the very basics
drawing can be a bit difficult at times - whether it's not motivation, having a hard time finding reference images, or you're just not having an artsy day - it's a challenge. but when everything falls into place, it's exciting with each stroke you put down on your canvas.
these are my very basic steps that i do when i begin drawing;
1. depending on whether or not i am working from an order/description, i try to find a number of images that give an overall mood. i usually use something like pinterest for this as its algorithm is fast and it's easy to save a bunch of similar images. it can be colors, poses, vibes, themes, etc. while i don't do this for every piece, it's nice to have for the larger scenes. sometimes i look at other artists, especially on something like dA. it helps give inspiration.
2. after that, i start looking for pose references and such to help with anatomy. after i gather these pictures, i go ahead and begin my sketching process. sketching should be very loose and not very defined. don't worry too much about detail here but rather shapes and a basic composition. very rarely do i sketch a background, but you can do that as well. tip: always put a neutral color on your canvas. this is less daunting to draw on and easier for your eyes!
3. after i sketch, i make a new layer and basically start a more refined sketch. i still keep things simple, but add more detail. i refine the shapes, eyes, face, etc. things begin to look a bit more full here.
4. because my style is a bit more messy, my lineart appears to be something of a bit of a mess, but i add another layer and do some more refining, final details in regards to the lineart, and make sure everything is as clean as possible.
5. i make a layer underneath all of my lineart but on top of the neutral color layer and start my background. i work from the furthest point to the closest point, making sure that there is some sort of composition that makes sense. a lot of the times, i blur out the foreground and background, leaving the middle ground the most visible with the character. doing my background before coloring and shading the character gives me an idea of lighting as well, though you could still do a base layer of color before this if you so please.
6. following my background is coloring. all i do is make a layer beneath the lineart, select the character (most likely after filling in gaps), color it in, and then lock the layer. from there, i add the design. at this point i may change the lineart color to better fit as sometimes black is a bit harsh. i normally decide with a darker shade of the base color or sometimes a really dark blue or red, but i don't always do this.
7. next is shading. since i already did the background, i can get an idea of the light source and begin using a color that complements the character well. depending on how dark the environment is, i may choose a color that is only dark enough or super dark to make things extra dramatic. my shade layers are always a lowered opacity with multiply as the blending. i shade according to the direction. after that, i add my lighting. for lighting, i usually use either a lighter color of the shading color, or a yellow (sometimes it looks a little questionable depending on the character's colors). this layer is set to a lower opacity with either the overlay or dodge blending mode.
8. at this point, i add any final details. i may add more dramatic lighting, add extra grass around the character's feet, make the eyes glow, add some more prominent highlights, etc.
9. finally, i add my pack number or signature and it's complete!
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