DEEP Postwork : Complete Guide to Enhance your DAZ Studio Renders

Authors:

At some point, working to enhance a raw render by using postwork is inevitable. Much effort can be put into a render to help make it “pop” by adjusting and re-rendering – ending up with too many iterations and a high cost in time for your efforts.

Have you experienced hours of waiting for a render, only to discover render artifacts? The frustration is palpable and your intuition tells you that there are ways to fix it…but how?

What about the large heap of renders that you’ve cast upon the “discarded” pile? You may have artwork that’s too dark (or too light), or lacked a certain impact. What if you could add elements to that render, even if you no longer had the original scene?

What if you learned a whole range of techniques that solved all of these challenges and gave you a “go-to” toolkit that enriched your art? Imagine rescuing many of those renders that you would normally abandon.

What if you were able to get a deep knowledge of postwork that saved you hours of time in your workflow and increasedyour productivity, where some of this is understanding when to stop tinkering with a 3D scene and use postwork instead to finish the job.

How about finding artwork pieces in your folders that could serve as foundations for creating new styles and new directions by using more advanced postwork techniques?

This 8 part video course by Drew Spence is for digital artists that....

1) Are using DAZ Studio or other 3D software that needs a comprehensive toolkit to fix problematic renders
2) Artists that need to know how to speed up their workflow
3) Artists that want to explore styling and overpainting.
4) Artists that want to utilize older renders to the max.

Sample Video:-

What you'll get in this tutorial video set:

11 hours and 24 minutes of video tutorials in 8 parts.
A searchable version of this tutorial set. Search across the whole library by any spoken keyword or phrase.
Homework challenges and resource images to consolidate the learning

With this 8 part video course presented by Drew Spence we’ll look at the following aspects of Postwork:-

Phase One: The Fixing

Learn to fix artifacts and imperfections that you may have missed in your original render. Overcome the pain of too much or too little lighting in your scene.

Learning this stage will be a powerful increase in your productivity; no need to wait for additional renders. No need to tweak or re-tweak a scene hoping that the next render won’t include the original artefacts.

Typical challenges to solve in this phase:

Lighting – under-exposed or over-exposed
Composition/posing/framing/cropping
Poke through or intersections
Zap the fireflies or other render artifacts

Phase Two: The Enhancing

Discover how to build upon the most important scene elements and make them stronger. Make a character stand out; highlight the face or eyes, provide richer skin, and improve the hair. Add powerful lighting effects that efficiently supplement the scene. Gain Drew’s top recommendations of which filters and Photoshop actions will enrich your renders.

Typical challenges to solve in this phase:

Hair and Skin: blemishes, sheen and skin tone
Lighting and Light Effects: flares, glints, rays, shadows and Photoshop actions
Particle effects using brushes and additional software.

Phase Three: The Additions

Master adding elements to your creation that were never included in the original vision. Supplement your artwork with atmospheric and natural effects to deepen the impact.

Challenges to solve in this phase:

Weather and atmospheric conditions, such as fog, mist, smog, haze, and dust.
Insert skies, space, clouds, real images as backgrounds and elements
Utilise acts of nature, lightning, electricity, storms, tornados, floods, earthquakes
Use pyrotechnics. explosions, fire, and flames to increase the energy in your stories.

Phase Four: The Remixing and Overpainting

Using your work as the foundation for other mediums and styles. Dust off older renders to generate new permutations and styles of artwork.

Challenges to solve in this phase:

New painterly looks, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, and sketched styles
Go abstract with pixilated and sprite effects
Focus on filters to create cartoon, sketch, and hand-drawn effects.
Combine renders and photos to create composite art and collages

Software Used in this Course

Drew uses Photoshop and DAZ Studio in the main throughout this course

A series of other utilities such as Corel Particleshop, Aurora HD, Dynamic Auto Painter, AKVIS Sketch, and Luminar 4 are demonstrated in relation to postwork.

About the presenter: Drew Spence

Drew Spence has logged hundreds of hours using DAZ Studio to illustrate volumes of comics, including "Force Six The Annihilators". Drew is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and holds various certificates – from graphic arts to web design. Drew Spence was the CEO and Editor-in-chief of Producer’s Edge magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to all aspects of music production. He currently lives on Long Island, New York, and produces his work from the aptly named Fallout Shelter Studios, where he crafts crafty and clever comics using CGI and photorealistic image manipulation.

