This « method » is as old as digital painting itself, it’s just mimicking traditional painting. It is very effective indeed as it forces you to really think of each brushstrokes and fix your mistakes.
I went along with you in the first couple minutes, I had my toned background ready, I was all set on never undoing, and right as I clicked the "new layer" button to wait on your next instructions you said "and youre only allowed to use one layer"... I am on the floor crying
I can confirm, this revolutionized my process, speed, my art in general and really helped me nail fundamentals. Amazing video it has helped me over the last few months and works wonders!
I just now started drawing digitally and hated it because of layers I thought I had to use layers to make my art look good, but you just opened my eyes thank you so much.
As an oil painter that was gifted a tablet and am determined to learn to use it so I can paint while traveling or for lazy days I think ill give this a shot and see where it goes. Its so weird to try and transfer the techniques with brushes digitally but having one layer on a blank canvas is what I'm used to but finding good programs that can emulate paint right feels overwhelming to me
Man, when I started drawing and painting again 2 or 3 years ago, after not doing it for almost 30years,I exclusively started to work on iPad. I never went to that layer/undo stuff. Still have a hard time to getting used to those tools. Funny the way that works, if you didn’t had the options back then.
Limitation is the greatest form of creativity! My favorite thing about this method is how "transferable" it is, as it works with EVERY type of visual art, whether traditional or digital.
I can't believe how underrated you are the way you teach is better than other channels. Especially since its free and not a patron pls keep uploading it may seem small but it really helps for broke and learning artist like me
That's how I started doing drawings on computer, I spent my whole teenage drawing and painting this way, on gimp with the mouse, with only 1 brush, an eraser and the smudging tool, I didn't know what layer was and I didn't undo anything, and after I got my first drawing pad when I was 19, I also spent a whole year drawing only on 1 layer, only a year later I came to know that the program I used had layers lol then I started using them and it made everything way more simple, cause I used to do drawings with line arts, so it was a nightmare to do those line arts to end up covering it with colors by accident. I'm, gonna try drawing this way again, I feel all these tools making everything easier, after all these years are making my skills get stuck.
Thia reminded me of the time in college when an architect asked us to do a 11"x17" drawin with fineliners on the first try and to everyone's surprise, we all did pretty good. I'll definitely try this method
It's amazing what your skills allow you to do, we just tend to get in our own heads too much (at least I know I do LOL). Pen and ink is another terrifying endeavor that already makes me tired, and I haven't even tried it yet hahaha!
Some of my best art, I always wondered how I was able to make it. Now I know that it's a method I have done, and that you have done and named. I am going to use your Guantlet Method more often thanks! My profile picture was made using the Guantlet Method. It started as a blob of digital paint.
Haha, I dig this. Been working this way the last couple of days as I prep a short class on values and shapes. I've been having such a blast doing simple apple and skull studies (greyscale and color) with a single layer and single brush. Didn't consciously set out not to use the Undo, but think i've been going that way anyway to build things up in a painterly way. Great approach, man. Definitely agree that it is a solid way to tackle improvement.
Not that different than I normally work lol. I do occassionally use the undo, but I much prefer a traditional method - and I think painting on one layer and painting over mistakes (not undoing them) makes it look more painterly. It does for me anyway, lol. Oh - I don't use the liquify tool though. I'd rather keep undo and leave out liquify lol.
I usually work with not many layers because of the same reason, I like the more traditional feel... But not UNDOS?! The mad lad! I will definitely try it out :D
I might try this. Although my current work flow, is already not using many of digital art conveniences. I am using different layers, but in terms of like character art, without complicated background, I am using one layer for sketch, another for colored, simple background, other for b&w painting of character, with basic shading, then I'm using one layer above, with some proper blending mode, to give the b&w painting, color. And then I am merging that layer with b&w one, and I am then, in "traditional" way, correcting shading, adding more color and generally polishing picture. So at the beginning of character art, I'm starting with 4 layers, then I am going down to 3 (background, sketch and character painting), then quickly to 2, removing sketch that I no longer need, and only occasionally adding layer to add some element, without risking of destroying the character painting. With pieces, that have more complicated background, I am just painting that background, on one layer and with color. It's an improvement for me, as before, I was separating everything with layers. But once again, I'll try this method, maybe it will improve my work flow more. To be more quick.
Unironically my best work to date has been from this process. I didnt realise i was doing this i just wanted to paint without the additional fluff of layers fx and wanted a more painterly look.
dark souls of digital painting? fuck yea! i love dark souls because i feel like the game helps teach patience and strategy, and boosts your determination as you play. NO matter the challenge you get back up and try again. love it
Omg. I feel like my skill level isn't even good enough to start doing this yet.. painting from a reference without tracing I am terrible.. you are absolutely amazing. WISH i was this good right now!
@@ArtOfWesGardner haha thanks! I ended up buying an IPad pro because my small galaxy tab 7a was extremely limiting. Excited to keep practicing and hopefully achieving things like this without tracing!
I'm starting to get into digital painting and after watching this video I went through your skillshare class. This lesson/techniques/challenge makes the most sense to me. I am going to give it a try as I was impressed how you built the painting up. I've seen other artists on RUclips also start with something that at first doesn't look like much but, as you did, end up with a terrific result. (In particular Steve Elliot... I don't think he does much, if any, "undo" or layers,) The other two methods (1% and merge multiply) didn't seem as relevant give very painterly apps like art rage and Rebelle 5 (the one I'm mostly using.)
Great tips and painting example! On a side note, I recommend getting an anti-reflective coating next time you buy new lenses for your glasses, since the reflections can be a bit distracting and hide your eyes.
I’m so thankful that I innately already followed 2 out of 3 things of this gauntlet method. It mostly felt more natural to just be on one layer too and i hated the tech jank. Just wanted to paint.
I love to draw this way. Its challenging and fun way. Also doing one layer method even I usually end up messing up hard. But its the fun of process that fulfills! :)
You can always paint over it. So it's not truly a mess up. That's the benefit of digital mediums. It's still better than physical in some ways, even with many limitations artificially set.
Using less layers in general also saves a TON of time and makes your workflow way more efficient in general. So many artists waste a ton of time on tens or even hundreds of layers, messing with blending modes, etc. when they could get better results, quicker, with less layers (or a single layer).
I was doing the image in the background layer and already doing just one layer. Because of the color mixing, one layer is better. Yah, I am gonna try with a blank canvas. When I started drawing, I was doing it, but I lost that train of though when I switch to digital. I think I lost some desire because I was trying too hard making the image perfect like the photo, instead of putting more inspiration and composition into it. The undo thing, I was doing it a lot. I will stop. Thanks for the video
GI’ve improved so much with a similar method. Limited layers. Background, sketch (erasing and adjusting sketch until correct), and main subject. With also tops and texture layers (such as a canvas texture photos on top set to overlay on 33% opacity) I also will paint prices of the art on their own layers if I really want to adjust them. (Such as a man and a woman on their own layers the horse on its own layer, etc. I will often merge down once the size, sketch and position are more finalized lately and just paint. I use eraser and liquify rather than undo and when working in ‘digital oils style’ I strictly limit eraser to a minimum and prefer painting over to erasing. Being able to perfect the sketch is extremely useful to me personally going more gauntlet style once the sketch/layout is done. I change techniques with the style however as this technique is best with traditional and particularly digital oils style art I find!
I am really looking for a way to get more spontaneous and organic in my illustration and have been trying out this method a bit in the last time, but without really getting into it very deep. I used to work in a common way by creating a sketch, refining it, add layers for colors, lights etc. But by doing all this digitally it can feel inconsequential and less engaging. As any choice can be reversed youare always thinking without taking decisions. It also makes it hard for me to be more spontaneous with the colors, and I am just not really enjoying the process of creating the piece. I really want to be more bold in my colors and especially in my mark making, so this is why I started working in this way. I try to start by putting a color on the canvas, but with a large rough brush to get variety in the tone and color. Then I really try to put more colors on the canvas and smudge them, paint details over it and refine it to a point. I tend to try to avoid the eraser too. I have not gotten to a concrete result yet, but I find the process quite liberating, and it is easier to get into a flow state.
Who needs layers anyway? :D I love painting in one layer and it really made me quite confident in painting anything over although I still use undo occasionally when I’m trying out textures I haven’t used. But overall, I can tell this works! I use Procreate and you can get pretty painterly effects there ( especially with smudge tool ). I switched to one-layer method very early in my artistic journey and it made me progress faster so that’s actually an awesome way for beginners to paint even though it might seem scary and messy and oh boy how much I painted over just to get the look I wanted… Also, starting with loose blocky shapes and refining them later is great - I used to get into details right at the start of painting and I wish someone told me to start simple… Amazing tips in this video! Listen to Wes, people
Thank you so much, Anastasia! I absolutely agree with you, starting and staying on one layer can actually be a little LESS stressful than trying to learn all the ins-and-outs of layer management (which feels like a completely separate skillset LOL), and Procreate has amazing brushes and smudge tools to make it a real joy to work single-layer. Thanks for the awesome reply, and keep up the amazing work!
When I realize that software could sort out colors through value, I knew it was over, I don't need a grayscale check because it will appear right
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I've using this method for a goodtime even before i discovered this video (inspired by artists i noticed they only use max 2 layers), and nowdays i feel using lot of layers is insane 🤭😭😱.
Thank you, Yasmeen! It's funny, because I started noticing that the more I work with this method, the more I WANT to work in this method, so it's a win-win!
Ive been primarily practicing this method without thinking about it. I started with traditional and only really use control z. No layers, no blending modes
I recently got your 2022 brushes and absolutely love them! I also watched your Skillshare class and definitely love this method (although the Multiply method provided me with some great textures to work with).
Thank you, Atticus! Yeah, the Multiply Method is a fantastic one that gives a TON of control, I may do a video on that one down the line for the RUclips channel!
So this is the secret to your rather impressive progress over the past year or two? Ive been meaning to do similar exercises for a while now, maybe its time to actually do them.
