#also this is the first time I'm using an ink pen on procreate

[blakbonnet]

Ed and Stede as Calvin and Hobbes

[artvaris]

Hi Riikka, I stumbled across your art recently and am just blown away. It's absolutely gorgeous! *0* I am pretty new to digital art and was wondering what procreate brushes/settings/textures you use, especially for sketching (but also for painting)? I tried searching around your blog/links to see if you've answered this before and couldn't find anything so I apologize if this is a repeat question. ^^;

Hello hello! I'm so glad you enjoy my artwork so much! Thank you so much for your kind words - I try my best to level up and draw cooler every day haha Now about my brushes: I mostly draw in Paint Tool SAI 2 actually (I currently only use Procreate for simple sketches), and I've been meaning to make my SAI 2 brushes available for purchase for some months now since you are not the first person to ask me this. I mostly use textured, bristled, and round brushes, often with a custom brush shape. Nothing super "fancy", just a few versatile and functional brushes. But this is still a work in process since collecting and organizing my rather messy brushes into a nice brush set takes time, plus I also tend to change my brush settings a lot depending on what I need. So I've been creating and saving the brushes as I work (plus I've been rather busy with freelance work as well).

I also use the same brushes for sketching and rendering, because the way I render nowadays is more like drawing than painting. At least that's how it feels to me. I just change the brush settings (opacity, size, tip tapering, texture intensity, etc).

But I will post about this when the set is finally ready! But I also sketch in Procreate, and lately, I've been mostly using:

B Rough - as my main sketching pencil - from this free set: https://ghkim0045.gumroad.com/l/FREE_PencilSet

JF Grungy dilute ink Wash - I use this to fill in light gray values - https://jasonheeley.gumroad.com/l/keasb?layout=profile

I have also been experimenting a bit with this "PSKI" set, mainly using "PSKI pencil large rough" (a nice hard/soft edge brush): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0vkcsrnf4wvtal5/AAAlVQYZGP4ZGHNMQ6kZwCTta?dl=0

I have also used the standard Procreate sketching brushes a lot, such as the 6B pencil (my favorite). I often like to amp up the texture intensity of my brushes though.

I have also used a brush called "DizzyTara's Oval Sketch 2" for sketching, but I've altered this brush a bit to fit my own taste (more texture and bigger max brush size). It's basically a pretty "basic" and textured oval brush, but often brushes like this are the best and most versatile tbh!

Other settings: In Procreate, I've also adjusted my pen pressure curve to be more sensitive so that I don't need to press so hard - this will save your hand and wrist as well!

[paynomindtotheinsanity]

I love your art so much, you’re part of the reason I started drawing again. Your old art is cool, and your new art just has so much emotion and detail in it, it deserves so much praise. Do you have any advice on how you upskilled so well into the amazing art you do today? I really want to learn to be skilled like you are and improve to your level

Dude, thank you so much. I'm super flattered but also have major Impostor Syndrome right now lol.

The biggest thing that helped me was getting a drawing tablet and learning how to use digital art programs like Canvas or Procreate. I am a very messy artist - my traditional sketchbooks were always a nightmare because of how often I erase shit, so being able to use programs where I can simply undo or reposition a line was a game-changer.

I'm also incredibly indecisive and struggle with linework, but I found some great brushes that mimic the effects of ink pens and watercolor so I can achieve the messy, painted look. (This Sketchbook set and lineart set are the two I use the most)

Use as many references as you need! Gather a bunch of base poses to get the hang of proportions and anatomy (my go-to artist is Mellon_Soup. Screenshots from movies and shows work great too)

Try out posing tools like this one

A fun exercise that helps me is to paste a photo or drawing on one layer, and then on the layer above, sketch the main aspects in 30 seconds. Delete the first layer and then work solely off of the sketch (and yes it will absolutely look spooky and/or silly). If you need more time at first, start with 60 seconds and work your way down as you get the hang of it:

Take pictures of yourself in the poses you want to draw

Find artists with a style that resonates with you and study their work

The Multiply tool on Procreate is AMAZING for adding depth to artwork. I use this on almost everything. Add a slightly darker color on top of the whole set of layers, switch it to Multiply, and then go in with the eraser to mark the areas where the light hits

Keep practicing, no matter how shitty you think it looks! Just keep going!!

Uh I think that's it? I'll add more if I remember anything else.

