The Making of Amsterdam Mist: The Structures

Course details

Bert Monroy creates digital paintings that fool the eye and delight the senses. And he's been at it for over thirty years, producing illustrations for clients such as Adobe and Pixar. Follow along in this course with the development of his latest work, Amsterdam Mist, and learn how to apply his techniques to your own artwork in Photoshop or Illustrator. Bert concentrates on the structures in the painting: the bridges and buildings that make up the incredibly detailed canal scene. He'll show how to model elements like railings, curbs, windows, posts, staircases, lamps, and even flags. He'll also create textures and show how to repurpose them throughout the painting. Join him on this journey to the Netherlands and return with souvenirs that you can add to your artistic toolbox.

Concepts

Introduction

Introduction to Amsterdam Mist
The street research
Establishing the perspective
Organizing the files

Railings

Creating railings in Illustrator
Refining railings in Photoshop
Starting a rail upright in Illustrator
Adding to the rail upright
Finishing a rail upright in Photoshop
Placing the rail upright
Connecting the main railings
Finishing the main railings

Bricks

Creating a brick pattern
Creating other brick patterns
Placing bricks above a window
Creating sidewalk bricks

Bridge Foreground Details - Sidewalk and Statue

Creating the shapes that make up the statue on the bridge
Looking at the textures of the statue
Starting the sidewalk in the foreground
Creating the sidewalk stones
Creating sidewalk separations
Creating a curb
Creating street lines

Windows

Creating a windowsill
Creating a window frame
Adding window glass
Working inside the window
Adding depth to the window
Finalizing the window
Duplicating the window
Creating a window guard
Adding dimension to a window guard

Flags

Creating a flagpole in Illustrator
Creating the flag

Bridge Posts

Creating a bridge post
Shading of a post

Staircases

Creating the base of a staircase in perspective
Creating the staircase steps
Applying the shading to the staircase
Creating the railing on the staircase

Lights

Creating a lantern
Starting a 3D streetlamp
Finishing a 3D streetlamp
Creating a lamppost
Creating a small light
Creating a shadow from the light fixture

Bridge

Creating the effect of mineral deposits on the bridge
Starting bridge reflections
Finishing bridge reflections
Creating railings on the bridge