First of, if you have not seen it yet,
make sure to check out the process footage of my latest
Pokemon Charizard painting ! My favorite non-dragon type 😉

Sketching / brainstorm

In this phase, the main focus is getting the idea out there.
A few things i take in consideration is size of the character / pokemon, as well as the scenery and atmosphere and ofcourse
the overall composition.
This stage is not about getting a good drawing out there, simply trying a few quick 15 minute
sketches on paper regarding the bigger picture of the idea you have in mind. I also like to add notes to the sketch, anything
to give me a clear and prepared idea for the artwork i want to bring to life.

Canvas sketching

This part pretty much speaks for itself, from Pokédex to the pen! the sketch i decide on bringing to the canvas, has to be sketched out on the canvas. Sketching out Ash Ketchum his orange pal as we speak. Make sure to get the proportions right on a bigger scale
This can be quite tricky sometimes since the size difference in canvas and sketchbook can make it a challenge to scale up.
But you will get used to it the more large scale drawings you will do!

Masking the sketch

Now that the sketch is here on the canvas, i will cover the sketched area with ”painters tape”.
This is to prepare the canvas for the spraypainting stage, i will make a blue dreamy Johto City inspired sky using blueberry blue and a slight touch of baby pinks. And to not make the sketch go lost.
Really make sure to use the correct tape, you dont want to damage the canvas or leave glue spots on it.

As you can see in my reels, i mostly use spraypaint for the backgrounds. Since spraypaint can do an amazing job at
creating fading gradient like skies and atmospheres. Also really usefull and quick for covering large simple areas in your painting.
If you want to take it a step further, you can even use several stencil tricks and street art like techniques to create
planets, sparkles, glowing mountains and much more. It all depends on your preference and idea!

This is the final and most important stage, here it all comes down to painting the character or image by hand.
i like to start by painting in the large simple colored areas first. Then paint in the second / middle value as we call it.
And finally paint the darkest shadows and the highlights. Any order is possible though, it is what makes you most comfortable and
gives you the best overview. Following a simple and controllable structure is always a good idea.
But chaotic and energetic is awesome as well! There are no real rules.

When we are all set and done finishing up the piece of our favored manga or comic inspired hero, i must make sure the work has not been in vain! ( ofcourse the process itself is rewarding too ) So i take some good images with great lighting and all, share it with some people and if i have the power to let go of my new piece i like to put it up for sale on my website, right here 😉
It would be an honor to send out a piece to one of my loyal readers.