Haha, thank you Donnie! I appreciate you! Yeah, absolutely give this method a shot, it's sort of like a boot camp for "learning how to see", if that makes sense! You'll realize what's the most important stuff to look at during a study, and just ditch the rest, allowing your natural abilities to come to the forefront. I'd love to see what you make with it!
Just bought ur brushes. Im rying right now the portrait of Lisa and Dracula from Castlevania. Im making a different version for me and my partner haha. Thanks!
Question for you. Why do you find it helpful to jump around programs for one piece? I use photoshop, corel, and procreate. Why do you find paint storm better for refining edges in this case? Couldnt you have done that in the original software? Thanks for the video btw. Will be trying this tonight and many more times
It's all based on feel, for me. It's like having different tools in the toolbox, and while I could finish a piece in one software, if another software offers something that may spice up the workflow or solve a problem easier, I have no qualms jumping back and forth!
@@ArtOfWesGardner in your opinion what do you feel the different programs provide to your workflow? EI. Paintstorm= xyz Corel= abc Krita=... Like I'll use Photoshop almost always to finish up a piece with all the color adjustment tools and final effects. But I've never considered continuing the painting process in another program. Thanks for your quick response. Trying the gauntlet method
He ido doing this piece, first with Artrage Vitae, using Pureref for reference, and finallly he moves to PaintStorm Studio. Pureref is a free program, PaintStorm is cheap (about 20 bucks) and is one purchase only, and Artrage is available on Microsoft Store (One purchase only, dont remember the price but is under 100 bucks). Regards!
Daverzzo nailed it! We started in ArtRage Vitae, then hopped over to Paintstorm Studio. PureRef was used so I could have the reference image on top of my program (by using the 'Always On Top' setting in PureRef, so clicking on my art program wouldn't minimize PureRef), a super fun method!
i used to do this in photoshop as a kid bc i couldnt be fucked learning how to use photoshop's toolset. Round brush 80% opacity - square if i was feeling fancy
I thought everyone does it like this xD apparently I didn’t I selected hardcore. Joking aside I started to draw physically and I wanted to imitate that. All of the rules make sense. No tracing No layers in real life (except for some medium) No undo (art is about imperfections)
i guess ive been doing the gauntlet method the for years when i had to work with one step of undo and 3 layers because thats all my stupid laptop could comfortably handle. even though i have better gear now, i can not use mltiple layers because the colors do not always interact between layers. so even if i make a new layer for some element, once i am comfortable with the shape and the base colors i merge it to finish it up.
Thank you so much! Usually these fantasy-inspired soundtracks are from World of Warcraft, or Guild Wars 2! This one was either the World of Warcraft: Legion soundtrack, or the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands soundtrack. Hope this helps!
I always use one layer, usually I use more than one when I want to test something out. This challenge is great especially with no undo. As you have mentioned it gets you into the traditional mindset where you have to make quick decisions and planning on every stroke. A lot of digital only artists nowadays kind of lack this mindset and sometimes they let the software dictate their decisions which can result to a stale looking artwork. I do think that digital only artists can benefit alot if they try traditional mediums. Ive been trying to keep a balance on both digital and traditional watercolor. A question, do you have any topics or tutorials that cover composition? I strongly believe that composition is the most important fundamental to learn even before rendering. Great videos as always, Mr. Wes
Thank you so much, OldTune! I totally agree with you, a ton of artist have a "traditional vs. digital" mindset during learning, when I think it should be more like "traditional AND digital" mindset. For composition, I'd love to cover the topic, but I don't think I'm personally quite at the skill level with my compositional skills to be able to cover the topic with the gravitas it deserves! I'll keep practicing, and any fun tips and tricks I'll be sure to share in video form during the journey!
Interesting work and methods of painting. I use Procreate for my paintings and I've been transitioning to one layer for that "painterly" look. I will try to unlearn using the Undo feature. Thanks for the tips and the time you took!
I love this challenge, do you have a recommendation as a starter project? I really love traditional painting and I have no clue how to use the different brushes in a digital environment...
Thank you for the kind words! I think the best way to start this challenge and approach it is with a very basic subject, such as a stock photo of an apple, or maybe a simple flower in a vase, something that wont overburden your senses in the "design" of it, if that makes sense. This will allow you to really dig in and use your mental energy on learning the brushes, the interactions, and how digital painting can actually mimic traditional in certain approaches (like underpainting, "glazing" colors by lowering a brush's opacity setting to be more transparent, etc). Enjoy!
Damn this seems pretty hardcore to me. I'm used to paint directly in canvas, even without drawing, only the reference (if there's any) in another window. Many times i use only one layer if i use only oil brushes (in Rebelle); more layers if i use mixed media. But man, no undo it's pretty hardcore. I always make a 'test' stroke then undo. Test strokes must be allowed in this method; when i painted with real media, i always did test strokes on external surface.
Yes! I feel like it's a great method to use at all levels, as you'll continue seeing what "comes easier" the more experienced you get, and you'll be able to focus on the tricky stuff while letting your strong points carry the composition!
