Illustrator's Guidebook Vol. 3: Drawing & Illustration Techniques

VOLUME
3
Published in Sweden, by 21 Solutions AB.
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W W W. 2 1 - D R AW. C O M
Copyright © 2022, 21 Solutions AB.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the copyright owner. All inquiries should be made to the publisher.
Designed in the USA by BookWiseDesign.com
Printed in China
ISBN Hardcover: 978-91-986379-8-4
ISBN eBook: 978-91-986379-9-1
IMAGE CREDITS: p. 3 Doryphoros statue/Shutterstock.com/Dima Moroz, golden ratio/
Shutterstock.com/chuhastock, p. 4 Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man/Shutterstock.com/
Jakub Krechowicz, pp. 11–15 photos of life drawing models/Ranum.com/Marcus Ranum,
pp. 50–51 life drawing model/Jennifer Günthel/JookPubStock, p. 99 portrait of woman/
Elijah O’donnell/Pexels.com, p. 125 woman walking/Pexels.com/Rodolfo Quiros,
boy running/Pixabay.com/KeithJJ.
CONTENTS
1
2
F U N D A M E N TA L S O F F I G U R E D R A W I N G
D I G I TA L D R A W I N G I N P H O T O S H O P
FOR BEGINNERS
ERIK A WISEMAN
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
MARIA LIA MAL ANDRINO
D I G I TA L I L L U S T R AT I O N F O R B E G I N N E R S
17
41
L AIA LÓPEZ
A N AT O M Y F O R C O M I C A R T I S T S
69
RENÉ CÓRDOVA
PAINTING POR TR AIT S IN GOUACHE
8 5 JORDAN RHODES
C R E AT I N G E X P R E S S I V E C H A R A C T E R S
107
KENNETH ANDERSON
DR AWING L ANDSCAPES
147
PHILIP SUE
MEET THE ARTISTS
173
INTRODUCTION
T
hank you for purchasing 21 Draw’s Illustrator’s Guidebook, volume 3!
This adds another volume to our hugely popular Illustrator’s Guidebook
series. As with Volume 2, the chapters in this volume were created along
with a set of video courses. You will have the option to check out the videos too.
You’ll gain insight into the working techniques of some of the most popular
illustrators and animators working in the industry today. They will show you
their unique methods for creating awesome images and how to go about
achieving your own artistic goals, no matter if you are a budding artist or a
seasoned pro!
We have worked diligently to condense the artists’ long years of training and
professional experiences into this new volume. In the Illustrator’s Guidebook,
volume 3, you’ll get to compare the artistry and insights of seven top industry
artists from companies like Disney, Marvel, Columbia Records, Scholastic,
and more.
You’ll also learn how they approach concepts like digital drawing, character
development, painting in gouache, and loads more.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
F
eel free to read the book from start to finish in its entirety or just randomly
browse its pages to check out some amazing artwork. Alternatively, you
can look up the specific artistic areas you are interested in exploring in the
contents section. If you’re interested in learning more about a particular artist,
you can skip directly to his/her pages or biography.
A corresponding video course was created along with each book chapter. At
the end of each chapter, you will see that there is a QR Code. To check out the
corresponding video course, open the camera on your phone and scan the
QR Code. This code will take you to our website where you can watch the art
course. Please note that you will have to subscribe to watch the course. If you
already have an active subscription, then you can watch all the courses without
extra cost.
It’s important to note that there was a sincere effort to keep the artists’ own
words and actions as close as possible to what they submitted. This is important
as it allows you to get an understanding of the exact process each artist goes
through when completing an image from start to finish. Some artists use
roughs, proportion lines, and other guides when drawing, and others start
with clean lines and adjust as they go. In most cases, the artists followed the
briefs exactly, but in some instances, they provided additions or minimizations
that were even better than the original briefs. When this occurred, the artist’s
version was chosen over the original brief.
We hope that you enjoy the chapters and videos in this volume, and that they
will help you to reach your artistic goals along the way. So read on and have fun!
1
FUNDAMENTALS OF
FIGURE DRAWING
M A R I A L I A M A L A NDR INO
F UND A MEN TA L S OF FIGUR E DR AW ING
WITH MARIA LIA MALANDRINO
W
hether you’re entering the world of drawing and
illustration for the first time or want to brush
up on the basics, this chapter is for you!
I cover fundamental concepts including anatomy
and figure drawing, followed by lessons to apply the
techniques. I’ve included examples of my work created by using
Photoshop CC running on a Cintiq 22, but you can use any graphic
tablet and drawing software or a pen and paper. All of the
concepts apply to both traditional and digital mediums.
When I first decided to pursue work as an artist, my
craftsmanship was not very good. At that time, I was
only able to practice one or two hours a day. In 2017,
I took a leap of faith—I quit my job and
joined a MerMay challenge. During the
first month, I saw an incredible level of
improvement. My skills were still rough,
but the challenge provided me the
encouragement I needed to practice
daily. I continued drawing eight hours
a day (sometimes more). This was a
turning point, helping me to achieve
the skills I needed to draw and
illustrate professionally.
If you want to improve
your artistic skill for a
hobby or career, what
matters most is simply
putting in the time.
Practice, the ability to
honestly critique your
work, and with a pinch
of luck, you will be on a
path to success.
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Joining an art challenge like MerMay
will encourage you to practice daily.
LESSON 1: BASIC ANATOMY
ANATOMY—how should we approach such a vast subject? Let’s start with
how the human form was represented in classical art. In ancient Greece,
artists and sculptors were fascinated by the idea of finding the most
beautiful proportions for the human body, so they developed a
canon and applied it to the most famous art of the classical era. A
canon is a set of proportions, the relationships or ratios, between
the height, width, and depth of an object. Canons of beauty
relate to a specific culture and time period, and they are constantly
evolving like artistic taste, so no canon is better than another.
Proportions are mathematical patterns that occur
both in nature and in human-made artifacts—like
the golden ratio which was important to the Ancient
Greeks. The golden ratio, also known as the Fibonacci
sequence, occurs when the sum of numbers (a + b)
divided by the larger number is equal to the larger
number divided by the smaller number (a/b). Why is
this important? Because this pattern appears in many
natural elements, like flower petals, beehives, and
even the shape of shells. It is an aesthetic ratio that the
human eye finds pleasant and is therefore useful when
deciding the ratio for objects you are depicting, or
when planning the composition of scenes.
1
2
3
4
5
When drawing a human, the first ratio considered is the ratio of
the head to the rest of the body. If we add up the ratio of heads
in the height of this statue, it is about 7½. It may look like 7 at
a first glance, but when you consider the slant of the body and
bend of the knee, 7½ is more accurate.
6
7
1/2
a+b
=
a
a
b
GOLDEN RATIO: Pattern found in nature that
is attractive to humans and useful for planning
the design of objects and compositions.
DORYPHOROS: Looking at this
classic statue, we can see the
Greek canon of beauty was an
athlete: tall, muscular, imposing.
If you add up the ratio of heads
in the height of this statue, it is
about 7 ½.
F U N DA M E N TA L S O F F I G U R E D R AW I N G
3
LEONARDO DA VINCI also studied
proportions of the human body and
concluded the length of the outstretched
arms and legs of a man should fit in
a square and circle, developing the
Vitruvian Man. Looking at the Vitruvian
Man drawing, you will see that the
head fits in the body almost exactly
eight times.
So it’s no wonder that contemporary
proportions also place the head
seven and a half to eight times in the
height of the body. Seven and a half
heads create a typical human figure,
while eight heads has longer legs giving
the character a more heroic look. You can
change proportions according to the style
you want for your characters. Let’s review
examples from popular cartoons and
comics:
• Mickey Mouse obviously does not reflect
the one head in eight ratio, but that
doesn’t stop him from being one of the
most popular designs of all time.
VITRUVIAN MAN: This Renaissance sketch
by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490, was a study in
proportions of the human body and has become
an iconic symbol of western civilization. The
geometric shapes are also significant, with the
circle representing the cosmic and divine while
the square, the earth and secular world.
• Marvel’s Captain America is a more
realistic-looking character and fits
perfectly in the one to eight “heroic” ratio.
• Will Vandom from Alessandro
Barbucci’s comic W.I.T.C.H. is one of my
favorite character designs and stands at
five and a half heads.
Proportions serve a purpose, however, if
you are creating characters with different
proportions that makes them more
appealing, go for it! Understanding the
basics is useful so you can then build on
them and make your own rules. Next,
I’ll show you how to use these standard
proportions to draw the human figure.
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THE BODY GRID METHOD
Let’s review this method—we will start by
using a female character of average build
(see next page). A male’s face is slightly
larger, but the seven and a half heads
tall proportion and key points are the
same. The main difference is the elbows
align more squarely with the navel, since
men on average have longer arms and
the hips and pubic bone are lower. Men
and women tend to have inverted body
proportions—most women have narrower
shoulders and waist with wider hips, while
men are broader at the shoulders then
taper down in a carrot-like shape.
