Paint Like the ART GODS

[@AdamDuffArt]

Whenever there's a topic that I struggle to effectively put into words - rest assured, you nail it. I LOVE this video and I LOVE the fact that you've made this important topic so approachable. Hate off to you Hardy, and thank you.

[@fowlerillus]

Oh wow, thanks Adam! I really appreciate that. Thanks for watching this!

[@ExpelledMystery]

Adam Duff and Hardy Fowler, two artists I can watch and listen to, knowing there is always something incredibly valuable to absorb, so thank you

[@fowlerillus]

Adam Duff is my hero :) Thank you - I'm so glad that these videos have been helpful.

[@joseandresgonzalezmartinez3688]

i love when an artist i really admire, introduce me to the artists he admires, thanks

[@fowlerillus]

Cool! Thanks for that :) I think I learned about most of my favorites from Adam Duff so I totally identify with this.

[@deadpixeldesigns4308]

You are definitely on that list. I have learned so much from you since your days on Skillshare. I know my skills have grown.

[@fowlerillus]

That's so cool to hear - thank you. I'm really glad that my stuff has helped you - best thing a teacher can hear.

[@hunteriadkins]

I really needed to hear this. Seriously, I can't thank you enough for these videos that you take the time to make. You and Ashley Wood are the wasteland giants of the art world for me, it always inspires me to see you post new work or videos. Thanks again, Hardy.

[@fowlerillus]

I'm so glad this was helpful! Wow, I had never seen Ashley Wood before - she is amazing. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

[@hunteriadkins]

@@fowlerillus Hey Hardy, I emailed you regarding your online mentorship program through DPS.

[@fowlerillus]

@@hunteriadkins Hey Hunter - man I'm sorry. I'm just getting back to my desk after a vacation this week and I totally lost your email in the shuffle. I'll get back to you asap!

[@hunteriadkins]

@@fowlerillus No rush at all, I really appreciate that! I hope you had a great vacation!

[@ginzosquingilly6711]

Thank you for this video hardy!!! Being in your discord and being able to pick the brains of all the talented artists you have there and to participate in the challenges has been amazing and you have cultivated such a wonderful community. This was a great video to watch.

[@fowlerillus]

That is so great to hear! I'm glad that it has been worthwhile.

[@corny3566]

I really like your work and i always feel like i've learned something new about the thing that i love after watching one of your videos. Keep up the great work, it really means a lot and its always so inspiring. It makes me wanna get stuff done and keep improving

[@fowlerillus]

I'm so glad! That's exactly what I'm hoping for making these. Thanks

[@mellehmann943]

Tbh you're one of my art god for sure, i learned so much from your videos and your way of painting ! Confidence is sooo hard to reach tho, but i keep going, thanks for everything Hardy 🤝

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you - that's amazing. Yes, that is definitely the hardest one in the batch - you're doing the right thing, just keep making stuff and that confidence shows up one brush stroke at a time.

[@tatodrawz]

clocked in, gonna take over god art mountain

[@fowlerillus]

Yes! Let's go!

[@rainbowlecat]

Recently started watching your videos and they're honestly some of the best ive seen on art youtube🙏 i could watch them for hours and get to learn from them while at it!!! My favorite artist is jason chan and his art was the thing that inspired me to start drawing but its videos like yours that help me get to that level like his👐

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying the channel. Jason Chan is so awesome - great call.

[@seth8450]

I've always looked on to Ken Barthelmey when I was researching the skillset I need to have to become a professional concept artist. They've made so many of my favourite things in modern media. At 19 and growing up on an island, it's always been hard to find the keys to success as an artist in this genre, because this category of art simply doesn't sell around here. So I'm happy that pros like you share this information online so that those of us who want to learn can learn. It's integral right now especially because I'm trying to make up for my short comings as a creative, and you always provide me something new to study within my art, so I thank you for that.

[@fowlerillus]

That's so cool to hear. I'm so glad that these have been helpful and I'll definitely check out Ken Barthelmey.

[@NickTerryArt]

Ismail Inceoglu is an artist I keep coming back to, so much of his stuff is just the brand of sci-fi/cyberpunk I enjoy and his messiness and simplicity has been something I've been working to emulate or at least better understand. It's exciting to learn things from a certain artist and then find a totally different artist that excites me and learn new things from them and merge all those things to make them my own. Letting your own style develop naturally over time is a really neat, personal journey!

