Deluxe Paint tips

[d4rk3lf]

Ok,
so after a long time, I started D Paint, and I've played a little.
In the attachment you can see my first try. It's poor, but it's all I can make so far, considering my poor knowledge (on the painting skills itself), and my poor knowledge of the app.

Naturally, many questions appear.

First of all: How do you blend colors, or values?
(and I mean... not automatic gradients (thought, I would like to know that also))
Is it possible to make somewhat natural gradients with brush? I've tried with translucency settings, and I can make brush with more opacity, but it blends with bottom brush layer kind of weird (like "screen" blending mode in PS).
Any tips on that?
How cam someone create brush blend between A and B spot, with using just mouse strokes.
Is there "opacity" anywhere except "transluency" option?

Hopefully, when I get more familiar with Dpaint, I'll be also in position to share a tips.

Cheers to all

[idrougge]

I think there is a "Blend" mode, actually. Bear with me, I've been using PPaint since version 2, so my DPaint is a bit rusty.

[d4rk3lf]

Yeah, I've seen that. It acts something like smudge tool in Photoshop.
Still I was unable to do a proper blend between 2 values. I'll try again.

Something like pure opacity would be great.

[Amiga1992]

I don't think what you want to do is exactly possible in Deluxe Paint.
You really won't have natural "blends" especially at that resolution.

I don't have much experience using HAM mode anyway, but you could try the antialias tool (smooth, I think it activates if you press F8). Not gonna do what you want though.
Pixelart is usually done with mechanic or hand-made gradients that are visible (but that's gonna look horrid in HAM mode)

[Marchie]

You can get the equivalent of a PS 'multiply' effect using 'shade' mode (at least I think it's shade) which, if you have enough greys in your palette, will enable you to draw black-on-white with a pencil-on-paper effect (ie: it will get darker with every new stroke).

I haven't found a way to blend colours, if you find one I'm keen to know about it!

[Sinphaltimus]

I'm not sure what the differences are between DP versions but I recall a "spray" option that I used to create color blends. so I'm kind of with Akira here - I don't think it can be done automajicly, but must be done manually if you want any kind of acceptable results. I don't know what it would look like in HAM tho'.

[d4rk3lf]

Thanks guys.

So far, the easiest way for me is using translucent option (70%), and then carefully paint stroke by stroke. If I only can blur that part of the image afterwards, it would be great.
But even with "blend" color mode, I couldn't blur it.

I've tried HAM mode with antialias, as Akira suggested. It's nice and clean, however some color modes where disabled, and it was a terribly slow. I guess, I can make Winuae to run faster.
Will try more, thanks Akira.

Spray is also nice option, as Sinphaltimus suggested. However, no matter how I am carefull, there's always mess I have to clean very carefully afterwards, witch consumes very much time. Btw, I sprayed the walls in above image.

Will search more options.

P.S. Does anyone knows how to do, at least, automatic gradients? When I right click on paint bucket tool, I see option of gradients, and all is clear, except I can't change that random colored gradient (that is by default) to my own gradients.

[Amiga1992]

Press Ctrl+R and you can define your own color ranges for the gradients. The slider+random checkbox will tweak what kind of dithering you want to use.

[d4rk3lf]

Awesome.
Works like a charm.

Thanks Akira.

[Dan]

Hi, the ADF file called "GaToR Graphic Gallery" contains some tips on drawing with Deluxe Paint.
There is, as well, version 2, released by the german "AMIGO" Magazine.

[d4rk3lf]

Ok, so the best method I found so far is using the HAM mode with translucency (around 70%), and I think some very cool results can be achieved.
Thanks again Akira.

I am actually very happy with Ham. Never could blend colors like this in previous tests. Before it was very grainy, and now I think it looks much more natural.
Sure, there are edge artefacts (not sure if antialias helps here, or even make it worse), but overall, it gave somewhat natural looking brush, even with artefact's.

Attachng my quick test with few primitives.
Sorry for the poor quality.

If anyone do some tests, I'd like to see it.

@Dan
I've tried googling that ADF, but couldn't find it. Do you have it somewhere, and can you share it?
Thanks mate.

[Dan]

Both versions are in the Zone. The V2 is german only.

[Amiga1992]

HAM sure works great for "artistic"/paint type stuff, not so good for pixelart, so I think it could be good for you as long as it works fast enough!

[d4rk3lf]

Thanks Dan.
I couldn't find it on the Zone, either, but I guess, I haven't look good enough.
Will search now.

Meanwhile, I couldn't resist not to paint one more test.
attaching

---------
Edit:
Akira.
Agreed completely. Spot on.
Pixel art is philosophy within itself, and with an edge artifact problems, it would cause many troubles.
----------

[Amiga1992]

That looks really good.
Do you paint in real life?

[d4rk3lf]

Thanks Akira.

Originally Posted by Akira

Do you paint in real life?

Nope.
I am... at best... very amateurish painter.
I am doing 3D animation for my living (more exactly: visual effects stuff), but I like painting, and adore people that do that well. I love to watch tutorials, and try some of the stuff on my own, and this is helping me a lot in 3D, because understanding 2D (traditinal art) is something that very helps in 3D.
Or simply said: "When I started doing 3D (without any 2D expirience), some of the stuff I understand took me, like 5 years, while someone that starts learning 3D (with that 2D background) it took him 6 months.
2D is that important (and even more)

I also played, and plan to play in the future with Lightwave on Amiga. Will try to make some really cool 3D renders Too bad there is no "Graphics" subforum on this forum, so anyone can just attach their work there. I still feel "young" on this forum, so I still hesitate to make a request to admin for something like that.

And here is (attaching), work in progress stuff, I am trying with Deluxe Paint.
Ham mode... only base mood established... now it's left shading and details, that takes time to do... if I do it right (hopefully) I'll upload here final result

[Marchie]

Cool!

[d4rk3lf]

Thanks...
So here is the finished version... both B&W, and a little bit of colour
(everything in Ham mode).
In preview they look same?
hmm...

Anyway, cheers to all.

[malko]

Really nice !

[Amiga1992]

I really like the colored one, great work!
It feels like watercolors or something.
I think this is the right way in which to use HAM