~Tricks of the Trade~

So, I've been looking at a ton of the deviations from my watch list as well as others, and I've been noticing a lot of drawings with skin & armor that have really intricate textures on them. I wasn't sure if the artist was doing it all themselves, or if they were using some sort of texture brush or pattern. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against using patterns...Infact I've used them many times, and I will again. I just wonder how some of this awesome work is being done. Today, I saw a great drawing of a woman sword fighting in an attempt to save her village.

Her armor had some really detailed scratches and grooves on it. It looked like too much to have been done by the artist...but then again, I still have a lot to learn, so knows...I think I'll take some time tonight to search for some quality textures and patterns and see what I can do with them.