Procreate Vs. Photoshop Part 2

Last month I shared about some adventures in Procreate from the perspective of a Photoshop user. I have a few more insights to add and some conclusions that surprised me!

Reference photo from photographer Engin Akyurt. Brush comparison in Procreate. Re-shading the same sketch with different brushes is a great way to see their qualities!

My original goal was to recreate the feel of Photoshop in Procreate, but I also found that I liked Procreate for different uses. With the above study, I tested out two brushes that I liked after a lengthy narrowing-down process. The left example was made with a gouache style brush with the hopes of finding something like the Kyle gouache brushes for Photoshop. The right example was made with a brush from the Jingsketch Basics pack that I had used and was a little intimidated by at first, but had noticed potential. I stuck with it and enjoyed using it so much that I decided to pursue this smooth, art deco flavor with an additional study!

The Edge Control brush is one that could only work well in Procreate. The brush dynamics that make it so fluid and have a controlled, but organic taper from the hard edge to the soft edge would not work in Photoshop. Procreate excels at line-based brushes, so it's no mystery that comic artista love it. It is also useful for the contour control needed for modern/art deco styles and calligraphy. 

Above are the brush settings for Procreate and wow-eee are there a bunch of toggles. The number of brush features on the left side seems to be about the same as Photoshop, but within each feature, there are a greater number of settings. Finding a pre-made brush you like and messing around with the settings a little is more approachable than building a brush from scratch.

A painting study in Procreate using Jingsketch's Edge Control brush.

Here is the second attempt with the Edge Control brush to see if I could make a more polished illustration with it. The plane-defining nature of the brush called for a graphic approach and informed the direction of the composition. The shading style for this elk gave some freedom to exaggerate shapes while also being systematic in a way that feels natural for how I like to build shadows and highlights. 

In conclusion, Procreate and Photoshop have the same basic structure, but have unique strengths depending on the use. For my purposes, Procreate is amazing for sketching and encourages me to experiment more. I can't sit in bed or at a cafe with my massive iMac and do photoshop sketches, but I can take the iPad anywhere and fill my time with drawing when I might otherwise melt my brain with social media. While Photoshop is also available for iPad, the interface for Procreate is well-suited for a small device. Photoshop has better tools for the complex illustrations I make for my book covers and posters, such as vector shapes, photo-editing tools, and typography options. I went in thinking I could recreate my same Photoshop techniques in Procreate and came out with a completely different approach for illustrating!

As a side-note and public service announcement, another tool has become available for protecting artists and their copyrighted images against AI plagiarism. It is called Nightshade, which is made by the same team that made Glaze. Nightshade deters the unethical scraping of copyrighted images by making very small changes to the pixels of your images. AI training models will go on to ascribe the wrong description to the “Nightshaded” images because of those changed pixels, weakening the model. Hopefully, this will help AI developers understand the importance of training on copyrighted data through consent.

Protecting Your Art Against Theft

"Cover Story" Reception September 8

I am excited to share an upcoming art show that features my book cover art along with some of the originals that I displayed at my Press Coffee show, "Whimsey Wanderings". This show is in collaboration with an Iowa City community art group, Artifactory. Save the date and come to the beginning where I will give a little shpeel about the art on display. The reception is one night only on September 8, but the display will be up from August 22 to October 23 in case you can't make it.

 

Protecting Your Art

Lets talk about what has been on creative's mind recently from writers to actors, musicians to visual artists: art theft. Art theft refers to using copyrighted creative content without the permission and/or credit of the creator. The content is typically stolen for commercial gain, but claiming another's art under your name or a different name is also art theft regardless of money being made. Art theft has been present since the beginning, but it is seeing an increase due to new technology that makes it easy to steal.

The most sophisticated form of plagiarism has entered the scene in the form of generative AI. AI has had a huge presence in the media with the popularity of ChatGPT and Midjourney. I first want to make a distinction that AI alone is a neutral technology, like fire. It has an equally great propensity for good as it does harm. There are some amazing and positive uses for AI that I am seeing in applications like the medical field where it is helping doctors diagnose faster and more accurately. We are mostly talking about the harmful side in this article because at the moment, generative AI is posing a greater threat than boon to creatives. Like fire, AI can be very, very harmful.

