Interesting technique Serval, I never built my ribs that way. My "hard" method is only three or four steps, so I couldn't make a nice article from it.
But I have time to type out the method now.
- First I make a rectangle marquee in the rough size/shape of the interior of the rib. file rib1
- Next, use the airbrush to darken the marquee on three sides (in my pic the marquee is hiden) The hard part here is keeping the flow even, and feathering out towards the trailing edge of the surface. A pressure tablet is a big help here. file rib2
- Optionally, I deselect the area, and round the eges with a soft brush eraser I round the corners and soften the edges slightly, depending on the look I want. file rib3
- Finally, select the area, and use the move tool ("V" hotkey) and hold "ALT" to drag a copy of the selection. File rib4
For quick work, I hold "ALT" and "Shift" and use an arrow key to move a copy of the selection away from the original. The "ALT" key makes a copy of the marquee, while the "Shift" key moves the selection by 10 pixels with each arrow key press. Then release "ALT" and use the arrow keys (with shift if neeeded) to adjust the position exactly. Repeat over and over, holding "ALT" when ever a new copy is wanted.
Of course, once a large are has been formed by copying, you can then make a new selection of that entire large area, and move it easily to other places.