In this video course, Drew provides his insights and the experience of his own learning journey in overcoming your pain points for postwork. Save time and money by utilizing a more efficient workflow and getting more out of your renders.

What's Included and Features

DEEP Postwork : Complete Guide to Enhance your DAZ Studio Renders
Video 1 : Pre-work and Post-work : 1 hour 50 minutes (.MP4)
- Post-Work: Perfect, Flatter, Strengthen & Fortify and Tighten Focus for Artistic Integrity (00:00 - 05:44)
- Unlocking Your Mastery of Post-Work Creation: Care, Control, and Content (05:44 - 11:03)
- Forming Habits to Improve Your Advanced Daz Render Artwork (11:04 - 16:15)
- Troubleshooting Basics with Character Rendering (16:15 - 21:29)
- Understanding Pre-Work in Post Production (21:29 - 26:59)
- Lighting a Scene With Light Probes (27:00 - 32:05)
- Controlling Lighting to Guide Viewer's Eye (32:05 - 37:30)
- Having Your Characters Look At Each Other: Using Look At Me Too (37:30 - 42:02)
- A Guide to Spot Render Tool & Identifying Intersections in CGI (42:02 - 47:14)
- Creating Subtle Bloom Effects with DAZ Studio (52:44 - 58:29)
- The Intermediate Artist's Habit of Care and Attention to Detail (47:14 - 52:43)
- Fixing Mistakes While Adding Lighting Effects to a Comic Book Scene (58:29 - 01:03:43)
- Using Cameras to Render Scenes in 3D Graphics (01:03:43 - 01:09:13)
- Tackling Visual Narratives and Dealing with Poke-Through (01:09:14 - 01:14:45)
- Fixing Poke Through in Photoshop and Calibrating Monitors for Quality (01:14:46 - 01:20:23)
- Creating Artwork for Devices: Tips For Pre- and Post-Work (01:20:24 - 01:26:05)
- Breaking Through the Mental Roadblocks to Create Impactful Art (01:26:05 - 01:31:24)
- Experience is Key: Taking Your Art to the Next Level (01:31:24 - 01:36:14)
- Creating Your Own Signature Style (01:36:15 - 01:41:03)
- Finding Your Signature with Digital Art: Daz Mastery and Beyond (01:41:03 - 01:46:03)
- Advanced Level Art: When You Show Your Best (01:46:03 - 01:50:14)
Video 2 : Fixing hair, skin and character blemishes : 1 hour and 24 minutes (.MP4)
- Using Lighting Effects to Create Emotion with the Face (00:00 - 06:02)
- Gross Tool Usage in a Hair Repair Project (06:03 - 11:53)
- Creating Strands of Hair on a Character's Face with Photoshop Tools (11:53 - 18:17)
- Cheats and Shortcuts for Repair Jobs on Rendered Character Hair (18:17 - 24:37)
- Improving Attention to Detail with Realistic Skin Retouching (24:37 - 30:54)
- Removing Blemishes With Different Editing Tools (30:54 - 36:38)
- Mastering Skin Retouching With 'Dodge and Burn' Techniques (36:38 - 42:57)
- Adding Subtle Feature Enhancements to Your Character Design (42:58 - 48:52)
- Create Custom Eyebrows and Hair Strands with Brushes (48:54 - 56:43)
- Creating Unique Hair Hairstyles With Photoshop Elements (56:43 - 01:04:03)
- Creating a Character Haircut with Brushes (01:04:03 - 01:10:56)
- Creating Hair Highlights with Brushes in Photoshop (01:10:57 - 01:18:13)
- Enhancing and Fixing Hair in Computer Graphics: Exploring Post-Work Techniques (01:18:13 - 01:24:17)
Video 3 : Atmosphere and environment scene effects, light effects and flares : 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Effects of Three-Prong Approach: Adding Elements to Real 3D Sets, Billboards and Post-Production Work (00:00 - 05:35)
- Creating a Rainy Atmosphere with Pre and Post-Work (05:36 - 10:51)
- Controlling Directional Rain Using Photoshop Tools (10:51 - 16:08)