We will not go into all of the ways that generative AI is unethical in its current state. Our focus will be on the steps you can take now for protecting your art (specifically visual art). For more information on the legal and ethical issues with generative AI, check out this petition trying to bring about conversation and change on the subject. It also has useful links to organizations that focus on rights for creatives.

Here are a few ways that can help with preventing AI theft and general art theft. They are in no particular order and most can be easily managed with some vigilance.

Digitally Cloak with Glaze

This is a brand new software that you download and run your images through that makes it hard for AI to replicate. It creates a little bit of a pixelly pattern overlay that is noticeable on close inspection, but is good enough for the average viewer's attention span. In the end, the visual differences are worth the protection. It does take a looooong time to process one image (it's almost two hours on my computer for the default setting), so make plans to run it at night or when you have some down time. Glaze continues to improve and may become speedier with future updates.

Here you have the glazed version on the left. The pattern of the glaze overlay can be seen most noticeably on the gold scales which have broad areas of smooth gradation. Some areas actually look nice with the extra texture, like the background which has old painted wood panels.

File for Copyright

To be clear, an artist owns the rights to their work upon its creation in the US, but if you want to be able to take infringers to court and be awarded damages, filing for copyright gives you that extra protection. It's relatively cheap, you can file online, and you can register a body of work at the same time.

Opt-Out of Uncompensated AI Training

Many apps are by default use the data you give them (personal info, social media posts, images) to train AI or in some cases sell to third parties. Only now are we seeing some small changes pushing companies to be more transparent about data use. Some of that data, especially on art websites like DeviantArt and ArtStation, is being used to train generative AI. ArtStation and DeviantArt just as they disclosed the use of user's images being used as training data this year followed with the option to opt-out. This may be a moot point for artwork existing on the website that was already scraped before those options materialized, but you can still be proactive for newly uploaded art. Take a look at the data collection policies on the websites you upload images to and take steps to prevent feeding into AI training models. Opt-out if you have the option.

Here is the opt-out option on Art Station in the account settings. Data sharing settings can be found in your account section across different apps/platforms.

Mark Your Images

Putting your name on your artwork is not a big deterrent for AI, but it is going to make people think twice when it comes to traditional methods of art theft. If they take your art images and erase your name, they will knowingly commit art theft and that will deter some. There are also genuine art appreciators who may be not familiar with best practices for crediting and don't put your name in captions or posts. Having your name on the image ensures that people know who the artist is wherever it goes. More great information about watermarks and signatures can be found on one of my favorite blogs for illustration, Muddy Colors.

This is my approach to marking my art with my website in the lower left.

Display Low-Res Versions Only

Never put your full resolution images on your website. It is not necessary for viewing, creates lag for your website, and gives art thieves more options for printing your stolen art at a high quality. Images for social media needn't be more than 1200px-1500px on the longest side at 72dpi. That's a good limit for your portfolio images as well.

Add A Copyright Disclaimer to Your Website

Giving potential art thieves a warning can be an effective deterrant. Your website should have a copyright disclaimer, which you can add visibly without being overbearing. The disclaimer I use in my website footer, which you are welcome to copy-paste is: 

ALL IMAGES CONTAINED HEREIN © FIRSTNAME LASTNAME, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. NO IMAGE MAY BE USED IN PART OR ENTIRETY WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Expose Art Theft When it Happens

Public shaming is an affective deterrent for art theft. If you see a company selling pirated art, spreading the word online through your social circles can have a great influence on their reputation and pressure them to remove the pirated art. When it comes to AI images, it can be hard for some people to spot the signs and there is no obligation for a company or individual to mark images as AI generated. Encourage your art-appreciating friends to research the artist they are buying from to see their process images. That can help with identifying ethically-made art.

Support Ethical AI

There is a world where artists benefit from generative AI. As it currently stands, there are no generative AI tools that compensate creatives for their data, to my knowledge. It is important to define what AI developers can do to make their products ethical towards creatives, which is to train AI with data that has been obtained with explicit permission and fairly compensate the copyright owners (artists or to those who purchased the copyright) for it. This is no different than the concept behind art licensing, a common practice for companies paying an artist to use existing artwork for a new commercial purpose under a defined contract.

