Derek Lea's blog

A Thing of Beauty

2011-01-03T13:01:00.001-08:00

Okay everyone, here is your chance to get a free excerpt of Beyond Photoshop. In a tutorial format, Digital Arts gives you a free section that shows you some creative techniques that use Photoshop alongside Painter. Check it out here.

Beyond Photoshop On Sale Now!

2010-08-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is! Beyond Photoshop is available right now. Writing this book was long haul, but I am very very pleased with the results. So, if you're ambitious enough to try combining Photoshop with some of the greatest software on the planet, you might want to check it out. You can visit the Beyond Photoshop website now for purchase options, a reader forum, sneak peeks into the content of the book and more.

New Work: Photo-centric and Austere

2010-08-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

When I began working as an illustrator, almost all of my work was photo-based. It had a lot to do with me working in a photography studio at the time. But as the years went on, I drifted further and further away from photography in my work. I think I found that after a while, what I really wanted was to do some more drawing and build things entirely from scratch, digitally or otherwise. As a result of this, the subject matter became a bit more whimsical and in many cases, my work was not as dark and foreboding as it once was.

Also, I realized that I really wasn't interested in being a photographer. Whereas many see this as a creative outlet, I was viewing it as a necessary chore to get the resources I wanted for my illustrations. As a result of this, I think my photographic work was never all that good and I eventually drifted away from photography entirely. It has been years since I unpacked my camera and lights.

Fast-forward to this year and I find it ironic that a couple of recent projects were rooted in photography. They also have that dark quality that my earlier work used to feature so abundantly. What I really enjoyed about these projects was that although I did my illustration bit, the photography was taken care of by some serious pros. The top two images show the illustration I did for the recent Nachtmystium album. The photography here was handled by Jimmy Hubbard and was art directed by Seldon Hunt. They already had the creative direction nailed down so I simply put it all together and created the drug-addled bloody head fairy you see here.

The following two images are a book cover illustration for Shadows of the Redwood by Gillian Summers. The design here was done by Llewellyn's Kevin Brown. His direction was more open ended. Basically, he asked for an ominous forest scene with a jester creeping out from behind a tree. He wanted bloodshot eyes and the feeling that the jester was filthy and evil. I worked with photographer Vincent Lions to shoot the bits and pieces using a mannequin as a stand and then created the scene from all of the components in Photoshop. In both instances, it was fun revisiting my old photographic stomping ground with the assistance of some real pros this time around.

Beyond Photoshop cover model interviewed

2010-04-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Josie Lee has appeared on the inside pages, and on the covers of my last three books. This includes both editions of Creative Photoshop, as well as Beyond Photoshop, which is set for release this June. She is so versatile and great to work with that hiring a different model is never a consideration. Here is an interview clip with her from a recent appearance at the Wizard World convention in Toronto. In it you can hear her discuss the project and you can also catch a glimpse of her without tentacles coming out of her face.

Final chapter in progress

2010-01-31T18:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'm feeling a bit excited as this chapter nears completion. This will be the final printed chapter in my new book. Well, final in the sense that it is the last one I have to finish. Not final in the sense that it is at the end of the book. It'll probably end up somewhere in the middle but I haven't worked that out yet.

Anyway, this chapter combines Photoshop with, you guessed it, Painter. There are some great new tools in the latest incarnation of Painter and I'll use some of them extensively in this chapter. One standout is the new Artists' Oils brush category that deposits a limited amount of paint, just like a real brush with oil paint on it would. The intuitive feel of this category of brushes is impressive and I'll use them in depth in this chapter.

As a matter of fact, Corel's inclusion of this feature made me feel so liberated that the process of working digitally became intuitive, freeing me up to discuss some core principles of observational painting and composition as well. This is something I've never really touched upon in detail in any other book. So, in addition to learning how to master the software, you'll get a 101 course in using colour to indicate value as well as how to compose naturally with the aid of divine proportion and the rule of thirds. This is just a section of the main image, and I still have a lot of blending to do, but I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at it in progress.

Beyond Photoshop cover art

2009-11-18T18:59:00.001-08:00

Here is the cover layout for 'Beyond Photoshop'. There is no text in this design yet because we're still deciding on the best way to word the subtitle. I'll post a finished version once the text is resolved.

Here comes another one

2009-11-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

Finally, I finished the illustration for not only another chapter, but also to be featured on the cover of the upcoming book. This chapter will explore the nearly limitless possibilities of working with Photoshop alongside Cinema 4D. It was a hell of a learning experience but wow, Cinema 4D is powerful and versatile...and it plays well with Photoshop too.

