Here I share with you some of the steps of my art process that I hope you'll find helpful in creating your own artwork.
This is my illustration 'Man Crying' (seen below).
It can be hard to know where to start when you first decide you want to make art. I am no expert but I have been making art since I could hold a pencil, which is crazy to think as that's probably over 20 years now.
I have had a couple of art lessons over the years but am mostly self-taught and so thought I would help you to skip some of the mistakes I've made to get you to your art goals quickly!
Having said this, practical tips are important, but I think motivation, inspiration and perseverance are all key to progressing your art too - and a lot of self-compassion when things don't go as planned. Let's bare these in mind as we begin our first step.
Step #1
The first step I always take is to get all my materials set up where I'll need them so I can stay focused and not keep getting up to get supplies. For this piece I used a 5B pencil, a Ohuhu Marker Pad, Ohuhu Alcohol Marker Pens, a white gel pen, an eraser and a black fine liner pen. I also find references for most of my illustrations to ensure the proportions and details of the figure are as accurate as possible.
Once these were in place I could begin sketching.
I began sketching the face lightly in the centre of the page using the 5B pencil. I ensured the reference I used was in front of me and the sketchbook also in an upright position whilst drawing, as drawing on the tables surface can often skew perspective and distort your design.
Step #2
Next I drew the hair of the character. I found another reference for this part. It is best to use multiple references for any one art piece to make the design your own as we don't want anyone else's work being stolen.
Whilst sketching it is okay to keep an eraser to hand . I always thought if you used an eraser in your art process it was a sign of failure, but now I've come to realise it's vital to creating the best art you can. Tweaking your work and realising where things need to be corrected is the key to improvement!
Hair can be quite difficult to draw but I find the best way is not to try to capture individual strands but instead the basic overall shape of the hair. Later in the colouring stage of the process smaller details can be added to create the illusion of more depth and texture here.
Step #3
Now that the basic sketch is complete we can move on to colouring.
This is where I began to lay down larger blocks of colour for the skin tones. I begin with the warmer tones of the skin and mark out the shadows, but not with a colour that is too dark for now.I used the thick end of the double sided Alcohol Marker Pens for this stage, but other materials such as paint will work just as well.
I tend to start with the face as this is my favourite part of the illustration and it is usually behind the hair in the image which may fall over the face in the foreground.
Step #4
I add a blue/ black colour to the darkest parts of the portrait to emphasise the depth within the face and the shadows cast across it - this time using the smaller end of the marker pen too for the more detailed areas such as the eyes.
At this point I may re-work any parts of the skin I feel need more colours adding or more detail so that I am really happy with how it looks.
Once the face felt right I put down the base colour for the hair. It is important to think about your colour palette before you start your art piece, but this may change as the design comes together.
Step #5
I use the same method to create layers and depth in the hair as I did with the skin tones, however the hair can be much more textured that the smooth skin so it doesn't require as much blending.
Remember to refer back to your reference as well.
Tip #5 - Finish strong
The portrait is really coming together; all that's needed are the background and the finishing touches now.
For this portrait I decided to add some colourful clouds to frame the face and a grey backdrop for a moody feel. To make the clouds pop I added some white gel pen around the edges, and using the same gel pen I marked highlights onto the shiny parts of the characters face and added a tear drop to their eye. Lastly, I used a black fine-liner to add eyelashes.
And that is the illustration complete!
Don’t Forget to Add a Closing Statement
I hope you found this simple step-by-step drawing guide helpful - if you did you can let me know by leaving a comment below and if you like the illustration I created you can buy an A4 art print of it here.
As I said before, perseverance with art is key as it takes time to improve. Practice is progress and you can do what you put your mind to.
If you need some inspiration to start making art, some things that have really helped me are reading books by my favourite artists such as 'Wayfinder: The Art of Gretel Lusky' and 'The Art Journey of Lord Gris', and following artists I find on social media that are on the same creative path. You can always find me at emilieharmony.art on Instagram to go on the journey with me too.
Many thanks,
Emilie x
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