I wish you the best of luck on your art journey! <3

[mira--image]

Bit of a behind the scenes for you guys today ;D

Before I start drawing, I look for references of the character and location so I can make it more accurate to the show. I especially like looking for little details to add, like giving Robin the same lamp as Cyborg. These were the ones I used for this piece:

I usually have a clear image for the drawing in my head, and so I loosely block out the shapes to try and get it as close to the way it's framed in my mind as possible.

I fiddle with it a bit to try and improve the composition, like how he should hold up the jumpsuit to maximize the impact of the red fabric, and where the lamp should be: in between him and the suit, or nearby?

If my initial sketch is too messy, I start over on a clean piece of paper and try to replicate the composition of my first sketch while adding detail. I map out where I want to put light and shadow so I can do the next step: color blocking!

Instagram comes in handy for this, since I can upload my sketch and make sure my plan for the colors looks good before I commit on paper.

Finally, I do the lineart and add the colors. I only use two grey markers and two lineart pens (A thick one to color in the black areas and a thin one to replicate the show's lineart). I like keeping it simple, and can feel a bit intimidated by color theory. The more barriers I can remove between me and drawing, the better, so black and white it is.

I usually edit the raw photo in my phone's photo app, but for this particular one, I had to sneak onto Procreate for the first time in years so I could make the image black and white but keep the red! I've tried drawing digitally before, but it keeps giving me migraines (maybe it's from focusing on a screen?), so I'm kind of an obligate traditional artist haha. This is fine by me, because I like having off-screen hobbies! And I like the forced limitations of the medium. It adds a bit of a problem-solving element to drawing that I enjoy.

Fun fact, while I was drawing this, my light grey marker ran out of ink. It was a struggle to finish it but I managed somehow 😂. Fear not, I bought another one today, so I'll be able to get back to drawing ;D

Here's a bonus of the same process for the chapter 3 art!

Also, the posting time is about to change, as I'm returning to Canada after a trip visiting family in Europe ^^

[giacosketch]

Hi, I'm back and I drew a Chasmosaurus!

Hey hi!

It's been a while, huh? I'm going to dust off this old blog and see how things go. I like being able to archive my work, and having the opportunity to talk about it is also pretty nice :)

So anyways here's something I drew recently;

The Chasmosaurus!

Known for its huge, square like head, the Chasmosaurus is a ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period in North America.

Recently i went to the Royal Ontario Museum to film a project for school. While i was there i was looking at the Chasmosaurus mount they had on display.

I've seen it before. I love going to the ROM, and I've always liked this mount. It has a nice bit of motion in the pose. When I saw it, it looked as if the left front leg was raised, like it was mid-stride, and the head being slightly cocked down, as if it was grazing or showing off its massive frill.

Looking at it now, I can tell it's more of a flat pose, but the damage was done. I wanted to draw this!

I went home with the idea in my head, and a day or so later, I whipped up this pencil drawing.

I added a few things that the original fossil didn't have, such as the Chasmosaurus's horns. I'll admit I wasn't sure whether this was a male or female fossil, nor that the horns could've been lost to time on this specimen. I also added spikes/horns on the side of the frills that the original fossil also didn't have. I also included small hints of picpycnofibers on the back of the animal, a trait that many ceratopsians had.

when I was happy with the pencils, I moved onto the inks

I had fun with this. I live streamed the inking process over on my Instagram (@giaccosketch) i used two zebra brush pens to ink this.

and then I cleaned it up in Photoshop

BAM!

Blacked out some of the cross-hatching, as it didn't really translate well in the scan. I also cleaned up some of the lines and scan debris. I think I did a good job!

After I was done, I sent this over to Procreate and coloured it all in. I used a colour palette I made a while back for some fan art.

After some time, the final product came out, and I was really happy with it! This was the first time in a long while that I went through a whole process like this for a piece, and I think I'm going to do it again really soon.

Thanks for reading; I hope you liked what I had to say. See you next time!

[sparklingpax]

As mentioned here, I had pitched this landiver animatic as my final project for my Drawing class, and it was approved! >:3 So here's the finished product, the animatic (and also some extra notes below the cut 🫡)

<333 enjoy!! 💗💕✨❤️

...

Notes!!!!!!

