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How to Make Digital Paintings Look Traditional: 3 Pro Tips

Want a more traditional, “painterly” look to your digital paintings?

There’s nothing wrong with super-smooth blending and crisp, clean lines. In fact, some of my favorite pieces of digital art are in this style.

But maybe you love the look of a traditional painting or want to challenge yourself to create the illusion that you’ve used real brushes on a canvas.

Using texture is a great way to achieve that painterly feel in your artwork.

Creating texture doesn’t mean leaving random blocks of color or doing a final pass with a textured brush in an attempt to make your painting look more realistic.

So how do you make your digital painting look traditional using textures? That’s what today’s tutorial is all about!

In this video, you’ll learn my top 3 tips for mimicking traditional media. Watch step-by-step as I apply them to one of my portraits.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

  • A simple trick you can use before you start applying color to add authentic “imperfections” that give your painting a traditional vibe
  • How to choose the right brushes so that you create buildable texture and avoid that flat look
  • The “puzzle” approach to painting that adds realism and depth, and improves your observation skills!
  • The one tool you’ve probably been told to avoid that simulates real brushstrokes on a canvas — use this alongside a textured brush and your digital painting will instantly look more traditional

👉 Looking for more tutorials on how to paint beautifully textured portraits? Check out my video on using subtle yet striking style and texture to boost the realism of your digital portraits.

texture brushes for a traditional look & Feel + Free Tutorial

Free download:

Sure to become your go-to tools for perfect textures!

The post How to Make Digital Paintings Look Traditional: 3 Pro Tips appeared first on Paintable.

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How to Draw a Digital Portrait Like a Pro: Sketching Tutorial

Ever spend hours figuring out how to draw a digital portrait, only to zoom out and realize something’s just “off”?

You’ve spent so long sketching, merging layers, and painstakingly adding in the details… only to discover that your portrait doesn’t resemble your reference — or even a person at all!

Even worse, it’s impossible to fix without losing hours of progress.

But all of this is avoidable.

How? By getting your sketch right!

In this tutorial, I show you my personal process to draw a digital portrait like a pro.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

  • How to build the perfect base layer to begin building your masterpiece, and avoid wasting hours on a portrait you won’t be satisfied with
  • The 3 classic sketching methods developed by world-class artists, and my own “Observation Measurement” method that blends all three… with a twist!
  • How to use a second sketch to nail all the details and bring your digital painting to life before you even start adding color
  • Why proportions are crucial even if you’re going for a “cute”, exaggerated, or stylized look

👉 For more tips on sketching, check out my video that walks you through 5 super-easy tips to level-up your drawings… even if you’re a beginner!

our best sketching Brushes + Free Tutorial

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Craftsmanship at its finest!

The post How to Draw a Digital Portrait Like a Pro: Sketching Tutorial appeared first on Paintable.