Video
Hi! My name is Iarlis, and today I bring you a tutorial on how to create a nostalgic background that you can implement in your illustrations!
Sketch and Grayscale
TIPS before sketching
Don't be scared of this step:
The most important thing is to create the composition. I recommend you base it on a real photograph. In this case, my scene will be a landscape.
It's important to ask yourself what emotion you want to express: joy, sadness, fear, anger, etc.
Another piece of advice: Don't let realism be too literal. What do I mean by that?
When we use too many real references, we only focus on details and realism, and not on experimenting itself.
(Clarification: If YOUR style is realism, obviously don't take this advice. This tip is more for those with a cartoon or anime style. Sometimes less is more.)
Sketch
I recommend separating the drawing into different scales (what's closest to the “camera” is darker, and what's furthest is lighter). This is known as depth; don't start with the details, but we will place the elements on the canvas.
Explanation
Research
Using good references is fundamental to knowing the type of scene we want to achieve. From interiors to exteriors. It's also important to look for existing references made by other people: like Studio Ghibli, or even in a movie itself.
Here are some example references:
Color
We already have the pose and the general idea. Now it's time to make magic and trust the process.
TIP:
A good illustration that conveys something is based on composition and color. Of course, there are exceptions, but in this case, we will focus on color.
If your idea is about something calm and peaceful, I recommend warm colors. If you want to convey fear and sadness, use cool colors. These are examples, but color plays an important role in what we want to convey to the viewer.
Another important point to emphasize is to always work with the canvas zoomed out. Why? If we zoom in too much on the canvas, we would focus on the details. It's always important to work seeing the entire canvas so we can build the scene. Once that's done, you can move on to the details.
Border Tool
At this point, I started with a wonderful “border” tool, which I used throughout almost the entire illustration. It helps me mark lights and shadows, as well as drawing elements.
Can you already see the idea taking shape a bit?
As you can see, I started using default brushes like “leaves” and pen-like brushes to mark lights and shadows.
Pictorial Effect
If you want to add a cartoon-like effect to your illustration, you can use this tool found in effects.
Creativity in Coloring
As I always say: Don't be afraid to experiment with brushes.
Here I've already used border tools, pictorial effects, halftones, among others.
For now, this is a general explanation. Later, I will show you the importance of color in the scene.
Color Theory in the Scene
The Importance of Color
Color psychology is responsible for studying how colors affect our behavior, what emotions they provoke, and even how they influence them. However, it is not an exact science, as in other cultures, colors can express something else. The emotional response to a color will depend on the observer's origin, cultural heritage, and even their emotional state.
Yellow:
Positive aspects: Joy, energy, optimism, happiness, fun, wealth, power.
Negative aspects: Envy, anger, lies, betrayal, jealousy, wrath, danger.
Orange:
Positive aspects: Energy, enthusiasm, vitality, extroversion, sociability.
Negative aspects: Superficial, dependent, frivolous.
Red:
Positive aspects: Strength, energy, action, passion, bravery, determination, love, seduction, dynamism.
Negative aspects: Aggressiveness, violence, dominance, anger, danger, the forbidden.
Purple:
Positive aspects: Creativity, elegance, mystery, fantasy, magic, power.
Negative aspects: Vanity, artificiality, cynicism, arrogance.
Blue:
Positive aspects: Trust, calm, order, seriousness, responsibility, purity, fidelity, harmony.
Negative aspects: Sadness, depression, coldness, passivity.
Green:
Positive aspects: Nature, health, ecology, calm, hope, vitality, youth.
Negative aspects: Indifference, poisonous.
(These are some examples of what color conveys)
As I mentioned earlier, color is fundamental for conveying to the viewer; I will use the same illustration for different interpretations.
The first two scenes convey tranquility. You can see that I used both cool and warm colors, but warm colors are predominant.
Something interesting happens with these two, which is why I say always play with the color corrector found in the “Tonal Correction” interface.
In the first one, we see nostalgia, peace, the memory of the moment.
In the second one, we can observe that it's more thoughtful, as if the character is about to make a decision.
Things to keep in mind:
In the first option, we see that the colors appear dull and “strange”; it doesn't convey anything, as if the color scheme was poorly planned. I recommend studying color psychology; it's very interesting for understanding the scene and is even used a lot in marketing.
In the second option, it's not so much a mistake because we often see it in webtoons or even in cinema: The flashback technique. We associate it as a character's memory. But I needed to mention it in case that's not your intention.
Farewell and Examples
If you've made it this far, thank you, and I hope this has helped you. This is the first time I've made a tutorial of this style, so I'll try to improve next time.
I will leave you with several examples of scenes that serve to convey emotions. Never give up! Always practice, and you will notice the changes. The most important thing is to have fun.
CLARIFICATION: The examples are commissions, so do not steal.
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