"Ladybug" Color Sketch (Patreon)

    Color sketch for one of the first small pinup sketches I shared. I'm not doing much cleanup on these, since the point is to show the process, including the messy parts. 

     It actually took me a looonnng time to come to grips with the concept that artwork often goes through "ugly" stages on its way to its final form. I would do ultra tight sketches with every detail and nuance included, then try to keep all of it intact as I proceeded...which in most media is almost impossible. Painting, especially in something like watercolors, can get particularly chaotic-looking before it's tightened up and comes back around to what it was originally meant to be. I had to learn to trust the process--and myself--and not be such a control freak with my work.  These days I  actually find myself craving more spontaneity in the process, and get bored if I know exactly what the final outcome will be. Go figure.