Your Procedure for art.

I open the pixel art app i want to use start making the sprite once i reach a certain point and im not sure how yo do it next i make several copies and do it until i find the version of it i like the most.

 

When I draw, I usually draw already existing characters. If I'm creating pixel art, I'll open my art software, go google for a reference image then use that as a guide while creating my pixel from scratch. If I'm drawing (I do that in a notebook, I don't do that digitally), I usually do the same: look up a reference image then try to draw it from scratch, although I've been using basic shapes as a solid basis for myself, which has helped me improve a lot already.

 

I usually start off with an idea like a cool pose, an idea for a potential new OC or maybe I need to make something for an existing OC like a reference sheet.
I do all my art in SAI, so I usually sketch it out there, as well as finishing the piece.
Sometimes, if I feel like doing art, but don't have any particular idea, I sometimes take a reference pic and draw from that, either referencing the pose or some other feature from it. Whatever keeps me goin y'know.
Since I feel kinda comfortable with drawing, I don't feel like my procedure for art is that grand, really. I don't really have any kind of "ritual" lol.. I jsut go from Idea > sketch > finish > upload, and that's it *shrug*
Pretty simple.

 

Here's my process for making an original picture (as opposed to tracing over an existing design and editing it).

1. I make a sketch on paper, using several references for anatomy/proportions/general design of the character
2. Then I go over it with fineliner so that my scanner sees the lines more clearly, and also to get an idea of the line thickness in the next step
3. I scan the drawing and import it to Inkscape to start the lineart
4. Flat colour
5. Colour the lines with a darker shade of the flat colour they surround
6. Add shading and lighting if I can be bothered (which I usually am not)

 

My process:
1. Sketch and doodle out the character
2. Decrease opacity of that layer
3. Make a new layer
4. Draw out a line art
5. Select sections and color it
6. Repeat step 6 until colored
7. Sign it
Done!

 

My art process is a total mess. Seriously. Look.


- Doodle on paper
- re-doodle with some changes on IPad
- re-re-doodle on ipad until i get a clean sketch
- lines
- fix the lines
- attempt to select outside
- suffer while trying to find the opening that's stopping me from selecting
- find the opening and select the outside
- clean the lines again
- colour
- eye detail
- airbrush shading
- normal shading
- lighting
- fix shading
- background.
- background detail
- try find a good position for my watermark
- lion king hold the ipad in joy of me actually completing something.
- post it
- realize it doesn't look right 5 days later
- grab sketchbook and pencil
- repeat process.

usually i only reach eye detail and then drop out. sometimes i don't even pass the 3rd stage ;w;

 

My process usually starts round about at pixel level. Even if the image size is humongous (I generally work in 3000*3000 now) I always start at the small scale. Bit by bit, I generate a pixel-thin outline of the character, usually without a guideline (I just personally find them disruptive to my flow unless I'm really struggling with something) before finally having the finished pixel product. After that stage, I take the lines and thicken them up, usually replacing the colour (I always start off with black outlines and recolour them later to better suit the image I'm making at the time).

After this I create a new layer: after having magic-wand selected the area outside my outlines then inverting the selection, I fill it with colour on my newly created layer, apply a Gaussian blur and then solidify the edges before deleting the centre to create a thick outer-edge for the image. From here I now fill in the main colours and get to work on my shading! Usually I, once again, revert to my pixel-line technique to first create an area to fill in. With that done I fill in the secluded area and hey presto: I have a block of shade.

Usually before that though, I start on the eyes. The eyes are one of my favourite things to draw, and usually I just get too excited not to draw them first haha. After creating a solid block of white, I move in and start working on the pupils, usually using a circle tool to fill in the pupil area. From here I add a bit of colour variation to give the eyes more depth, before finishing with an eye sparkle: one large oval and one small oval to really make 'em glimmer!

And usually that's it! I rarely work on backgrounds with my works but when I do they're not very complex. I'm unsure if the process is, well, anybody's cup of tea at all, but it's the method that works best for myself, and I'll most likely stick to it for a long time to come.

 

Step 1: think of thing to draw
Step 2: draw it

Speaking seriously though; I don't really use reference lines or do sketches or concept drawings first or anything, I just kinda let my hand go and see what happens. I generally fix up my lines a bit after I've finished making them, but I don't have a million steps that I follow in order to reach an end point. The only real philosophy I have is, practice makes perfect.

