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hello mars!

i'd like to apologize for keeping your ask in my inbox for so long. truthfully, it's been some time since i've drawn, but i've kept your message throughout the years in my inbox to inspire & remind me to come back again soon. thank you for appreciating my dnd work especially! it's the type of work that i relate closest to, and i'm happy to know that is resonates with others as much as other work i've shared. it means the world!

for my current process, i use procreate + rusty nib brush packs for all my digital illustrations - but in the past, i used photoshop + kyle webster dry brushes! for color, i use any sort of textured watercolor wash (brush or image overlay) on a rendering mode over my flat colors to make them more dimensional! i often use the same brush i sketch with to line my work as well; pencil or bristle brushes tend to have more variety in texture, width, and opacity that add a lot of dimension to lines than a usual harder edged ink liner. lastly, i tend to duplicate the lineart after its finished, change the color to something like a saturated pink or teal, and set that cloned layer on a rendering mode like 'pin light' to make the whole thing "glow" - fun way to also add dimension!

thank you so much anon!!! you’re too sweet!!! in all honesty i’ve been staring at this message for a few months now wondering the most helpful way to answer this; and all i can come up with is to just grab inspiration from your fellow artists! take it!!! tastefully steal the way your favorite artists draw noses, or do compositions, or mix colors; artists grow their artstyles only by absorbing whats around them. keep photo albums and folders filled with art that inspires you, study it, and make what you love about it your own! and along the way, youll find a technique that hits that gong in your head that says “that’s it! i like that! i’m gonna do that again!!!”

of course, i have to clarify to those who might take this the wrong way: never just steal artwork and change it slightly; HEAVY referencing should only be used in personal studies (like sketching the way an artist draws a pose in order to understand what strokes they made to get to the final product) and shouldn’t be the foundation of your all the art you make!

with that being said, have fun yoinking and interpreting things you find cool!!! i give you full permission to study/reference aspects of my own art if you wish as well!!!