The only thing I know of is getting your Color Set imported, then in the "hamberger menu" (the three stacked lines in the upper right of the Color window), you can select "Color Set", then "Order By". It lets you order them by 'default' (the order you added them when you created the color set), 'Hue' (temperature, basically sorting your cools and warms in batches), and 'Lightness' (value, from lightest to darkest based on luminosity). Hope that helps!
I definitely think so! Be patient with yourself because the switch can be pretty tough (especially if you're using a lot of layers in your current workflow), but it's well worth it and may actually streamline some of your other styles as well!
This method works great with a screenless graphic tablet! I don't think the IPad or a touch monitor would necessarily help someone improve "faster" necessarily, as they are devices with their own learning curves. It's all about what feels better, as I know some professional artists who only use a screenless graphics tablet as they never quite "clicked" with the monitors/IPad method.
@@ArtOfWesGardner I am asking because I feel like my constant undoing is because my lines on my wacom intuos usually miss the right position or angle, I imagine a screen tablet shouldn't have that additional problem. Maybe I would need less undo on the Ipad, because even if I make mistakes at least they are in the location I intended, and it could make more efficient you technique. But I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe the difference is not a big deal compared to other more difficult areas of drawing/painting.
As a traditional oil painter, I find it shocking that people consider this harder. This is how we've been doing it for 500 years 😂 oh, except for the color picker. We dont really have a color picker, unless you're working from photos and matching the photos. But even that is a more recent development in oil painting.
I mean, there's no hard-and-fast law saying you can't, but I think it's more interesting to "paint over" the mistake instead of erasing! That way you're always in "creating" mental mode, and not in "destroying" mode!
Nope, everything on one layer! Part of the thrill of working this way is really learning to understand where the sketch and shadow opaqueness fits on the overall "needs" of the painting. You can always "resketch" overtop your paint for a pretty cool effect, for instance
For sure! Another great one is to take a piece that's in color, and mentally convert it to greyscale (only focusing on the values, while retaining the edge relationships). This method can have all kinds of cool things attached to it!
Okay… and I would make my life harder, why? I bought into digital art for the benefits. Now we go all Bob Ross “ we don’t have problems we have happy little accidents”. Wes you’re an amazing guru but I think you might wanna cut back on the power drinks. Lol
Not to be negative but this is kinda sad about digital artist the "gauntlet " method is the natural method traditional artist have been doing for thousands of years. You're just simply painting traditionally digitally. This is a digital artist problem clearly. This method is only new to digital artist.
Really it's just applying the traditional mindset to digital art, so it's not necessarily a "problem", it's thinking of workflows that may seem counter-intuitive to the tool being used. This type of thinking is helpful because it can "shake the cobwebs out" if you're having a creative issue, no matter the medium! It's like finding ways to bring in a "digital workflow" to your traditional work, too: it shakes things up, and that's always a good thing!
This « method » is as old as digital painting itself, it’s just mimicking traditional painting. It is very effective indeed as it forces you to really think of each brushstrokes and fix your mistakes.
Yeah this whole video is just….do it as if it was traditional painting.
I went along with you in the first couple minutes, I had my toned background ready, I was all set on never undoing, and right as I clicked the "new layer" button to wait on your next instructions you said "and youre only allowed to use one layer"... I am on the floor crying
I can confirm, this revolutionized my process, speed, my art in general and really helped me nail fundamentals. Amazing video it has helped me over the last few months and works wonders!
Thank you tons for the kind words, I'm super glad it has been helpful!
Rule 4: Do it in MS Paint.
Rule 5: dont sample from photo. Use your eyes
@@SonnyBurnett2012 Rule 6: Traditional painting helps you develop faster. Try some of it before going digital
If you can make good art in ms paint it's safe to say you have mastered your skills
I am old, but trying to get back into digital painting. I'm glad I found your channel, you are a very good instructor. Thank you!
I just now started drawing digitally and hated it because of layers I thought I had to use layers to make my art look good, but you just opened my eyes thank you so much.
lol! same here!!
As an oil painter that was gifted a tablet and am determined to learn to use it so I can paint while traveling or for lazy days I think ill give this a shot and see where it goes. Its so weird to try and transfer the techniques with brushes digitally but having one layer on a blank canvas is what I'm used to but finding good programs that can emulate paint right feels overwhelming to me
Man, when I started drawing and painting again 2 or 3 years ago, after not doing it for almost 30years,I exclusively started to work on iPad. I never went to that layer/undo stuff. Still have a hard time to getting used to those tools. Funny the way that works, if you didn’t had the options back then.
Limitation is the greatest form of creativity! My favorite thing about this method is how "transferable" it is, as it works with EVERY type of visual art, whether traditional or digital.
I can't believe how underrated you are the way you teach is better than other channels. Especially since its free and not a patron pls keep uploading it may seem small but it really helps for broke and learning artist like me
You were right Wesley, this is what I had in mind when I wrote my last comment. Thank you for the help, love the video as always. Keep it up!
Thank you Fred, I appreciate you!
