Heyverns watercolour effect

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:31 am

Re this topic:
viewtopic.php?t=9583

I am interested in using a watercolour effect in AS and tried to take a look at Heverns background file but the link is down.

http://www.lowrestv.com/moho_stuff/cart ... ground.zip

Do you still have it handy Vern or anyone?

Cheers
D.K

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:01 am

Link seems to be working now.

I have the worst web host. Plan to move it very soon.

-vern

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:44 am

Thanks Vern. That's fantastic!!!
I have been experimenting with using brushes as masks to achieve a brushed watercolour effect.

http://www.wienertoonz.com/BRUSHTEST.anme
To change main brush colour open the group folder select COLOUR layer, click on the miain window then select the colour and transparency you want from the pallette.

You can change the outer highlight of the brush by changing the brush colour itself.

D.K

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:39 am

Here's a couple of my cartoon strip characters with the background watercolour masking effect applied.

This one is done in a sort of flintstones style.

Another watercolour brush!

D.K

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:37 am

That's fantastic!

Woohooo! I love it. It really does look like watercolor.

-vern

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:43 am

I added a couple of blurred colour patches in the background for added effect. Here's the file minus my characters.

http://www.wienertoonz.com/watercolour.anme

Cheers
D.K

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:05 am

Cool water color brush effect!!!. Apart of the brush itself I cannot see the difference with or without masking... (?)
What is the mask for?
-G

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:12 am

Hi Genete.
With the masking you can change the outer edge colour of the brush stroke by choosing a darker (or Lighter) colour for the stroke itself and a lighter colour (or Darker) for the fill. It makes it seem a little more realistic as if paint has welled around the outer edges of the stoke. It's subtle but does add a touch of realism to the overall effect.

D.K

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:13 am

The brush creates the effect. Are you turning off masking in the layers themselves?

Using a brush as a mask creates the "edge" effect. The color of the brush is antialiased in the render with sort of "bleeds" into the color it is masking. The brush creates the "rough edges" of the strokes.

I wish I had thought of it. Pretty slick! and very effective.

Man this is cool... I can see how you could really get complex with the layering to create some really cool stuff!

EDIT:

If you modified the brush so the outer edges are more transparent you could exaggerate the watercolor "bleed" effect.

EDIT 2: I can't tell if the CENTER of the brush should be more transparent or the outer edges. I suppose either could work.

-vern

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:20 am

EDIT:

If you modified the brush so the outer edges are more transparent you could exaggerate the watercolor "bleed" effect.

Wow....great idea Vern!!!

There are two layers in each brush group. A Colour Layer and Brush Layer. For the Colour layerI selected "Mask this Layer". For the Brush layer I selected "Add to Mask".

D.K

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:28 am

Hey!

Try using some of the "layer blending modes" like "Multiply". Gives a new look without a lot of fuss.

You can create some interesting transparent wash effects with a soft edge brush. If the brush is really transparent around the edges with multiply you get an interesting effect.

-vern

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:42 am

Whoooa I just caught your post before uploading my next test. Multiply is AWSOME!!!

I created a new watercolour brush. The brush colour is set to black for all three strokes.
Here are the results.

Rendered Normal

Rendered using Multiply

And here is my brush.

Use these settings in the Brushes panel.

1. Tick Angle brush with Curve.
2. Brush jitter angle - 0
3. Brush spacing - 0

Cheers
D.K

EDIT: Just a note. Sometimes a JITTER effect can occur in the brush when points are spaced too far apart. To solve this simply add more points to the line by hand or with the Split Curve Script.

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:50 am

*falls down backwards*

Wow. I never thought that things like this would even be possible in AS. It's great!

Now I wonder how this stroke will behave in animation ...

DK · Post by DK » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:15 am

Now I wonder how this stroke will behave in animation ...

Hi Slowtiger. Good point.
I just made a quick render in AS moving the actual brushes layer rather than moving just the camera and the new brush held up perfectly.

http://www.wienertoonz.com/watercolour.mov

EDIT: If you use a jitter angle setting on any AS brush there will be movement in the brush effect when you move the layer or pan. The new brush I created has a 0 jitter angle setting so no movement will occur.

D.K

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:22 pm

Good work DK! It is amazing how many things you can do with a little of imagination! Congratulations.

I guess that it can be used for outlined characters also beyond the static backgrounds...

I have not access to AS now but, have you thought on use this effect on the filled region of a shape?

Look this composition:

-Bone layer *hide all
--Vector layer 1 *mask this layer
--Vector layer 2 *mask this layer
--Vector layer (brush) *Add to mask

The vector layer (brush) is a released vector layer (none of the points bound to the bones skeleton) that consist on several strokes that represent the paper roughtness. It should fill all the visible are of the animation.
Also, the vector layers (the character ones) can be set to multiply or other funny blending mode.

In this way the water color effect would be static and the characters would move across the rough paper... like if they were drawn over it...

I'll try it as soon as I can access to AS.
-G