BODY GRID METHOD
These are generalizations and
people don’t fit perfectly to
these proportions. After you
understand the basics, you can
add diversity by playing with
these ratios to draw people with
longer torsos or thighs, shorter
calves, or bigger heads. It is
entirely up to you.
• Two heads down is the line
of the nipples/chest, then
slightly lower is where to place
the rib cage.
• The elbows line up just above
the navel (belly button).
1. Head/chin
2. Nipples/chest
Rib cage
Elbows
3. Navel
Wrists
4. Pubic bone
• Three heads down is the navel,
or belly button.
• The wrists line up with the
upper leg bone, where the
thigh joins at the hip.
5. Above knees
Knee joints
• Four heads down is the pubic
bone—approximately the
halfway point on the body.
6. Calves
• The joint of the knees is in
between 5 and 6 heads down.
7. Ankles
• The calves are around 6 heads.
• The ankles sit at 7 heads.
Feet
• Below the ankles, at roughly
EXERCISE 1: Draw at least four figures following
7 1/2 heads is where to place
the feet.
the grid method. I suggest using four grids per
sheet, two for average-size characters and two
for larger, heroic figures. You can use multiple
sheets at the same grid size or create your own to
experiment with different body proportions.
• The width of a standard female
body is about 2 to 2 1/2 heads
across at the shoulders.
F U N DA M E N TA L S O F F I G U R E D R AW I N G
5
• It is vital to understand anatomy and
perspective to develop your own style.
Stylization is based on reality but needs a
solid foundation to look believable.
• Drawing is about seeing—you need both
curious observation and memory from
sketching to discover the little details that
will make your work stand out.
• Drawing is also about balance. We
learned how the balance between
directional forces and rhythmic energies
can make a simple gesture drawing
amazing. Balance between straight and
curved lines within a character make
the design more appealing. A balance
between use of references and your
imagination will make your work relatable
but also engaging.
• Finally, I cannot stress enough that
drawing is about fun! If drawing becomes
a chore, it will show in your final artwork.
If creating art ever feels difficult, try to
remember the motivation you had when
you first started.
Goodbye for now and keep drawing!
LEARN MORE ONLINE: 21-DRAW.COM
Learn and be inspired from MARIA LIA MALANDRINO and other amazing artists
in our online art courses. VISIT WWW.21-DRAW.COM TO LEARN MORE!
16
21D R AW
2
DIGITAL DRAWING
IN PHOTOSHOP
for Beginners
ER IK A W I S EM A N
DIGI TA L DR AW ING IN P HO T O S HOP F OR BE GINNER S
WITH ERIKA WISEMAN
P
hotoshop can do so many things! It’s built to be a multipurpose software, not just for creating art like other
well-known programs. Because of this, its wide array of
options and tools can be a little overwhelming. (Not to mention
effects can be accomplished in different ways.) My goal is to
show you how I use Photoshop to create illustrations, while
weeding out areas that can be confusing to beginners.
For this course, you’ll need Photoshop, a graphics tablet
(with or without a display), and a computer. I’ll begin by
going over the equipment I use but remember these exact tools
are not required. I use Photoshop CC (updated to the latest version),
a Wacom Cintiq Pro 22 display tablet, and a 2014 iMac.
LESSON 1: GETTING STARTED
If you’re new to the world of digital art, please
know you don’t need a big, fancy tablet! I
started with a Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet
without a display and a drawing area of only
8.5 x 5 inches. Since it didn’t have a display, it
helped me develop hand-eye coordination.
I used that little guy for eight years!
Next, I upgraded to a Wacom Intuos Pro
(medium) which is basically a bigger version
of my first tablet. It functioned the same,
but the larger drawing surface made it more
comfortable. I used that tablet for five years
and only recently upgraded to a Cintiq.
I share this with you, because the type of
tablet doesn’t really matter as much—it’s
all about comfort and personal preference. I
prefer Wacom tablets, but I’ve reviewed other
reputable brands such as Huion and XP Pen.
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TABLET SETTINGS
Menus can look a little different depending
on the tablet. My settings are found under
System Preferences > Wacom Tablet (Mac).
From there I can customize settings for
buttons, pen, calibration, etc. You may not
have the same buttons, but I’ll walk you
through my settings just in case you want to
try a similar setup on your device.
BUTTONS: I use my keyboard for shortcuts
(details on how later in the chapter), but
a remote came with my tablet. So far I’ve
programmed only 4 of the 12 buttons on
my remote: Undo, Redo, the ( ) accent grave
`
key (changes Brush to Eraser), and the
Option key (turns Brush into Eyedropper).