Here's another one

2009-10-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I haven't finished writing the chapter yet. But I thought I'd just go ahead and post this image because it worked out so well. This chapter will teach readers to combine Illustrator and Photoshop once again, bouncing back and forth between the applications. Texture from within the Photoshop document will be used in alpha channels to mask Illustrator Smart Objects. Masking is the prominent part of this chapter, with both standard and vector masks being used in Photoshop. However, the often overlooked clipping mask operation in illustrator will be demonstrated as well. And finally, the icing on the cake will be working with 3d rotations within Illustrator complete with mapped symbols and lighting.

Another illustration resolved

2009-09-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, this time it is 10:24 pm. The time of this post is eerily similar to the time of my last post on August 27th. However, this time I am not drinking coffee, but am halfway though a generous helping of Bowmore single-malt scotch. I just finished writing another chapter for the next book and am really psyched about this illustration. It will open a chapter on how to use Photoshop and Illustrator together. In addition to an extensive amount of Photoshop workflow tips, it will explore Illustrator's Pathfinder functions and use Live Trace in a manner that doesn't suck.

Another peek at what is to come

2009-08-27T19:29:00.001-07:00

It's 10:30pm and I'm drinking coffee. How messed up is that? Anyway, here's another glimpse at some of the art that will form the basis for my next book. This is just raw material at this point, but the finished piece will be a cool combo of tactile materials and clean, crisp vectors. This chapter will explore the combining of Illustrator's Pathfinder operations and Live Trace capabilities with an arsenal of nifty Photoshop stuff. Stay tuned!

Illustration certificate program

2009-08-12T09:50:00.001-07:00

Felt like years in the making, but it is finally happening. You can check it out here.

First illustration resolved

2009-08-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is the first glimpse at one of the finished illustrations in the upcoming book. This will open the chapter on the intricate process of working with ZBrush alongside Photoshop CS 4.

Experimenting with ZBrush

2009-07-28T16:02:00.001-07:00

I'm currently working on a new book that is coming out in May of next year. Here's a glimpse at what is to come. this is an initial foray into the mysterious realm of ZBrush. More about the book and some other sample works will follow. But at the rate I update this blog, don't hold your breath or anything...

Back from Brazil

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

It hasn't even been a month since I was in Brazil but it feels like a lifetime ago. I know this is a little late, but I just wanted to do a quick post to reflect upon the experience of being invited to speak at the 2nd Computer Arts Design Show in Sao Paulo.

Above is a photo of me and the hard working crew from Editora Europa. The guy in the middle in the blue shirt is Mario Fittipaldi. He is the editor of Computer Arts and 3d world as well. I cannot imagine the daunting task of organizing a show like this one. Mario contacted me, set the whole thing up, made all the arrangements, and was just generally a really great host. I can't thank him enough for all of the effort he made to ensure that I had an enjoyable experience while in Brazil. It was awesome!

The event itself was really cool. I was told there were almost 200 people in attendance. That's the largest crowd I've ever spoken in front of. First time working with a translator too. Below you can see a shot of the crowd and some shots of the workshop and presentation in progress. Basically, I spoke into a microphone in English, which went through the sound system. But, in addition to that; the microphone fed into a booth where a person translated everything real-time into Portuguese. Then, participants could hear the Portuguese translation by wearing headsets. The whole thing was pretty high-tech and extremely well organized.

The translation worked the other way too, so that I could put on the headphones and hear Portuguese questions in English. Then the translator would translate my English answers back into Portuguese. It was really cool and I can't thank the translator enough for her effort. Especially when I went so fast during the first presentation. If memory serves me correctly, her name was Melana, but I'm certain that I'm spelling it wrong. Sorry.

One thing that completely surprised me was the enthusiasm of the people who attended the event. There were people lining up after each presentation for pictures and autographs. A lot of people brought books and magazines for me to sign. A handful even gave me some of their own artwork as gifts, which was extremely cool. It was a shock to me that anyone in Brazil even knew who I was in the first place. I was not expecting this.

Again, I can't thank Mario and everyone at Editora Europa enough. Mario and his wife Monica took me out for dinners, shows, and on an amazing sight-seeing tour through the mountains to Santos and St.Vincent. Pictures are below. Also, it was really cool to meet Roberto, the owner of Editora Europa and have lunch with him, Mario, and the CO (who's name escapes me). Brazilian's really know about meat. I ate so much amazing food while I was there that coming home to North American cuisine has been a huge let down. And the coffee, don't get me started on the coffee...

I was really impressed by just how massive Sao Paulo is. There are some shots below from the roof of the hotel. It was just endless skyscrapers in every direction. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the Editora Europa offices but they were beautiful. We could learn a lot from them in terms of atmosphere. They had a beautiful compound of small buildings and landscaped gardens. Again, nothing like the cubicle hell of North America.

Anyway, I just want to thank Mario and everyone at Editora Europa for inviting me to participate and for making the experience so enjoyable. The realist in me knows that the participants in an event like this will want a different international guest next time around. However, the idealist in me secretly hopes that they ask me to come back next year.

