I'm long overdue (10 months oops) but here's finally that process write up that I wanted to write for this piece back in January
Like any piece, the idea is first! I have a trend of trying to do one "mistletoe" piece each year. I had the rough idea of having the characters seated on steps, and decided where in frame they'd be to start thinking about the scenery.
Sometimes I work with rulers, sometimes I don't. In this case, I set up a three-point ruler that roughly fits with the base idea.
and thennnn with the ruler down comes the fun part-- figuring out the proportions of the scenery. This means a lot of size comparisons to try to keep things relatively consistent and believable. Stairs are fun and oh-so-much measuring, did you know that? Unironically, I love doing them for some reason.
All of these chaotic colored lines make a base plan for the scenery. I'm probably weird for enjoying this step so much, but perspective is fun what can I say?
With the background plotted, it's time to plot the characters. When I'm developing a sketch, I always find it hard to keep it in black and white, and usually use colored planes to separate things so I have a better understanding of the space. In this case, that means blocking out where the ceiling and floor are.
With the roughs in, the means it's finally time to use the block out to start defining the scenery, starting with the stairs, which are a prominent part of the composition. There's a combination of using the ruler and redrawing lines to get shapes to feel more homey and natural.
This is around the point where I regret doing the slanty 3-point bias, but it's too late we're committed now.
Now for the characters, which is unfortunately less fun than figuring out the perspective-plot of a staircase :(
Finish off the last bits of the sketch which means it's flats time! (This is also the moment I realize my ceiling is wonky so I fix it while complaining the entire while.)
I don't have nearly as much to say when it comes to coloring. I largely build lights and shadows in different blending mode layers on top of the original flats. I start with the general ceiling light source, build the lights and shadows on the character, then gradually apply more details to the background including the texture of the stone wall and the wood grain. Can't forget the mistletoe at the end!
And that wraps it up! Kudos if you were interested enough to look everything over.
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