SanPenguino

Good Morning! - Behind the Scenes

Added 2021-03-23 06:43:02 +0000 UTC

The initial stages of the pinup:

The rough tablet sketch, which is done in bright blue so the final lines will contrast with it. at this stage she still has both eyes open. Some fine detail is just blocked in, like the finger and toes. Before this stage I usually draw an "armature" of sorts to very roughly map out proportions and limb positions. This mostly gets erased along the way; the lines indicating the contours of her face remain from this stage.

Lines - some changes are done along the way; she now has one eye closed and messier hair. She did just get up, after all. also, her arm looked slightly long, so it's been corrected. The line colors are based on the colors I'll be using for the final shapes, but much darker; if this was a digital "painting" they would ultimately blend away, as is they are still here, but let the colors pop more. The sketch lines are at 50% in the background for reference.

Flat colors - the first stage of coloring, completed. Miyuki's palette always starts with these same colors, and then is adjusted for lighting, etc., so I have a "baseline" to work with. I've used her "no makeup" colors for lips and nails which makes sense if she's just got up, but also looks a bit softer overall, which is the mood I'm going for.

Regarding the final - The wall needed something, and what's more Miyuki than swords? I'd already done the weapons on her wall for her all-purpose reference page, so here they are again. I did the shading shadows first, then highlights - indirect, ambient light will leave a little bit of highlight at the edge of curved objects, even when direct light is coming the other way. lately I've been using a sharp, bright, glistening highlight as the final touch, and I actually just forgot it here, but honestly it works better without. The glisten is great for active bodies, this is a lazy morning right here.