Digital Painting Step-by-Step (kinda)
Hi! ^^ I received a request asking for tips on my way of coloring, so I thought of making a step-by-step of my last illustration, “Swamp Mermaid” and see if anyone may find it useful. Sorry in advance for my poor english!
Step 1: lineart
I doodled this on my sketchbook while talking at the phone and the initial idea was completely different. That’s how coherent I am. XD Anyway, I took a photo of it, imported it in Sai and inked the whole while trying to adjust mistakes here and there. I didn’t use total black for the lineart, but instead a very dark green since I already had an atmosphere in mind.
Step 2: flat colors
Remembering the mood I set for the illustration (a swamp), I looked for the adequate palette. Since I always struggle a lot in finding the right one, I simply googled what I was searching - there are quite a lot of sites full of nice combinations. Then, using a fuzzy, low-op airbrush, I quickly painted a background. With an almost 100% opacity water brush, I placed the colors on the lady and with a striped one I did the leaves.
Step 3: shadows
That’s where the fun begins. :D I mostly used the same low-opacity, fuzzy airbrush, playing with both ‘multiply’ and ‘shade’ layers. It’s important to remember what’s near and what’s farther, where the light source comes from (the water below, in this case) and most of all to build the shadows little by little, saturating them as you go. Being an impatient person as I am, this is always a tricky step and I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes, but you get the idea. u.u
Final step: lights and finale retouches
I looove this part. :D The method is the same of the previous step: just take the airbrush and play with ‘lumi and shade’ layers to get a vibrant, saturated result and/or with ‘luminosity’ ones for a cooler finish. Start lightly and then, where needed, add strokes using a more saturated brush. I also find that coloring the lineart in some points too is a nice touch and complements the whole piece. Also,while it’s fundamental to respect the light source, it’s not a big deal if you ain’t 100% accurate, since it’s the atmosphere that matters. ;) Just have fun! ^^
That’s it! I tried to keep it as simple as I could, but if there’s something you didn’t understand, just ask. ^^ And remember, this is just my technique. I’m not a pro and still experimenting a lot, so don’t take too much my word for granted, but play, try and fail for yourself until you find the right method for you. ;D
Oh, I’m also thinking of making a speedpaint for my next illustration; would anyone be interested?
♥ Support me on Patreon! ♥