2nd Computer Arts Design Show in Brazil

2009-04-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

On May 30th I will be speaking at the 2nd Computer Arts Design show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I'll be discussing my career path, influences, and the evolution of my work. In addition to that I'll be hosting a workshop in which I'll share some of my own Photoshop and Illustrator secrets. I'm really looking forward to the experience of speaking in front of a Portuguese audience and visiting Brazil for the first time. Hope to see some of you there. check it out

Interview in Advanced Photoshop, Issue 52

2009-01-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was interviewed by Adam Smith recently for Advanced Photoshop magazine. It is one of the finest Photoshop mags out there. What they chose to print was gutsy and surprising. A lot of times when people interview me, I tell it like it is, and freely discuss the stuff in the world of commercial art that pisses me off. Unfortunately no one ever prints that. Advanced Photoshop magazine is the first magazine to ever print everything I said to them. No sugar coating, this is the real deal. Thanks gang.Check it out.

Discover this!

2008-08-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

On July 10th I posted the original sketch that was used as the basis for this Illustration. The finished art, with the exception of some flipping and rotating, is true to the original drawing. This piece was commissioned as the cover for the September issue of Discover magazine. Below is a low-res version of the illustration as it was used in the cover layout. I thought it turned out well. Sometimes I get quite attached to an image when I spend countless hours on it, so it is nice to see it land in a nicely designed layout. I especially like the way the lettering is intertwined with the DNA strand at the top.

Illustration is a solitary profession, and in our insular worlds, we illustrators are often guilty of thinking we know everything. Hence our aversion to client requested alterations. Experience has taught me that an objective observer can recommend something that you'd never think of, improving an illustration in ways you would have never considered on your own.

Below is the illustration shown before and after a minor revision. What isn't minor however, is the impact a bit of colour can add to the composition. Originally, it was like the version at the left, very monochromatic with the focus being on the fetus. The client feedback was that although they liked it, the primary focus needed to be on the DNA strand. We decided to add some colour to the DNA strand and I was amazed at how much of a difference it made. A massive improvement, and I wouldn't have considered it on my own.

An illustration special...that's what!

2008-07-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

On June 13th I posted a few drawings to whet your appetite and here is the result. This image appears alongside a tutorial on how to create it in the latest Computer Arts Projects Illustration Special. My advice is to go get a copy now before it sells out. My issue arrived today and I've been reading through it voraciously instead of working on commissions that are piling up. That's an occupational hazard of being involved with such great publications. Comp copies can prove quite distracting.

My contribution to the illustration special is designed to get you to produce art in Photoshop that involves real-world drawing techniques. I find that stepping away from the computer mid-project can be very refreshing and after you read the article, you'll hopefully gain an understanding of the benefits to both yourself, and your art.

Another caveat when contributing to something like this is the inevitable insecurity at the end of it all. The printed mag arrives at your door and you see a million artists in there with insurmountable talents and you wonder what you're doing in there at all. I have always been a bit of an insecure artist, sometimes I think that is what drives me so hard. One artist in particular caught my eye and that was Sam Weber. Do yourself a favor and check out his work. I have been an admirer of his work since I first saw it on the cover of the 2007 Communication Arts Illustration Annual. I am honored to be in the same mag as him, but it certainly isn't helping my insecurity.

Something scientific for a change

2008-07-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a preliminary sketch of a magazine cover illustration I completed recently. Lately, I've been exploring two dimensional and/or tactile styles when working. This commission, from a leading US magazine, was a refreshing change and had me heading back into my trusty 3d app to do some hi-tech realism. When the mag comes out, I'll post the finished illustration, as well as tell a little story about how colour changes everything.

Three drawings...so what?

2008-06-13T07:46:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, I know this isn't very impressive at the moment. I did, however, have a blast actually doing some drawings for a change. You're probably wondering why I bothered to post these. Well, pay attention to future issues of Computer Arts Projects and you'll see what can be done with a few basic drawings. Once the mag hits the stands I'll post the finished art. I think it turned out pretty cool in the end.

Computer Arts issue 150

2008-06-13T07:26:00.001-07:00

On April 25th, I posted the initial sketch for this illustration. Here is the finished result that appears in issue 150 of Computer Arts. Obviously, the subject matter of the illustration made it a lot of fun to work on. The tutorial that accompanies the piece will teach you how to bring vector based Illustrator art into Photoshop and give it a tactile feel. Check it out here.

Photoshop User article and cover illo

2008-05-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

There are times when I'm working that I feel like I'm getting away with something. How is it that I can try something cool, have it published, and get paid? I have no idea, but I got away with it again. The good folks at NAPP asked me to write an article for the June issue of Photoshop User that involved illustration in some way. I did it, and I tried some new tricks at the same time. So...if you want to learn how to create the cover illo, then head over to the NAPP site and join up. You'll get a free subscription to the mag and some other goodies as well.

