SciFi and Fantasy Art: Malystryxx - Unfinished

Its a good start, yet what a lot of people don't know about painting in programs like Photoshop is shadow and highlighting. We learned at ACAD that when you are paintin a picture (digitally or traditionally), you should always keep in mind that the background color should somehow come into your subject, and that you should never shade with black and/or white. So heres a few tips from teh Ressa! ^_^

Shading: When shading a subject, never use black as it darkens the picture by making it look 'muddy'. Instead, try using dark variations of a complimentary color to the one you are shading over. For example: To shade orange, try using dark purples, eventually working back into the orange by using consistant brush strokes. For a more 'painterly' effect, use blocks of colors and avoid smudging.

Highlighting: NEVER use white. White makes a picture "muddy", yet again, except more or less muddy in a very bright, distracting, uninteresting way. Like shading, try using complimentary colors (except bright) to lighten an area. Use a dot of white to highlight eyes if you wish to do so, but keep in mind that white does not truly exist on a color wheel, much like black. Hope this helps!