The remote has a touch ring I use to make
brush sizes larger or smaller (the same can be
done using bracket keys on a keyboard). A simple
setup, but effective so I can focus on my painting.
STYLUS PEN: The main area to focus on are the
pressure settings which adjust how a pen feels
to draw with. My pen tip pressure is set one step
to the firmer side (image above). I customized
the pressure curve as well (image right). On my
pen I have two buttons: the top, Display Toggle,
moves the cursor from my tablet screen to the
computer screen and back. This way I don’t have
to use the mouse if I want to click on something
using my computer screen. The lower button is
very important and I highly recommend using
if your pen has one. Mine is set to Pan/Scroll.
Clicking and holding this button allows me to
easily navigate my canvas while I’m zoomed in
rather than having to select the Hand tool.
D I G I TA L D R AW I N G I N P H OTO S H O P
19
OPENING PHOTOSHOP AND
CREATING A NEW FILE
Open Photoshop and you will see a home
screen where you can create a New File or
Open a saved file (see below). Let’s start by
clicking New File at the top left. This opens
a dialog box for creating a new document,
and there you can choose dimensions. I use
inches because I can visualize the size more
easily than pixels. As a rule, I don’t choose
less than eight inches on the smallest side.
For example, if I want to create a 5 x7
inch print of my drawing, I double the
dimensions to 10 x14 inches for drawing
then scale down after I’m finished. This
helps maintain good image quality. Take a
look at Resolution otherwise known as DPI.
DPI stands for dots (or pixels) per inch. If you
use a lower DPI, your image will become
pixelated if it needs to be enlarged. I always
create my canvas at 300 DPI using the
dimensions I want to reproduce it at. This
ensures great image quality both on screen
and in print. Once you’ve decided on your
dimensions and resolution, click Create at
the bottom right.
SETTING UP YOUR WORKSPACE
Another great thing about Photoshop is the
workspace is so customizable! You can place
menus you use most at the front, then hide
menus that clutter up your space. Preset
workspaces are located under Window >
Workspace, where you can choose presets
such as painting or photography. You can
also save a custom workspace.
To customize your workspace, look at the
options in the Window drop-down menu.
If an option has a checkmark next to it,
it’s currently displayed in your workspace.
After you’ve checked the options you want
activated, move back to the main workspace
screen. You can move the elements of your
workspace around. Each labeled panel (or
tab window) can be dragged and placed
within your workspace or it can be its own
pop-out window. You can even make tabs
fit multiple windows in one space, expand/
collapse some panels, or resize panels.
At the top of the following page is a screen
grab showing a custom workspace I saved
to my presets. If I accidentally change the
Screen grabs showing how to create a new file in Photoshop.
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21D R AW
PHOTOSHOP WORKSPACE
Toolbar (Changes for each tool)
Move
Marquee
Lasso
Crop
Eyedropper
Brush
Eraser
Type
Hand
Color Selection
Panel
Paint
Bucket
Brushes
Panel
Shape
Zoom
Foreground/
Background
Color
Layers
Panel
Above is my personal workspace setup; you can customize
your own using Window in the top menu bar.
setup, I can snap it back into place by
using Reset in the Workspace menu.
The main windows I have on display are
the top Toolbar (these options change
with each tool selection), History that
displays my action history, Tool Icons (left
sidebar), Canvas, Tool Icons (right sidebar),
panel tabs with extra features I use from
time to time like styles and adjustments,
Color selector, Swatches (saved colors),
Navigator, Brushes, and Layers. There are
other windows in my workspace that are
there by default and that I haven’t bothered
to change, but they don’t get in the way.
Don’t worry too much early on about
setting up the perfect workspace. As you
work with Photoshop, you may find things
that are essential to your personal workflow
that you want to add or move around.
EXERCISE 1:
1. Create a new file.
2. Customize your workspace by
moving and adding windows.
3. Try replicating my workspace, using
the example above as a guide.
D I G I TA L D R AW I N G I N P H OTO S H O P
21
3
DIGITAL
ILLUSTRATION
for Beginners
L A I A L ÓP E Z
DIGI TA L IL L U S T R AT ION F OR BE GINNER S
WITH LAIA LÓPEZ
W
hen you learn to draw, one of
the most important lessons
is the more you practice the
better you will become. While drawing, your
brain and hand become accustomed to the
process and memorize the motions. At a
certain point, drawing starts to feel natural.
Beginning artists sometimes think using
visual references is somehow cheating or
not creative enough. I encourage students
to use visual references, especially to
improve their skills. For this lesson, I used
photos of my eyes to help explain my
approach for drawing stylized eyes and how
to make them turn out the way you want.