-song is "All This Making Love" by Bee Gees, and was what I initially inspired the concept (a love that has tension, a love that "spills over", like the wine there) and like literally everything about it Immediately made me think of landiver soooooo........I caved and sketched out some layouts....and to my surprise they were approved!! So that helped me conquer the sheer level of work (example: I literally did not sleep for the last three days before it was due, working on the final chunk of technical stuff......tonight will be my first proper rest in months actually lmaooooo), bc it was powered mainly by personal interest and investment 🥰 I really wanted to make this happen and I'm overjoyed I stuck through it and did, handed everything in on time, got very nice compliments from both my professor and my classmates :3333

-guys look I needed an easy to understand setting for my initial viewers (prof and class) so that's why it's this house and not the HQ (imagine a setting in which the four pretenders are rooming in this house and the sequences take place when the others are out yk yk 🫣✨ but yea if you were wondering

-heres the actual physical comic pages! Won't do it here but they're supposed to be set up vertically, one on top of the other sort of deal 💫 I used: pencil, colored pencils, inking pens, alcohol-based markers, oil pastels (my first time too!), and a touch-up here and there w a white gel pen; and yes I manually sharpie'd in the borders/bg 👊

*text was left out after much consideration bc I didn't wanna ruin the color layering (specifically the pastel) so it was added later in procreate (after individually photographing and editing every frame individually...🫡)

-uhhhhhhhh yea! That's all I can think of......hope you enjoy :]

-man do I fucking love art school /gen 🫶🫶🫶🫶🥰✨💖❤️💕✨💗

:D

[acaseforpencils]

Gustavo Magalhães.

Bio: My name is Gustavo Magalhães and I am a Brazilian illustrator/cartoonist. I live in Caçapava, a small town in São Paulo state. I have worked as an illustrator since 2013.

As an editorial Illustrator, I've been published by The New Yorker, Golf Digest, Forbes, The New Republic, GQ Magazine among others. The first time I was commissioned by The New Yorker was in 2021, for "The Critics" session on a portrait of Sandra Oh" for her new show at the time, "The Chair," which aired on Netflix.

Sketch, refinement, finished piece.

I also have a web comic strip called "Curb Talk." It's published  twice a week in a classic Comic Strip format.

Lately, I am a Senior Illustrator at a Studio called "Fried Design Company ,'' in Springfield, Missouri. But I work from Brazil.

AOIKTYE Procreate Keyboard for Ipad / Apple Pencil / Ipad Pro

Mac Mini / Asus Proart PA248QV Monitor / Huion Kanvas Plus 22 Display

Tools of choice: My process of work is mixed, I like to sketch the first thumbs and sometimes more advanced pieces on paper and "ink" / color them using digital tools. It's been 5 years that more than 90% of my final pieces are done in digital, and along that period I discovered that I'm a person that likes to do a significant amount of tests while inking, and digital tools help me a lot in that.

Lately, I've been trying to achieve an inking process that I could do both on paper and on digital, that way I could do my pieces however I feel on that day, and my comic strip has been a good place for this test field, and I'm enjoying that mix very much.

Pentel .09 Mechanical Pencil / Staedtler Water Brush / Staedtler Pig LIner 0.3 / Royal Talens No. 2 Brush

If you were asking me "You are on a desert island and can bring just one setup with you," I'd say I would bring my iPad. It allows me to sketch with an "analogic feel," where it's important to feel that you are actually crafting something. But it also gives me all the testing possibilities the digital work has.

Huion Display pen Battery Free Pen PW517

Tool I wish I could use better: Coloring in general, but mostly painting. It's always a struggle to translate what I have in mind to the final piece. And there are some aspects of texture and rendering that you can only get in analogical tools like gouache, oil, watercolor. Of course there are excellent artists that do those digitally, but there are certain aspects that you need a physical touch to achieve and I have never done anything like that. Maybe one day.

Tool I wish existed: A chair + desk set that automatically corrects your bad posture whenever your body is hurting or sitting in the wrong way. I hate having lower back and wrist pains while working, haha!

Tricks: One thing I brought from the full analogical days is an adaptation of the "drawing from your shoulder thing." Personally, I found it very hard to do, so I use a bandana on my pen hand, and use the other hand to pool this and drag. This is a thing that helps me a lot when drawing straight lines with a handmade feel, instead of just using shapes in Photoshop or any digital tool for precise lines.

Misc: "Go easy on yourself and have fun!" I never thought I could work with illustration. I spent almost a decade working in the aircraft industry (half of it doing freelance illustration jobs for local bands and brands) and the factory mentality lever left my mind, just now (after 10 years as an illustrator, 7 as my main activity), I'm recovering the passion that I had as a young doodling kid. Everyone sees artistic careers as this romantic thing, but it's always a struggle (at least for me) to face your passion as an obligation day to day, and make this trade of time and love for money. So after several years going hard on myself I am finally learning how to be lighter and having more fun and joy in my work.

