Newbie trying to be a pro

[Ulfhethnar]

For first time I tried to paint on photo paper. ‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️
Totally different that what I'm used to (ordinary printer paper), definitely need better trigger control.
And also I think I should start using some grey instead of black for shading???
What you guys reckon. I know it's nothing special but I think is better than dots and lines

 

[Mr.Micron]

if you over reduce your black and drop the psi you can get good blends. But trust me when we all started we all went to dark too fast.
If you can find some transparent black or smoke I think you will like the look.
As far as just starting out this is a great go keep it up.

 

[JackEb]

printer paper is absorbent, photo paper behaves like a hard surface because its not very porous. two very different substrates.
As Mr Micron has said, drop the psi (it will help with the overspray) and reduce the paint accordingly.

try not to paint black 'outlines' on what you are doing, it makes it look cartoony.
dots and dagger practise is great for warm ups but jumping in the deep end has its benefits as well. keep it going

 

[Padre]

As for shading/shadows. Look around you. What do you see? Every shadow is just a darker version of what is already there. Example. A shadow on a tan carpet will just be a darker tan. Its been a decade for me, but there used to be a formula i used to use with transparents that im trying to recall. It was a combo of black and purple. But i dont recall the mix ratio.

 

[TruggyDriver69]

Layers, layers, layers. Start soft and build up to your desired shade. As stated above, think of a shadow in the daytime.

 

[clutch]

As for shading/shadows. Look around you. What do you see? Every shadow is just a darker version of what is already there. Example. A shadow on a tan carpet will just be a darker tan. Its been a decade for me, but there used to be a formula i used to use with transparents that im trying to recall. It was a combo of black and purple. But i dont recall the mix ratio.

I know Scott McKay tints his black all the time.

@ the OP, this is a very cool image you have painted here