PROCESS (x2!): the cave & the shrine // sfw

download the attached .zips to access the process packs for these two pictures i just uploaded!

the fact that i'm giving you two processes in one go is my way of making up for the fact that i don't have the time to type a lot about them. the pngs themselves are numbered but they don't have the short explanatory comments/captions i usually put on them, and i'll just jot down some more or less random notes here;

- the focus with both of these pictures was the setting, the background, the mood, and the lightning, in contrast to many of my other pieces, which are far more character-centered. i'm hoping you'll find it interesting to see how i go about painting a background/scene, with many elements to consider, as opposed to "just" a character on a simple/non-existent background. 

- in the case of 'cave' i was working on all parts of the background at once, but saved the characters for last. with 'shrine' i found myself working more on one element at a time, at least in the beginning, when i was focusing on establishing the different shapes and textures and colours; i switched back and forth a bit, and brought it all together towards the later stages of the process, as i was working on the overall lighting of the image and on making it look like a unified whole.

- the 'shrine' picture was especially challenging since it has such dramatic lighting, and i know for a fact that the lighting is incorrect at places, but oh well--live and learn. that said, i thiiink this is the first time i've ever drawn lava/molten metal, and i think it's pretty good for a first try! 

- i also really love drawing the texture of stones... having some cool texture brushes certainly comes in handy, but i love it with traditional media too, or just using a 'normal' digital brush to add gradually more and more detail. i did approach the stones in each picture somewhat differently, though; since the 'shrine' picture is more up close, i added more detail and texture to the stone; in 'cave' the stones are further away, so the focus is more on the form of the stones, with only a hint of texture in the way the shadows and highlights are 'brushed in.' tbh drawing stones/stone texture is oddly therapeutic to me...?

- both of these pictures illustrate how utilising the 'overlay' and 'multiply' layer functions in photoshop can alter the whole vibe of a picture. the whole background of 'cave' was painted in basically monochrome blues, but i used overlay and multiply layers to add other hues to it, and to create atmosphere and a sense of depth. at step 06 i added a pale blue overlay layer to the background and a dark blue multiply layer to the foreground; at step 07 i added pale blue lighting around the 'lamps,' at an overlay layer; at step 08 i added some green and blue hues to the foreground by way of an overlay layer, and then even more so at step 14.

- i had a very clear idea of what i wanted the colours of 'cave' to look like, but on the other hand i wasn't so sure of the colour scheme of the 'shrine' picture before i started colouring it. sometimes i do little thumbnails with the rough colour scheme painted in, sometimes i add colour swatches to use as at least a starting point... and sometimes i just wing it. you can see the colours changing quite a bit throughout the process, partly because of the aforementioned overlay/multiply thing, and partly because i figured out the lighting and colours as i went along. planning ahead is great, but sometimes i'm too impatient, too lazy, or just short on time lol.

i hope you can make sense of what's happening at each step of the processes, despite the lack of my usual captions. i want these process packs to be helpful to those of my patrons who are also artists, and if you have any questions or if there's anything you want me to clarify/discuss about these pictures, please comment below (or send me a message if you don't want to comment in public) and i'll answer as soon as i can!

as always, thanks for the support <3 

// art + characters © me.