I think this method helped me so much on finishing my work. I think everyone should try it.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Abul! I appreciate you!
I appreciate your set o rules since truly in a traditional painting scenario, there are no undo button and no individual layers! Good job Wesley!
Thank you for the kind words, JG! Sometimes no undo button can be pretty liberating!
That's how I started doing drawings on computer, I spent my whole teenage drawing and painting this way, on gimp with the mouse, with only 1 brush, an eraser and the smudging tool, I didn't know what layer was and I didn't undo anything, and after I got my first drawing pad when I was 19, I also spent a whole year drawing only on 1 layer, only a year later I came to know that the program I used had layers lol then I started using them and it made everything way more simple, cause I used to do drawings with line arts, so it was a nightmare to do those line arts to end up covering it with colors by accident. I'm, gonna try drawing this way again, I feel all these tools making everything easier, after all these years are making my skills get stuck.
Thia reminded me of the time in college when an architect asked us to do a 11"x17" drawin with fineliners on the first try and to everyone's surprise, we all did pretty good. I'll definitely try this method
It's amazing what your skills allow you to do, we just tend to get in our own heads too much (at least I know I do LOL). Pen and ink is another terrifying endeavor that already makes me tired, and I haven't even tried it yet hahaha!
Some of my best art, I always wondered how I was able to make it. Now I know that it's a method I have done, and that you have done and named. I am going to use your Guantlet Method more often thanks! My profile picture was made using the Guantlet Method. It started as a blob of digital paint.
Well done, my friend! Yeah, it's a super fulfilling (and fun!) way to work, makes it hard to go back to 10+ layer pieces for clients, ha!
Haha, I dig this. Been working this way the last couple of days as I prep a short class on values and shapes. I've been having such a blast doing simple apple and skull studies (greyscale and color) with a single layer and single brush. Didn't consciously set out not to use the Undo, but think i've been going that way anyway to build things up in a painterly way.
Great approach, man. Definitely agree that it is a solid way to tackle improvement.
Not that different than I normally work lol. I do occassionally use the undo, but I much prefer a traditional method - and I think painting on one layer and painting over mistakes (not undoing them) makes it look more painterly. It does for me anyway, lol. Oh - I don't use the liquify tool though. I'd rather keep undo and leave out liquify lol.
It's a fantastic way to work, for sure! I love it more and more, the more I do it
I usually work with not many layers because of the same reason, I like the more traditional feel... But not UNDOS?! The mad lad! I will definitely try it out :D
Hahah, it's a blast! Well, after the insane learning curve, that is! LOL
I might try this. Although my current work flow, is already not using many of digital art conveniences. I am using different layers, but in terms of like character art, without complicated background, I am using one layer for sketch, another for colored, simple background, other for b&w painting of character, with basic shading, then I'm using one layer above, with some proper blending mode, to give the b&w painting, color. And then I am merging that layer with b&w one, and I am then, in "traditional" way, correcting shading, adding more color and generally polishing picture. So at the beginning of character art, I'm starting with 4 layers, then I am going down to 3 (background, sketch and character painting), then quickly to 2, removing sketch that I no longer need, and only occasionally adding layer to add some element, without risking of destroying the character painting. With pieces, that have more complicated background, I am just painting that background, on one layer and with color. It's an improvement for me, as before, I was separating everything with layers. But once again, I'll try this method, maybe it will improve my work flow more. To be more quick.
Unironically my best work to date has been from this process.
I didnt realise i was doing this i just wanted to paint without the additional fluff of layers fx and wanted a more painterly look.
Yesssss! It's so much fun to just not worry about "the other stuff" and just let the paint do the talking!
dark souls of digital painting? fuck yea! i love dark souls because i feel like the game helps teach patience and strategy, and boosts your determination as you play. NO matter the challenge you get back up and try again. love it
this method really helped me!! it's amazing.
I'm so glad it was helpful for you, keep rocking!
Omg. I feel like my skill level isn't even good enough to start doing this yet.. painting from a reference without tracing I am terrible.. you are absolutely amazing. WISH i was this good right now!
Thank you tons, Brittanie, I appreciate you! You got this, I believe in you!
@@ArtOfWesGardner haha thanks! I ended up buying an IPad pro because my small galaxy tab 7a was extremely limiting. Excited to keep practicing and hopefully achieving things like this without tracing!
I'm starting to get into digital painting and after watching this video I went through your skillshare class. This lesson/techniques/challenge makes the most sense to me. I am going to give it a try as I was impressed how you built the painting up. I've seen other artists on RUclips also start with something that at first doesn't look like much but, as you did, end up with a terrific result. (In particular Steve Elliot... I don't think he does much, if any, "undo" or layers,) The other two methods (1% and merge multiply) didn't seem as relevant give very painterly apps like art rage and Rebelle 5 (the one I'm mostly using.)
Great tips and painting example! On a side note, I recommend getting an anti-reflective coating next time you buy new lenses for your glasses, since the reflections can be a bit distracting and hide your eyes.
