DIGITAL ART TUTORIAL - How to paint a lightbulb
Digital art tutorial - How to paint a light bulb step by step
Lightbulbs! Who doesn't like lightbulbs!? They're so glassy and shiny and they give you light in even your darkest hour, they should get more credit! I painted one to honor all the lightbulbs out there. Paint one too after reading this tutorial and spread the light!
NOTE: This painting was made in Photoshop using a Wacom drawing tablet
STEP 1 - Make a sketch
The first step is to make a sketch! You can keep it nice and loose. You can use a reference photo or a real light bulb.
STEP 2 - Background and base color
Since you can see through a lightbulb, it's important to paint a simple background. Lay down the base colors for the background, the underground and the bulb itself.
STEP 3 - Using the selection tool
A lightbulb has a nice, clean edge. Painting a wobbly edge won't make it look very realistic. To help you paint clean edges, you can use the selection tool.
- Make a nice round selection for the glass
- Make a new layer
- Click the 'add layer mask' icon at the bottom of your layer palette
- Now you have a layer on which it is impossible to paint outside the circle!
TIP: You can make a reversed selection and make another layer on which you can only paint outside the circle!
STEP 4 - Detailing
You can spend as much time on this part as you want. Really work those highlights, they're important to give the lightbulb a realistic feel.
Light up the worls and have fun painting your own lightbulb! Be sure to show me your final result and tag me in your post.
Here's a little recap of the steps taken...
Nice idea, fresh and original :) I'll maybe draw it if i i'll find not a led one at home.
That light bulb looked real for a second. O_o Great tutorial by the way. :)
The bulb looks mad real, was mistaken initially at first glance, thought it was a photographed picture.
Nice work friend :)
Very cool!
@artwithflo, this one is mind blowing. If I hadn't gone through this tutorial I would never have believed the first image was a painting and not a picture of a light bulb. You blow my mind, girl.