(Outro/Editor's note: I asked Gustavo if he would care to discuss how working in the aircraft industry affected his work as an illustrator):

I think the biggest influence I got from this industry was the routine and how to deal with work. Artists naturally tend to be less rigid in the aspect of routine because of the nature of creativity, and I think that having almost a decade working in another industry in a more conservative environment helped me in how to take it more serious in all aspects, from my day to day process, to how to treat my clients and deadlines.

That's basically the biggest influence and learning I got from this period. How to understand that the work isn't just the drawing and thinking, but everything that happens behind it, from the clothing choice I pick to work at home, from the time management I need to have in order to balance all simultaneous projects I have.

Website, etc.

Portfolio

Curb Talk Comics

Instagram

Twitter

----

If you enjoy this blog, and would like to contribute to labor and maintenance costs, there is a Patreon, and if you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee, there is a Ko-Fi  account as well! I do this blog for free because accessible arts education is important to me, and your support helps a lot! You can also find more posts about art supplies on Case’s Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!

[shynetyme06]

1 - 23 :3

cracks knuckles okay

1. how would you describe your art style? uhhhhhhhh, maybe "safe" is the word rn. whenever I think of my art style, what comes to mind is just how little I've been pushing things with it. I wanna change that ;D

2. what's your favorite thing about your style? I realize I like to use semi-realistic proportions, its cool how comfortable I've gotten with drawing faces and bodies

3. what's your least favorite thing about your style? It's so static man. same thing I said for the first question, I don't think anything really looks bad, but it just is lacking in creativity in comparison to the older art that should be looking worse than what I do now. I prefer my older stuff ;D (looking at you inktobertale2021.. where did it all go wrong)

4. favorite thing to draw? regular ol people. human characters are def more in my comfort zone, which explains why I keep hitting skeletons with the humanization ray (also I prefer to draw feminine characters)

5. least favorite thing to draw? I can't even say I rlly dislike it cuz of how rarely I even do it, but I am procrastinating so hard on learning backgrounds..

6. warm colors or cool colors? cool colors are my fav, but i find it easier to work with warm ones (I used to put a cool overlay over all my warm toned drawings hgdhfg)

7. show us a WIP behold, the wip ever. this drawing... was supposed to be posted on august 2022. and then, it was supposed to be posted on dec 21st, dream and nightmares birthday. (atp if I do end up wanting to finish this idea again, I'll probably just scrap it and start over)

8. what's the most fun and least fun parts about your process? most fun is flat color and rendering. (though I rarely do the latter anymore) and for least fun, tbh a lot of the sketching part tends to be difficult for me, sometimes its cool tho

9. show us a finished piece alongside the original sketch example from when sketching was fun

10. how many different sketches do you usually have until your piece is finished? I think I do need to make more of at least thumbnail sketches tbh.. I usually just make one and keep editing it, trusting the process. (and that fails like 70% of the time. woww wonder why sketching isnt fun for me-) 11. show us the last thing you drew, be it a finished piece or a small doodle can this count,,

12. show us an old drawing first deltarune drawing. here's the redraw I later made of this :3 (also old hsgdhgf)

13. how long do you usually take one a piece? depends. I'll have like 276478923 wips started, and then I get a random idea that I just have to do right at that moment, and I'll get it done in like 1-4 hours. meanwhile old sketches start to rot and maybe if its lucky I'll revisit it before my motivation dies and my style is too different to wanna continue from where I left off 14. digital or traditional? digital all the way, i've gotten too dependent on the transform tool + liquefy ;D (and many other things tbh but I'd be here all day if I tried comparing them more jhdjdf)

15. if digital, what program do you use? procreate, the layouts on other drawing programs scare me

16. favorite media to work with when drawing traditionally pen on paper (am I understanding this right wdym media-)

17. what do you love getting compliments about? I like when people enjoy the humanizations I come up with, and also original designs in general 18. are you satisfied with the attention your art usually gets? hmmm yeah

19. how often do you draw? very often, I just don't have finished things to share most days

20. a piece from this year that you're really proud of :3

21. something you would like to improve on the dynamicness (well, the lack of it) of everything, as said before

22. what inspires you? Ink sans and a ton of creators in this fandom (also animated shows and movies, I love animation)

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art? idk tbh, just notice it at all and I'm happy :>

[gingersnappish]

Hi! I just want to say I absolutely adore your art, and I'm so excited to see your new stuff! Particularly anything Kylo Amidala related, it's my favourite au/concept of mine and I love seeing different artists takes on it!

I was just wondering if you had any advice for new artists? I want to be good at drawing but I get so discouraged when things don't come out how I envisioned.