Using yourself, friends, or family as models
is a great way to start a visual image library.
HOW TO DRAW STYLIZED EYES
I start by drawing quick guidelines on the
face to indicate where the eyes will be
placed and a vertical line to mark center.
These guides help me to better understand
spacing for features and avoid drawing eyes
too close or too far apart.
Next I draw a simplified shape for the iris.
This basic shape becomes the base for the
rest of the eye. Starting from a simplified
shape also makes it easier to understand
perspective and the direction the eyes are
looking.
I find line weight to be extremely important,
especially when the style you are using
relies heavily on line art (such as comics).
I encourage you to use visual references, especially when
you are learning and looking to improve your skills.
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The examples at right illustrate how
I typically draw thicker lines in for
upper eyelashes and at the outer
edges of the waterline. For the inner
edges of the of the eye, I use thinner
lines and sometimes break the lines
apart to achieve a more natural and
relaxed look.
TIPS FOR CREATING EYE
EXPRESSIONS:
• Natural or neutral—most of the
time our eyelids slightly cover the
top of the eye, so the full circle of
the iris is not visible.
• Dramatic emotions—you want
to draw in the entire iris and pupil
to emphasize strong emotions.
• Surprise, shock, or fear—our
eyes typically open wider when
showing these emotions. To
create a more intense or cartoonlike effect, you can draw the iris
smaller.
• Eyes looking directly forward—
draw one eye, then duplicate and
flip it horizontally. Now you have
both eyes! To make the eyes look
more realistic, you want to make
slight adjustments so they are not
exact copies.
PRO TIP:
Remember to occasionally
flip your canvas around to
check that your drawing
looks balanced. This helps to
prevent mistakes and keep
your lines looking even.
Note how in the last two examples above, the basic eye
shape is the same even though the direction the eyes are
looking is very different. The eyes look to the side and then
more to the front in the last image.
D I G I TA L I L L U S T R AT I O N F O R B EG I N N E R S
43
DIFFERENT EYE SHAPES
A character’s eye shape can tell
you a lot about their personality.
Someone with round eyes likely
has a kind, cheerful, and bubbly
personality. While a character with
an elongated eye shape, or one
that is geometrical or triangular
can appear more serious or
intimidating.
Of course these are stereotypes—
character design is diverse and
traits vary and change depending
on our perception of people. The
visual library we carry in our mind
is based on real-life experiences
that influence us too. Even though
they are stereotypical, these kinds
of visual traits are commonly
used and recognized. We can use
them to guide us when we build
characters and want to reflect
different personalities.
Above are examples of eye expressions from my illustrated
novel series Strawberry Moon and Blue Moon.
These images are of Xiao (elongated eye shape) and Venti (rounded eye shape)
fan art for the game Genshin Impact.
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EYE STYLIZATION BASED ON AGE
CHILD
TEEN/YOUTH
ADULT
Large, innocent, and
rounded, works well
for chibi style
Mix between a child and
adult, some expression lines,
eye shapes vary with character
Hard-edged shapes, expression
lines, longer and more defined
features (nose and eyebrows)
• Innocent, curious, and
• Eyes wide open, eyebrows lifted
• Eyebrows furrowed, menacing
• Tired, bored, lazy, and sleepy
• Relaxed and open-looking, soft
• Relaxed eyebrows and eyelids,
surprised (eyelids wide open)
(eyelids half closed)
up (slightly surprised)
expression (calm and collected)
look (strong expression)
eyes are focused, eyelids are
more visible (serious expression)
CREATING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
Over the next few pages, I show you my
approach for drawing different facial
expressions. To do this, I chose three of
my original characters that have different
personalities. This way I can demonstrate the
various ways the same emotion is expressed
depending on the personality type.
• We have DIANA, who’s cheerful, kind,
and easygoing.
• And MAKO, who is loud, charismatic,
and wild.
• And EDLYN, who’s rather serious, calm,
Choosing characters I’m familiar with
makes it easier to create a wide range
of expressions, because I understand
how these characters react and express
themselves.
PRO TIP:
Create an emoji of the expression
you want to draw. This forces you
to exaggerate the expression and
focus on the main elements, like eye
shape, eyebrows, and mouth.
and reserved.
D I G I TA L I L L U S T R AT I O N F O R B EG I N N E R S
45
FINAL TOUCHES
All that’s left now is to
clean up my color layers.
Because I already created
my color palette and
the line work is in place,
it’s a pretty easy and
straightforward process
from here.
To keep my file organized,
I named each layer and
group them together
in different file folders:
background coloring,
character coloring, and line
art layers. Shading, lighting,
and other details like layer
effects are located in the
same folder and above the
layers they affect.
