scene series

Simply draw a nostalgic scene

2,660

CHYEE

"Simple Drawing of Nostalgic Scenes"

The theme this time is "Memory".

As for what "memory" means, since everyone may be of different ages, the actual objects in their minds may also be different.

But is there really no common content? no!

"Missing" means that we miss things from the past. And what most people will miss is definitely the carefree time of childhood. So what I want to draw this time is one of the representatives of childhood memories: "summer vacation".

start!

The theme of this painting is "summer vacation". Starting from summer vacation, I wanted to paint the feeling of "returning to the countryside to enjoy the natural scenery and going home when the sun sets."

Most of the items below use special brushes or 3D item materials, please pay attention to the reference section at the end of the article.

Let’s start with a simple color block!

The upper half is painted with an orange sky; the lower level is the underground.

【grassland】

Draw the grass first.

1. Draw the darker grass in the distance.

2. Draw the plant in the middle with a lighter color.

3. Draw the nearby plants with brighter colors and larger shapes.

4. Depending on the time of day (light source) setting of the painting, this scene was darker, so I added a dark brown color enhancement layer on top.

*TIPS* Please keep the most recent grass layer first and do not merge it. This will be more convenient when adjusting the overall effect at the end.

How to add color value-added layers:

4.1 First put the grass layer in the same folder: select the layer and press Ctrl+G.

4.2 Add a new layer above the folder and fill it with color.

4.3 Change the layer properties to "Color Enhancement" (A), and lower the layer transparency (B) depending on the effect.

【figure】

Since the theme this time is the scene, I will reduce the importance of the characters and only draw silhouettes without details.

Even though there is only a silhouette, it can still be seen that the clothes are simple summer clothes to express "summer", and the hair is flying to express the "breeze" environment.

*TIPS* Adding a partner as a childhood friend or sibling can increase the sense of nostalgia!

【Accessories】

In order to enrich the picture and increase the information conveyed by the picture, I added the following objects:

Bicycle: a common means of transportation in the suburbs.

Dogs: Most people in the wild keep them as humans’ best friends.

【Weather/Time】

Usually the sunset is more expressive of nostalgia and sadness, but it can vary depending on the theme of the painting.

Others, such as those corresponding to the blue sky, white clouds and strong sunshine in summer, are also good choices.

1. First draw the color of the sky. Since it is the sunset, I choose the color purple~yellow~orange.

2. Mix colors and stroke horizontally. You can use the default color blending brush or another blending brush with a slight texture.

3. Draw the main clouds in bright yellow or bright orange. Note that the bottom of the cloud is illuminated by the setting sun and is therefore brighter.

4. Draw clouds that are farther away, and the clouds will be smaller.

5. Draw the clouds in the distance at the bottom, using a darker color than the background color.

6. Add a new layer above and set the layer properties to linear highlight. Use the airbrush to tap the orange a few times in the direction of the light source (this picture is on the right side of the screen) to make the color brighter and fuller.

【building】

What else is there to see in the countryside? I chose:

street signs
bus stop
telegraph pole

Street signs and benches are 3D items downloaded from the CSP material library, which is very convenient.

*TIPS* You can create a sense of nostalgia through the aging of man-made objects/buildings.

Please try adding rust, peeling, crooked and other details!

Note: For 3D items, please right-click the layer > Lattice Layer before processing.

*TIPS* Telephone poles from far to near can be represented by size, and colors from light to dark can also be added to create a sense of distance! Then add a layer of color-added gradient at the bottom to add realism.

【Natural environment】

distant view: mountains, birds

Since it is an object that is far away and not the main character, it can be painted roughly.

*TIPS* From far to near, the mountains can be distinguished by their colors.

Nearby mountains: darker and reddish (due to the sunset); distant mountains: lighter and grayer. *

Finally, add a little orange light from the sunset on the top of the mountain, and add a gradient layer slightly lighter than the mountain below.

Close up: reed grass or foxtail grass

*TIPS* Because it is a close-up shot, you can use blur to increase the sense of distance.

[Increase the sense of light and shadow details]

Adding bright orange to the edges can create an atmosphere of the object being illuminated by the setting sun.

*TIPS* For some relatively square structures (such as buildings, etc.), you can use the outline tool to erase or lighten the unnecessary parts. (For the outline tool, please refer to the end part)

*TIPS* For grass, you can first select the top grass layer (ctrl + left click on the layer), and then use a soft spray gun to spray orange on it.

*TIPS* For other objects, you can use clipping layers + highlight colors.

Also suitable for other objects such as street signs, telephone poles, etc.

【Post-production effect】

In addition to the content of the picture, we can also adjust the overall tone to achieve a nostalgic feel.

First, in order to simulate the faded effect of old photos, you can lower the contrast of the picture.

1. Add a new tone curve layer

2. Adjust the curve as shown in the figure

In addition to contrast, the color of a print can also change over time.

Usually yellow is the easiest to fade; while cyan is the longest lasting. Therefore, changing the overall tone to almost cyan blue can also create an old feeling.

1. Add a new layer corresponding to the gradient layer

2. Set the layer to "Overlay"

3. Select (Green) or (Blue) in the default gradient group "Dark Shadow"

In contrast, some man-made objects will turn yellow or brown as they age, such as iron rusting and plastic turning from white to yellow. Therefore, if it is in a painting room, using yellow, orange and brown as the main tone will make it more nostalgic. Dim light settings can also add a lot of color.