Work in progress

2008-04-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a sketch I did for an upcoming magazine feature. I'll tell you more about it when the mag is published. I'll post the finished art then too. I just wanted to get this out there because it was such a breath of fresh air for me illustration-wise. I had a lot of fun with the subject matter and the execution is an interesting combination of two very different disciplines. Stay tuned.

A free video tutorial

2007-11-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

This image, which also appeared in the Computer Arts Book of Inspiration, is the subject of a Photoshop tutorial I created for a recent edition of The Graphic Exchange. There's a brief article, but what you'll really want to check out is the video portion of the rich pdf. Download it and you'll learn every step involved in the creative process. It's free!

Get it here.

Storm Clouds

2007-11-03T11:59:00.001-07:00

At the end of September we took a trip to Manhattan to see Jeff Soto's Storm Clouds exhibit at the Jonathan Levine Gallery. The girl who worked there was cool enough to let me take a few quick digital photos. Unfortunately, they didn't work out very well. I just had a point-and-shoot with me and had to snap everything on an angle because the flash reflected in the surface varnish of each piece. Anyway, that's my excuse for why this shot is on such a terrible angle.

My bad photography aside, it was an amazing thing to behold. His work is epic and he is changing in terms of subject and execution while remaining true to his awesome "Soto-ness". I left there feeling immensely inspired and wishing I had an extra sixteen grand to buy one of his paintings.

The exhibit is now down, but you can check out some quality photos of the work on Jeff's blog and at the Jonathan Levine Galley site, links are below. And finally, for those of you who are as fanatical about his work as I am, you'll be happy to know that Jeff is working with Murphy Design to create another book of his paintings. It will hopefully be out sometime next summer.

Jeff Soto's Blog
Jonathan Levine Gallery

Alex Pardee gave me a nightmare!

2007-09-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

I picked up issue #79 of Juxtapoz because the cover painting by Alex Pardee caught my attention. If you're lucky enough to get you hands on a copy, you can read an interview with him and see some of his fantastic new paintings. His work is entirely original, whimsical, and disturbing all at the same time.

I didn't realize how disturbing it was until I had a nightmare that contained some scary and horrible things lifted from one of his paintings. I am serious when I say that he is the first artist to give me a nightmare. He's THAT good!

Check out more of his work at Eyesuckink

Charlotte sees her shadow

2007-08-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, our daughter Charlotte saw her shadow for the first time. I can't begin to describe how cool it is to see a small being exploring and experiencing everything for the first time. The day she walked into a beam of light in the kitchen and noticed her shadow appear it was like something magical happened. She saw her shadow on the floor and she froze, then she walked backwards until her shadow was gone, then she walked forward again until it reappeared. Then she backed up again and repeated the process until it made her giggle. It was a morning I'll never forget.

Two good things arrived in the mail

2007-07-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, I love getting cool stuff in the mail, and a few days ago I hit the jackpot. As many of you know, I wrote a book over the course of the winter and it was massively rewarding to get a box of advance copies in the mail. There they were, waiting for me on the porch. There were times when I was writing and illustrating the book that I thought I'd never finish. But now, here it is in my hands. The whole thing came together great and looks amazing, hooray!

Perhaps just as cool was my copy of the new Jeff Soto Lucky 13 calendar. I don't know how he does it, but his art constantly fills me with awe. Everything that comes out of that guy is just so amazingly epic and completely original. I wish I had a fraction of his talent. Anyway, here's a few images of the cool calendar/mini-magazine package.

It was put together by Mark Murphy at Murphy Design who puts together extraordinary books of art by some of the finest living artists.

Underground Art!

2007-07-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

It was twenty years ago that I was 17 and deep into my 80s punk phase. As a mohawk sporting teen I was heavily into Black Flag. They were one of the greatest bands around and I absolutely loved the artwork on their album covers. Unique illustrations with disturbing and thought provoking captions decorated the cover for each slab of vinyl. The man who did all of the drawing was the almighty Raymond Pettibon. I still remember the day my mother saw the Slip it in album cover for the first time...it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, these days I still love Black Flag, and Raymond Pettibon too. So right now I'd like to encourage all of you to go out and pick up the latest issue of Computer Arts Projects. It is the Underground Art issue and profiles some amazing artists, including Raymond Pettibon, Ralph Steadman, and Gilbert Sheldon. There's a really cool history of the underground press and lots of info regarding the evolution of zines. Yours truly wrote a couple of tutorials and I gotta say that I'm a bit star-struck to be in the same mag as Pettibon. Get one before it sells out!

Check out some of almighty Ray's finest Flag covers: