Tripped - Process (Patreon)

1. In Manga Studio, I start with a very rough sketch with big fat pencils. The fat pencils force me to keep the sketch loose without getting too caught up in the details. I started with just the basic naked figures, a general sense of the shape of the hair and clothes, and a rough sketch of the props.

2. Final sketch. Now I go back and do a more detailed sketch, working out the clothing, hair, and props.

3. Inking. I use a variable-width inking brush for the characters and a constant-width brush for hard things (the teacups, etc) on vector layers. I use lots of different layers for different parts, which makes it easier to overdraw and erase as needed.

4. In Photoshop, I convert the imported lines to a folder with a mask and put a solid black layer in the folder. (CTRL-click RGB in the Channels tab, invert the selection, create a mask from the selection.) This will come in handy later when I color the linework. Then I create another folder and start creating the basic color blocking.

5. Form shading. I create a dark brown solid color layer (linear burn) and start painting in the basic form shading with a soft airbrush. Except for the hair, which gets its own dark brown layer but with linear burn blending for more richness. I also use a smudge tool on the hair and various creases in clothing and skin to create detail.

6. Backlight. A desaturate pale blue solid color layer (screen). When I combined it with the form shading, backlighting really makes the characters pop. I used both a soft brush and a soft airbrush. When it's done right, it should look like real lighting from a different angle. And again, smudge the edge of creases and hairs.

7. Cast shadows. I make a new dark brown layer set to multiply and start painting in the cast shadows with soft brush, using a smaller brush in places where the object casting the shadow is closer to the thing the shadow is on. It's important to follow the curvature of the surface the shadow is falling on as this helps to empasize its shape. I added a gradient on the backdrop matching the shadows to suggest a vague horizon line.

8. Put them together and it's looking good!

9. Shiny. Now add in the shinies. I used a solid white layer at for basic shine on lips, another solid white for shine in the eyes, and solid white set to overlay (which makes a richer shine) for the hair shine. Painting the hairshine, I use a variable width sharp brush, then go over it with an airbrush to give it a little glow. Then I use a very thin airbrush to delete some thin streaks in the middle of the highlights. Finally, I use the cast shadows to make a selection and use that to delete the parts of the highlights which are in shadow.

10. To give the sugar cubes a little texture, I add a grey layer, apply a gaussian noise filter, mask it to match the sugar cubes, then set the blend to overlay and lower the opacity.

11. Colored linework. Going back to the linework folder, I started adding new solid color layers, using the mask to paint the color of the linework. Since the new layers are inside a folder with a mask defining the linework, I don't have to be very precise when coloring the lines. I always add new color layers below the ones I already did so that I can be sloppy in the areas that are already covered by colored linework.

12. Eyelashes are done with a folder containing a solid grey layer and a solid black layer. I use a variable width brush to paint in lashes on the folder mask. Then I paint in a few thin streaks on the grey layer mask to add depth to the lashes. Then I add a layer above the grey matching the color of the hair and use that to color the lashes as linework in the portion of the lashes covered by the bangs.

13. For the spilled tea, I used a brown layer with the fill turned down and add a layer effect with dark brown inner glow set to 100% and multiply. Then I use a variable width brush in the mask to paint in the shape of the spilled tea. After, I add a new white layer to paint in the shiny highlights on the tea. Then I add a mask to my folder and erase the tea where it is hidden behind other objects.

14. For the blush, I add in a light red layer, airbrushing just on the same area as the skin for the joints and face. I use the same technique for the eyeshadow.