Design Process For Fail Whale’s Secret Twittercrush

…learn as February’s Twin-up Of The Month unfolds before your eyes…like stripping backwards [wink]!

Digitally Painting Fail Whale’s Secret Twittercrush

Take a look into the design process for February’s Twin-up Of The Month, “Fail Whale’s Secret Twittercrush,” cleverly inspired by a Valentine’s Day theme.

About This Design

Technique: Digital Painting and Photo Manipulation
Level: Advanced
Estimated Completion Time: approx 1 day

[Project Tools]

Program: Adobe Photoshop CS3
Additional Tools: Pen tablet (UC-Logic), and pencil sketch, HQ textures

Step 1: Taking Note of Color Scheme & Lighting

fail whale twinup design process

As always, I begin my designs with a pencil sketch on printer paper. I scan the design into the computer and make note of the preferred color scheme and lighting. In this case, I kept the color scheme relative to the colors for the Twitter Fail Whale we often see online.

The design is a play on a porthole. It seems like the elements (bird/whale) are coming towards the viewer, but yet also have placement within the porthole.

Step 2: Painting The Background

fail whale twinup design process

I began painting the background in order to move forward in the painting towards the viewer. I started with a solid blue color base, layering a sky scene in behind the whale and bird.

The dark ring around the porthole is for depth and is a resulting characteristic of many portholes. Touches of yellow in the background add to the appeal of a sunny day.

Step 3. Painting The Water, Sand, & Whale

fail whale twinup design process

Starting with a base color again, this time for the famous orange “water” for the Fail Whale, I build layers of depth and volume using darker shades of orange for shadow while coming back in with white highlights at low brush opacities. Always pay attention to your light source, making sure that all elements are being affected by it.

I also began to clean up the whale, using white and very light shades of gray to create volume, while providing the appropriate shadows where needed.

The sand is most influenced by the light source, and since the bird is standing on top of it–a faint a shadow from the bird is cast towards the viewer. Since everything is still a play on a whimsical design, there’s no need to get too into realism.

Step 4: Detailing The Twitter Bird Pinup

fail whale twinup design process

Next I moved onto the twitter bird pinup. Each element by now has it’s own layer (i.e. sketch->background->water->whale/birds->pinup). Create voluptuous volume on the bird’s figure by keeping in mind the layering of shadow towards her edges. There is a lot of layered detail on the bird, from her violet makeup to her busty bosom and curvy figure. As her hair blocks out the main light source behind her, I cast subtle shadows upon her body.

The smallest details can make a difference in design. The lipstick kiss on the whale should not be solid to give it character, and by creating another layer with hatched lines and setting it to multiply , the pinup now has a subtle trace of fishnet stockings.

Corrections in both the whale and bird’s facial expressions come through evolution of the design. Once the bird has been painted, the final elements of the painting can follow.

Step 5: Finish All Painted Elements & Add Texture

fail whale twinup design process

If you notice in the previous step, the layer of the pencil sketch was set to a lighter opacity to make the design come more alive. I finished painting pretty much all of the other elements with the same layered approach, all the while being conscious of the light source.

I began to paint the porthole’s frame and label using silver colors reminiscent of metal. An overlayed concrete texture image is applied to the frame for more character and additional details evolve such as bolts and shadows.

I took a different concrete texture and applied it to the entire design, setting it to overlay as I adjusted the opacity to my liking.

A Close Up Look Of The Design Thus Far

fail whale twinup design process

Step 6: Finalizing The Design

fail whale twinup design process

Final Design (Click For Larger View)

The final details of Fail Whale’s Secret Twittercrush include overlaying a green solid color layer over the entire piece, adding a circular glass highlight to the porthole, and including the Twitter tagline with the word “fail” scratched into the metal.

I also added remainder items such as the bird and whale’s shadows casting over the sand and water. A subtle new layer has the color red brushed slightly over the left side and set to overlay.

What You’ve Learned…

This is certainly not a strict step by step tutorial for how to create a digital painting, for it’s a process that requires intuition and exploration of what’s best for your piece.