[@fowlerillus]

Oh man, Ismail's stuff is unreal. So brushy and such chunky shapes communicating so much - mastery. I couldn't agree more. I love all of the little ingredients and tricks we pick up along the way that gradually shape us into this unique artist. Thanks Nick - your comments are always super on point

[@MenelikiGaming]

If I'm being completely honest, the artist I've learned the most from is you, Hardy. I've been trying to employ your technique of building up values. Ever since I've been doing that, my art (while still really bad) is lightyears ahead of what it was 6 months ago. Thank you so much for these videos!

[@fowlerillus]

That's so cool! Thank you for that - seriously.

[@bismargelearning]

I dont have a specific artist for me, but i really enjoy the concept work from fromsoftware, it taught me that a concept doesn’t have to be overly or jawdroppingly detailed as long as the vibe and function of it comes across

[@fowlerillus]

I had never seen them before but you are so right - this is such great problem solving concept art. Thanks for the heads up on these

[@zinka777]

As always, thank you for this lesson and demonstration.

[@fowlerillus]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@aldrigvila]

Wow thank you for showing some of my favorite artists and explaining their…. Quirk? i guess :) so briliantly!

[@fowlerillus]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cinndvl8312]

This is such a unique and amazing video among the mass of similar art-improvement videos. I love it. Thank you!

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much. That is really great to hear - I'm very glad that it was helpful

[@YassineCherifi]

Man you just know how to deliver and I really love every part of this video you made me wanna draw more and get better no matter how long it takes thank you so much ❤

[@fowlerillus]

That's awesome - thanks!

[@4DShrey]

Your 2D Art sir look like a real 3d sculpt. Amazing texture painting.Amazing work as always.

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much 😀

[@n-credible0753]

I love hearing about new artists like this! It would be really cool to see a video about all your favorite artists! Once again, epic painting btw 👍

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. These are definitely my favorites :) Unbelievable stuff

[@n-credible0753]

Thanks for responding! Btw, some of my favorite artists are Nicholas Kole, Kan Liu, Aliya Chen, etc. (and your art ofc lol).

[@Zinemay]

Baldi Konjin's works always fascinated me and inspired to push my knowledge about shape design and concept art. I think that his work with shapes of objects is so good and hot that all his works should be marked as 18+, cause holy molly... Tooth Wu is the guy whose work with tones, render and details is just some high level magic for me. Greatness itself.

[@fowlerillus]

Awesome artists - thank you for sharing!

[@michaelkonomos]

Great work! Don’t know why the algorithm didn’t send your work my way sooner, but loving this. Really helpful.

[@fowlerillus]

Michael Konomos the medical illustrator?! What's up man! Great to hear from you. Thanks for the comment - I'm so glad you liked it

[@DavidLeeIngersoll]

Art God - Richard Corben. His stuff blew me away when I first saw it in Heavy Metal magazine back in the day. It still does.

[@fowlerillus]

Incredible stuff - thanks for putting this up here.

[@BEBHaven]

Been learning a lot about that Messy Flex from watching WLOP wave vaguely at his canvas and coming out with gold.

[@fowlerillus]

Yes! Amazing example of the messy flex. Such raw and visible brush strokes juxtaposed with areas of incredible detail. Masterful

[@arknark]

You're awesome. Also at first glance I thought the shattered buggy was (backwards) a motorcycle of some sort.

[@fowlerillus]

Oh I totally see that. Unintentional but I think it works with the chaos of the genre (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

[@arknark]

@@fowlerillus Exactly what I was thinking.

[@ToastedFox]

something to counter is that i always like finding detail in a piece that i didnt know i would find. like a small corner of a piece that noone would look at. i do like art that is efficient with detail. but detailing something noone would thing to detail is something thats fun to find.

[@fowlerillus]

That's a really good point. I definitely didn't mean to say that all detail is bad - I love finding those little lovingly crafted areas of focus in art too and that's a really cool idea to put it somewhere unexpected like an easter egg.

[@HIRA-art4u]

Thank you for sharing Hardy!

[@fowlerillus]

My pleasure! Thanks for checking it out

[@AdrianoSantos-iy5eq]

Parabéns amigo esplendor de art, e otimo assunto a debater, abraco.

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much :)

[@amado7760]

Awesome, Hardy !!!!

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! Glad you liked it

[@Dalgeor]

I find it VERY useful to learn which ones are the art gods of an art god :)

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks :) I'm glad you enjoyed the video

[@JosiahGastineau]

Nikolai Lockertsen and Miguel Liglesias are my favorites. Flap traps Richard Anderson also. I could look at there art all day long

[@fowlerillus]

Incredible artists. I have done a bit of work with 40K and I somehow have never seen Miguel Liglesias - his work is absolutely insane! Thanks for sharing these

[@JosiahGastineau]

@@fowlerillus Awesome, I dont even like Warhammer but I came across him on youtube and he's become one of my absolute favorites.

