[1] Adding the shadows (1)

In this stage, I’ll add the shadows.

 

 

 

■ Overall shading

 

I make only the line art for the girl and the cat visible, then create a new layer for the shadows.

I imagine the light source in the top left and paint the shadows.

 

I think about where the biggest shadows would fall, and paint with the [Brush] tool > [Watercolor] > [Transparent watercolor] brush with pen pressure turned off.

At this stage, I don’t shade detailed areas such as the frills and decorations.

 

 

 

■ Changing the color of the shadows

 

① I rename the shadow layer to “2”, then duplicate the layer as necessary so I can clip it to each color layer.

 

Character: “skin" “whites" “iris" “hair" “stockings" “pink" “mint green" “black" “metal"

Cat: “body" "whites" “iris" "black shirt" “vest" “neck tie"

 

② Next, I’ll adjust the shadow color for each part. I want the illustration to have a warm tone overall.

I use purple shadows for the the black and mint parts, and orange shadows for the white parts.

 

 

 

■ Blending the shadow colors

 

① For the clipped shadow layers for the cat’s body and the contrast color on the feathers, I set the blending mode to [Multiply].

 

② Next, I use the [Transparent watercolor] brush on the shadows of the skin to adjust the shape and blend the colors.

I make the shape of the shadows softer on the arms and shoulders, and around the eyes.

 

[2] Painting separate parts (1)

Above the shadow layer “2” on the skin, I make a new layer and set the blending mode to [Multiply].

This blending mode acts like a painted transparent film laid over the other layers, so the colors stack up on top of other colors.

 

I’m going to add color to the girl’s cheeks and lips.

 

I paint just a small amount of color for the lips.

Then, I create another layer and put a small dot highlight on the lips to create a glossy effect.

 

[3] Adding the shadows (2)

■ Layered shading

 

I make two new layers and clip them to the skin and hair layers.

Then, I add another layer of shading for the skin and hair in a smaller area than the first shading layer.

 

I used a warm color for the first shading layer, but I’ll use a cooler color for this shading layer.

 

The first layer is like the boundary between shadow and light, where the warmth of blood can be seen through the skin.

The second layer is the shadow color. Although the brightness isn’t reduced too much, the saturation is much more subdued.

 

The second shading layer looks like this.

Note: For this image, I set the blending mode to [Normal] and hid the flat colors and first shading layer for the skin and hair.

 

[4] Painting separate parts (2)

■ Painting the eyes

 

Since the colors around the face are almost finished, I will paint the details of the eyes.

I add another layer above the eye layer and paint with a bright color.

I then adjust the color of the shading on the whites of the eyes, and blend with the transparent watercolor brush. Rather than making the white eyes look three-dimensional, the shadows are caused by the hair falling over the eyes and the angles of the face.

 

 

 

■ Painting line art on the face

 

I’ll paint the line art of the facial features.

 

I make a new layer called “skin” and clip it to the “face” layer.

On this layer, I blend in a color darker than the shadow color for the skin using the [Opaque watercolor] and [Transparent watercolor] brushes.

 

I paint the line art on the face so that it blends in a bit more with the skin.

I lightly build up color at the edges of the eyes, the mouth, and the nose.

 

 

 

■ Painting the iris

 

Next, I add a new layer above the "skin" layer and name it "eye".

I paint a deep green color here darker than the rest of the iris.

I blend the colors to create an effect of a slight glow from the center of the iris.

 

Then I add some more color to create a more transparent feeling.

 

I make a new layer above the “eye” layer and call it “bg”.

I choose a complementary color to the iris and draw the iris just off from the highlight.

In this case, since the eyes are a yellowish green, the complementary color is a reddish pink.

I make another layer under the “bg” layer and lightly add a cooler toned color.

 

Finally, I add some more highlights on the lips, shoulder, and breasts.

 

[5] Adding the shadows (3)

■ Shading the stockings

 

For the stockings, I’m going to use the same layered shading technique as for the skin. Like before, I’ll make the first layer a warm tone, and the second layer a cool tone to add extra nuance.

So that the shadows appear on the pattern, I set the shading layer to [Multiply] mode so that the colors stack on top of lower layers.

I follow the muscles of the legs without creating too much emphasis.

Then, I shade more heavily on the back leg and close to the skirt.

I want to paint a slight wave by layering the shadows, but at this stage I will try to paint only rough shadows.

 

 

 

■ Shading the costume

 

I paint shadows and highlights on the rest of the costume in the same way as before.

 

Like with the legs, I want to spend more time shading the chest and torso, but for now I only paint the main shadows on the chest caused by the light source behind.

I add highlights only on the topmost part of the skirt and hat, using a soft color that isn’t too bright.

 

 

 

■ Reflected light

 

On the shaded areas, I paint in some brighter areas where light is reflecting.

 

I make a new layer above the girl’s “color” folder and set the blending mode to [Hard light].

 

I paint with a greyish blue on this layer.

I used light blue for the ambient light and the light reflected from the stage.

It’s a bit hard to see in this picture, but I added reflected light on the neck, below the breasts, on the back leg, and so on.

 

Then, I duplicate the layer so I can clip it above each part. I call the layers “bg”.

Finally, I adjust the colors slightly for each part.

 

[6] Painting the line art (2)

To create a sense of softness and transparency on the hair, I paint the line art for the hair.

 

Above the “color” layer clipped to “head” in the “line art” folder, I make a new layer and softly paint with a darker color than the shadows of the hair shadow like I did for the line art on the face.

 

I also paint the line art for the rest of the body. I make a new layer above the “body” line art layer and paint over the line art for the skin, cool-toned parts, and the stockings.

Now I’ve finished painting the girl.

 

[7] Painting the cat

■ Painting the eye

 

I paint the eye using the same method as for the girl.

 

 

 

■ Eye

 

Just like on the girl, I try to create a transparent feeling.

I used an orange color rather than brown for the shadows, and used a more golden color than the bright lime-green of the girl for the highlight. Then I added a slightly purple-toned grey.

 

 

 

■ Shading

 

I use the same method as for the girl to shade the cat. I use layered shading again using warm and cool layers with a visible boundary.

To bring out the roundness and softness of the stomach and arms, I blend with the transparent watercolor brush, without erasing the sharpness of the shadows.

 

 

 

■ Reflected light

 

I paint the reflected light in the same way as the girl, using a layer set to the [Hard light] blending mode.

 

 

 

■ Coloring the line art

 

As a final touch, I color the line art to finish off painting the cat.

 

This is what the girl and cat look like when I’ve finished painting.