Asia Ladowska puts aside her ink pens and markers, and embraces the digital painting process of a soft and colourful manga character
For this workshop I’m painting a beautiful manga character. My go-to tools are usually traditional media. I’m most comfortable working with ink pens, pencils and markers, and so I’m learning a lot when I’m painting with digital tools.
I have no idea what the end result will look like, so I’ll make sure to share in this workshop every important step and my thinking process, as well as why I make certain decisions that affect the final appearance of the character.
While painting colour concepts and experimenting with different palettes in the sketching phase, I was listening to music and believe it or not, the final colours of this illustration were inspired by a song. I heard the line, “Day gives way to night” and that’s when the deep red and blue sparkled in my mind. If not for the song and the feedback from ImagineFX I’m sure the girl’s hair would have ended up being pastel pink and blue (like the hair of most of my characters that I’ve painted digitally). It’s exciting to experiment with colours that I’ve never used together before.
So, prepare to meet Sunset, a happy girl that’s winking at you from the cover of my favourite art magazine!
1 Generating concept sketches
The brief I receive is pretty straightforward, with a lot of freedom for experimenting. I start by sketching some close-up shots of a woman in her 20s, making sure she’s looking at the viewer and that she’s smiling. I always make the expression of the character I draw myself, so the sketching process has left me in a really good mood!
2 Apply colour tests to the chosen sketch concept
This story is from the April 2019 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2019 edition of ImagineFX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches
First Impressions
We discover the early influences that inspired the artist
ZBrush for iPad
GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant
BenQ GW2786TC
GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace
DRAGON OFORCEC
Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration
Erik Ly
Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing