Hello, My name is SelamatNesi. Today i will share tips with you how to make more dramatic scene by making backlight illustration.

The idea is a woman traveler that have long trip with a horse in wheat fields. Final illustration is here:

Make rough sketch

Draw the right pose of a women traveler. Use a 3D Model to make them easily.

I didn't make a detail sketch because i still want to make change when draw line art.

Draw lineart

Create new layer to make line art. Each part have different layer, like head, cloth, horse, and background. So when coloring process, it is easy to erase the unneeded lineart.

In process, i changed woman's expression, gave more detail for clothes, cape, and horse. And erased the castle. I didn't want main focus (woman) was distracted by castle.

Choose the Lightning

Before coloring, let's choose source lightning that will be used. Light comes from other side and horse was blocking light for the character. But, source of light was not only from the sun, but wheat fields and sky reflected the light too.

 

For now, just make shadow in black-white color. It's easier to make backlight effect than in coloring process. I used airbush and named it as 'shadow' layer.

On right side of character get original light (red line). On left side get wheat fields's reflection (yellow line). On above her, hair reflect the light of sky (blue line).

Coloring

Fill line art with basic color. Use fill tool and hide shadow layer to make process fast and easy.

Unlike the others, i colored the hair based on shadow layer first.

Improve Shadow Layer

Next step is bring the shadow layer back. Unhide it. Use mutiply in blending mode tools and choose the right color in layer color.

For layer color, i choosed the dark yellow after tried many colors.

Make Strong Light

To make the light feels more stong, change blending mode tools to 'screen'. Use Airbush again to paint on place that reflect the light.

 

Remember that source of light is three. Sun (white), wheat fields (yellow), and sky (blue). In process, i changed my mind that bottom side reflect light from wheat fields.

Experiment

Before save the illustration. Dont forget to experiment.

 

Add color dodge to make light that reflect on horse and woman more attractive. But, don't use it too much.

The Last, use Tone Curve Tools to get great and balanced color.

Keep change the curve until you are satisfied with the color.

 

And This is final illustration.

Thank You for reading my tips :)

 

You can find me in twitter and pixiv :D