My coloring style is pretty
simple—I use the basic G
brush that comes default
with Clip Studio. My brush
choice for blending colors
depends on whether I
Final line art after cleanup, ready for final touches.
want texture or not. I often
switch between a default
watercolor brush and a free brush called
For the snow falling effects, I used the
Creamy SU. I used this brush to shade the
droplet brush that comes default in Clip
characters in this illustration—it has a soft
Studio. Using the brush, I make a few
texture.
strokes on a new layer, then enlarge them
FINAL ILLUSTRATION
In my final illustration, you can see I
switched off the line art layer for the
background mountains and blurred the
coloring layer a little bit. This effect helps
redirect the focus to the characters at the
front and adds depth to the landscape.
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21D R AW
so the strokes are much bigger and a little
blurry. I then add a little motion blur so the
snowflakes look like they are actually falling
(see finished illustration on the next page).
We’ve now covered all the steps I follow to
create full color illustrations. I hope these
tips and examples help you improve and
become more confident when you draw!
LEARN MORE ONLINE: 21-DRAW.COM
Learn and be inspired from LAIA LÓPEZ and other amazing artists in our online
art courses. VISIT WWW.21-DRAW.COM TO LEARN MORE!
D I G I TA L I L L U S T R AT I O N F O R B EG I N N E R S
67
4
ANATOMY FOR
COMIC ARTISTS
R ENÉ C ÓR DO VA
A N AT OM Y F OR C OMIC A R T I S T S
WITH RENÉ CÓRDOVA
I
n this chapter, I show you how to use the principles of
anatomy to draw stylized characters for use in comics,
video games, and illustrations. The lessons are designed
for artists of all levels interested in creating a wide variety
of character styles. Also included are my tips, examples,
and exercises to help you practice these techniques—
this is a lot of fun so let’s get started!
TAKING REFERENCE PHOTOS
It is easy to find reference images online and they can be
helpful. However, if you have a specific body pose in mind
there is nothing better than asking someone to model
for you. Posing a live model allows you to capture just the
right angle, emotion, and energy in your reference image.
You can ask friends and family to model, or they can take
photos of you in the poses you want to draw.
I like to have photo shoots outdoors in open spaces, such
as a park setting that has good lighting. This helps me to
clearly see the models and allows enough room to move
around. I ask models to try different poses by moving
slowly and holding each pose for a few seconds. This gives
me time to consider each pose and take random photos
that will be useful for anatomy and sketching studies.
When I see an engaging pose, I ask the model to hold
it for a little longer so I can take photos of the same
position from different angles. This is helpful back in the
studio as it allows me to draw from different viewpoints
and apply perspective. I am looking for dynamic poses
that have a lot of energy and movement because these
will create more interesting character designs.
Now that we’ve covered how to capture high quality
reference photos, I’ll show you how I use them to draw
stylized characters.
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Taking your own reference photos
can help you draw poses and
human anatomy correctly.
LESSON 1: DRAWING FROM REFERENCES
I work with a XP-Pen Tablet and Photoshop, but these lessons can
apply to traditional mediums. I start by sketching in color instead
of black, typically red or purple. The color allows my sketch to
become a guide at the clean lines step when I draw in black.
Referring to my reference often, I sketch in basic lines and shapes,
building, erasing, and refining as I draw. Choosing a second color
(red in example below), I add guidelines—center lines in the torso
and legs as well as block shapes to help with perspective. The red
arrows are areas where I check body position to be sure it aligns
correctly compared to the reference photo.
After my sketch is working well, I reduce layer opacity and create
a new layer above the sketch to draw clean lines in black. You
can see the lighter sketch layer underneath in the example
below. The sketch guides me while creating the clean lines.
PRO TIP:
I prefer to sketch using
red, green, or another
color that is not black
so I can easily tell my
sketch lines from the
black or inked lines.
Remember to use
different layers for
sketching and a new
layer above the sketch
to make your clean
dark pencil or ink lines.
FACE IN
PROFILE,
CENTER LINE
AT SIDE
REFERENCE PHOTO
SKETCH
CLEAN LINES
A N ATO M Y F O R C O M I C A R T I S T S
71
REFERENCE PHOTO
SKETCH
PRACTICING PERSPECTIVE
Another reason to take your own reference
photos is so you can choose poses to
practice specific or difficult skills. The
reference above has a strong upward angle
which helps me work on foreshortening.
