I would like to take this time to talk about one of the art websites I visit on a regular basis.
It's called Ctrl+Paint - Digital Painting Simplified.
What it is: A video tutorial website run by Matt Kohr based around Digital painting techniques, and classic Art Principles.
There are so many reasons to adore this website, and the tutorial videos that are posted there. (Matt Kohr's butter-smooth voice, or those awesome free brushpacks to name a few.) but I've boiled my love of Ctrl+Paint down to an easy-to-digest list.
I like to call it "10 Reasons Ctrlpaint.com's Tutorial Videos are Beyond the Realm of Awesomeness and has Attained a State of Cool Unheard of Before in the History of Mankind."
...it's a working title, but it has a nice ring to it. Here goes.
10 Reasons Ctrlpaint.com's Tutorial Videos are Beyond the Realm of Awesomeness and has Attained a State of Cool Unheard of Before in the History of Mankind.
1. They are free.
Seriously, the videos are completely free. He doesn't even run ads on his site!
well, actually, they aren't ALL completely free. he has 3 video Sets that he sells for $10 each. they are all multi-part in depth tutorials, with run times ranging from 35 minutes, to 57 minutes! I don't know about you, but that's the cheapest art class I've ever heard of.
Also, if his free videos are anything to judge by, these special classes must be mind-blowingly amazing.
But aside from that, there are currently a whopping 87 COMPLETELY FREE videos! You read that right, that's Eighty-Seven. EIGHTY-FREAKING-SEVEN free ones. with more being added every week. So I really don't begrudge him the special video sets he sells. Guy's gotta make a living, right?
2. He explains things so that even my unevolved caveman brain can understand them.
Matt always starts off a basic video with the information you'll need to follow the lesson, and he talks in real terms - not 'Art Speak'. if he does have to resort to 'Art Speak', he explains each term he uses in plain English.
For example: Every tutorial I've ever read or watched about perspective has scared me off of the subject with mathematical terms and measurements and vanishing points and other scary-sounding things.
Matt Kohr explains perspective like this:
"Here's an apple. I'm going to draw another one like this, but slightly smaller and slightly behind the first. There ya go, Basic Perspective."
he goes on to explain more in-depth, but he introduced it in such a way that immediately dispelled my fears, and helped me understand perspective drawing as I never had before. my life-sketching saw an immediate improvement after I applied the simple principles I learned in that 6 minute video.
3. He doesn't stay in the standard realm of photoshop tutorials.
Everyone who owns a copy of photoshop has read at least one tutorial on how to use it. sometimes it seems as though if you've seen one, you've seen them all. they all seem to focus on how to create layers, or use effects on photos, simple stuff like that. very few of the tutorials I've been able to find actually focus on using the tool to create Art.
Matt Kohr does. His approach to photoshop makes realistic digital painting possible, in such an otherwise clunky, artificial photo manipulation tool.
even though I've been a photoshop user for about 9 years now, I've never been able to approach it like I would approach a real canvas. the tools were just so different, I thought it impossible to achieve the same kinds of effects as you would with watercolors or acrylic.
but after watching his videos on blending and brush control, I am starting to see a difference in how I approach a drawing in photoshop. I've learned how to translate my thoughts, which are usually grounded in traditional tools, into photoshop terms to achieve the same effect. it's amazing what a few changed settings and the right brushpack can do to improve the digital painting experience. he has several videos walking you through this process.
4. He explains his process thoroughly
Matt does very well in explaining the steps of both his thought process, and actual step-by-step process of applying a principle to a painting or drawing.
For example, in his video about line weight, he gets the point across very quickly using bold text as an example. he then walks you through exactly when and why you would want to use line weight, and gives a practical demonstration of the principle in action. that's how almost all of his videos are.
A.) he presents the principle in a quick factoid.
B.) he then gives you a simple theoretical reason why it's good to use this principle, and when it's good to use it.
C.) finally, he shows how to apply the principle in a practical setting.
and if you are left with any questions after the tutorial, you can leave it in the comments and he will actually answer.
5. There is a video for almost anything Photoshop/Art related you might be looking for.
From Silhouette thumbnails to perspective to color theory, it's there, or will be soon. there is also a thread on the forum for specific requests that you would like to see him do a video on.
6. Even if you think you understand a topic, it is still worth it to watch the videos.
you may glean a trick or two you didn't know you didn't know. even if you understand the principle entirely, it's always a good thing to practice, and see how others use the principle. it can give you new ideas, and better understanding of the tools at your disposal.
7. He has recently expanded his tutorials to include Traditional mediums.
if you've been strictly a digital artist, like I was up till this past year, you may be intimidated by traditional mediums. just the thought of drawing something complicated without an undo button or layers can still strike a chord of fear in my soul.
growing up poor made it to where I was always afraid of wasting my paper. I still have a canvas I was given when I was 14 because I've 'saved it until I can paint something good enough to earn the use of the canvas'. it is literally still in the plastic wrap it came in. that attitude has held me back for years.
it wasn't until I became aware of people like James Gurney and Matt Kohr and started following their examples that I've really allowed myself to experiment with traditional mediums. Thanks to people like that, I have recently been able to train myself to think in terms of 'practice' and 'experimentation' when using my supplies, instead of catagorizing that as wasted materials.
But I digress, this line of thought is best saved for my article on James Gurney. back to the point - learning more about your tools and techniques can help you not to fear your materials, so I look forward to Ctrl+Paint's new unplugged series.
8. He Updates Twice a week!
New videos are usually up every Tuesday and Thursday, which gives you just enough time to practice the techniques he teaches in between videos, without leaving you waiting too long.
9. He gives you assignments, exercises to help you understand the techniques you just learned.
things like 'draw 20 cellphones in different positions', and simple technique-training exercises like that. they are usually fun, and help you see things differently. the exercises are geared toward training your hand, eye, and mind to really understand the concepts portrayed in the video. they may sound tedious at first, but give them a try, you'll see and feel the difference. I know I have.
10. The Commentors are highly intellegent, and helpful.
you can learn just about as much from the comments people have made on the videos as you learned from the video itself. people often share their own approaches, and links to other helpful sites. there is also a forum, for further discussion.
All in all, it is a wonderful website.
for someone who can't afford real art classes, I have found it absolutely invaluable as a learning tool.
but don't just take my word for it, check it out, and decide for yourself.
http://www.ctrlpaint.com/
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