Procreate tutorial: How to Paint like the Old Masters

artist image in Procreate of a man on a boat

There’s always something new to learn from the Old Masters, whether it’s composition, lighting or even a storytelling technique. The great thing about master studies is that both amateur artists/illustrators and experienced industry working professionals can benefit from them. 

What’s most important while doing these is to be present; it’s very easy to fall into a trap of just mindlessly copying. Ask as many questions as you can while studying from the image, such as: how is the composition designed? Why are the shapes arranged in this way? Why did the Master use this group of values for this part of the image? Or, how did the artist draw your eye to the focal point?

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Gavin O'Donnell
Contributor

Gavin is an Irish concept artist and illustrator working in the field of animation and video games. He is currently working for Disruptive Games as a Senior Environment Concept Artist. His previous clients include DreamWorksTV, Disney, Netflix, Giant Animation, Brown Bag Films, ImagineFX, Procreate, 3D Total, Godschool, Daedalic Entertainment and Vela Games.

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