A Constantly Improving Process
I started to seriously get into digital art when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hit the US, and made it harder to get the materials for classical drawings and paintings. At the time, I made few finished pieces using the little knowledge I had on digital content creation. Recently I decided to go back and redraw one of those original pieces.
Starting From the Basics
Art isn't made in a vacuum, and it shouldn't start in one either.
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Before even laying a pen to the page, I lay the groundwork by collecting and identifying design goals, themes, and references.
Iterative Designs
You never do it right on the first try, and its important to accept that the first idea isn't always the best one.
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Don't get tied down to a single design, and try out any idea that comes. If it doesn't work, you can always erase it, or load a past save.
Start by Working Smart
It is easy to get bogged down by finishing every little detail in a design and stray line.
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Get the largest strokes done first, as they are the easiest to redo if you decide to make large changes.
Understanding the 90%
The saying "90% is the half way point" holds true here as well, as post processing takes a huge amount of time, and if not done can completely change the feel of an image.
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Once all of the large shapes are in place and I feel happy with them, I start developing them. Often its at this point when a 10-20 layer file turns into a 100-200 layer file.
A Good Foundation
Compiling ideas is the first step to a good design. Compiling designs that have the elements of what you want to make helps you to not reinvent the wheel, and can make for a great guide when encountering problems.