[@fowlerillus]

@@JosiahGastineau That's so cool, thank you!

[@ArtGodPrime]

YES, THIS IS FOR ME!

[@fowlerillus]

Awesome! Wow, I just saw your name - yes it certainly is! How did we do?

[@artistdq]

It’s great to learn more thanks

[@fowlerillus]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@filipolendzki8276]

You forgot to mention a very skilled art god, but maybe You just never heard of him... It's Hardy Fowler. Great art, video, advice and inspiration as always, thanks

[@fowlerillus]

That's super cool of you to say - I totally didn't mean for this one to be fishing for compliments - but seriously, thank you. I'm so glad the video was helpful :)

[@ユセフユセフ-n5i]

Amazing ❤

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@samhoban2509]

Love this, thanks

[@fowlerillus]

So glad! Thanks

[@maximelanglois4366]

Alex Andreev is really good to for contrasted artwork even chiaroscuro, and it's univers is really interresting as well as Simon Stalenhag

[@fowlerillus]

Yes that is some really great stuff! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@fowlerillus]

Simon Stalenhaag is an absolute genius. I definitely should have included him with Ian McQue for that signature thing quality. Great call!

[@Slimicus_Art]

Thank you for sharing

[@fowlerillus]

My pleasure. I'm glad these have been helpful!

[@ramiroerasocanciones8786]

Thanks bro, very interesting video.

[@fowlerillus]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ParagonOfficial-ch6xh]

Awesome work, what were the settings of the brush you were using at the beggining of the video?

[@fowlerillus]

For the value painting I used a standard round brush with 25% spacing. Pressure is set to brush size so I can make small marks with light touches. I set flow and opacity quite low so that I can tap repeatedly and build up tones slowly which gives a lot of control.

[@felipeomeloo]

Instant like and save to Hardy Fowler tutorials folder!!! 😆

[@fowlerillus]

Nice! Thanks - glad you liked this one

[@adrisc566]

BOA TARDE , OTIMO TRABALHO E PRINCIPALMENTO A TRADUCAO , DE VARIOS DILEMAS DOS DESIGNS. BRACOS

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much :)

[@derekcascio]

Great video Hardy. Love your set too. What are you shooting on? Excellent lighting!

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! I appreciate that - I've been slowly building up my setup for a while. I'm shooting on a Sony A6400. Mostly window light (which is where that glare comes from in my glasses) but I have a Mount Dog box light (need to upgrade this)

[@inkthinker]

I once killed a creature design at the last minute, revising it from the middle point forward, because I recognized that what I was about to deliver was just... fake-looking, badly built. It didn't feel like real anatomy. The client was okay with what I had provided, but I was not. I went back and figured out what I couldn't accept, rebuilt and revised and the new design was much better (still not perfect, but much better). It was scary as heck to pull that lever though, to tell the client, "I need to claw this back and take another swing at it". I'm very grateful that they extended the confidence to allow that, but it probably helped that mustered the confidence to say it needed to happen. Wasn't easy! :) Sitting on something for a little while before delivery is another good tip. With almost every "finished" piece, if I can let it marinate for *at least* 24 hours, I almost always find multiple things to correct during that time. If I try and send it without that resting period, I usually have regrets.

[@fowlerillus]

I identify with this so much! Good for you for not being satisfied with adequate - I actually use pretty much that exact policy myself. Never post or send off anything until I let it sit for a day. I almost always see something I wish I had changed if I send it out too quickly. Great stuff - thanks for the comment!

[@pedrojosecorderoveloz2229]

Really nice

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rorypullman]

Honestly I believe the Zeus, the Odin, the Jupiter, and the Ra of the Art Pantheon is Hardy Fowler.

[@fowlerillus]

Haha - I got them all! :) thank you, that's very kind

[@yurivashcinko1360]

Hardy, can I ask you for advice? Perhaps you can recommend a good book for learning digital drawing for a beginner? 📚🎨

[@fowlerillus]

That's a good question. I don't really know of a book on this topic but I think that I would go for something more practical like a video tutorial. There are lots of great courses out there (DPS has a Digital Art Fundamentals course for $9 www.digitalpaintingstudio.com/shop) but you can get far with free KZbin tutorials - especially for the basics. I would start there for sure and then look into cheap courses if you want to take it a step further. Like anything, we learn to do by doing, so I would have your stylus ready and try to follow along with whatever resources you choose. Good luck and happy painting! :)

[@yurivashcinko1360]

@fowlerillus ok thanks.

