How to Draw a Background Using Paint Tool SAI
Gather the materials., Open Paint Tool SAI by clicking the icon on the desktop or pinned on the toolbar., Create a new canvas by clicking file then new canvas., Determine the eye level., Sketch a perspective grid., Draw out a rough sketch of how you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather the materials.
The required materials for this process are:
Paint Tool SAI A drawing tablet with pen or a mouse A computer Reference images (either self-taken photos or images found online) -
Step 2: Open Paint Tool SAI by clicking the icon on the desktop or pinned on the toolbar.
If a box appears asking permission to open it, say yes., Any size canvas will work, but you can always go bigger than necessary and then crop it later.
The resolution should be at either 300dpi, which is printing resolution or 72dpi which is digital resolution.
You can also name your file here, but this can be done later when saving., This will be a horizontal line across the entirety of the canvas. This will help you determine what the eye should focus on.
To help you determine the eye level, here are some examples:
If you want to focus on the layout of a room or location, choose an eye level that is near the top of the canvas.
If you want to focus on the details of the ceiling of buildings, forests, or caves, then the eye level should be near the ground.
If you want it to be from the perspective of a person, then base it on the relative height of the objects in the background. , This well help determine the sizes of objects in comparison to one another.
There should be at least one vanishing point, but there can be more based on the perspective you want.,, This will make it easier to paint and you can fix issues that appeared in the rough sketch such as perspective issues or add new components in., You can do this on one of the sketch layers.
Draw arrows starting at the direction of the light source and going away from it, stopping when it hits an object in the sketch., You can do this by using either the eyedropper and altering the color or just your eye.
You can either place splotches of the color on a new layer or click the swatches or scratch pad icons for the menu., This color will set the mood for the entire piece.
This color can be the sky if you are doing an outdoor piece or the darkest color of the palette for a cave or forest background., If you need to, you can do different types of objects on separate layers, or break it into background, midground, and foreground.
In the image, I decided to do different types of objects.
I put this all into a folder so I could hide the layers easier., The shading will be based on the light source in step 1 of the coloring section., Do this as much as you see fit with as small of a brush as you think will best work.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with brush types and sizes., Much like step 6 in the coloring section, experiment and play around with it.
You can always click undo.
I added a slight orange tint to the image., This can be done by clicking file and then save.
It defaults as a .SAI file.
This will keep all layers in case editing needs to be done.
Change the file name if you want., This will be depending on if you chose to keep it digital or plan on printing it.
Prints are better if saved as .jpeg while digital pieces are better as .png files.
The file name from step 1 of exporting should still be there so you would most likely not need to rename it. -
Step 3: Create a new canvas by clicking file then new canvas.
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Step 4: Determine the eye level.
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Step 5: Sketch a perspective grid.
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Step 6: Draw out a rough sketch of how you want things laid out.
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Step 7: On a new layer
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Step 8: draw a neater sketch over the rough sketch.
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Step 9: Determine where the light source is.
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Step 10: Pick out your color palette.
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Step 11: Add a layer and drag it to the bottom of the layers list and fill it with a flat color.
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Step 12: Add flats for your colors on a layer above your sketch.
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Step 13: Using either the preserve opacity tool or creating new layers and using the clipping tool
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Step 14: add shading.
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Step 15: Add detail using a fine brush.
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Step 16: Add effects to the canvas such as texture or an overall tinting.
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Step 17: Save the image as a .SAI file.
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Step 18: Save again as either a .jpeg or .png file.
Detailed Guide
The required materials for this process are:
Paint Tool SAI A drawing tablet with pen or a mouse A computer Reference images (either self-taken photos or images found online)
If a box appears asking permission to open it, say yes., Any size canvas will work, but you can always go bigger than necessary and then crop it later.
The resolution should be at either 300dpi, which is printing resolution or 72dpi which is digital resolution.
You can also name your file here, but this can be done later when saving., This will be a horizontal line across the entirety of the canvas. This will help you determine what the eye should focus on.
To help you determine the eye level, here are some examples:
If you want to focus on the layout of a room or location, choose an eye level that is near the top of the canvas.
If you want to focus on the details of the ceiling of buildings, forests, or caves, then the eye level should be near the ground.
If you want it to be from the perspective of a person, then base it on the relative height of the objects in the background. , This well help determine the sizes of objects in comparison to one another.
There should be at least one vanishing point, but there can be more based on the perspective you want.,, This will make it easier to paint and you can fix issues that appeared in the rough sketch such as perspective issues or add new components in., You can do this on one of the sketch layers.
Draw arrows starting at the direction of the light source and going away from it, stopping when it hits an object in the sketch., You can do this by using either the eyedropper and altering the color or just your eye.
You can either place splotches of the color on a new layer or click the swatches or scratch pad icons for the menu., This color will set the mood for the entire piece.
This color can be the sky if you are doing an outdoor piece or the darkest color of the palette for a cave or forest background., If you need to, you can do different types of objects on separate layers, or break it into background, midground, and foreground.
In the image, I decided to do different types of objects.
I put this all into a folder so I could hide the layers easier., The shading will be based on the light source in step 1 of the coloring section., Do this as much as you see fit with as small of a brush as you think will best work.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with brush types and sizes., Much like step 6 in the coloring section, experiment and play around with it.
You can always click undo.
I added a slight orange tint to the image., This can be done by clicking file and then save.
It defaults as a .SAI file.
This will keep all layers in case editing needs to be done.
Change the file name if you want., This will be depending on if you chose to keep it digital or plan on printing it.
Prints are better if saved as .jpeg while digital pieces are better as .png files.
The file name from step 1 of exporting should still be there so you would most likely not need to rename it.
About the Author
Amanda Hart
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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