How do I draw a cartoonish vortex and blurry silhouette in Photoshop/Paint Tool?

VirusChris · 4418

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Offline VirusChris

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I'm looking for some tutorials on making a vortex of sorts, but the coloring and style cartoonish instead of realistic and I can't seem to find one and was curious if someone else has or knows how to make it, especially in Photoshop or perhaps Paint Tool SAI if that's possible.

I want to find a tutorial to help me draw this kind of vortex:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKYaE4NqUv0#t=2m35s

(You can mute the sound, I couldn't find a video without saying talking over and just letting the viewers just watch and read on their own)

Yeah, something like that. Very light and calming like you're in a dream but also a surreal feeling that you're about to enter another world. I have made a vortex one on a video tutorial, but sadly it's too realistic for what I'm planning so I need a more cartoon-ish or flash animation type of vortex to use and I need help knowing how to make one.

And at 3:43 in the same video I wanted to make a blurry silhouette as well just like that as it's suppose to be a reflection of the player/reader.

Reason is that I'm making a Visual Novel and I wanted to get these scenes out of the way as they're the first thing to happen to the player where they leave behind their human form to assume another form in the world they're about to enter.

Does anyone got any ideas how I can make these? I much as I would like to ask someone to draw these I like to learn myself so I can make my own scenes and contribute to my own project with what I envision.

Please and thank you!


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Offline Quickman

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Layers.  A [parasitic bomb] ton of layers.  Experiment with multiple blending modes.  Really, the only way you'll be able to get it how you want it is to mess around with it until it looks right.  Use different brushes at varying opacity, different layers, different blending modes, and screw around until something works.


Offline VirusChris

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Layers.  A [parasitic bomb] ton of layers.  Experiment with multiple blending modes.  Really, the only way you'll be able to get it how you want it is to mess around with it until it looks right.  Use different brushes at varying opacity, different layers, different blending modes, and screw around until something works.

Is there a reason I need a lot of layers?

Any basic tips to getting a light color that's close to a cartoon? Unless I ask for a more specific art style I can get more advice regarding it? Well I'll experiment around to see what I can get.

Anything like Panty and Stocking style colors?

This is what I made for a vortex:


It's OK, but WAY too realistic for me.

And for the silhouette, can't I go more simple design for it? Just the head, upper half of torso, and the arms closed together (kinda like the Police's targets with the human silhouettes) than have the image being distort in a wavy or ripple effect? I could use oval shape for the head and fill it in then rectangle for body and arms and try to curve the image... not looking for something perfect or realistic just a simple design.


"Spirit-Soul Fusion! Invoke... VIRUS CROSS!!!" ~ Quote from my Virakins global project
JP PSN: UirusuKurisu
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Offline Quickman

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Easiest way to make it more cartoony? Lessen the color palette.  Make the swirly lines thicker.  Add some thick, chunky clouds.  Instant cartoon.

Really, there's no real single way to do this.  You need to experiment.  Even with a tutorial, I find myself experimenting more just to get the result that I want.  I've taken tutorials and totally blow off their instructions just to achieve the same effect. 


Offline VirusChris

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Lessen the color palette? What do mean by this if you don't mind me saying? Like use lesser colors?
And the lines should be draw manually?
Chunkier clouds?

Well I was thinking of drawing the swirls myself in Photoshop using my Tablet and giving it a go. I'll use what I can and see what I get... going to take a while but I won't stop until I get the desired "cartoony" vortex I want.

Then after that add a pool mirror in the middle with a human silhouette will wavy and distorted next as the second picture.

Thanks for the advice Quickman!


"Spirit-Soul Fusion! Invoke... VIRUS CROSS!!!" ~ Quote from my Virakins global project
JP PSN: UirusuKurisu
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Offline Quickman

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Lessening the color palette does indeed mean using less colors.  Basically, scale back the gradient to something a bit more tonal.  With less colors to work with, the individual colors won't blend as well.


Offline VirusChris

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Ah, I see... perhaps just using red, blue, and yellow then? Trying to get that "dreamy" creamy yellowish glow with a tint of pink and light blue into the vortex, like in that video I showed.

I'll see what I'll come up with.


"Spirit-Soul Fusion! Invoke... VIRUS CROSS!!!" ~ Quote from my Virakins global project
JP PSN: UirusuKurisu
Official Husband of Fox Caster from Fate/Extra <3