# help needed!! Need advice from digital artists/critique



## lyriumlion (Mar 8, 2016)

Alright, so, I am absolutely frustrated with this piece I am working on. I had the sketch done, looked great, blocked out colors, looked great, but as soon as I try painting anything, it looks like a real turd.

It's like, when I'm working on it, while it's zoomed in, in looks alright. (This is really rough so far, so it doesn't exactly look like a gem either) But as soon as I zoom out, it looks like a muddy mess. This is an issue I have with every single thing I try to paint. I've tried working zoomed out, but I feel like I'm going to make a mess if I do that.

Can anyone please give me some guidance with this issue? Also, any critiques/tips on my painting would be amazing. I am not really new to digital painting, but I feel like I just can't do anything without a lineart, which I want to get away from.

I have attached a picture of the sketched face, the painted one zoomed in, and what it looks like zoomed out. Please help! I am so lost. -__-


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## leighann (May 10, 2015)

@meli ...you're the only digital art person I know :biggrin: Got any ideas to help?


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## Susan Mulno (Apr 13, 2015)

Hi! Welcome to the forum! :welcome:

I can in no way assist you but I am sure someone here will be able.


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## lyriumlion (Mar 8, 2016)

Susan Mulno said:


> Hi! Welcome to the forum! :welcome:
> 
> I can in no way assist you but I am sure someone here will be able.


Haha, thank you! Hopefully!


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## Mel_Robertson (Feb 23, 2016)

hi, @lyriumlion I like the painting you're doing, a few things I'd rule out are collaborate your monitor and check you're painting in the RGB or CMYK color scheme, whats the resolution of the painting?
*I've tried working zoomed out, but I feel like I'm going to make a mess if I do that.*
after I've sketched I do the base colors zoomed out, then zoom in to do details but I'm zooming in and out about every 15 seconds


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## abt2k15 (Jan 9, 2016)

leighann said:


> @meli ...you're the only digital art person I know :biggrin: Got any ideas to help?


tbh this made me sad again but so be it ^^ 

on topic - i made a little overpaint to further explain my thoughts. i think you have a problem with your values. it makes no sense and you cannot recognize where the light is coming from etc.

it is very hard to get this done right painting directly with color as a beginner so here is what helps me alot :

work from greyscale. every base color can have the same value. looking at any color with the same value ( be it red or green or whatever - different colors will always have different hue afaik ) will result in the same grey tone. hence you can check your values with greyscale layer. it will make it easier to simulate 3d and get the right color hue later on.

once you have done the grayscale you could add another layer set it to color mode and apply your colors. 

after it you could even flatten the layers and do corrections with the color palette from your image.


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## lyriumlion (Mar 8, 2016)

abt2k15 said:


> tbh this made me sad again but so be it ^^
> 
> on topic - i made a little overpaint to further explain my thoughts. i think you have a problem with your values. it makes no sense and you cannot recognize where the light is coming from etc.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! I think I will do that. I haven't done much stuff in greyscale, and I guess I never really thought about it that way!
I will definitely do that. Thank you for being my fresh pair of eyes!! <3 <3


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