Friday, January 27, 2012

The Crystal Method

From time to time, I've had people ask how I create some of my drawings and this week I had the presence of mind to save each stage of the progress of my latest drawing, The Rebel.


I start with a rough sketch. Really rough...in the past this stage took about five sketches/pieces of paper. Now I'm down to one. Go me!


Next, I do, what I like to call, a clean sketch. I choose my lines, I add detail (clothes and hair), and I fix her wonky left hand.



Now I get to ink! I love inking, it's calming somehow. Basically inking is just tracing my lines and refining them even more. Not a lot of thinking, just pulling and curving an art pen over clean, white paper. I use a light box to see my pencil lines on the paper beneath.



Now for the stressful fun. I have a serious love/hate thing going on with coloring. I love color, I hate the process. It takes me forever and I always second guess myself. Anyway, I scan my inked drawing into Photoshop and start blocking out my colors. Then I start adding highlights and shadows. I do this with a mouse. All of it. *grumble* I really want a tablet.



After a lot of grumbling I get to a point where I can add fun details, like blood and tears. Then I flatten my layers, save, and post it for the masses. ;)


Hope you enjoyed this and hope you have a great Friday!!!

<3 Crystal

7 comments:

  1. Love it! I knew they were digital images, but I didn't know what the process was. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by, Debbie!! :)

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  3. What an amazing process! You have the gift! This is...WOW!

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  4. gorgeous, gorgeous, Crystal! I'd love to see your take on my characters in TPH. I hope so, some day! :D

    Your artwork makes me WANT to read your stories. So. Dang. Good. Phenomenal, really. Keep drawing, painting, and writing! :D

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  5. Thanks so much, Don! :) And Im actually working on a Joel sketch today ;)

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