A QuickStart Lesson For New IB Users
Using AutoClick and Drawing.
You needn't be confused by the many functions of Infinity Brush. At least 90 percent of the picture below was painted with just 2 functions. This lesson is intended to get you started with minimum confusion.
For this first lesson you can copy and open the picture above in IB or you can open any nice landscape or seascape photograph. We'll actually paint over your opened image to become familiar with two major functions. So follow the steps below for your first orientation:
1. To facilitate easy selection of colors, we'll use the AutoClick color option.
Go to the Options Main Menu (4th from left), to the Set Default Options, then to the Set AutoClick Options and click select the last one "AutoClick Cur (cur>>prev)". This feature selects as the current color any color you left click on, without moving the mouse while clicking, and what was the current color will become the previous color. This option will remain selected through all sessions until changed or turned off.
2. Let's start with painting the sky.
Select the 'Heavy' option of the "Draw Textured Strokes - 2 colors" function in the Draw Main Menu.
Of the Light, Medium, and Heavy options of the textured stroke, light is the smoothest and heavy is the most textured.
Click the "Controls" Main Menu to display the color wheel.
Now click (no movement of cursor) a first sky color as the current color.
Now click a second sky color different from the first (a little lighter or darker). It will now be the current color and the first one selected will be the previous color as you can see in the Color Wheel control.
The Transparency value also changes the texture of the stroke; the lower the value is the smoother the stroke will be.
Adjust the width up or down for different stroke effects. Also, change variables and colors for nic cloud effects. Below is a sample forth and back stroke.
Experiment with the sky. You can always paint over it. Make clouds by changing to very light or dark colors and using different width values.
3. Paint over the background trees.
Select the "Draw Landscape brush- 2 colors (lines both)" function in the Draw Main Menu.
Click the "Controls" Main Menu to display the color wheel.
Distant forests or trees can be done using a dark green and a lighter green ( or whatever color your tree foliage is). Select those now and change your width to somewhere in the 10 dto 20 range to get more texture. Change colors a few times to add color to the forest.
Changing the transparency value will also have a big affect on the texture of trees and bushes.
Fields or other highlighted areas are done with light colors. Select a couple of pale yellow colors and set the transparency value in the 3 to 15 range. Start with low widths around 15 and experiment with the highlights.
4. Now paint over the water.
Still using the same textured stroke function, water with ripples is done similarly to the way the sky was painted.
Select 2 fairly close together water colors. Set the width around 6 or 8 to achieve some small ripples. To draw smoother water, increase the width value and decrease the transparency value. Add new colors to the water for variety.
5. We'll do the grass now.
Still using the same textured stroke function, grass can be done exactly as the water was. Select 2 different colors of green, one a bit darker than the other for a good contrast.
Again, use a low width and high transparency for rough grass. Use a higher width and lower transparency for smooth grass. The closer the 2 greens are, the smoother the grass will appear.
6. Tree truncks, limbs and leaves.
The 'Heavy' option of the "Draw Textured Strokes - 2 colors" function draws a textured tree trunk with a brown and a darker brown selected as above. If bare tree limbs are desired, the "Tapered" function in the things menu is easy to use.
Still using the same textured stroke function, leaves can be applied in existing tree limbs or as in a form as a tree.
There are many ways to draw leaves. Such as; under the main paint menu, set the spray paint volume to low, then select "bushes/trees - thick paint" from the things menu, set the width to about 15 and select your 2 desired colors. Varying the transparencey value can also help to produce different shades.
7. Experiment.
Open different interesting photos and try to reproduce the original effects by painting over with different functions. Not only will you get a better understanding of the functions, you'll also get a better feel for perspective and color generation for computer painting.
If this helps, more examples will be added. Have fun.