Create a Surreal Ramen Bowl

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DIGITAL PAINTING

Create a Surreal RamenBowl Illustration inAdobe Photoshopby Melody Nieves 20 Jan 2015

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What You'll Be Creating

On a global scale, ramen is internationally known as a delicious dish that is quick,


easy, and very cheap to make. In today's tutorial, you'll learn how to illustrate a bowl

of ramen, turning it from your everyday budget friendly meal into a surrealistic

digital painting. I'll be using Adobe Photoshop CS6 and a pen tablet to achieve this,

focusing on watercolor-like textures and the Ambient Occlusion painting technique.

Let's get started!

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used in the production of this tutorial:

Noodles in Bowl and Chopsticks

Pinterest Inspiration

Ramen Bowl Sketch

The Brainstorm

I love Korean dramas. And after a binge marathon of the popular show, "Let's

Eat", I had a huge list of new foods I wanted to try. It was also one of the first times

I saw people enjoying ramen way beyond the traditional just-boil-it-in-a-pot method.

See, at the core of your basic ramen is noodles, seasoning, and a delicious broth.


The dish originates from Japan and can come with a variety of toppings, some you'll

even get to know today. So during the brainstorming process I made sure to

thoroughly research ramen, scanning dozens of food blogs and Pinterest posts for

inspiration.

Adding the Surrealistic TouchSince painting ideas usually come to me in words, I make lots of graphs to flesh out

the scene in my head. These bits of word association help me stay organized by

mentally keeping track of all the little details and unique components I'd like to

achieve. I fill the graph with as many concise explanations as possible then move

on to constructing my faux recipe.

Back to the RecipeToday's recipe is similar to a miso ramen dish, served with hard boiled eggs,

scallions, and narutomaki, a beautiful fish paste cake featuring a salmon spiral

middle. You see, whenever you're building a food illustration it's important to get

familiar with the ingredients, not only for their history and significance to the dish but

for their aesthetic qualities as well.

1. Thumbnail Sketches


I start by sketching several thumbnails in Photoshop. My main mission here is to

make sure that both the ingredients and the koi fish are clearly visible to the

viewers.


After eight thumbnails, I set my eyes on these two.

At first I thought an interesting angle would work, but later I ran into problems

during the painting process. When this first attempt didn't work out so well, I came

back to my thumbnails and settled on the right one for my final sketch.

2. The Line Art: Bowl and Chopsticks

Step 1


Next, create a New Document in Photoshop with the following settings:

Image Size set to 3000 x 2400 pixels

Resolution set 300 dpi

Step 2To avoid problems with perspective, simply trace the bowl and chopsticks from a

Photodune reference. Rotate the original reference with the Free Transform Tool

(Control-T) for a unique trace. With the Ellipse Tool (U) selected, trace two circles

to represent the edge of the bowl and its center. Set the Fill to No Color and the

Stroke to black with a size of 3 pt.


Step 3To keep this sketch clean we'll use the Pen Tool (P) for the chopsticks. First, set the

Brush Tool (B) to a size of 3 pixels and 100% Hardness. Next, trace one of the

chopsticks and right-click to set the Stroke to Brush.


Step 4Right-click to duplicate the chopstick layer. With the duplicated layer selected, go


to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal and adjust into place.


3. The Line Art: Draw the Ingredients

Step 1Now it's time to Draw the ingredients. Set your Brush Tool (B) to the following

settings:

Brush Color set to Black

Size set to 6 pixels

Hardness set to 100%

Transfer with Opacity Jitter Control set to Pen Pressure

Draw each ingredient, paying special attention to how they're positioned in the bowl.


Step 2Below is the completed line art. Adjust both the Opacity of the bowl and the

chopsticks to match the color of the sketched ingredients. Once you're finished,

make sure to Merge the completed sketch layers together.


4. Create the Grayscale Base


Step 1Painting in grayscale is a favorite technique amongst digital artists to help establish

the lighting scenario more quickly. Create a New Layer (Control-Shift-N)

underneath the sketch layer. Use a Hard Round Brush to paint a solid gray color

as the base for our grayscale painting.


Step 2Lock Transparent Pixels. Locking the transparency will allow you to paint without

having to worry about going pass the edges of your grayscale base. Duplicate this

layer, setting the duplicate to Multiply. Next, set to the Default Foreground and

Background Colors of black and white to begin Erasing the extra gray that was


applied from the duplicate.


5. Ambient Occlusion: The Bowl

Step 1Ambient Occlusion is a shading technique we most often see in 3D renderings. In

digital painting, however, it allows us to set up the lighting by concentrating on

painting shadows in the creases, cracks, and intersections of details. To start using

this technique, select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and draw a circle. Right-

click and select Transform Selection to adjust the circle so that it fits the center of

the bowl perfectly.