I’m so thankful that I innately already followed 2 out of 3 things of this gauntlet method. It mostly felt more natural to just be on one layer too and i hated the tech jank. Just wanted to paint.
I love to draw this way. Its challenging and fun way. Also doing one layer method even I usually end up messing up hard. But its the fun of process that fulfills! :)
You can always paint over it. So it's not truly a mess up. That's the benefit of digital mediums. It's still better than physical in some ways, even with many limitations artificially set.
Using less layers in general also saves a TON of time and makes your workflow way more efficient in general. So many artists waste a ton of time on tens or even hundreds of layers, messing with blending modes, etc. when they could get better results, quicker, with less layers (or a single layer).
I was doing the image in the background layer and already doing just one layer. Because of the color mixing, one layer is better. Yah, I am gonna try with a blank canvas. When I started drawing, I was doing it, but I lost that train of though when I switch to digital. I think I lost some desire because I was trying too hard making the image perfect like the photo, instead of putting more inspiration and composition into it. The undo thing, I was doing it a lot. I will stop. Thanks for the video
GI’ve improved so much with a similar method. Limited layers. Background, sketch (erasing and adjusting sketch until correct), and main subject. With also tops and texture layers (such as a canvas texture photos on top set to overlay on 33% opacity) I also will paint prices of the art on their own layers if I really want to adjust them. (Such as a man and a woman on their own layers the horse on its own layer, etc. I will often merge down once the size, sketch and position are more finalized lately and just paint. I use eraser and liquify rather than undo and when working in ‘digital oils style’ I strictly limit eraser to a minimum and prefer painting over to erasing.
Being able to perfect the sketch is extremely useful to me personally going more gauntlet style once the sketch/layout is done.
I change techniques with the style however as this technique is best with traditional and particularly digital oils style art I find!
I am really looking for a way to get more spontaneous and organic in my illustration and have been trying out this method a bit in the last time, but without really getting into it very deep. I used to work in a common way by creating a sketch, refining it, add layers for colors, lights etc. But by doing all this digitally it can feel inconsequential and less engaging. As any choice can be reversed youare always thinking without taking decisions. It also makes it hard for me to be more spontaneous with the colors, and I am just not really enjoying the process of creating the piece. I really want to be more bold in my colors and especially in my mark making, so this is why I started working in this way. I try to start by putting a color on the canvas, but with a large rough brush to get variety in the tone and color. Then I really try to put more colors on the canvas and smudge them, paint details over it and refine it to a point. I tend to try to avoid the eraser too. I have not gotten to a concrete result yet, but I find the process quite liberating, and it is easier to get into a flow state.
Who needs layers anyway? :D I love painting in one layer and it really made me quite confident in painting anything over although I still use undo occasionally when I’m trying out textures I haven’t used. But overall, I can tell this works! I use Procreate and you can get pretty painterly effects there ( especially with smudge tool ).
I switched to one-layer method very early in my artistic journey and it made me progress faster so that’s actually an awesome way for beginners to paint even though it might seem scary and messy and oh boy how much I painted over just to get the look I wanted… Also, starting with loose blocky shapes and refining them later is great - I used to get into details right at the start of painting and I wish someone told me to start simple… Amazing tips in this video! Listen to Wes, people
Thank you so much, Anastasia! I absolutely agree with you, starting and staying on one layer can actually be a little LESS stressful than trying to learn all the ins-and-outs of layer management (which feels like a completely separate skillset LOL), and Procreate has amazing brushes and smudge tools to make it a real joy to work single-layer. Thanks for the awesome reply, and keep up the amazing work!
When I realize that software could sort out colors through value, I knew it was over, I don't need a grayscale check because it will appear right
I've using this method for a goodtime even before i discovered this video (inspired by artists i noticed they only use max 2 layers), and nowdays i feel using lot of layers is insane 🤭😭😱.
Lol I did this a while ago and man did it help. I might go ahead and try it again because it was a fun exercise, if difficult.
Thank you, Yasmeen! It's funny, because I started noticing that the more I work with this method, the more I WANT to work in this method, so it's a win-win!
Ive been primarily practicing this method without thinking about it. I started with traditional and only really use control z. No layers, no blending modes
I recently got your 2022 brushes and absolutely love them! I also watched your Skillshare class and definitely love this method (although the Multiply method provided me with some great textures to work with).
Thank you, Atticus! Yeah, the Multiply Method is a fantastic one that gives a TON of control, I may do a video on that one down the line for the RUclips channel!
So beautiful
Thank you, Nguyen, I appreciate you!
I am amazed at how different the Windows version of Artrage is to the poorly supported Android version, yet the oil brush on it so realistic.
So this is the secret to your rather impressive progress over the past year or two? Ive been meaning to do similar exercises for a while now, maybe its time to actually do them.
Haha, thank you Donnie! I appreciate you! Yeah, absolutely give this method a shot, it's sort of like a boot camp for "learning how to see", if that makes sense! You'll realize what's the most important stuff to look at during a study, and just ditch the rest, allowing your natural abilities to come to the forefront. I'd love to see what you make with it!