Also I do traditional art, so none of them extra layers and fancy tools; just me and my pencil.

 

I am a Traditional artist, and I will start by saying, that most of my tools are not very fancy, but I make art just as awesome, as it is the artist who wields the tool is what makes great art, not the tool itself. I usually sketch things out first, as shown in this link, http://americanblackserpent.deviantart.com/art/Dialga-Request-WIP-589006055 then I outline it with ink pens before finally giving it color, like this! http://americanblackserpent.deviantart.com/art/Dialga-591316362 I'm not shy to say I use references to help me along the way, and test out different colored pencil colors and how well they blend or mix, on some scratch paper!

 

Here's what I do for my digital art:

1. I open up Paint Tool Sai and open a new canvas (which is by default 1400 x 1050, unless I want to crop down the size).
2. Before doing anything else, I make the background layer a grayish color, for whenever I color the lineart.
3. I make a new layer over the BG Layer and start sketching with a brush tool.
4. I create a new layer for the lineart above the Sketch Layer (for the lineart, I either use a smoother brush tool or a more pencil-y look)
5. Once I do the lineart, I create a layer beneath that and put in the base color for the character(s) I drew.
6. I then use the wand tool to select outside the lineart, and select any crevices that haven't been selected around the lineart.
7. I remove the outlying colors and make a new layer about the color layer, clipping it so that I can color within the base color.
8. If needed, I'll added a layer for normal shading, then another for gradient shading... though the shading is optional.
9. I add a few overlay colors to give the character a little tint.
10. Then I do the lighting.
11. Although optional, I either do a simple colored background, a textured one, or a detailed environment background. I mostly make my pictures with transparent background, since I'm not that great at drawing background.
12. And finally, I sign the picture with my signature. I sometimes at my watermark somewhere in the corner, but that's only optional.

But that's it! Along with occasional saves through the process, that's basically how I do digital art. The majority of my serious digital drawings take about 2-4 hours, which small ones are about 20 minutes - 1 hour. My traditional art is merely just pencil and/or ink pen drawings. I seldom do color pencils, but my most favorite traditional art media is watercolor!

 

I find it easiest to show process visually:


Basically I find references, block in the basics and then just continually try to pin point what's not working and make changes as many times as possible. Flipping horizontally and even vertically can help to spot more parts to change if you've been staring at it too long as well. I add the highlights and colour adjustments last for a crisp finish.

 

Personally, I don't think I have a very specific procedure.

1. make new layer (namely the sketch layer)
2. clean up said sketch layer
3. either color the sketch or start inking
4. look and find things wrong with image, fix said problems
5. flat color
6. add shading
7. add highlights
8. inspect for problems once again
9. done!

Now, its probably much more complicated and I just don't realize, but this is just a breif summary.

As for traditional art, its been so long that I don't even remeber anymore lol.

 

Step 1: Open PS
Step 2: Cry

But really, I just sort of work at random when making my graphics, whatever works works for me ^^ I just sort of open all my resources I want to use and plaster em on xD

 

1. I sketch the general shapes that will help me show the expression, and then draw a better sketch.
2. Usually at this point, I'd hope that the sketch is good enough to be a lineart because I don't want to redraw it again.
3. If I decide to make the picture higher quality, I actually line it.. still very sketch esque, but cleaner.
4. Then I paint by putting the base color, shade, and highlight. Every single time, I think I can do it on one layer, so I do, but regret it.
5. At this point, I'm more or less done, but I spend about an hour finding the perfect spot for a watermark, title, and signature >//A//<
6. Export to post on all the social media, and spend another hour finding the right things to describe the picture...
7. Decide whether or not I want to show the process to the world, because the layers usually show my steps of what I did

 

generally speaking I'm a chibi artist so...

1. start with a skeleton sketch shaping the general pose
2. sometimes I do a quick sketch of the character but I usually skip to lineart bc im lazy...
3. new layer(s) for lineart
4. bucket tool the entire silhouette and layer clip a new folder onto it
5. in the folder, I use a new layer for each base color
6. mainly using multiply/overlay/luminousity, I shade each layer
7. color the lineart using opacity lock / layer clip functions
8. merge all layers and add after effects
9. add signature/watermark

here's a video of one of my processes! not exactly what I do every time but... close enough