creatvie-designs-Landscape Painting-The Valley

Software: PhotoImpact X3 and 12 - other versions may also be used for this tutorial

Title:           Landscape - The Valley

Author:     Maureen Eves-Lavis

Level:        Intermediate/Advanced

Tools:        Paint brushes, smudge and blur tools, PI Presets

MODES and WORKSPACES

Versions 12 and X3 has the ability for customised workspace modes, choose your own personal settings or Full Edit, providing you have all tools available to you for this tutorial.
Version 11 has five modes. You will see them listed in the My Workshop Menu. For the purpose of this tutorial, ensure you are working in "Advanced Mode" in order for all tools to be available to you.
Version 10 has two work modes, Basic and Standard. Basic Mode features a simplified workspace with larger buttons and the most common functions, whereas,the Standard Mode displays all of the functions. We will be using the Standard Mode in this tutorial.If you see Standard Mode faded out as shown, then this is the mode you are using. If you change from standard to basic you will lose any presets you may have saved.
Remember to save often

Use this push-pin to help keep your place whilst working through the tutorial. Just left click, drag and drop to where you need

1. Open a canvas 1200 x 800 pixels resolution 150

2. In Mode paint the top section blue for the sky click out of mode and save

3. In Mode paint the lower part beige/sandy - click out of mode and duplicate this layer.

Click on the pick tool, then soften object edge to 63, then using the transform tool expand to fit as show in the example. This makes the sandy edge blurry just as needed. save

4. In Mode - charcoal brush size 7, weight 22, distribution 9, options 10, colour #A08768, multi - delta hue 0, delta saturation 4, delta brightness 4, paint in shape of mountains and fill in. Staying in mode, change to toggle pen/eraser and chip away at mountain tops to make them look sharp and slightly jagged. Click out of mode, got to your EP, Enhancements, Photo Effects, Sharpen Emphasise edges, option 2 click ok. Choose blur tool and very lightly and gently smooth over interior of mountain. Duplicate mountain and slightly drop down second layer. Ctrl. left click and merge as a single object. save

5. Paint another set of mountains similar to previous ones only vary shape and choose colour #67504C. don't forget to chip away edges with eraser. EP - sharpen, emphasise edges - 2, ok. save .

6. In Mode, charcoal brush size 14, weight 22, distribution 9, options 10, colour #131115, multi: delta hue 68, delta saturation 42, delta brightness 10 - paint outline of dark mountain and vary in heights. Change brush size to 30 and fill-in mountain. save

7. Layer manager, click on the 'eye' and hide front and second layer mountains, this leaves you with the original mountain layer, sandy and sky base. With the warp brush selected size 24, trans 99 soft edge 50, level 17 - these settings require adjusting from time to time to raise warp, move slider up a little to obtain shapes in the mountain.

To soften a shape use smudge 0 transparency and low level approximately 8-10 also us the blur tool, again on very low settings, 0 transparency, 2 level - just to soften any sharp lines. This gives the mountains some depth and shapes.

You may have to alternate between the various tools to obtain the shapes you desire.

When completed layer manager and click on eye to reveal other parts of painting. save

8. The centre mountians using the warp tool, pull and push gently to obtain peaks and troughs and interesting shapes. You don't have to make the same ones as me, use your own imaginative skills. When you are happy with your shapes, change to paintbrush, slightly darker hue, transparency 60, soft edge 50, texture #34 gently paint over the pinacles and touches here and there. save

9. Highlighting the darker foreground, duplicate and raise the back layer slightly higher than the foreground layer and make transparent to approximately 25, blur tool and blend gently.

Using the paintbrush, off white colour, size 2, transparency 85, soft edge, texture #34 make soft, thin lines, smudge tool very low settings gentle move over and around the mountain making impressions, if you do too much just hit back arrow. Bristle brush preset 3 size 20 paint over the area with the same colour as dark mountain #131115.

You can also touch up the rear mountains with the paintbrush and similar colour and texture but be careful not to overdo them. save

10. Eraser tool size 50, transparency 85, soft edge 50, hollow out an area in centre of black foreground to make it look like a darkened valley. Try not to make it look blocky, but sweeping.

Change to charcoal brush, fog preset and gently add a misty effect

11. Now we will add effects to the sky. Open EP, Enhancements, Particle effects and choose a cloud that you like. I chose #3 and tapped a couple of times for my painting.

Charcoal brush, preset fog and add more misty effects also up and over top mountains .

Merge all.

You can use a little dodge and burn, but be careful and use at very low settings.

EP Photo Effects, sharpen, Focus Sharp 1

Thank you for doing my tutorial and hope you enjoyed it? Happy Painting!

Site created and maintained by Maureen Eves-Lavis

Creative-Designs

Terms of use for this tutorial are simple....What you create using this tutorial is yours to do with as you please. A link back to this tut is appreciated but is not a requirement. The tutorial itself along with the images herein are copyrighted to me and all rights are reserved.

This document may not be translated, duplicated, redistributed or otherwise appropriated without permission.