Step 2Since we want to paint the outside of the bowl first we have to inverse the selection.

Right-click and select Inverse. Set your Brush Tool (B) to the color black with a

Hardness of 0%, bringing down the brush's Opacity to 20%. Begin painting

shadows on the bowl by running a large brush along the edge of the selection. The

selection will keep the brush from bleeding into the center of the bowl, so use long,

fluid strokes to complete your shading.


Erase any parts of the shading that might overlap the ingredients.


Step 3Reverse the selection to paint the shadow for the broth. Right-click and

select Inverse. Just like in our previous step, we want to paint large, fluid strokes of

shadow towards the edge of the selection. Pick and choose which ingredients

should look submerged in the broth, and Erase any that shouldn't be overlapped.

The finished bowl should look like this.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API6. Ambient Occlusion: The Chopsticks


Step 1Let's continue this technique with the chopsticks. Use the Pen Tool (P) to trace just

one of them. Right-click to Make a Selection and begin painting shadow so that

the center is left illuminated.


Step 2


Duplicate this layer. Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal so that you have a

shadow that perfectly reflects the first chopstick. Rotate into place using the Free

Transform Tool (Control-T).


7. Ambient Occlusion: Painting the Ingredients

Step 1Starting to get the hang of this technique yet?

Now it's time to move on to the food! Just like in our previous steps, we're going to

make a selection on each ingredient to paint in more shadows. The only difference

this time is that I'll be using the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) to make the selections.

First, I shade the eggs.


Step 2Next, I move on to the other ingredients including the narutomaki, scallions, and any

remaining broth.


Step 3I also begin shading the surreal elements like the flowers, lily pads, and koi fish.

8. Ambient Occlusion: Freehand the Noodles


Step 1You might have noticed that I haven't covered the noodles yet. This is because

we're going to use this step to further the impact of the overall technique, only this

time we'll Freehand the rest of the shading. Still using the Brush Tool (B), lightly

shade the sides of the noodles in order to achieve an instantly realistic effect.


Step 2Continue shading the noodles until you're finished with them all.


9. Final Shading Details in Grayscale

Step 1Shading with the Ambient Occlusion technique is a pretty tedious process, but I urge

you to push these steps as far as you can before moving onto color. Toggle the

Visibility of the original Sketch Layer on and off to see how far along you've come

with your shading. Once you're able to see your painting pop out without the sketch,

you know you're done.


Step 2Let's not forget the shadows underneath the chopsticks! Use the Lasso Tool (L) to

make selections around both chopsticks and Fill them with the color black.


Free Transform (Control-T) to Warp the shadow so that it bends along the bowl.

Bring down the Opacity to 20% and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, setting

the radius to 17 pixels.


Step 3The last step in our grayscale painting is to add a background. Use the Gradient

Tool (G), setting it to Foreground to Transparent for the gradient blend. Bring

down the Opacity to 20% and drag your marker in the directions where the

shadows would hit.


Remember the base we created in the beginning? Duplicate the base layer and go

to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Set the Lightness to -100 and position


it according to the overall lighting scenario. Bring down the Opacity of the layer to

55% and lightly Erase the edges for a more natural look.


Bring down the Opacity of the original sketch layer to 30% in order to prep it for

color. The final grayscale painting will look something like this:


10. Adding Color: The Ingredients

Step 1Finally, let's color this painting! On a New Layer (Control-Shift-N) begin painting

solid colors for all your ingredients with the Brush Tool (B) set to 100% Hardness.


Step 2Set the Layer Blend Mode to Linear Burn. Feel free to keep all the solid colors on

one layer or to separate them for each detail.


11. Adding Color: Ramen Bowl & Background


Step 1Next, follow the same steps as before to color the ramen bowl and background. I

opted for neutral tones against a bright pop of orange, but feel free to experiment

with the color choices here.

Step 2For better contrast against the bowl, Erase the color off any details you don't want

affected by the bowl's color.


Once you've painted in all your colors, set the layer to Linear Burn.


12. Adding Color: The Broth


Step 1We need to take special care in painting the broth because it is far more complex in

texture and color than the other elements in this painting. Use the Elliptical

Marquee Tool (M) to create a circle for the broth and Fill this circle with a deep tan

color.


Step 2


Set the Blend Mode to Linear Burn and begin erasing away the broth. Pay special

attention to details that are submerged in broth versus details that aren't.

Vary the Opacity on your Eraser Tool (E) to gradually take away broth that is

overlapping the ramen noodles. Experiment with what works best for the painting


13. Adding Texture to the Broth

The broth to this delicious meal wouldn't be complete without a little texture! To

mimic the oily quality of ramen broth, we're going to use the Watercolor Textures

found in Mary Winkler's recent Watercolor Brush Tutorial.


