Learn How to Get Risograph Textures: A Deep Dive into the Risograph Brush & Texture Kit

Have you ever wanted to bring the unique qualities of Risograph printing to your artwork, but you don't have access to a Risograph printer? The trendy printmaking technique is here to stay, but not everyone has access to a print shop. That's where digital Risograph brushes come into play!

This week we'll be guiding you through how to bring an authentic Riso effect to your artwork.

In this tutorial, we're talking all about Risograph effects, including:

• How to add a Risograph effect to your work.
• How to customize your Risograph brushes.
• How to use print defects.
• So much more!

You'll have all the tips you need to make your artwork look like an authentic Risograph print.

So, let's get into it!

Watch Our Risograph tutorial Video

This week, we'll of course be using the Risograph Brush & Texture Kit for authentic digital Risograph textures. If you don't have this pack, it's going to be hard to recreate the Risograph texture without it. Use what you have or consider purchasing a pack after watching the video and seeing how it works.

First, What is Riso?

Method One: Drawing On One Layer

Method 01 has you painting all your Riso colors on the same layer.

Method Two: Drawing on Multiple Layers

With Method 02 you use separate layers for each color.

Utilizing different layers, just like in any other form of digital art, helps keep things neat and organized. You also have the benefit of not ruining an entire illustration if you make a mistake or decide 4 hours into it that you want a different blue.

Create one layer for each color in your illustration and set the blend mode to Multiply. Your colors will still "blend" like they do working on all one layer, they'll just be separated to their own layer.

💡Top Tip: Want to change the color of a layer? Turn on Alpha Lock and fill the layer with the new color. Quick and easy!

Method Three: Applying the Riso Texture to Finished Work

You can apply a Riso texture to finished artwork using Method 03.

Putting it Together

Now that we've gone over the different ways to use the Risograph Brush & Texture Kit, let's break down the full process. We'll take you from start to finish, detailing each step so you can follow along.

Applying A paper Texture

Applying a paper texture to your work will make it look more authentic.

Risograph printing is a physical media made of ink on paper, so it makes sense it would look best with a paper texture. You can use any paper texture you like or you can check out some of our premium paper textures. If you're new to using paper textures in your work we have a tutorial on adding realistic paper textures to your artwork.

To maximize authenticity, pick something that makes sense with the medium. You won't see Risograph prints on cardboard or waxy paper. Try cardstock, watercolor paper, or similar. Our premium Phantom Paper Texture Bundle is ideal for Risograph effects.

 Remember the Risograph brushes are transparent and will blend with anything underneath it. When selecting a paper texture, test it with the colors you want to ensure they will work well.

Sketch and Ink

Plan out your artwork ahead of time and establish a key layer to color.

A sketch is your foundation for any artwork, but this is a good time to think about your colors as well. You could, like in this example art, establish a key layer to serve as a frame for your color layers. However you choose to go about it, this is the time to make sure your design is solid.

Take the opportunty to do quick color studies and mock-ups so you can identfy what works. This is also a good time to experiment with multiple colorways to establish mood, lighting, and balance.

💡Top Tip: Check out our tutorial all about color to get the basics before moving on to the next step.

Color and Fine Tuning

The Reference Tool is a handy way to refer to source images when drawing.

Now is the fun part! The way you will color will differ depending on which method you've chosen. However you decide to go about it, here are some general guidelines to keep you on the path to success:

• Use a maximum of 3-4 colors. Risograph textures are intended to blend just like watercolor or markers. Instead of using yellow, blue, and green, use just a yellow and a blue and "mix" them on your canvas to create green.
• Make effective use of the different percentages. Again, think of the Riso brushes like watercolor where 10% texture is a very watered down color and 100% is full strength. This widens your color options and gives you room to create stunning gradients and other effects.
• Use shader brushes for even more depth. There is already a lot of versatility in the regular brushes, but the shader brushes allow for even greater variation in tone to really bring your creation to life.

Color can be a mammoth of a subject so if you're still feeling unsure, that's okay. We have an in-depth guide on color theory and choosing color palettes that can help you become more comfortable. You can also take a look at Riso artists you like and what colors they use. Don't be afraid to step out of the box! Our Risograph Brush & Texture Kit includes color palette guidebook you can use while you become more comfortable picking palettes on your own.

Print Defects and Print Misregistration

Print defects provide another level of authenticty to your design.

If you have ever used a Risograph machine before then you'll be familiar with its various quirks. Ink bleed, finger smudges, roller marks, and prin misalignment are all common.

The Risograph Brush & Texture Kit includes a collection of brushes created from real examples of print defects to bring an extra level of authenticity to your work. Just like with other types of distressing effects, less is more. Unless you want to make your work look like a total mess, it's not likely you'll see every single defect show up at once.

Here's a few tips:

• Dark colors show smudges more, apply your print defects using those colors.
• Roller marks usually show up at the bottom of the print. These happen when the grip that feeds the paper into the machine rolls through the wet ink, leaving a track of ink down the paper.
• Place finger smudges where you'd naturally grip a piece of paper. Realistically they could show up anywhere, but there are most likely to appear from handling a wet print and then picking up another.

Another tip for authenticity is print misalignment. Because Risograph machines are quirky and can cause subtle to severe print offset that has to be corrected by hand.

Recreate this effect by doing the following:

1. Select a color layer.
2. Use the Move Tool to ove it slightly out of place.

Try not to overdo it or to misalign too many layers at once. Although it can happen in real life, you don't want to sacrifice legibilty.

Bonus Tip

Toggle off Offset Jitter to be able to work with multiple strokes.

The Risograph Brush & Texture Kit provides an automatic texture offset which mimics the way that Risograph textures are created on the master in real life. Because of this, though, you'll find that the textures overlap if you make multiple passes over your artwork.

This might not be ideal for every user, so here's how you can turn off this feature:

1. Duplicate your brushes.
2. Navigate to the Brush Settings menu, then Grain and toggle off Offset Jitter.
3. Navigate to Rendering and set the Blend Mode to Normal.

You'll now be able to work using multiple strokes.

Final Thoughts

Risograph printing has become a world of its own, far surpassing the initial intent for it when it was first invented. Whether you have access to a machine or not, recreating the unique qualities of a Risograph print digitally is fun and exciting. And hopefully after having read this tutorial you'll find that it is also easy!

Here's a quick recap of tips that will set you up for success:

• Use a paper texture.
• Use no more than 3-4 colors at a time.
• Use print defects and print misalignment thoughtfully.

We hope you'll have been inspired to create some Riso style artwork of your own.

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