Also, could I ask what you use to draw your art? Is it a digital setup you have? Would you have any recommendations on things to get?

Sorry to ask you so many questions, so please feel free to ignore this! I hope you have a lovely day, and thank you so much for all your wonderful contributions to the kylux fandom ❤

Thank you so much, Anon, for this lovely missive! It was such a warm feeling to find it in my inbox and brought a smile to my face! I love Kylo Amidala more and more the longer I'm in kylux fandom-honestly I wasn't sure if he was my 'thing' or not at first, years back, and then the more I saw takes on him in art and writing and fandom in general, the more he grew on me :) He allows for so much fashion fun and character creativity-like you said, it's really fun to see everyone's 'take' on him! Part of the reason it's taken me this long to respond is that I read what you asked about starting out with art and related hardcore! The thing where you got the vision but it can feel discouraging when stuff doesn't come out finished like it looked in your head? That was me for like- a couple decades. Still me on certain days. Like, MOOD, my friend! The good news is: every artists struggles with the above problem. So you are not alone! I guess in a sense, the bad news is also: 'everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals ' struggle with this....so yeah, it doesn't ever *entirely* go away? BUT! Better news: There have been a lot of 'takes' written and a lot of good advice given about how to mentally manage the 'it doesn't come out how I wanted' phenomenon! It's not so much 'make it go away' as it is 'learn to manage that phenomenon in a healthy, painless, productive way'. And that is a learnable skill that gets *a lot* easier with practice!

Also: I hoard tutorials/drawing resources for all levels/YT channels/'how to think about and approach art meta'/etc like a dragon hoards gems, so I'm putting together a post of resource links that might help or give you some starting points--that is taking a hot minute to craft though, so I figured I should just go ahead and respond here today and then post the resources list as soon as I get it finished (so you don't feel like your ask just went into the void)! Re: What I use to draw....time was, that would have been a whole post to itself on traditional materials and comparing computer programs and such. These days it's real straightforward: Procreate on an iPad :) I'm entirely digital these days but my honest opinion is that everyone is drawn to different materials and media and you should feel free to try out working in whatever interests you, whether that is digital art tools, or traditional media like acrylic or ink or something else! Also: making lots of drawings and practicing with what is cheap and available will get you farther,faster than any expensive supplies when you are starting out. Ballpoint pens and a pad from the Dollar Store (or equivalent where you are) are perfectly serviceable for practicing-plus sometimes I personally find I relax and have more fun experimenting and less angst if things don't come out how I wanted if I'm not working with something 'precious'. Case in point: I have custom-leather-worked sketchbook made by a friend sitting up in the office, being exquisitely beautiful and gathering dust. It is empty but for a single drawing, that I became unsatisfied with the day after I finished it. I got that sketchbook 7 years or more ago and I'm still trying to convince myself to use it properly. In contrast, last summer we went to the beach near our house and while we were there I ended up with access to cheap kiddie art supplies from a summer 'communal stash'-a blank sketchbook of the lowest quality paper and 10 colors of crayola pencils, half sharpened. It was a 'throw away', didn't matter what was done in that book-there were 10 more like it in the pile. I ended up doing a bunch of messy stuff born of people-watching and seagull-antics-observation. Filled 5 pages, both sides, and felt incredible joy in the making of shitty scribbles! And then I just put the book back in the 'communal stash' at the end of the day, since there were still a bunch of blank pages left. It was low-pressure and extremely freeing. (side note: when we went back a week later, the other sketchbooks were gone but that one I'd messed around in had more doodles from artists of all ages and beginning skill levels. And more the week after that. I think it turned out to be pretty freeing for a lot of people.) OK, this turned into a way longer response than I intended-boy, can I 'talk'! I hope you have a good day! Wishing you lots of positive creative vibes!

[phantasymistart]

hey sam, i hope you're doing well! an art question for you, if you have the time: what are some brushes you use on procreate? i'm looking for one like the round brush but tapered, and i'm not sure if i need to monkey with the settings, or...? any tips you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated! <3

hi! i’m doing well, thanks :) school is kicking my ass but what’s new lol

if you’re looking for something like the round brush with opacity turned on, then i recommend this brushset by sinix that’s free to download. the brush in particular is called thick’n’thin and looks like this:

keep in mind that the size as well as the opacity is determined by the amount of pressure you apply, so if you want a thick line, it will also be opaque. i do like this brush a lot for sketching and painting though and i really recommend it!

here are some other brushes i use most frequently:

i use this dry ink brush for basically everything. it’s great for sketching, inking, and colouring imo

i use this technical brush with a slightly lowered opacity because i like the slightly transparent lineart look, and i usually duplicate my lineart layer and blur it a bit for a nice effect.

i use this stucco brush as my smudging brush pretty often, just because i like a bit of texture when i blend colours.

other brushes i use include various ones from this brushset and also this particular brush that looks like a copic marker.

keep in mind that i don’t stick to these brushes all the time — what i use largely depends on the piece i’m working on and also the mood i’m in lol. i also tend to use an opaque brush to colour, like the studio pen, but really i just use whatever i see first. part of what makes digital art so fun is trying out new brushes imo so don’t be afraid to really experiment and try stuff out. hope this helped!

