The process behind the art

Hey! I thought it could be interesting discussing the process behind the artwork - not just the usual "step by step" snapshot, but also mention the thinking behind what is done. My hope is that having a more nuanced approach might make the post more useful for the readers.

finished artwork ~ but how did it all start?

Before touching the canvas

This is likely one of the least talked about yet most important steps to take before doing anything really. Good artworks rarely happen by chance. Some planning can really go a long way and save you precious time and energy.
Before I start, there are some good questions to ask:

• Why? What is the aim and purpose of this specific work?
• What style, mood, look and level of polish is required for this?
• What reference and mood board material is needed in preparation?

All of this may sound tedious -

Hey! Aren't artists supposed to be super spontaneous and creative with 0 constraints and plans?!

This is a very common misconception - not all artists are the same. I even avoid the "artist" label for myself because it carries a lot of preconceptions. I happen to paint and draw but I am not an artist by education. My background is in STEM.
So, careful planning is actually a great tool that will free and empower your creativity rather than stifle it. Planning will make it easier to deal with the technical aspect - with less burdens the mind can become more creative.

• Why? What is the aim and purpose of this specific work?
  Testing out a new brushset I put together. The focus of the art will be on TEXTURES
• What style, mood, look and level of polish is required for this?
  Something simple and familiar (no complex designs) with a light hearted feel (cute, airy, light colors)
• What reference and mood board material is needed in preparation?
  Anatomy/shape reference, fashion and mood reference for the style, traditional paintings references for the natural canvas look

The moodboard:

note: if I do not include a source it's because the image was found from a creditless repost - I always do my best to credit sources but unfortunately this is not always possible

typically what one of my brainstorming and reference boards can look like

I liked the idea of a playful elf with pointy ears - though I was looking for a different style - this is from PC Building sim

I wanted to include some aspects of traditional painting, especially the warm, orange glow used in many oil painting styles - these are some famous works by Sargent

Let's not forget one of the biggest influences on my style - Anime! Although my works tend to have a realistic feel to them, the proportions and stylization have been heavily influenced by anime and manga - this is a shot from Kill la Kill, one of my favourite series (no judgement pls XD)

We stand on the shoulder of giants

Really, nobody can truly claim to make 100% original, pulled out of the void content. Concious or not, there is always some influence behind what we create. There should be no shame in using references or moodboards. Artists and designers in the industry do this (and photobashing) all the time. Sadly, because of a few cases of tracing drama (like this one), using references has a bad rap amongst greener artists.
Also, remember that referencing is different from plagiarising (but this is a big topic for another time).

Let's get into the actual painting!

Ok, now that the prep is done, it's time to attack the canvas. Before working on a painting, I spend some time (between 15 min to 1 hour) warming up with studies or sketches (that I don't usually post online).

these are never polished, the only purpose is to warm up - I don't really worry about details or making anything look nice - reference source

The whole process took around 6 hours total, split between a few days. I like letting the painting breathe in between sessions (I don't have to because my works are digital, I do this purely to clear my head) so that fatigue does not build up.

the base - just some textures for the background to avoid blank canvas anxiety

I don't really use lineart, all the shapes are directly blocked in

gradually building in the shadows - working from mid tones then branching to darker/lighter extremes is a safer strategy

here a color gradient is added to give some colors - this will be later recolored in a completely different way

some deeper shadows and grainy details

here I realise I don't like the colors - they don't convey the light, airy and playful mood I originally wanted

testing green/magenta and I hate it haha

orange test - this is what I end up sticking to

some skin shimmer and highlight

a bit of work in the background elements and prepering to integrate chicken nuggets

these are the royalty free chicken nuggets

drop em like they are hot!

paint over them to blend them in

more detail work - the rate of progress tends to drop closer to the finishing line

less tint and lighter tones to make it all more balanced

final touches, highlights and sparkles

full cut

That was a long post! There are many other things I'd love to talk about, but it's time to wrap up this post.
Also, there is also a video version of this process here.

Where is the rest of the art?

Portfolio
Twitch
and of course, if you feel like you need to check whether I am the real creator or a poser/reposter just chat with me over email/discord/twitch and I'll be happy to give you some peace of mind! (Or maybe you just want to talk about art, crypto or other cool stuff and that works too!)

P.S. I always do my best to read all comments, but sometimes I am unable to reply/updoot all of them. Don't worry though, I most likely saw it!

Ty for making it so far (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