The Prince Arrives - Step by step breakdown
Added 2025-06-02 20:33:39 +0000 UTCI was going through my old files trying to find something interesting to post when I came across this series of WIP snapshots I had made while drawing "The Prince Arrives". So here's a breakdown of what's happening in each picture:
First we have my initial sketch, which in the snapshot I've already started drawing my lineart onto. I began by doing solely the anatomy of the character without any of his equipment. I did this intentionally so I could easily produce a version with and without his gear.
Next, after tracing the lineart of the body, I began sketching the equipment...
...which was finalized with lineart in the following frame.
Thereafter, I added basic color layers. I begin by filling the entire character with a single color that can act as a mask (a boundry) for where subsequent layers are allowed to exist. This way, I only have to be careful about coloring inside the lines once. In this case, the base color layer is green. Every other color is its own layer too.
Next I add basic shading. Normally I paint my shading, but here I decided to do something more cartoony. I began by applying a gradient to every color layer , and then filled in extra shadows with a soft brush
Finally, I added highlights, such as gleaming armor, and added the background
