This time use a Conte stick for the dark outline, and then switch to white for the left edge, indicating the light source. Traditional French Conte sticks are firmer and creamier than chalk or charcoal, and Painter emulates them rather well. As with any new brush variant, make a few test strokes and scribble on a “scratch pad” canvas. Adjust the pressure sensitivity of your tablet if needed, using Painter’s Preferences > Brush Tracking. Figure 2.6 was done with Real Soft Conte, reduced in size to about 12 pixels. Notice that there are a couple of breaks in the outline. This is deliberate, allowing some ambiguity between the foreground shape and the background.

Now that you have the outline, you don’t really need Tracing Paper anymore, so turn it off and use the “eyeball” method[md]just look at the source photo to guide your placement of highlights and shadows. (This is a good reason to keep the source image open!) Apply a few white strokes in the light areas, pressing harder in the brightest spots. Use dark brown to create some shadow areas. Switch between white and brown as you work by sampling with the Dropper.

Toggle Your Dropper
A speedy way to sample colors is to hold down the Option/Alt key. This changes your brush to the Dropper so you can tap your stylus on any desired color in your image. Release the modifier key and you’re brush tool is back.

 

Don’t let light and dark strokes overlap or even touch each other, but rely on the paper color to express mid-tones. Only a few strokes are needed to bring out this form. Refer to Figure 2.6 for guidance and encouragement. White strokes on the highlight areas help to suggest volume. Adding the cast shadow places the apple in a three-dimensional space, as does the addition of more white behind the left side of the shape.

 

Crosshatch Contours
Take another close look at the apple photo. This time, concentrate on its rounded contours. You’ll work on white paper with black lines. Tone and form will be built up from overlapping strokes that follow the contours of the fruit. This hatching and crosshatching is another traditional method, often used by cartoonists and graphic artists, especially for commercial black-and-white printing.

 

Make another Quick Clone of the photo. Choose the Scratchboard Tool pen from the Basic Drawing custom palette. Changes in pressure will affect the thickness of the lines, so take a few minutes to practice line control. Tweak the sensitivity of your tablet again, if needed. Figure 2.7 has some practice crosshatching made with the Scratchboard Tool.

 

 

A Real Page Turner
To keep from twisting your wrist too much, use Painter’s Rotate Page tool, available in all versions. It’s the very last item in the Toolbox. When you’re ready to return to normal orientation, double-click the Rotate Page tool.