I'm pushing myself to use what I've been learning of digital painting more and more by applying it to actual work pieces, but there's one little thing I keep stumbling over: whether to plot out the framework for the final pic as linework or go straight to plotting forms. My forte is linework, so the the problem with laying out a line rough is that I end up defaulting to my usual method when that's not what I want to do, yet I'm not yet skilled enough at plotting basic blobs of color to get them to do what I want without defaulting to linework.

I guess my question is: do you employ any particular method to work around that or to use a combo of both in a manner that forces one to keep an eye on form over line? I mean, is there a simple way about this, like doing linework, but using the color of what it will be, or what? *I'm not quite sure how to word what I'm trying to ask, but I'm trying to be as clear as possible*

Hi ChocoZell,

Sounds like you are trying to stretch yourself artistically. Which means...drop your crutch! Let go of what you know, and practice what you see. You say you aren't good at manipulating "basic blobs of color" yet. Fair enough. I recommend a few excercises to help you see in a different way (straying from you linework method).

Have you tried setting up a still life, or asking a friend to model for you? Heck even a self portrait will will work for this. Set up one light source for your subject. Dramatic is best...so maybe a darkened room with that single light source.

Let's start with BW for now. Try working with ink or charcoal...keep it simple. When you are looking at your subject focus on seeing the dark areas vs the light. Ink/draw what you see (NOT what you know). The dark will help form the light. For this exercise, you don't necessarily need to worry about the grey areas. This is an excersice in seeing how shadow and light work together to create forms. You can help break yourself of linework...or rather you are just adding another skill set to your bag of tricks.

I hope this was helpful to you in some way.

Happy Painting!

:) 

Linework: helps you distill and simplify overall form into a thin wedged 2D line, allowing the concentration of design

Form: makes your design (i.e linework) appear 3D.

Together = make believable character/prop/transport.object