- Advanced Rain Animation Techniques for Artists (16:12 - 22:08)
- Learning How to Simulate Rain: Exploring Shadows and Shiny Surfaces (22:08 - 27:44)
- Why Does This Work? A Study in Post- and Pre-Work Effects in Photoshop (27:44 - 33:54)
- Using Light Effects to Enhance Your Photos (33:54 - 40:00)
- Using Ultra Flares to Create Heavyweight Light Effects (40:00 - 45:56)
- Exploring Different Post Production Effects to Enhance Your Images (45:56 - 52:06)
- Using Flares, Overlays and Cheat Codes to Enhance Your Creative Editing Process (52:11 - 58:29)
- Cheating With Light Leaks - A Technique For Getting More Usage Out of Products (58:29 - 01:04:48)
- Using Tools Like Particle Shop to Enhance Your Art (01:04:48 - 01:11:11)
- Painter - A Suite of Brushes and Effects for Creative Artworks (01:11:11 - 01:17:24)
- Three Approaches to Drawing Weather Effects Using Particle Shop (01:17:24 - 01:23:33)
- Waiting For Perfection: What FEAR Stands For (01:23:33 - 01:28:53)
Video 4 : Destruction, visual effects, water effects plus Photoshop actions : 1 hour 31 minutes
- The Relationship Between Destruction and Pre-Work in CG Projects (00:00 - 06:07)
- Attention to Detail: Pre-Planning for Destruction Effects (06:07 - 12:15)
- Creating Destruction with Visual Effects in Photoshop (12:19 - 18:28)
- Creating Dramatic Lighting with a Lazy Approach (18:29 - 24:22)
- Creating Realistic Lighting Effects with Photoshop (24:23 - 30:34)
- Bringing Life to an Image with Pre & Post Work (30:36 - 37:48)
- Photoshop Actions: A Powerful Tool for Speeding Up Your Editing (37:50 - 44:22)
- Installing an Action for Photoshop and How to Configure It (44:22 - 51:17)
- Creating a Creative Expansion with Actions in Photoshop (51:17 - 57:10)
- Accelerating with Actions and Troubleshooting Glitches (57:10 - 01:05:24)
- Experimenting with Different Photoshop Tools for Motion Simulations (01:05:24 - 01:13:07)
- Creating a Realistic Flooding Effect with Simple Steps (01:13:08 - 01:20:23)
- Creating Water Effects in CGI: A Step-by-Step Guide (01:20:23 - 01:29:15)
- Cheating the Waterline: A Tutorial on Fake Water Effects (01:29:17 - 01:31:33)
Video 5 : Magazine cover challenge - commercial postwork project : 1 hour and 22 minutes
- Turning Artistic Styles into Fresh Looks: A Magazine Cover Challenge (00:00 - 06:01)
- Exploring Subtlety in the Art of Photoshop (06:01 - 11:25)
- Exploring Art Creation Programs with Photoshop (11:25 - 17:55)
- Using Photoshop and Plugins to Enhance Photographs (17:55 - 23:50)
- Creating an Artsy Fartsy Effect Without a Ton of Plugins (23:50 - 30:12)
- Understanding Actions and How to Use Them (30:12 - 36:13)
- Creating a Cartoon Sketch Effect With a Photoshop Action (36:15 - 42:46)
- Troubleshooting Incorrect Photoshop Instructions (42:47 - 48:45)
- Enhance Your Art with Affordable Actions and Layers (48:45 - 54:55)
- Bypassing Actions and Adding the Final Artist Touch (54:56 - 01:01:36)
- Achieving Balance in Commercial Art: Combining Actions & Brushes (01:01:38 - 01:06:55)
- Creating Artistic and Fashionable Logos : A Quick and Easy Tutorial (01:06:56 - 01:13:23)
- Cheating the Post-Processing Process: Step by Step Guide (01:13:23 - 01:19:08)
- Creating a High Fashion Magazine Cover: Art and Tools in Action (01:19:08 - 01:21:58)
Video 6 : Tools for the job - a variety of tools examined : 1 hour and 13 minutes
- Translating Art: Strengthening and Touching with Your Artistic Vision (00:00 - 05:17)
- Uncovering the Artistic Process of a Photographer: Examining Photo Sketcher (05:18 - 11:28)