Browsing through some "centaurs" on Midjourney presents us with nightmare fuel or accurate, but uninspired herculean types. Midjourney trains their AI on artist's work without consent and is not a source for ethical art.

As a final note, if you are an aspiring artist who has been dispirited by the advent of generative AI, remember that you have a unique voice both in the messages you illustrate and the style you craft. For all its wonders, generative AI still has its limitations for creating complex art that is cohesive and depicts imaginative content (it fails at centaurs pretty hard and things that don't exist in general). Also, many companies will not purchase AI-generated images because they need to purchase art with legal protections (not granted to AI images). There is still a market for your art and so many people who want to buy beautiful things made by human hands.



Here Be dragons and Illustration Resources

Fantasy illustration is all about picturing things that don't exist (like dragons), which begs the question of how to create a sense of realism. The book cover I designed for A.P. Couiteaux is a good example as it melds elements that do exist in the real world with the fantastical.

This book was just released on Kindle. Check it out if you like fantasy with a spice of sci fi.

After reading through the novel and discussing composition goals with the author, I created my typical three sketches. This cover is a full spread, which is an exciting “landscape” aspect ratio to work with. My task is to make sure the art works when cropped to just the front, but still has a nice visual flow from back-to-front.

The preliminary concepts:

Even from the earliest sketches, I found it helpful to have placement for the title text, turning the layer on and off when I wanted to focus just on painting. The final composition (below) combined two concepts from the preliminary sketches, focusing on the first sketch and incorporating the back side of the second sketch.

Now comes the challenge of fitting all of the text elements without creating clutter.

Below is the final text layout, color scheme, and art composition. This is important to do before polishing the artwork. There is less worry if a major change needs to be made during the sketchy stage to accommodate text. This layout is for hardcover, hence the interior flaps.

Now I am ready to dive into gathering photo reference. My aim for reference is to learn about the structure of lighting and anatomy that will inform my artwork, but not by pursuing "detail" in the traditional sense of realism. I enjoy realism that focuses on mood over detail, just like a Pixar movie can have "cartoony" 3D characters that feel life-like.

Let’s dive in to one of my favorite resources: 3D models!

I like to use 3D models for most of my reference, which I might build from scratch if it’s really simple, but most often I combine and alter existing models from free 3D model websites. The only big challenge for 3d model reference is getting natural-looking clothing folds, so I will usually take a few selfies for that.

I construct, add lighting, and render images using Blender (also free). Blender is not an easy software to use, but if you are opening existing models and adding a few light sources, you only need to learn a few tools inside the program.

Here is a look at the Blender interface. Eve says hi.

 Here is a more complete list of the free resources I use for my reference, they are:

  • Blender

    My main 3D modeling software

  • Daz3D

    another 3D modeling software more focused on posing human models. Not as comprehensive as Blender, but more user-friendly

  • Mixamo

    Auto-rigging for your humanoid models to then pose in Blender. Also has a couple of free character 3D Models

  • Sketchfab-

    My favorite website for free 3D models. They have a 3D viewer, which is nice for quick reference as well as downloadable models

  • Quixel

    A really amazing library of 3D scanned models. I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my radar. Requires an add-on to import the files to Blender

  • Grabcab

    A great website for more technical 3D models, like vehicles and furnishings. Not the best for downloading (file conversion needed), but has a built-in 3D viewer

  • CGtrader

    A smaller selection and not as high quality as sketchfab, but free is free. Account required.

  • Turbosquid

    Another free 3D Model option. Account required.

I don’t always shy away from paid 3D models. If it saves you time, it’s worth every penny and you can probably use for future reference as well.

A pro tip for rigging non-human, imaginary creature 3D models like dragons: skip the rigging. I find it faster to cut up the model in sections and just rotate limbs to the desired angle for the pose. The wings I used for my dragon (which actually do need to be rigged) come from a pre-rigged bat model. Some mythical creatures are more or less real animals with added components, like unicorns. Just stick a horn on that horse. Work smarter, not harder.