Just bought ur brushes. Im rying right now the portrait of Lisa and Dracula from Castlevania. Im making a different version for me and my partner haha. Thanks!
Thank you tons, that piece sounds amazing, I LOVE me some Castlevania!
Question for you. Why do you find it helpful to jump around programs for one piece?
I use photoshop, corel, and procreate. Why do you find paint storm better for refining edges in this case? Couldnt you have done that in the original software?
Thanks for the video btw. Will be trying this tonight and many more times
It's all based on feel, for me. It's like having different tools in the toolbox, and while I could finish a piece in one software, if another software offers something that may spice up the workflow or solve a problem easier, I have no qualms jumping back and forth!
@@ArtOfWesGardner in your opinion what do you feel the different programs provide to your workflow?
EI. Paintstorm= xyz
Corel= abc
Krita=...
Like I'll use Photoshop almost always to finish up a piece with all the color adjustment tools and final effects.
But I've never considered continuing the painting process in another program.
Thanks for your quick response. Trying the gauntlet method
Absolutely incredible! I definitely gotta try this interesting method! What art programs did you use in the video?
He ido doing this piece, first with Artrage Vitae, using Pureref for reference, and finallly he moves to PaintStorm Studio. Pureref is a free program, PaintStorm is cheap (about 20 bucks) and is one purchase only, and Artrage is available on Microsoft Store (One purchase only, dont remember the price but is under 100 bucks). Regards!
Daverzzo nailed it! We started in ArtRage Vitae, then hopped over to Paintstorm Studio. PureRef was used so I could have the reference image on top of my program (by using the 'Always On Top' setting in PureRef, so clicking on my art program wouldn't minimize PureRef), a super fun method!
Nailed it! Thank you, Daverzzo!
i used to do this in photoshop as a kid bc i couldnt be fucked learning how to use photoshop's toolset. Round brush 80% opacity - square if i was feeling fancy
I thought everyone does it like this xD apparently I didn’t I selected hardcore. Joking aside I started to draw physically and I wanted to imitate that. All of the rules make sense.
No tracing
No layers in real life (except for some medium)
No undo (art is about imperfections)
i guess ive been doing the gauntlet method the for years when i had to work with one step of undo and 3 layers because thats all my stupid laptop could comfortably handle. even though i have better gear now, i can not use mltiple layers because the colors do not always interact between layers. so even if i make a new layer for some element, once i am comfortable with the shape and the base colors i merge it to finish it up.
Hi! I love the video! What music/song do you use over your timelapse? (Esp. Around 20:07 ) It sounded really cool
Thank you so much! Usually these fantasy-inspired soundtracks are from World of Warcraft, or Guild Wars 2! This one was either the World of Warcraft: Legion soundtrack, or the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands soundtrack. Hope this helps!
Nice video and drawing! I'm still at a beginner or intermediate level I'd say and I was stuck on an illustration, maybe this method will help me
It's a super fun method once it finally starts to click, it'll kick your skill into overdrive! Thank you for the kind words!
I always use one layer, usually I use more than one when I want to test something out. This challenge is great especially with no undo. As you have mentioned it gets you into the traditional mindset where you have to make quick decisions and planning on every stroke. A lot of digital only artists nowadays kind of lack this mindset and sometimes they let the software dictate their decisions which can result to a stale looking artwork. I do think that digital only artists can benefit alot if they try traditional mediums. Ive been trying to keep a balance on both digital and traditional watercolor.
A question, do you have any topics or tutorials that cover composition? I strongly believe that composition is the most important fundamental to learn even before rendering.
Great videos as always, Mr. Wes
Thank you so much, OldTune! I totally agree with you, a ton of artist have a "traditional vs. digital" mindset during learning, when I think it should be more like "traditional AND digital" mindset.
For composition, I'd love to cover the topic, but I don't think I'm personally quite at the skill level with my compositional skills to be able to cover the topic with the gravitas it deserves! I'll keep practicing, and any fun tips and tricks I'll be sure to share in video form during the journey!
Thank you !
Interesting work and methods of painting. I use Procreate for my paintings and I've been transitioning to one layer for that "painterly" look. I will try to unlearn using the Undo feature. Thanks for the tips and the time you took!
Thank you tons, Adrienne! Procreate's a great one to work with in this method, especially because it has that built-in timelapse feature!
there’s a program called HEAVYPAINT that has this philosophy - worth checking out
I have some art buds that SWEAR by Heavypaint, I need to give it a shot!!
I love this challenge, do you have a recommendation as a starter project? I really love traditional painting and I have no clue how to use the different brushes in a digital environment...
Thank you for the kind words! I think the best way to start this challenge and approach it is with a very basic subject, such as a stock photo of an apple, or maybe a simple flower in a vase, something that wont overburden your senses in the "design" of it, if that makes sense. This will allow you to really dig in and use your mental energy on learning the brushes, the interactions, and how digital painting can actually mimic traditional in certain approaches (like underpainting, "glazing" colors by lowering a brush's opacity setting to be more transparent, etc). Enjoy!
