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My friend told me to never use pure black in digital paintings, and I ignored him for a year
He said it makes art look flat and dead, but I kept using it for shadows because it seemed easier. I was working on a big space scene with a black hole and it just looked like a weird hole in the picture, not deep at all. After a dozen failed tries, I finally listened and mixed a dark blue and purple instead of using #000000. The difference was crazy. The painting suddenly had depth and felt real, not like a cutout. I had to redo about five hours of work, but it was worth it. Has anyone else had a simple color tip that totally fixed a piece for them?
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phoenix_martin405mo ago
You ignored that advice for a whole year? I would have caved after a week. That dark blue and purple trick is such a simple fix, but it makes total sense now that I see it. Glad you finally got the depth you wanted.
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harperp245mo ago
Honestly that year of stubbornness taught me more than the actual trick. Sometimes you have to see a problem from every wrong angle before the simple fix clicks. My whole sketchbook from that period is just pages of muddy colors trying too hard. The blue and purple thing works because it stops you from overthinking shadows.
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fiona_carr265mo ago
I waited two months before trying that blue trick, and wow, the difference was instant.
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johnson.river3mo ago
@phoenix_martin40 yeah switching to a warm gray for highlights completely changed how my portraits pop.
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