
I’m not sure about this Melanie design but it’s a first attempt. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m not sure about this Melanie design but it’s a first attempt. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
your storyboards (i'm not sure if they count as boards but i couldnt think of anything else) are a big inspiration to me!! every time i see them they motivate me to practice composition! if it's not so much to ask, how does your thought and actually drawing process go? one of the problems i face is that i get kinda overwhelmed when i want to put out a piece that rendered
Hi! Thank you so much! I’m so glad my stuff inspires you! I dunno if I have a very good process because I’m still learning too, but I can do a little breakdown of how I think when I do a finished piece.
1. Thumbnail/layout sketch

So I’ll usually do a couple of different versions of a basic layout like this to get an idea of approximately where the characters will go, what the perspective will be, and a really basic idea of the lighting situation.
2. Slightly more refined sketch

Next I’ll try to nail down the specifics of the drawing. Getting into character poses and basic background info. Also trying to make sure my perspective is right at this rough stage before I get into doing lineart.
3. Lineart and tone

Clean it up and differentiate between my foreground, mid-ground, and background with basic tones to indicate depth.
4. Local values and simple shadows

I do a pass of doing local tones (colouring black hair and coat a darker tone than light skin, etc) on the stuff that needs it, then I put in some basic shadows to indicate my light source (the lamp).
5. Refining

Honestly, from there, I just kind of mess around with different textures and lighting to make the image more interesting. I used a grain brush to add some texture to the light, added some highlights and dust motes, and messed around with some layer effects to get to the final on this one. I’m not a good painter so I don’t really render much beyond this point.
I totally get what you mean when you say you get overwhelmed trying to do finished pieces, but I think as long as you break your image down into manageable steps and just be patient working through each one, it makes it way less intimidating.
I hope this was helpful and not a complete mess :’’’’)

Inhale, exhale.
hi i was looking through ur blog and honestly your art style is so delightful and dynamic, have a great day :')
Aaaaaa wow thank you! I’m having a rough week and reading this was really nice! 🥺🙏