Rant: The difference in my shading layers from 2 years ago to now is wild

I was scrolling through my old files last night and found a digital portrait from 2022. The face was so flat, like cardboard cutouts with a soft brush slapped on. Now I do 8 to 10 passes of different opacity layers for skin tones alone. What changed? I started watching a specific artist on YouTube break down her process for blending warm and cool shadows. Has anyone else looked back at old work and felt embarrassed by how simple it looked?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_kim555d ago

Omg wait what artist was it?? I've been stuck in the same flat shading rut for months and this sounds like exactly what I need lol

mia4424d ago

Oh my god abby_kim55 that artist is a total lifesaver. Her whole thing about using blue undertones in shadows was a game changer for me. It's funny because I remember trying to learn this by watching a documentary about classical painters and getting totally derailed by a story about a guy who used crushed beetles for red pigment. Took me way too long to figure out that was just ancient super outdated info! But yeah, definitely find her channel, it's worth it.