[cthonicascendant]

I've been meaning to ask this for a while now: what art program do you use to draw on your tablet? Your art looks so nice and smooth (›´ω`‹ )

<<ok first off i am like "eeee~" at this ask because smooth lineart is something we thought we would never be able to achieve again ever since i started getting tremors.>>

<<it's a combination of program, process, and (screen) protector, actually. the program is Procreate - i believe a lot of digital artists use it. for pretty much all of my brushes, i use the auto stabiliser to some degree. sketching brushes i tend to keep it around 25%, inking brushes will be anywhere between 75%-Max depending on what we're inking. basically, looser things like hair and clothing get less stabilisation, although sometimes i bump up the stabilisation to get more precise curls. like in meulin's hair, iirc.>>

<<the process is that i typically do TWO sketch stages before inking. i do a rough sketch, followed up by a tight sketch. for traditional art, i usually stop at the tight sketch and use that as my lineart. for digital art, i treat it as more of a practise run. i will also absolutely undo and redraw the same line ten times until i'm satisfied with how it's come out. i also typically like to work fairly large and save smaller for posting online - compression hides many sins.>>

<<the other half of the equation - yes, i know i mentioned three parts, but this is the most important part for me - is my matte screen protector. youtube artists will shill Paperlike at you. do not waste the money on it. just go on whatever site you use to buy cheap knockoffs and get a basic matte screen protector. the one i use is by iCarez and was $7 for 2.>>

<<i believe i mentioned tremors earlier? well, between that and our general dyspraxia, we have a difficult time keeping a pen(cil) steady, and the smooth glass screen of the iPad only made things worse. with the screen protector, it has a similar texture to drawing on paper, so we have much more control over the pen now. i should dig out a pre-screen protector sketch to give you an idea of the difference this cheap piece of plastic makes.>>

[bogkeep]

Hey! I'm the one who asked the poorly worded art process question. I'm here to give it another try by being more specific. The problem is . . . that's hard. Because that was about a specific as I can get, since I kind of want to know everything about how your art works.

Big things, like how you come up with ideas, or how you design characters. But small things, too, like what tools you use for drawing, how you balance between traditional and digital art, and how you decide what color to use for your unique and beautiful line art.

I want to be more specific so you can answer, but the question in my head is too vague and broad for me to be specific about it. So . . . here are some subquestions of my question, I guess! Maybe that helps?

Sorry this is so weird, and thank you, your art is amazing

first of all, thank you so much <3

and yes, this is far more answerable! i hope i can satiate some of your hunger for insight without writing a whole book.

HOW DO I COME UP WITH IDEAS?

this is obviously going to be very different for everyone. i very rarely have to dig for ideas or sit down and brainstorm, unless of course i am trying to achieve something very specific, like fulfill art contest criteria or working on a commission. my brain is very visually wired, so a lot of my ideas literally just pop up in my head (i know of several artists with aphantasia - some people don't have any visuals in their head at all and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE AND I AM IN AWE OF THESE ARTISTS), sometimes i see a character or character design and im like HNNNG i need to draw them, or i just... have a concept i really want to Exist and i'm going to figure out how.

my biggest problem is that often, when i get an idea i want to DRAW IT, NOW NOW NOWNOWNOW, and that's just Not Feasible. sometimes because i'm Literally In Bed, sometimes because i have too many things i need to do or draw first... but i need to clear up space in my head, because my Urge To Draw will be like, beeping and whirring until i satisfy it... so i write it down on my TO DRAW-list! it's a real list that exists on my phone and i have to use it frequently. if i keep scrolling down i start finding weird notes that i have NO idea are supposed to mean anymore, but that's fine. i can't satisfy every Art Urge. sometimes i need to let them pass.