I start by drawing lightly in color, using basic
geometric shapes. Then I refine the body
structure, erasing lines that are not working
and darkening those I want to keep. I add
a center line in red to guide me as I check
and revise the sketch. To better visualize
the perspective, I draw a small rectangle
next to the torso. Comparing my work to
the reference photo often makes a big
difference in the believability and quality of
the final character design.
The model’s arm and hand position in this
pose are helpful for practicing perspective.
Look at the way the hand wraps around the
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CLEAN LINES
volume of his waist and hip. I want to draw
the fingers wrapping in this area correctly,
so I revise my sketch several times until the
fingers are positioned properly. I compare
my sketch to the reference photo often
to be sure the perspective and anatomy
are working. This is essential to the
believability and function for even a very
stylized character design.
PRO TIP:
You don’t need to follow a reference
image exactly. As the designer, you
can adjust artwork for style and use.
If my character is intended for a
comic, I leave the line work lighter
which is helpful during colorizing.
I also emphasize certain lines like
the muscles, because I know this is
important to comic style.
LESSON 2: DRAWING HEADS
1. Similar to the body, I sketch heads using
basic shapes in a light color. Building up
the structure, I rework lines as I draw.
I also mark a center line in green to help
with perspective. For a masculine head,
I use angular lines and shapes.
2.
Once I’m happy with the sketch, I lower
layer opacity and make a layer above
the sketch. In this new layer, I draw
clean lines in black. I don’t follow the
sketch exactly as it is only a guide so I
MALE
can perfect lines while drawing in black.
I make some lines in the foreground
darker and thicker and add details,
including a hairline and eyebrows.
3. On another new layer, I paint shadows
and shading, which give volume and
depth to the facial shapes.
4 . In a separate layer above the rest and
using a different color (green), I try out
hairstyles to add personality.
1
LIGHT
COLOR
SKETCH
MARK
CENTER
LINE
SHADING TO
ADD VOLUME
2
ANGULAR
LINES AND
SHAPES
SKETCH
HAIRLINE
LOWER OPACITY ON SKETCH LAYER
3
4
NEW
COLOR FOR
HAIRSTYLE
MORE
LINES AND
DETAILS
USE A TEST
LAYER FOR HAIR
A N ATO M Y F O R C O M I C A R T I S T S
73
7
DRAWING
LANDSCAPES
P HIL IP S UE
DR AW ING L A ND S C A P E S
WITH PHILIP SUE
I
’m an illustrator and designer
from New Zealand, and I’ve been
creating art professionally for more
than seven years. My work for clients
includes cover art for music albums
and books, concept design, and visual
development, all providing me with a
wide range of experience.
Most of my designs are landscapes
and focus on creating environments.
Luckily, this is also what I’m most
passionate about. I feel more
connected and best able to express
myself through landscape design. You
could say creating in this way allows
me to stay true to myself and follow my
heart. I believe to maximize creativity,
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it’s important to stay true to
yourself, create what you love,
while at the same time giving
yourself room to explore.
In this chapter, I’ll show you
how to illustrate your own
environment-based scenes.
I’ve heard a lot of people
say they feel intimidated
by drawing landscapes. I’m
here to help break it down
for you and teach you how
easy drawing landscapes
can be. We will start with
simple steps, then build in
complexity as you become
more comfortable with the
process. In this way, you can
branch out as you become
more courageous and develop
your skills one step at a time.
D R AW I N G L A N D S C A P E S
149
IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN:
MATERIALS
• How to begin by creating a few rough
While creating this chapter, I used the
latest version of Adobe Photoshop and
a Wacom Cintiq display tablet with both
custom and default Photoshop brushes.
Please don’t worry about the software and
equipment you use. What I’m teaching
doesn’t rely on them.
composition sketches in greyscale. This
will help you develop an understanding
of shape and composition without
worrying too much about detail.
• Next, I show how to quickly apply color
using your greyscale sketches.
• After your basic colors are blocked in,
I demonstrate how to create various
lighting scenarios to add visual interest
to your basic landscapes.
• Then we will add atmosphere—a simple
but effective element to push your
landscapes to the next level.
• Once your main shapes and colors
are complete, we will review ideas for
populating scenes with smaller elements
such as grass, rocks, animals, etc.
• Finally, after all the hard work is done, it’s
time to clean up, define, and add details
to finalize your artwork.
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To draw I mainly use the Brush and Eraser
tools in layers along with Clipping Masks.
These days most types of drawing software
have similar tools and functions. I used a
non-display drawing tablet for many years
before transitioning to a display tablet. So
any tablet you have on hand will work.
I am also sharing with you my custom
Photoshop brush pack (see graphic below).