@@ArtOfWesGardner I personally prefer to paint portrait or real like pictures, e.g pets... but I will try for sure
Damn this seems pretty hardcore to me. I'm used to paint directly in canvas, even without drawing, only the reference (if there's any) in another window. Many times i use only one layer if i use only oil brushes (in Rebelle); more layers if i use mixed media.
But man, no undo it's pretty hardcore. I always make a 'test' stroke then undo. Test strokes must be allowed in this method; when i painted with real media, i always did test strokes on external surface.
Would you recommend this gauntlet for novice artists?
Yes! I feel like it's a great method to use at all levels, as you'll continue seeing what "comes easier" the more experienced you get, and you'll be able to focus on the tricky stuff while letting your strong points carry the composition!
Great video! Does anyone know if there is a way to arrange the colors in a color set automatically in Rebelle 7?
The only thing I know of is getting your Color Set imported, then in the "hamberger menu" (the three stacked lines in the upper right of the Color window), you can select "Color Set", then "Order By". It lets you order them by 'default' (the order you added them when you created the color set), 'Hue' (temperature, basically sorting your cools and warms in batches), and 'Lightness' (value, from lightest to darkest based on luminosity). Hope that helps!
I started doing this a while ago, before i found this video. unless i'm working professionally. 1 layer, no undo. i try to use erasers.
I"ve only ever really done cel shaded art. do you think I can go straight into this method to get into realistic digital painting?
I definitely think so! Be patient with yourself because the switch can be pretty tough (especially if you're using a lot of layers in your current workflow), but it's well worth it and may actually streamline some of your other styles as well!
@@ArtOfWesGardner thanks! I tried it for the first time and it was pretty fun. I'll probably try to do it for an hour each day
Would you say this is effective for screenless graphic tablets or would you say is better to make the effort to buy the ipad to improve faster?
This method works great with a screenless graphic tablet! I don't think the IPad or a touch monitor would necessarily help someone improve "faster" necessarily, as they are devices with their own learning curves. It's all about what feels better, as I know some professional artists who only use a screenless graphics tablet as they never quite "clicked" with the monitors/IPad method.
@@ArtOfWesGardner I am asking because I feel like my constant undoing is because my lines on my wacom intuos usually miss the right position or angle, I imagine a screen tablet shouldn't have that additional problem. Maybe I would need less undo on the Ipad, because even if I make mistakes at least they are in the location I intended, and it could make more efficient you technique. But I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe the difference is not a big deal compared to other more difficult areas of drawing/painting.
Are you using Rebelle 5? How'd you get that custom ui, curious
So this one was actually ArtRage Vitae, they're very similar programs that I use interchangeably when I need that "realistic painting" fix on my PC!
@@ArtOfWesGardner Ohhh I see, thank you! If it's okay can I get your opinion between the two software? In terms of painting and output
So basically Alla Prima Painting!
Absolutely! It's so much fun, and super refreshing instead of dealing with layers and blending modes and whatnot LOL
As a traditional oil painter, I find it shocking that people consider this harder. This is how we've been doing it for 500 years 😂
oh, except for the color picker. We dont really have a color picker, unless you're working from photos and matching the photos. But even that is a more recent development in oil painting.
i think that paintstorm studio isn't stabile on M1. mine crashed after a minute or two.
So the gauntlet method is basicly my everyday method :P I'll do you one better - No stamp/textured brushes, only hard round and soft round ;)
What about using eraser brush ?
I mean, there's no hard-and-fast law saying you can't, but I think it's more interesting to "paint over" the mistake instead of erasing! That way you're always in "creating" mental mode, and not in "destroying" mode!
@@ArtOfWesGardner I guess it could be like painting pure white haha but I what you mean. Being able to paint your way through problems
Atleast layer the shadow and line sketch..right?
Nope, everything on one layer! Part of the thrill of working this way is really learning to understand where the sketch and shadow opaqueness fits on the overall "needs" of the painting. You can always "resketch" overtop your paint for a pretty cool effect, for instance
Are You A Metalhead ?
add another point to the method - no colour picking
For sure! Another great one is to take a piece that's in color, and mentally convert it to greyscale (only focusing on the values, while retaining the edge relationships). This method can have all kinds of cool things attached to it!
Okay… and I would make my life harder, why? I bought into digital art for the benefits. Now we go all Bob Ross “ we don’t have problems we have happy little accidents”. Wes you’re an amazing guru but I think you might wanna cut back on the power drinks. Lol
Not to be negative but this is kinda sad about digital artist the "gauntlet " method is the natural method traditional artist have been doing for thousands of years. You're just simply painting traditionally digitally. This is a digital artist problem clearly. This method is only new to digital artist.
Really it's just applying the traditional mindset to digital art, so it's not necessarily a "problem", it's thinking of workflows that may seem counter-intuitive to the tool being used. This type of thinking is helpful because it can "shake the cobwebs out" if you're having a creative issue, no matter the medium! It's like finding ways to bring in a "digital workflow" to your traditional work, too: it shakes things up, and that's always a good thing!