Method of drawing metallic effects in Adobe Photoshop

How do I represent the metal on the picture? Nobody found till now the best way of representing the metal surfaces. I suggest you one of the ways. I work in the Adobe Photoshop CS.

Because picturing only the metal is a boring thing, I'll try to represent it on the soldier's armor. The first step includes outlining the picture. Do it on a new layer. I've tried to represent also the character's silhouette and his face.

 

Double the layer with the soldier's drawing. On the cloned layer we should insert a neutral color, applied with big smears. The upper layer, containing the black-white outlining and Opacity of 40% should be changed on Multiply. We may easily now add the effect of volume on the layer, containing the colored smears and not to be afraid to lose the picture. Use a usual brush of circle shape and Flow of 50%. On this stage it's necessary to divide the shape on different surfaces. Merge down those two upper layers.

 

Now we have to start to create the metal surfaces effects, but firstly we need to determine the background's and the soldier's color. Insert the volume, by applying the same brush. If you'll get on the picture several errors when picturing the metal, don't worry, it's even indicated to have them, because they'll make the metal look more natural. Insert the knight in a cave, where the day light falls from behind, but the light coming from the fire, illuminates the soldier's face. The cave is situated on the background's layer and the shape is outlined. You may start adding the details.

 

Change after that the brush's parameters. Set the Soft Light option (I use to change the blending mode of the brush, but we may also create a new layer, setting the parameters for it and picturing on this layer with a brush of Normal option). The effect will be close to ours, but a little different anyway. Start painting the soldier's armor. The color may be different from what you've expected, but sometimes it is even more indicated. The metallic surface finally starts to appear.

 

It's better to place the sword on a different shoulder. Draw the flares and the reflexes on this stage, using a brush of Soft Light regime. The brush I have chosen is textured, made of clouds. Use different nuances on the metal surfaces. The flares may be drawn also in different ways. My method includes using a hard brush of Soft Light regime or the Dodge Tool in the Highlight regime. Start applying easy brush's motions on the armor. On the flexions and on the prominent places must be introduced brighter flares. I advice you to make experiments with the color's regimes, a long time I have just ignored. Sometimes they give a splendid effect – even unplanned one. Try them. This time I have chosen the Soft Light. Speaking about the background, create a new layer and use on it a brush of big texture. Stretch it out vertically, give it the necessary parameters and set the Multiply regime on it and an Opacity of 50%. Everything you do, you may do considering it appropriate for you. Merge down the layers containing the background and the texture and apply on the new layer a brush of hard shapes to outline the necessary elements. Apply the Curves option, because we need a cold day illumination coming from behind the soldier.

 

The final stage. Select the Sponge Tool and apply it on the steel surfaces which are not included in the illumination. Use now the Unshurp Mask filter to increase the picture's precision. Don't try to smooth out the metallic surface, because it will kill all the metal's liveliness, but this way the metal looks real and live.



I hope that the soldier's appearance turned out well. You may think now of picturing the dragon ;)!

Author: CG-Warrior