Long-Term Contract - Process

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.

2. Next I create the chain-link fence pattern and use mesh distortion to strecth it out where the maid will be grabbing the fence.

3. Final sketch. Now I go back and do a more detailed sketch, working out the the body, clothing, and backdrop.

4. Inking. I use a variable-width inking brush for the characters and a constant-width brush for hard things (the buckles, etc) on vector layers. 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 inks in two layers (characters and backdrop).

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 also imported the fence pattern because I'll need it from the beginning to know where the shadows will be.

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. Except for the hair, which gets its own dark brown layer but with linear burn blending for more richness.

7. Backlight. A very desaturate pale blue, almost white, solid color layer (screen). When I combined it with the form shading, backlighting really makes the characters pop. I used both a soft brush (for the shiniest parts like the buckle and lips) and a soft airbrush (for everything else). I don't use any backlight on non-reflective objects like the flowers and border. When it's done right, it should look like real lighting from a different angle. I also made a second white forelight to make the latex extra shiny.

8. Cast shadows. I make a new dark purple 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.

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

10. Shiny. I used a solid white layer and a variable-width hard brush to put the primary shine and a second blue layer for secondary shine on the latex for an extra slick look. Then I used a soft airbrush to add a soft glow to the shine on the black latex.

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 technique 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.

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. Grass. I added a dark, desaturate green gradient to the backdrop so that it fades from solid black in the distance to green closer to the fence. I made a simple grass brush by drawing a single blade of grass that fades out at the bottom, then making it base size on pen pressure with lots of scatter, a high count, and a small amount of jitter for angle and opacity. Then I used the grass brush in a white layer set to overlay to give the grass texture.

15. I added a little glow o the windows on the mansion by simply copying the shape of the windows, filling with the same yellow color, and applying a gaussian blur.

16. For the starfield, I made a small grey rectangle and applied the Add Noise filter then adjusted the curves to push the contrast until they were fewer bright points. Then I sized it up to fill the sky and used my cloud brush on top of it to create more variation. Then I added a few brighter stars with my sparkle brush. Then I added two gradients to the sky, one to make it darker at the top and a round one to add some pale yellow glow around the house for diffused lighting.

17. Then I turned the fence back on.

18. Finally, I added the simple sign in the foreground and added a little grunge texture to it because you always need a little texture in any large flat surface to make it look more real.