HOW DO I DESIGN CHARACTERS?

this one might vary a bit, but it can often be boiled down to "i sketch around until i figure something that Works." many of my characters, especially my older characters, became characters by accident when i kept drawing them over and over and i was like Ah I Like Drawing You... You Exist Now. that's how sparrow spellcaster happened, at the very least. this could happen because i had school and i would focus in school by doodling/sketching while listening to class. since i no longer go to school, pretty much all of my new characters are far more intentional. Timian and Vinta specifically exist as a result of a "favourite character fusion" challenge, and a lot of iphimery characters started with a Purpose rather than just harnessing the vibe of something i drew multiple times without thinking.

it helps to write down elements or tropes i want to include, like "sturdy-looking" or "VILLAIN OF EVIL SCARY MAGICS but it's a little girl and the dark magic is bright lightning and not shadows" or something. it can vary from a tiny visual detail to their role in the story. whatever i want to Achieve. my Intent. because my brain works so visually, i just really need to sketch somethign repeatedly until i nail it and can be like Yes That's It.

sketchbooks look a little messy but that’s what they’re for.

WHAT TOOLS DO I USE

for digital art, i’m currently using an ipad pro and procreate. i use a lot of the brushes that came installed, like Mercury is my primary lineart brush, and Moorilla is my primary sketching brush, but i also buy a lot of custom brushes on the hunt for More Delicious Textures (DAUB has a lot of good ones, especially if you want some that imitate traditional art). i have also used Huion and XP-pen tablets and generally recommend them, as well as clip studio paint as an art program (i love it very much and if it wasn’t subscription-based on ipad i would still be using it).

for traditional art, mostly just whatever sketchbook i have + my trusty mechanical pencil. i mean i have two: one with softer lead (it comes out darker) and 0,7 mm thickness, and one that’s 0,5 and harder lead for more light sketching, or if i’m going to line it with ink.

i also have a trusty pentel brush pen that i love DEARLY and feel bad for not having used in a while for reasons i will get to.

when i work on calendar pieces traditionally, i like to draw lines with ink - i use a dip pen with exchangeable nibs - and then color with watercolors. i have several sets because they’re all slightly different and i want the Range.

i sometimes travel with a little sketchbook in my bag and an assortment of pens, so that i can sketch Anytime, Anywhere. i think doodling with a pen can be very useful because you gotta become comfortable with the mistakes and imperfections and keep going anyway. if i doodle at work that’s the tools i have -  regular ball pens and a bunch of paper lying around.

HOW DO I BALANCE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL ART?

currently, i... don’t, really. it was easier when i had school, and i would just doodle freely and then maybe use some of my sketches as thumbnails or concept ideas. it’s harder now that i need to intentionally sit down with my sketchbook, and tbh... the ipad works very well for sketching. it’s so CONVENIENT and i have WORK all the time and my time to create art has become much more limited than it was. i miss going to my weirdo art high school where we would try out a whole bunch of different tools and methods. sure, yes, i had to paint with Acrylics My Beloathed, but getting to play around in different mediums is VERY valuable.

i genuinely want to be able to make more time and space for non-digital art again, but i just don’t have the ability to right now. it’s also different now that i’ve moved away from my parent’s place - i used to have an enormous desk and my mother has a large collection of art tools and there was a lot more storage space for whatever i created. digital art is very convenient and very accessible. ah well!

HOW DO I DECIDE ON THE COLOR FOR MY LINEART?

i usually line in black or a very dark color, and when i’m done coloring + shading i might play around with the colors and see what works. if you lock the layer you can just throw all the spaghetti at the wall you want. i decide on whatever fits the piece. i tend to be pretty fast and loose about it too, sometimes you can probably spot parts of my lineart that have slightly mismatchy color, but it’s like... done is better than perfect! i don’t have the energy to overlook every single pixel of my piece or else i would drive myself utterly mad.

HOPE THIS ANSWERS ANYTHING AT ALL!! THANKS FOR ASKING!!!

[zenlesszonezero]

Join Zenless Zone Zero with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy leader of Hollow Special Operations Section 6! Beneath her ordinary office lady exterior lies a meticulous, emotionally intelligent big sister to the team.

[nikhilgraphic]

I'm a Procreate Illustrator: Here Are the 7 Tools I Can't Live Without

It wouldn’t be an irony to mention that Procreate has changed my life. Before the times of the double-finger undo, with ink-stained hands i might frustrate discard sheet upon sheet of paper, feeling like i used to be wasting both precious paper and time, learn graphic designing the most essential for company just find the best institutions which have provided the best graphic designing course in Delhi service and join them get started.

Or I’d carefully lay out twenty wet-paint illustrations on the ground , hoping a gust of wind from the balcony wouldn’t flip them over and stain my floor.