Create a New Layer (Control-Shift-N) above the Broth Layer, and right-click to

set it as a Clipping Mask. Using the two textures above, paint a dark gray texture

all over the broth, erasing any excess with the Eraser Tool (E). When you're

finished, set the layer to Divide.


14. Adding More Light With Blend Modes

The beauty of working so hard on the grayscale portion of this painting is that once

we apply the initial colors, we won't need to develop the colors too much further.

However, it's always interesting to experiment and see what other tweaks you can

bring to the table, especially with Blend Modes.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF APIIn this case, I decided to Fill a New Layer with a bright baby blue color. I Erased


In this case, I decided to Fill a New Layer with a bright baby blue color. I Erased

the middle where the bowl sits, set the Blend Mode to Divide, and brought down

the Opacity to 70%. Not only does this change make the background pop, but it

also allows the chopsticks to be affected by color from their environment.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API15. Using Adjustment Layers


Step 1Adjustment Layers play an essential role in correcting your overall color scheme.

First up, Color Balance. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance.

Adjust only the Highlights by moving the sliders over to the Blue and Cyan colors.

Since I only want this to affect the bowl's highlights, I select the Layer Mask

Thumbnail and paint black all along the background.


Step 2Next I create a New Adjustment Layer for Selective Color. I adjust the colors


under the Reds, Blues, Yellows, Greens, and Whites in order to tone down the

intense orange colors.


Step 3My last New Adjustment Layer is for Color Balance, making sure to move the

slider over to the Blue side under Midtones.


16. Cleaning Things Up


It's at this stage of the painting when I know that, for the most part, I'm settling on

this particular color scheme. With all the previous adjustments made, I can now

focus on cleaning up the details. To do this I use a Hard Round Brush (B) to paint

over any outlines created by the sketch.

Line art flattens paintings, so any time you paint over the line art you add greater

realism into your piece. Try to keep the Opacity of your brush in the 50

100% range for the best effect with this step.


17.More Blend Mode Adjustments

Step 1Currently the handles of the chopsticks seem too muted for such a vibrant overall

color scheme. To change their color, I create a New Layer (Control-Shift-N) and

begin painting a solid blue on top of each handle. Afterwards, I set the layer to

Color.


Step 2Next, I Fill another New Layer with a light green color and set it to Divide. Now all

the colors really work well together!


Step 3


Since I'm still working with Blend Modes, I decided to add texture to the

background for a more uniform look. Using the Watercolor Brushes from earlier, I

paint a dark gray texture on top of the background and set the layer to Overlay.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API18. Adding in Highlights


18. Adding in Highlights

Step 1Although this painting already has great shading and color, now we need the

highlights! Use a Hard Round Brush (B) to begin painting highlights on each

component of our mealyes, literally. Personally, I like to select colors in the

painting with the Eyedropper Tool (E), then use the slider on the Color Picker to

choose the highlight color I need.

Step 2


Continue painting in the highlights until you're happy with the result. Sometimes a

crisp white line is all the highlight you need. Be sure to Zoom in and out of your

painting often to understand what the viewer sees in order to paint accordingly.


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19. Finishing Details: Shiny Broth

I couldn't wait to get to this last step! Not because it's the final stage of the painting

but because the painting really transforms once you add shine to the broth. Use a

Hard Round Brush (B) to begin painting white squiggly lines to represent the shine

and places where food breaks the broth's surface.


Create strokes that follow the natural direction of your ramen, and paint dots

scattered about for a more realistic effect. It's really that simple! As always, use the

Eraser Tool (E) to soften any edges.


All Done! Let's Eat!

I really hope you've enjoyed creating and learning more about this tasty meal today.

The journey of a great digital painting can seem like a long and tedious one, but I

assure you that combining smart techniques proves to save much time and energy


in the long run. Now reward yourself with a great bowl of ramen! Yum!


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About Melody Nieves

I'm an artist who loves to paint inPhotoshop while helping others learn too.Follow me on DeviantArt or tweet me

@MelloNieves and tell me what tutorials you'd liketo see next!

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Asher Benson 2 months ago

I live for this tutorial... excellent break down and process.

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Melody 2 months ago> Asher BensonThanks Asher I was hoping it was clear!! AnWhat a sweet comment! Thanks so much An! I would love to see your drawings some time :) Ambientocclusion is my new life saver so I'm glad this tutorial could help! :D

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Rhidona pratama 2 months ago

long tutorial. but i like it.

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good idea.

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ParasUniversal 2 months ago

What an awesome tut and final.

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Melody 2 months ago> ParasUniversalThank you!!

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Create a Surreal Ramen Bowl

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