This tutorial uses Photoshop to draw a realistic fish "from scratch". Through this example, we can learn some methods of using the "Brush Tool" and "Liquify Filter". The software used is Photoshop CS2, and the steps are similar for other versions.
The final effect of the example is shown in Figure 6.2-0.
Figure 6.2-0 Final effect of the example
The production method and steps are as follows:
In Photoshop, press the Ctrl+N key combination on the keyboard, or execute the "File → New" command on the menu bar to open the "New" dialog box. The settings are shown in Figure 6.2-1.
Figure 6.2-1 New dialog box settings
Let's draw the "fish body" first.
Create a new layer, use the "Pen Tool" (shortcut key P) to draw a closed path in the shape of the scales and convert it into a selection. Use the lower hardness "Brush Tool" (shortcut key B) to paint the selection with white and RGB values respectively. 9, 8, and 4 are black, as shown in Figure 6.2-2.
Figure 6.2-2 Use the “Brush Tool” to apply color
Execute the "Filter→Distort→Ocean Ripple" command on the menu bar, and the settings are as shown in Figure 6.2-3.
Figure 6.2-3 “Ocean Ripple” filter settings
The effect after executing the command is shown in Figure 6.2-4.
Figure 6.2-4 The effect after executing the "Ocean Ripple" command
Duplicate this layer, press the Ctrl+T group and keys on the keyboard, freely transform the layer, press the "↑" key on the keyboard, and move it up a certain distance, as shown in Figure 6.2-5.
Figure 6.2-5 Move the copied layer a certain distance
Press the Shift+Alt+Ctrl key combination on the keyboard and press the T key several times to create the effect shown in Figure 6.2-6.
Figure 6.2-6 The effect of moving and copying layers
After merging the copied layers, copy the merged layer again, drag it with the left mouse button to a position offset by one scale, repeat this method several times, and then merge all the layers (excluding the background layer) , to create a fish body effect, as shown in Figure 6.2-7.
Figure 6.2-7 Copied scale effect
Name this layer "Fish Body", use the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" (shortcut key M) to cut the scales into a rectangle, then use the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" to select the middle part, Alt+Ctrl+D to select Feather 60 pixels and execute the "Image→Adjust→Decolorize" command on the menu bar, as shown in Figure 6.2-8.
Figure 6.2-8 The effect of removing color from the middle part of the fish body
Execute the "Filter → Liquify" command on the menu bar, open the "Liquify" filter command window, and use the "Forward Transformation Tool" in this window (the shortcut key in this window is W) to modify the graphics to form the shape of the fish body. Shape, as shown in Figure 6.2-9.
Figure 6.2-9 Use the "Forward Transform Tool" in the "Liquify" filter to modify graphics
Then use the "Expansion Tool" in the "Liquify" filter command window (the shortcut key in this window is B) to expand the middle part of the fish body, as shown in Figure 6.2-10.
Figure 6.2-10 Use the “expansion tool” to process the middle part of the fish body
Use the left mouse button to click the "OK" button in the upper right corner of the "Liquify" filter command window to confirm the changes and return to the document window.
Use the "Pen Tool" to draw a path on the side line of the fish body, as shown in Figure 6.2-11.
Figure 6.2-11 Path drawn at the lateral line of the fish body
Select the "Brush Tool" and set the pen tip shape, as shown in Figures 6.2-12 and 6.2-13. The "spacing" of the strokes should be adjusted according to actual conditions.
Figure 6.2-12 Set the brush to a chalk shape
Figure 6.2-13 Adjust the "spacing" of the pen tip
Select any path tool, right-click the document window, select the "Stroke Path" command in the shortcut menu, and select "Brush" for "Tools". The stroke effect is shown in Figure 6.2-14.
Figure 6.2-14 The effect of stroking a path
Next, let's draw the "dorsal fin and pectoral fin".
Select the "Brush Tool", set the pen tip shape, as shown in Figures 6.2-15 and 6.2-16, adjust the stroke direction and "spacing", and uncheck "Scatter", "Color Jitter" and "Other Jitter".
Figure 6.2-15 Select the "Brush Tool" stroke as "Dune Grass"
Figure 6.2-16 Setting other parameters of the brush
Adjust the options in "Shape Dynamics", as shown in Figure 6.2-17.
Figure 6.2-17 Setting the parameters in the brush "Shape Dynamics"
Create a new layer under the "Fish Body" layer, name it "Dorsal Fin", and use the set brush to draw a row of dorsal fin bones along the back of the fish, as shown in Figure 6.2-18.
Figure 6.2-18 The effect of drawing dorsal fin bones
Duplicate this layer under the "dorsal fin" layer, execute the "Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur" command on the menu bar to blur the layer, as shown in Figure 6.2-19.
Figure 6.2-19 “Blur” filter settings
Use the "Pen Tool" to draw the shape of the "dorsal fin". After converting it to a selection, press the Ctrl+I key combination on the keyboard to invert the selection and delete the excess parts of the two layers, as shown in Figures 6.2-20 and 6.2-21.
