Snow Sissy - Process

1. I started with a very rough thumbnail sketch, just to get the concept and general layout down.

2. Next I did a more formal sketch, working out the layout, poses, and proportions.

3. For the final sketch, I worked out all the details of the clothing, hair, and props.

4. Inking. I use a variable-width inking brush for the character and a constant-width brush for hard things on vector layers. I used my own ribbon brush for the fur. I use lots of different layers for different parts, which makes it easier to overdraw and erase as needed. I also went ahead of inked the shape for the eyelashes because the brush stablization in Manga Studio makes it a lot easier than doing it in Photoshop later. I exported the inking for the characters and eyelashes on separate layers.

5. 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. I like to do all my color blocking by making a folder and then filling it with different solid color layers for each section of color, whch makes it easy to change a color later. This is a very fussy way to do it and it's probably much simpler to just fill a single raster layer with flat colors.

6. Form shading. I create a dark blue solid color layer (linear burn) and start painting in the basic form shading with a soft airbrush. For the hair, I used color burn for richer shading and I used a variable-width soft airbrush to smudge detail into the shadows, picking up the shape of the hairs. For the fur, I blob in very rough, sketchy, soft shading with lots of variation in brighter parts, then use a smudge tool to create all the individual tufts, always drawn towards the outer edge, always working starting from the outer edge first so that tufts in the middle come last.

7. Cast shadows. I make a new dark blue 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.

8. Backlight. I used two desaturate solid color layers (screen blend mode) painted with a soft airbrush. When I combine it with the form shading, backlighting really makes the characters pop. I don't use any backlight on non-reflective objects.

9. Shiny. I used a solid white layer for the primary shine and painted spots and streaks using a hard variable-width brush. After painting all the shine, I use the cast shadow layer to make a selection and delete the shine from anywhere covered by shadow. For the shine on the hair, I started with thin strokes with a variable-width brush, then use a smude tool to add detail and softness to the tips, then use an airbrush to add a soft glow to groups of streaks, then use an airbrush to fade the tops and bottoms of streak groups, and finally use a soft round brush to erase a few streaks in the middle of each group.

10. To give the snow a little crystal sparkle, I used a fleck scatter brush, mixing white and the blue backlight color around the edges.

11. For the blush, I add in a light red layer, airbrushing just on the same area as the skin for the cheeks and other cheeks. I use the same method to add color for the eyeshadow.

12. 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. I like to keep using black lines (or very close to black) on the hardest objects to give it a contrast with softer objects.

13. Eyelashes are done with a folder containing a solid grey layer and a solid black layer. Using the lashes I made earlier with a variable width brush, I add a few thin streaks on the grey layer mask to add depth to the lashes and soften the look with a few strokes of a soft airbrush.

14. For the tears, I used a white layer with the fill turned down just a little and add a layer effect with white inner glow set to 100%. Then I use the mask to soften the edge where it touches the skin. After, I add a new white layer to paint in the shiny highlights. I also added a little extra, soft shine to the surfaces of the tongues to make them look extra wet.

15. For the steaming breath, I added a new white layer and gently brushed some steam with my cloud brush. For the sissy, I carefully erased the steam from in front of the scarf to make the character feel more tightly contained and wrapped up.

16. I added a simple white gradient to the background, matching the pure white of the snow on the ground. I also added a white noise pattern for snow, then used a few of my snowflake brushes to add a few detailed snowflakes.

17. For panel separation, I used a pure white rectangle, matching the pure white of the snow.

18. I added a white vector layer with a stroke layer effect to draw the word balloons and added some simple text, using distortion on some of the text for a dynamic feel.