I created a New Layer on top of my current artwork layer and prepare it every bit a Clipping Mask.

This ways I can paint on top of information technology without going outside the boundaries of my work. To do so, select your newly created layer, right click on a PC or Control click on a Mac, and then select Clipping Mask.

Here is what a Layer with a Clipping Mask applied looks similar. Annotation that I've also set the Blending Mode to Multiply.

three. How to Paint the Mermaid

Step i

Now that nosotros've established the basics of our drawing, we tin start refining our work. This is the point where I often experiment with other brushes. For example, when rendering skin, I frequently use a brush with a softer edge. I used the defaultSoft Round Brush for this tutorial, with the aforementioned settings reviewed earlier, to make the shadows look softer on the skin.

Only how practise you get subtle changes in value? How do you alloy out your lines and get things looking more than painterly?

Experimenting with the Opacity (the amount of transparency) and the Flow (how much "paint" comes out) can help in areas that require subtle changes in value. This may vary depending on the amount of pressure yous put down on your pen, stylistic choices, and how you lot prefer to describe.

Step ii

When rendering hair, I like to think about the direction it lies, flows, or moves. The direction of your strokes makes a big difference; haphazard lines will look chaotic. I recommend taking your time and creating strokes that go from the crown to the tips.

At that place will be variations in value (light and dark) within the pilus also. Keep in mind that these value changes are not independent—they should generally exist inspired by the same calorie-free source we blocked in earlier.

Step 3

I too like to add variation in the pilus, so it doesn't necessarily await similar one uniform block. I experimented with placing devious strands on superlative, in a new layer, in a similar color. To unify them with the rest of the hair, I added contours in a dark color on the outermost edges.

Footstep iv

To achieve more than one color in the hair, I created a New Layer on summit of the hair. I used a Clipping Mask, once again, so I don't have to worry nearly coloring "outside of the lines". I changed the Blending Mode to Color, and voila! Now the tips are blue!

You lot'll detect that I also used this opportunity to add a touch on of colour to the eyes. I used a Soft Round Brush to add in some pinks and blues, over again, with the same technique.

iv. How to Add together Texture in the Tail

Step one

Usually, a mermaid's tail differs from man skin. We might expect this function of the mermaid to accept a calibration-like texture, like we'd see on a fish. Before I start to experiment with textures, however, I want to go through and alloy the shadows I've placed in this expanse, using a Soft Round Castor and lowered Opacity.

One time y'all're happy with your base shadows here, it's time to start experimenting with texture. We're going to create a texture ourselves, here in Photoshop, to create a calibration-like event.

Step 2

First, much like how nosotros changed the pilus color, we'll start past creating a New Layer on top of our artwork. Block out the area in a single colour, only don't change any blending modes this time (only leave it Normal for now).

Even so, you will need to Lock Transparent Pixels, every bit seen below.

This means that when we move on to apply filters, it will stay isolated in this area we've filled in.

Step three

First, we'll utilise the filter Cloudsto create some variation in value. Alternatively, you lot could add your own variations hither, by manus.

When using the Clouds filter, brand sure your Foreground and Background Colors take been properly selected. In this example, and for this tutorial, I used a low-cal bluish and white. Then, with the correct layer selected, get to Filters > Render > Clouds.

Pace 4

At present, let's create some scales! Open up the Filter Gallery, via Filters > Filter Gallery.

And then, nosotros'll apply two filters here to our layer: first, Stained Glass, and second, Plastic Wrap. Here is an example of what this looks similar, with the Filter Gallery open:

Have note that the pointer is pointing to the list of practical filters. You can add or delete filters via theNew and Trash icons, circled above.

My settings were:

• Stained Glass:Cell Size 28, Edge Thickness vii, Light Intensity 4
• Plastic Wrap: Highlight Strength xiii, Item 12, Smoothness 5

Keep in heed, even so, that in that location are no "perfect settings". I would encourage you to experiment and adjust these values, as you run into fit.

Select OKonce you're happy with the values you've selected.

Footstep five

Now, prepare the Blending Mode of the layer nosotros've been working on to Multiply. Voila! Our mermaid'south tail looks as if it's covered in scales.

v. How to Add the Finishing Touches

Step 1

To finish upward our analogy, we'll add some details to the tail fin and the character'southward pare.

Outset, cutting the mermaid'south tail and paste information technology onto its own layer.

Set theBlending Mode of this layer toMultiply, and lower theOpacityto a value around50%, as shown to a higher place. This will make the tail look transparent.

Step two

To add some colour variation to the tail, duplicate the tail layer and change its Blending Mode to Normal. I lowered the Opacity to 33%, and, with the pixels locked (Lock Transparent Pixels in the Layers console, a technique used before in this tutorial), I applied some blues and purples.

Pace 3

To finalize the tail, I used more than than i layer. I drew the lightly colored tips of the tail with a Hard Round Castor with the Opacity all the style up (100%, significant it is not transparent). Recollect, you can always toggle Lock Transparent Pixels on and off, if you'd similar to apply color without it going outside the boundary of your drawing. I used this, here, to change the colour of this line from purple to blueish.

And so, to unify and refine the tail, I drew a nighttime outline effectually the perimeter of the work I completed in this expanse (similar to the techniques used in the hair).

Footstep 4

Finally, I wanted to add together some details to the skin. To exercise then, I reused concepts introduced before in this tutorial. For example, I created a New Layer and created line work on the skin for her skin details and tattoos. I lowered the Opacity on these layers and used a Soft Round Brush when erasing, to shine and blend the edges.

Awesome Work!

I hope yous've picked up some new tips and techniques in this tutorial. Delight go along in mind that these steps can (and should!) be experimented with—try different colors! Try different poses, trunk types, and even different types of tails!

Practiced luck creating colorful mermaids of your own!

Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-draw-and-paint-a-mermaid-in-adobe-photoshop--cms-30872

Posted by: bunchhollices.blogspot.com

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