It's been a while since I posted a tip. Here's a sneak peek at a new book project I just finished...

Sometimes there are no shortcuts: for the main character (in-progress book), the scales had to be rendered without a custom brush. Time-consuming and a bit tedious, but they just looked better.

I really like painting old people - the wrinkles and textures in their faces give them so much character. Here's a recent project with some background adjustments to make the focal point more dominant.

Water pops up a lot in my work: rivers, oceans, and lakes often can be rendered with smaller generic waves/ripples. Stormy seas, waves and white-caps are a different beast.

Thinking BEFORE you paint can save a lot of time. While most things can be painted with standard brushes, being creative with custom brushes often is more efficient and gives a better result - providing you still add some detailing...

When I'm in the "unhappy" phase with my art it's usually because there aren't enough values painted. Everything looks flat. Here's my cheat to add more contrast fast...

Sometimes the palette I choose just doesn't work the way I visualized. When an object's color doesn't interact in the way I want, I use Adjustment Layers and play...