Cobalt's Guide To How To Texture Good And Other Life Advice

[CobaltWolf]

Alright, a month or two ago I made this sort of guide to texturing a basic panel in Photoshop and shared it with a couple people. If I'm honest, I didn't share it here out of laziness but I figure I really should. This is more or less copied directly from those chat messages, so if something is unclear let me know and I'll edit more info in.

ok so here's a basic panel, with dark lines (I paint them black then adjust them up with an adjustment layer). After that, create another layer and take a 2px white brush (1px if you're working at a lower texel density - no shame in it if you can get away with it!), and just loosely follow the panel lines to create a bunch of white scratches along the panel edges. Doing this by hand makes them seem 'real' since they're going to be a bit random. Generally speaking, for all these detail layers you're doing, you want to change the blend mode. For push (darken) layers, use multiply blend mode. For pull/lightening layers, use screen if you're weak and frail, Linear Dodge (Add) if you have hair on your chest.

now I've added some scratches with an even smaller brush, on another layer

but they're sort of hard to see, right? putting a very slight, soft layer of dark under it brings them out a little

you could brighten the middle slightly (this is a little too much)

just kinda keep adding little stuff... as a rule of thumb, keep each 'thought' on a separate layer. It's real helpful to just slap Ctrl+Shift+N as soon as you finish painting an effect, and just hit enter to start a new layer an keep going with another layer of detail. Just make sure you name them all eventually, and keep them organized!

can add a layer mask to the edge smudges, and then scratch away at that too. When you can, try and work 'non destructively'. If you use a mask instead of erasing, then you can just paint on the mask to control how much of the layer is visible and where, without actually getting rid of the layer. Think of it as an eraser tool whose effect can be toggled on and off as you work.

Drop in some grunge maps real subtle if you'd like (these are at 2% opacity, multiply). I tend to blur these slightly, otherwise they clash a bit with the otherwise hand painted look. (You can see at this point I was getting lazy with my naming.

adjusted the opacities a little...

Ta da! A finished panel. Now, this isn't perfect - I probably would add some more really soft dark layers around the edges, and maybe a slightly harsher one in a couple spots underneath the bright edge wear. But you should be able to get a general idea of how this works.

Edited July 5, 2017 by CobaltWolf

[EmbersArc]

Just two hours after I uploaded the new version of the landing legs. Oh well. Now where's the pen for my tablet...

About the specularity map: Do you copy-paste all the "scratches" layers etc. to the Alpha channel or is there a more elegant way to do this?

[CobaltWolf]

On 6/4/2017 at 6:04 PM, EmbersArc said:

Just two hours after I uploaded the new version of the landing legs. Oh well. Now where's the pen for my tablet...

About the specularity map: Do you copy-paste all the "scratches" layers etc. to the Alpha channel or is there a more elegant way to do this?

Those are looking good, I'd just go more intense on the white highlights and underlying dark layers - make it a touch more cartoony (or, the word I like, iconized) and stylized.

I generate my bump maps and specular maps by making new documents, and duplicating the layers over to them. That way I can work in a full layer system. Then it's as easy as Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the entire image (thanks to @JoseEduardo for teaching me that! ) and then go into the alpha channel of your diffuse texture, Ctrl+Shift+V to paste it in. I tend to like doubling the contrast on my grunge in my alpha, especially for shiny metal pieces.

[EmbersArc]

34 minutes ago, CobaltWolf said:

Those are looking good, I'd just go more intense on the white highlights and underlying dark layers - make it a touch more cartoony (or, the word I like, iconized) and stylized.

I generate my bump maps and specular maps by making new documents, and duplicating the layers over to them. That way I can work in a full layer system. Then it's as easy as Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the entire image (thanks to @JoseEduardo for teaching me that! ) and then go into the alpha channel of your diffuse texture, Ctrl+Shift+V to paste it in. I tend to like doubling the contrast on my grunge in my alpha, especially for shiny metal pieces.

Didn't know about Ctrl+Shift+C, will definitely come in handy.

Thanks so much for making this. 

10/10 would take life advice again.

[Beale]

On 2017-6-6 at 2:00 PM, CobaltWolf said:

s Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the entire image 

Wow, okay.

[CobaltWolf]

On 6/6/2017 at 9:35 AM, EmbersArc said:

Didn't know about Ctrl+Shift+C, will definitely come in handy.

Thanks so much for making this. 

10/10 would take life advice again.

1 hour ago, Beale said:

Wow, okay.

Again, shoutouts to @JoseEduardo for that amazing LPT!

[/not/pol/]

this should be pinned

[Bottle Rocketeer 500]

On Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 1:37 PM, /not/pol/ said:

this should be pinned

I agree. I just found this amazing tutorial!

[Rory Yammomoto]

you said there was life advice. Where's the life advice?