Here is the final spread for Eve Archer! Online 3D models and other virtual resources are more abundant than ever and give you a great degree of control and creativity for implementation.


Fantastical Art for Your Fantastical Friends!

If you haven’t heard: I have originals, prints, stationery, and more goodies on my Etsy Store with Cyber Weeks Sales happening as we speak. Check out my store for all the details.


Dear Art Graduate Part 3

Dear Art Graduate,

Create accountability.

"Jovian Fantasy" was created for the Parallel show with Light Grey Art Lab--a great motivation factor.

"Jovian Fantasy" was created for the Parallel show with Light Grey Art Lab--a great motivation factor.

In my last post, I talked about how creating a series of pieces can strengthen your portfolio. It's a great thought, but it won't come to fruition through sheer force of will--it also takes time management and external motivation. Here are the tools that help me organize my time and light a fire under my rear:

Time Management

1. Use a Calendar

 Write it down: project deadlines, gallery shows, local networking events, conventions, and any events that might be beneficial, even if you're on the fence on whether to go or not. Studies show that writing things down can make you 42% more likely to do it. For me, the likelihood is even higher (~90%) since I make it part of my routine. I use a white board calendar, which I find faster to manipulate than a digital calendar. With that said, you should use whatever calendar is most effective for you. First, I would suggest writing down your larger goals and events for the year (big conventions may require multiple months of preparation). Next, use the first day or last day of the month to lay out the smaller goals and events for the month. For month-long illustrations, I will subdivide my deadlines to include deadlines for thumbnails, revised thumbnails, finished painting, and coloring. Just remember to check your calendar, which will free your mind to focus on creating great art!

2. Record Your Working Hours

Start recording your hours when working on a project. If you have never done it, be consistent and record every project. I use Toggl, a free time tracking program that lets you label time slots and creates a monthly overview of how you allocate your time. You can record time separately for thumbnail sketching and for the final execution of an illustration, which will give you a better sense of what to charge clients. When I make a quote, I like to find a balance between my hourly rate and standard illustration pricing. It may surprise you how long your illustration takes and that knowledge is important in planning future projects. You can also use that knowledge to negotiate with clients who are unfamiliar with the often time-intensive processes in illustration.

External Motivation

It helps to have people to keep you accountable for finishing your work, which is part of what makes art school so attractive. Here are a few ways to motivate your learning and productivity without costing your firstborn:

1. Submit Your Art

Submitting your art can include art competitions, online communities, gallery submissions, and art annual submissions. There are a bunch of art challenges out there, so focus on ones that really resonate with you. Always read the fine print for art contests, especially ones that utilize the winning artwork for a product or for advertisement purposes. A red flag would be if the winning entrants lose all rights to their work without appropriate compensation. It's more my personal stance on business ethics, but the question I ask before entering a contest is, "Is the artwork for this contest for a product that an art director typically hires an artist for?" If the answer is "yes", I don't enter the contest. 

Here are a bunch of great submission avenues that I currently participate in or have recently participated in:

The super secret tip to entering all these things is to join mailing lists. They will straight up email you the deadlines! It's madness! 

2. Participate in Local Art & Small Business Gatherings

Many art and small business gatherings are education-focused. Mingle among those who can share their more advanced techniques and freelance insight! There's nothing quite like bouncing ideas off of people and getting a healthy dose of art critique too. You will start developing valuable relationships with people who will encourage you and check in on your progress.

Coming to a city near you:

  • Chamber of Commerce After-Hours/ Local Business Gatherings
  • Collaborative Workspace Mixers (these workspaces are popping up everywhere)
  • Local Art Association Events
  • Open Studio Events/Gallery Receptions
  • Drawing Clubs/Meet-Ups (can ben discovered via Facebook and meetup.com)
  • Local Conventions/Art Shows
  • Workshops and Demonstrations

I stress local events as great sources of motivation since you will make more frequent and often deeper connections with people than at distant events. Look to Facebook, your local newspaper, and coffee shop pin boards for local events!

What helps motivate you? Share with us your best fire-igniters in the comments!