When beginning a sketch or illustrated piece, I start by blocking out the character with simple shapes to establish pose, position, and perspective. From there, I refine the drawing—either developing a clean sketch or moving directly into the final line work, depending on how solid the initial rough is.
In the inking stage, I typically use a smooth G-pen to achieve clean, precise line work. I prefer crisp edges over rough textures, and I’ll often add subtle line weight variation along the edges. This approach not only enhances clarity but also makes the coloring process more efficient.
I begin the coloring process by laying down the base colors, either on a single layer or separated by element. From there, I use clipping layers to apply cell shading or soft shading, building depth and definition without disrupting the base tones.
When creating backgrounds, I typically work in two styles. For simple backgrounds, I use solid colors that contrast with the main illustration without blending into it. For detailed backgrounds, I either paint the environment, create line art, or combine both techniques to highlight key elements and make the main illustration stand out