this is going to be a long post but here is my "guide" (if you can call it that) on how to not whitewash lizzie!
before i begin, please check out @/ creatingblackcharacters (i dont want to tag them to flood their notifications, but they are hyperlinked!) because they are a PHENOMENAL resource.
so first, these two images are where the skin is fully rendered (the rest is desaturated bc im not done coloring it yet and want to focus on the skin)
as you can see, the values line up nicely with the colorpicked values from her actual reference art. I like to use a bit more hue variation and play with undertones sometimes, but ive stayed pretty close to the reference art for the sake of clarity.
here's a simplified placement of shadows that i did
but! background color affects contrast, how values and saturation are perceived, etc. so here's an infographic that explains that in the most simplified terms. (Text on infographics in alt text)
This is only about her skintone, but whitewashing ALSO applies to both her hair and facial features. look at her official reference with your eyes OPEN!! she does not have a narrow, pointed nose or pin-thin lips. She doesn't have 3a hair. she has LOCS!! and you can still draw her with different hairstyles but keep in mind:
thank you for reading and stop whitewashing. it's exhausting to have conversations with people who prefer engagement over confronting anti-Blackness.