Then there was the scanning. Oh, the scanning, which I loathed.

Enter the iPad into my life, and with it, the Procreate app. i used to be amazed at how quickly I could create my illustrations, with such realistic-looking brushes! And once I added the proper screen protector (more thereon later), the experience felt just like the real McCoy . the method was quick, clean, and portable! My workflow was such a lot more efficient, and projects took half the time. i used to be hooked.

After a couple of years of trial and error, I’m here to share with you my seven tried and trusted tools that I simply can’t live without.

1. The proper Pencils

If you’re anything like me, you start any project with a sketch. And though you'll easily sketch with, say, a Procreate ballpoint pen- wouldn’t you agree there’s something perfect a few scratchy 2B? While I’m hooked in to the 6B pencil that comes with the default Procreate app, I’ve purchased quite few pencil brush sets, and consistently add my favorites to a Procreate brush set I’ve fondly named “Shelly’s Toolbox”. What makes an honest pencil in my opinion, you ask? For a pencil brush to tick all of the boxes on behalf of me , it's to reply well to the Apple Pencil’s tilt, has got to have good smudge-ability (that’s a word, right?), and be just grainy enough. i do know it once I see it.

2. Paper-like Screen Protector

The first thing i like to recommend people buy once they treat themselves to an iPad, is that the PaperLike Screen Protector. It’s a matte screen protector with an ever-so-slight texture that does exactly what its name suggests: it perfectly mimics that slight resistance you get from drawing on real paper. So if you’ve been sliding around on your glass screen and can’t understand why you only can’t seem to regulate your linework such as you can in your sketchbook, this is often the merchandise for you. It’s on the pricier side with an almost $40 tag , but the pack includes two screen protectors. I’ve found them to be super durable and straightforward to wash . In short, I’m never going back.

3. Paper Textures

One of the most important compliments anyone can give me is to say that my digital illustrations don’t look digital. There’s nothing wrong with digital art that does appear as if it’s been created on a computer, except for my particular drawing style, i really like that I can sometimes trick people into thinking my work is all analog. My most up-to-date discovery, one which I find brings my drawings from good to great, is digital paper textures. i prefer them subtle, but the proper paper texture just makes a bit more tangible.

Check out my quick illustration above, shown with and without a digital texture. You can find these during a huge range of textures and colours (kraft paper, anyone?). you'll find that applying certain blending modes creates the simplest effect – Multiply blending mode works best on behalf of me . fiddle and see which is that the best fit your illustration style. the proper combination of blending modes and textures can make your art come to life. Find a set that most accurately fits your style, like this Magic Paper for Procreate or these Paper Texture Brushes.

4. Portable Battery

In a perfect world, my iPad would have endless battery life and that i could spend all day under a tree drawing away. Alas, that it not the case. Always faster than i would like it to, my battery drained when running Procreate and that i was left with no choice but to get a cute little portable charger. Just charge it fully, and toss it into your bag- you’ll thank me later.

5. Beautiful Art Brushes

I’ve mentioned pencil brushes, and people are wonderful for sketching. except for my work, I often wish to achieve a textured paint-and-colored pencil search for the ultimate colored versions. Procreate brushes are engineered in such how that they believe a source file (imagine the form that defines the comb ’s tip) and a grain file (imagine the feel upon which you’d apply the brush strokes). When a brush is made well, those two elements-along with another really important settings- can create pure magic on your screen.

6. Texture Brushes

So much depth are often added to illustrations by layering some stippling, hatching, and shading to your work. In the spirit of saving time, I’ve also rounded up a couple of wonderful texture brushes that do this work for you! fiddle with a bunch of various brushes and see which works best together with your illustration style.

7. Procreate Grids

As a children’s book illustrator, I often pair my illustrations with lettering, oftentimes within the sort of a book cover. i will be able to often scour Pinterest for hours trying to find fun and artistic text layouts to inspire me. With the assistance of a handy grid guide, you'll create balanced, eye-catching lettering. Just use the stamp brushes to plan your lettering, and voila! Beautiful lettering designs in seconds!

I used a Grid Builder to fiddle with lettering layouts for a book cover sketch. And there you've got it. I’ve shared my Procreate tools with you, and hope you’ll love them the maximum amount as I do. Please share a number of your Procreate must-haves with me below! Shelly Las lo may be a children’s book illustrator living in Israel. She is represented by Christmas pudding Illustration Agency. She has worked with some wonderful clients including Penguin Random House, Osborne Publishing UK, and bravado Magazine. you'll find more of her work here and here.