BENEFITS OF EACH MEDIUM
TUTORIAL CHEAT SHEET //
ELEVATING YOUR SKETCH BY ADDING 01 // TRADITIONAL
COLOR
● It automatically has texture and personality.
● It has a handmade look and feel - especially if
TOOLS your image shows the edges of your
All of these can be swapped for cheaper alternatives! sketchbook and the tools you used.
➤ MOLESKINE & 2B MECHANICAL PENCIL ● The artwork tends to have a better sense of
I use these to create the sketches. scale and proportion.
➤ iPHONE 13 PRO & EPSON V550 PHOTO 02 // DIGITAL
I use these to digitize the sketch.
● It’s easy to add neat and clean color.
➤ PHOTOSHOP
I use this to add color. ● It’s easy to paint light values on a darker base
and have that stand out.
● There’s more possibilities for adding bright
KEY LESSONS glows and lighting effects.
● How to combine digital and traditional to get
the best of both worlds.
● How to clean up your traditional sketches TIPS // ELEVATING YOUR SKETCH
using digital software.
MAINTAIN BALANCE BETWEEN MEDIUMS
● How to add color digitally, using layer mode Each medium brings its own strengths to the table. Try
and color modification tools. to pick a well-developed sketch so that you don’t end
up painting over it later on.
BUILD UP YOUR COLORS & VALUES GRADUALLY
OTHER RESOURCES Take a step back if you’ve gone too far. This way, you
can get vibrance and color without killing the
➤ CREATING LIGHT & FLOWY SKETCHES personality of your original sketch.
This tutorial runs you through my full sketching
process. RENDER IN A WAY THAT HONORS YOUR SKETCH
For example: if you used cross-hatching in your sketch,
➤ MAKING SCANNED LINES TRANSPARENT try a similar way of painting your colors on top. This
This demo shows you how I use masks and levels to creates more consistency.
create transparent lines from a scanned image.
SECTION TIMECODE DESCRIPTION
INTRO 00:44 How I developed this workflow over time.
05:37 Other artists who use this technique in an appealing way.
BASICS 06:25 Benefits of this specific workflow
07:27 Benefits of traditional media
09:50 Benefits of digital media
DEMO 12:28 Full walkthrough of the workflow
39:49 Recap of the workflow
TIPS 40:44 Workflow tips
DEMO // STEPS
01 // DIGITIZE YOUR SKETCH | TIMECODE: 12:39
● Choose a sketch that is well developed, but could also benefit from an extra pass of color and detail.
● Bring it onto your computer by either:
○ Photographing it: You can use your smartphone or a camera.
○ Scanning it.
02 // CLEAN UP YOUR SCAN OR PHOTO DIGITALLY | TIMECODE: 19:52
● Desaturate your image to get rid of yellow or blue tints.
● Adjust the contrast with levels.
● Use the spot healing brush or clone brush to clean up any imperfections.
03 // ADD BASIC COLOR | TIMECODE: 29:10
● Add a new layer on top of the sketch and block in the basic silhouette.
● Experiment with layer modes to blend it in with the sketch below.
● Use color editing tools to modify the sketch.
04 // ELEVATE WITH EXTRA DETAIL | TIMECODE: 31:49
● Start painting on top of the image to push the detail further.
● Use overlay to add shimmering or iridescent color effects to your drawing.
