Heyo guys! :D
I have decided to record the step-by-step process on how to make your images more presentable when showing them off online. I plan on covering three major steps with this tutorial and breaking those three sections into their components. I will use the same drawing for all the steps.
Cleaning Up - Editting Sketches, Inks, and Color
I will cover:
- Cleaning a sketch
- Cleaning inks
- Cleaning real media color
- Bonus! Cleaning up a drawing done on lined paper.
Digital Courtesy:
Art pieces done in a 100% digital format have less craft to worry about and a smaller group of presentation aspects to watch out for. Mostly one wants to make sure the viewer can view the piece in question and checking to make sure the final image doesn’t go over a range of DPI in height and width.
Height and Width
This will also depend on the viewers mode of viewing. Monitors are finicky beasts, so I will say an estimated 300-400 pixels in height is leaning on the small side while images larger then 1024 on a side will be difficult to view as a whole.
File Size
Determining a final file size is always a game of sacrifice. You can make an image smaller by changing its height and width. Or you can save in lesser quality increments, sacrificing color accuracy and allowing for some jpeg artifacts. I am going to say for a comfortable range that 300KBis about max for something you want to upload and show. This could be pushed to 500, but for large, full color images. Most sketches will range from 20 to 100 on average.
Technical records
For each of these steps I will be using the following:
– Photoshop
– Scanner (Scanning at 300 dpi, in color mode [You may scan in grayscale or black and white considering])
And now, a few questions!
What is “Craft” in illustration terms?
Craft is the hardcore attention to detail on things pertaining to an art piece, but not the piece itself. It is how cleanly you ink an image, but also if you take the time to color inside the lines. Barring that, taking the time to clean up the color that has bled out. In a physical piece, it can also extend to how the matting is cut for presentation. The matting doesn’t have much to do with the final art piece, but it does reflect on it when being viewed as a whole.
Why are presentation and craft important?
It follows the saying, “First impressions are everything.”
When you are proud and go to show your brand new drawing online, it can be tempting to cut corners, aiming for the gratification of showing off something as soon as possible. Taking the time to clean up your presentation gives off a good first impression on a new viewer discovering your art.
Your art is your own creation and you should be proud of that. To show respect to yourself and your own skills, take the extra time to show off the piece in the “best light” so to speak. Taking the time before hand can lead to excellent public relations in the long run.
Onto the good stuff! :D
NeoGeen
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Compagnon