- Exploring Alternatives to Photoshop for Digital Artwork (11:29 - 17:16)
- Photoshop-Like Software for Professional Level Editing (17:18 - 23:30)
- Unlocking Hidden Features in Photoshop and Pixeluvo for Colorizing Photos (23:30 - 29:05)
- Finding the Right Tool for the Job: Picking the Best EQ, Compressor, and Software (29:07 - 34:24)
- How to Pick the Right Software and Art Style for Your Creative Projects (34:24 - 40:24)
- Using Topaz to Get to an Artsy Painterly Style (40:24 - 46:26)
- Exploring Powerful Design Software from Topaz to Dynamic Auto Painter (46:26 - 52:54)
- Creating Art with Dynamic Auto Painter 6 (52:54 - 58:44)
- Using Digital Art Products to Create Detailed Paintings (58:45 - 01:06:02)
- Book cover project challenge (01:06:02 - 01:12:26)
- Reaching the End of Your Artistic Journey (01:12:26 - 01:13:54)
Video 7 : Composite art, blend modes and custom actions in PS : 1 hour and 14 minutes
- Creating a Composite Artwork with Found Objects and Generated Elements (00:00 - 05:46)
- Creating Space Scenes with Free Elements & Backgrounds (05:46 - 11:41)
- Building a Universe with Found Objects (11:41 - 18:00)
- Unlocking the Power of Shapes in Digital Art (18:01 - 23:31)
- Creating Artwork Based on Shapes: Exploring the Process (23:31 - 29:36)
- Shape Changing: Unconstrained Creative Exploration (29:37 - 36:24)
- Just Do It: How to Create an Artistic Piece of Art (36:24 - 42:30)
- Creating a Custom Action to Speed Up Freestyle Landscape Design (42:30 - 48:24)
- Utilizing the Shape Tool to Create 3D Landscapes and Animals (48:24 - 55:14)
- Mixing and Matching Objects for Composites in Digital Art (55:14 - 01:02:27)
- Creating Montage Shots with AKVIS Chameleon: Exploring Artistic Possibilities (01:02:27 - 01:08:24)
- Unleashing Your Creative Potential with Post Work Editing (01:08:24 - 01:13:58)
Video 8 : Summary of course, painting simulators, generative art components, color and consistency : 1 hour and 20 minutes
- How to Approaching Art Intellectually: A Summary of 8 Weeks (00:00 - 05:25)
- Getting Creative with Art: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Filters and Post-Processing Effects (05:25 - 10:46)
- Generating Elements with FotoSketcher: Working With Art on a Granular Level (10:46 - 16:27)
- Creating Color Swatches for Artistic Expression (16:28 - 21:59)
- Creating a Color Palette with the Palette Wizard (22:00 - 28:21)
- Having Fun with Coloring: Creating Colorful Art with Simple Techniques (28:25 - 34:58)
- Using Graphic Novels to Create Consistent Color Palettes in a CGI Environment (34:58 - 40:32)
- Creating Dynamic Special Effects with Rebelle and Black Ink (40:32 - 46:23)
- Gaining Control with Black Ink and Photoshop Brushes (46:23 - 53:43)
- Exploring Outer Space with Space 2D (53:43 - 01:00:40)
- Creating Unique Space Scapes with Generative Art Programs (01:00:41 - 01:06:56)
- Creating an Explosive Effect in Your Artwork (01:06:57 - 01:13:06)
- Unlocking Creativity with Texture Tools and Artistic Brushes (01:13:07 - 01:19:55)
- Creating a Celestial Scene with a DAZ Studio Render (01:19:55 - 01:20:25)
Documentation:
- Homework Assignments (Homework_Assignments.pdf) - artistic challenges that go alongside each session of the video course
- Homework Assignment Resources (Homework_Assignment_Resources.pdf) - homework resource images (.PNG and .JPG) for assignments no. 2,3 and 4.
- Searchable version of the tutorial set (DEEP Postwork Searchable Video Set Link.pdf) - link for the playlist of 8 videos.