Be sure to download the brushes file from
the online version of this lesson (use the
QR code at the end of this chapter). The
main brush I use for this
tutorial is also the first
brush in my set (#80),
named: Hard Chalk.
LESSON 1: GREYSCALE COMPOSITION SKETCHES
Let’s start by setting up our canvas at a good size for sketching.
We want these initial sketches to be simple and quick, so we
don’t want the document size too large. This will help prevent
long file loading times that could slow us down. For sketching,
I typically have the widest side of my document around 2000
to 3000 pixels maximum.
Why is it so important to start by drawing composition
sketches in greyscale only? Since you’re likely new to drawing
environmental landscapes, I want to show how essential shapes
are to your composition and how to make them work well
together. Color can be a distraction at this stage, so for now we
will focus on just the core shapes in our designs. We won’t even
touch color until we have the core shapes well established.
Looking at the greyscale values chart at the right, we can see
different greys in a range from light to dark. This is essentially
how we will structure our environmental scene. The
foreground will be drawn using darker values (at the
bottom of the chart) while the background uses lighter
values (at the top of the chart).
GREYSCALE VALUES CHART
I will refer back to this value-based rule often—it is key
knowledge I still apply daily in my work. Basically the
closer an object is to us, the darker it is and the more
detail it will have, while the farther away the lighter an
object will be. Distant objects also look more washed
out and have fewer details. The more you practice
this rule in your landscape drawings, the easier it will
become until it is simply second nature.
CLIPPING MASKS AND PIXEL/ALPHA LOCKS
Next, I want to share with you a couple of the most
important tools I use during painting: the Clipping
Mask and Pixel Lock in Photoshop (Alpha Lock in
Procreate). These are very powerful tools to keep layers
organized and give you the option to rework and edit
artwork. What’s even more powerful is when they are
clipped or locked, they give us the ability to paint inside
blocked shapes. At right are screen grabs showing a
layer with a clipping mask applied.
CLIPPING MASK
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151
CLIPPING MASK
Start by creating a solid shape in a layer, then open
a new layer above it, right-click and select Clipping
Mask. Now when you paint in this new clipped layer,
everything you draw will be inside the clipped shape.
It’s magic and will help you keep elements and objects
tidy as you draw!
PIXEL OR ALPHA LOCK
This essentially gives you a similar outcome as using a
clipping mask, but it’s not as secure. Once you lock the
shape layer you can paint within the shape, but if you
come back later to edit the shape, you will be working
over your earlier drawing because everything is in the
same layer. The only time I use pixel lock is when I’m
certain I won’t need to come back to make any edits.
Now that I’ve shown you how to use these powerful
tools, feel free to explore and experiment with them.
While you’re creating elements, try to keep them
in separate layers to maximize the effectiveness of
clipping masks later on in the editing process.
THUMBNAIL SKETCHES
Now back to the drawing board!
This first step in our lesson is
intended to help inspire you to
experiment with shapes and
composition, so you can develop
an understanding of how to use
value in landscapes. At the same
time, this step is the most crucial
since you will build on these early
sketches in future lessons.
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PIXEL/ALPHA LOCK
PhilipSueArt.net
PHILIP SUE
Instagram.com/philipsue_art
ILLUSTRATOR
ENVIRONMENT DESIGNER
Patreon.com/philipsueart
P
hilip Sue is a designer by day,
and a freelance digital artist and
content creator by night. Even on
weekends, he prefers to stay home and
get creative on personal projects.
Philip didn’t take his art studies
seriously until he decided to merge
art with geology—one of his main
interests. Then he realized there was an
opportunity to turn his interest into a
career. Philip’s other activities connect
closely with his art—traveling, culture,
and history. These inspire and fuel his
creativity daily. A majority of Philip’s
artwork is conceptualized and finalized
digitally.
MEET THE ARTISTS
179
ERIK A WISEMAN
DIGITAL ARTIST
ILLUSTRATOR
ErikatheGoober.com
Instagram.com/erikathegoober
YouTube.com/c/erikathegoober
Behance.net/erikathegoober
E
rika Wiseman (aka erikathegoober) is
a freelance illustrator and character
designer living in the United States.
She loves drawing cute, colorful things
and experimenting with new drawing
techniques.
Erika began teaching herself to draw
digitally in 2008. Since then, she has
been working with a graphics tablet and
Photoshop as well as Procreate to create
her digital illustrations.
In 2017, she graduated from the University
of Louisville with a bachelor in fine arts
(with a concentration in drawing).
Erika made a name for
herself on Instagram,
which is the best place
to find her art! One of
her goals is to help and
inspire others along
their creative journey to
become the best artists
they can be.
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