[@Blake28267]

YOU'RE ONE OF THEM TOO MAN 🤌💯💥

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you - that's super cool to hear. Didn't mean for this to be a compliment fishing expedition but I sincerely appreciate it :)

[@beanqueen4394]

I am a Junior artist who just graduated from 2D animation and illustration and I am still trying to reach for an art style more typical to concept artists such as yourself. The artists I look up to the most are; Yourself, Tapwing, and Neytirix. My dream is to get their level one day...im just struggling on knowing where to start. My style has always been more cartoony/ manga, but now im ready to change it, anyone got tips on where to start?

[@fowlerillus]

Congratulations on graduation - that's an amazing milestone. Thanks for your kind words. As for where to start - I think of my general rendering category as painterly. The main distinction between that and comic/manga styles is the inclusion of line art "ink" in the final image. The results can be beautiful (in fact it looks like Tapwing and Neytrix both include lots of ink) but if you are looking for something closer to my style, I would try to try a rendering without line art that is more shape and value based. I think this video might be a good jump off point. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnnYl5x5jLuijNE Good luck and reach out if I can help :)

[@Houdini_Bob]

I like your character and how its right arm and left foot are "normal" and left arm and right foot deformed.

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! I find that asymmetry can be a really fun way to make designs more dynamic. I'm glad you liked it :)

[@Duskryn]

Anyone have a link to the discord?

[@fowlerillus]

Hi! We just updated a few links but it should now be working here. Welcome! www.digitalpaintingstudio.com/community

[@charzz_artzz]

hey hardy off topic question but, ever experimented in animation?

[@fowlerillus]

A tiny bit when I was studying to be a medical illustrator. I enjoyed it but it never really grew into something I wanted to do a lot of.

[@daludna]

My toxic trait is thinking you're talking while painting the timelapse in the video 😂

[@fowlerillus]

Oh I am definitely not painting and talking in real time here. Sorry if that was misleading. I seem to have enough brain cells to either paint or speak but not both at the same time :)

[@daludna]

@@fowlerillus Oh no! it was not misleading! I'm the one who forgets and gets like: Gosh Hardy can paint without even watching the screen 🤣 But then I remember that is a timelapse video lmao

[@TheMelter101]

I think Raphael Lacoste is up there

[@fowlerillus]

Yes he certainly is! Gorgeous stuff. Thanks for the input

[@specnet6048]

Do forgive me for posting a comment that is unrelated to the video. It appears you are no longer active on Udemy so I do not know how else to contact you. I just bought your 'Painting Faces with the Power of Photoshop' and I am stumped on one point. The part where you transform your orange value tone layer to a pale one, then create a layer underneath it to begin adding skin hues. I do not understand how you are able to paint on the bottom layer and have it show up in the top. I do not have Photoshop, but layer behavior has been universal so far across the painting programs I tried. What is painted on the bottom layer will be blocked by what is painted the top layer, yet somehow you seem to circumvent this. I've re-winded the video multiple times to try and spot any possible settings you changed, but it all seems normal. I can of course proceed with what is taught. It just means I need to modify the approach, but this issue is baffling to me and I haven't been able to find any answers yet online. So I am hoping you can demystify the technique you used.

[@fowlerillus]

No need to apologize! Apologies for not being available on Udemy but I have shifted focus to my own community on DPS discord and mentorship students - I hate to leave any question unanswered though so I'm glad you reached out. For future ref, feel free to email me at [e-mail] OK, so the reason the underpainting layer is partially visible depends on how we handle that initial value step. If you are only painting with one color like I do in the demo (and not sampling and painting back), then it should leave darker areas as more transparent. Basically they are dark because less opaque tones have been added over the top. It is important that we paint value with low flow and opacity to make this work, otherwise, the entire value layer will be opaque and you won't see those tones underneath - could this be what's going on? I'm wondering if you sampled and painted in mid tones as you worked on the values leaving the value layer opaque? If you did, it should be a fairly simple to pivot and paint those red hue variations on top, but I'm sorry if this wasn't clear in the steps I was showing. Please let me know if that solves it for you - good luck!

[@specnet6048]

Yes, that was the issue. I just did a quick test with a low opacity paint. As you said, my value layer was fully opaque. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain. I tend to take a more traditional approach to painting so I lay down values with strong opacity and manually pick the steps in between, by either using the colour picker or picking from the colour wheel. Thank you once again.