Figure 6.2-20 Use the “Pen Tool” to draw the path of the dorsal fin shape
Figure 6.2-21 The effect of converting the path into a selection and deleting the redundant parts
Several other "fins" are also drawn in the same way, as shown in Figures 6.2-22-6.2-27.
Figure 6.2-22 Select the “Dune Grass” shaped strokes
Figure 6.2-23 Setting the “Brush Tip Shape”
Figure 6.2-24 Create a new layer to draw two fin bones
Figure 6.2-25 Create a new layer to draw another row of fin bones
Figure 6.2-26 Use the “Deformation” command to deform the fish fins
Figure 6.2-27 Freely transform and move to the appropriate position
Next, draw the "caudal fin" of the fish, create a new 2 cm square document, use the "Pen Tool" to draw a path in the shape of a fin bone (Figure 6.2-28), convert it to a selection and fill it with black. Without canceling the selection, execute the "Edit → Define Brush Preset" command on the menu bar.
Figure 6.2-28 Use the “Pen Tool” to draw the path of the fin bone shape
Close this file, return to the "carp" file, and first use the "eraser tool" to process the tail of the fish. Create a new layer under the fish, adjust the appropriate "spacing" and "direction" with the brush you just defined, and then draw a row of shapes from top to bottom, as shown in Figure 6.2-29.
Figure 6.2-29 Shapes drawn with the “Brush Tool”
Freely change the shape of the "caudal fin", and then deform the shape to make its lines smoother, as shown in Figure 6.2-30.
Figure 6.2-30 Modify the shape of the fish tail fin
In the same way as above, modify the effect of the caudal fin, use the "Eraser Tool" to erase the shape of the caudal fin, and use the "Darkening Tool" to deepen the root of the caudal fin, as shown in Figure 6.2-31.
Figure 6.2-31 The finished effect of the tail fin
Draw the fish head below.
Create a new layer on the "fish body" layer, name it "head", and use the "pen tool" to draw a path in the shape of the fish head, as shown in Figure 6.2-32.
Figure 6.2-32 Path drawn with the “Pen Tool”
Convert the path to a selection and fill it with colors with RGB values of 81, 75, and 43 respectively. Then draw a path in the shape of the gills. After converting to a selection, use the Dodge tool to erase the shape and light and dark effects of the gills, as shown in Figure 6.2- 33 shown.
Figure 6.2-33 Drawing the shape of fish gills
Continue to depict the light and dark effects of other parts, as shown in Figure 6.2-34.
Figure 6.2-34 Depicting the light and shade of other parts of the fish head
Press the D key on the keyboard to restore the foreground color to black and the background color to white. Create a new layer on the "Head" layer, name it "Clouds", and execute the "Filter → Render → Clouds" command on the menu bar to get the effect shown in Figure 6.2-35.
Figure 6.2-35 The effect of “clouds”
Execute the "Filter→Stylize→Find Edge" command on the menu bar, the effect is as shown in Figure 6.2-36.
Figure 6.2-36 The effect after executing the "Find Edge" command
Press the Ctrl+L key combination on the keyboard to open the "Color Levels" dialog box and set it as shown in Figure 6.2-37.
Figure 6.2-37 Adjust the color levels of the "Clouds" layer
Figure 6.2-38 The effect after adjusting the color levels
Set the blending mode of this layer and the underlying layer to "Soft Light" in the Layers palette (you can experiment with different coating blending modes to achieve the best effect). Press and hold the Ctrl key on the keyboard, click the "Head" layer with the left mouse button in the layer palette thumbnail, load the outer edge of the graphic as a selection, press the Ctr+Shift+I key combination on the keyboard to invert the selection Finally, delete the excess part of the "Clouds" layer and merge this layer with the "Head" layer, as shown in Figure 6.2-39.
Figure 6.2-39 The effect of adding texture to the fish head
Figure 6.2-40 shows the effect of drawing the fish mouth.
Figure 6.2-40 Drawing the fish mouth
Use the "Burn/Dodge Tool" on the fisheye area to create a raised effect on the eyes, as shown in Figure 6.2-41.
Figure 6.2-41 The effect of creating fisheye bulges
Create a new layer and draw the effect of fish eyes, as shown in Figure 6.2-42.
Figure 6.2-42 The effect of fish eye beads
Select the "Fish Body" layer, use the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" (shortcut key L) to create a selection on the upper half of the fish body, and feather it by 10 pixels, as shown in Figure 6.2-43.
Figure 6.2-43 Selection created with the “Polygonal Lasso Tool”
Execute the "Filter → Artistic Effect → Plastic Packaging" command on the menu bar, and set the settings as shown in Figure 6.2-44.
Figure 6.2-44 “Plastic Packaging” filter settings
Figure 6.2-45 The effect of executing the "Plastic Packaging" filter
Use the same method to add the "Plastic Packaging" filter effect to the fish head, as shown in Figure 6.2-46.
Figure 6.2-46 The effect of adding the “Plastic Packaging” filter to the fish head
Finally, adjust the "carp" as a whole, add projection and background, and the carp effect is completed (Figure 6.2-43).
Figure 6.2-47 The finished effect of carp
Author related: http://www.artistbbs.com.cn