[@williamthomas718]

Hardy you do realise you're one of them right? Like you know that you're also incredibly talented right. For instance you deservedly praise Anthony Jones for his use of value but yours is just as good I'd say.

[@fowlerillus]

That's really cool of you to say. Sincerely, I appreciate it. Onward and upward!

[@Petardozord]

In order to be art god , you msut posses specific spatial connections inside brain. Turn apples in UHD, not 720p.

[@fowlerillus]

Definitely, that seems to be a particular part of the mind that is highly developed in this top tier artists. Thanks for your perspective

[@thisSaint]

What's an "ART GOD"? :)

[@fowlerillus]

I consider this to be an elite artist with a unique signature style who is working at the top tier of the industry but definitions can certainly vary on that!

[@thisSaint]

@@fowlerillus elite artists? top tier? what is the top tier?

[@superclips234]

usually people say that our jobs as a concept artist will be going vanish because of ai well what do u think about it?? can i contineu my grind??

[@fowlerillus]

Great question and it's probably time for another video on that. The short answer is that I just don't know but I have reasons for optimism. Broadly, I think AI is going to change life in huge ways for all people and professionals so I think we are in for a very strange 5-10 years ahead for humanity. For concept art and illustration, while I have heard reports of layoffs happening around the industry, things seem very steady from my perspective. I am personally busier than I have ever been but much more importantly, younger artists who I have mentored are starting their careers so the jobs are still out there - even as AI tools are becoming widely used. This leads me to believe and hope that AI is not solving all problems that a concept artist is called upon to solve, that people still like working with people and that creatives are still valued in larger projects. I think pursuing art as a career or even a hobby is still as worthwhile today as it was five years ago - it has always been a hard road and a competitive world, so in many ways this latest challenge doesn't feel much different. Hoping for the best!

[@ulackh8tred]

audio is out of sync

[@fowlerillus]

Oh no! I hate when that happens. I'll double check and see what went wrong here

[@Inthenameofjustice7]

Never liked the "art god" thing....but ok 😅

[@fowlerillus]

Yeah, it's definitely a little much isn't it? :) "Industry Giants"

[@luxuriousmindset1906]

Ok you dont have to like it but there real lol

[@TheBeatnikPainter]

Yeah kinda corny..self obsessed, blowing smoke bull.

[@luxuriousmindset1906]

​@TheBlackCrayon77 get out your feelings

[@TheBeatnikPainter]

First off I want to say...I meam no disrespect when asking my question. Im am aetist myself. Since grade school drawing with number 2 oencils and bic pens, to graffiti years in late teens and 20s, to painting on canvas (acrylic, watercolors, gauche, ink, etc..." To where I am today....trting out digital art. Is it really painting...the experience ive found isnt nearly as satisfying nor difficult. Example: the ability to block out, switch layers, endlessly use paint that doesnt dry, copy paste, trace, and all the other shortcuts I see people using... don't ring as painting to me. I will say it is art in my eyes, amd some stuff is magical and beautiful. I just think there should be a different eay of labeling what it is actually...which is digital art...amd mot actually painting.

[@fowlerillus]

Totally cool and I get what you're saying. If I was primarily a traditional artist I would probably have a similar opinion that digital art is sort of cheating but I think it can definitely be a profoundly meaningful, challenging and worthwhile medium. I wish I had a term other than painting for what this kind of art is, but that's what it feels like to me. Moving tones and colors around with tools to create an effect and communicate a mood, feeling and/or story to a viewer. Seriously, I appreciate the perspective - thanks for the comment.

[@Awytoo]

But why all the art gods do distopian/junk/postappocaliptic/weird scary looking stuff? At what point in history we switched from beautiful ballerinas, epic sceneries, heroic portraits to monsters and junk?

[@fowlerillus]

That's a good question - in my opinion, it's a bit easier to evoke powerful emotions with things that are dark or even ugly so my guess is that more artists are taking that short path too "cool!" - that is certainly what I am doing here :) That's a good reminder though - keep it light :)

[@wisgarus]

I think that is just bias speaking. Personally I mostly see fantasy artists

[@jokervendetta7431]

0 likes in 1 min? bro fell

[@fowlerillus]

That critical first 30 seconds :)

[@sebastianblue8688]

What kind of god will you be without hydro? Go pick up a pencil.

[@fowlerillus]

Good reminder - keep those traditional skills sharp