𝘙𝘈𝘋𝘐𝘖 !

AA it feels so weird being the one giving tutorials!!1! I'm still learning and definitely not a pro, so take this with a grain of salt and if I ruin your process ur allowed to fight me

First thing: find a reference. Im def not great at clothes or hair, so I’m focusing on the face. I get pose refs from anywhere, but the important part is finding a shading reference. I usually use JC Leyendecker’s work (LOOK HIM UP HE’S AMAZING). Just make sure the angle matches your pose (like how the face is turned and all that so the shadows match up). It's basically a cheat sheet for where shadows go!

I start with a super rough sketch just trying to get proportions right. Then I block in colors with the base tone first before adding the darkest shadows. Treat them like shapes! Imagine you dont know youre drawing a face, youre just drawing all these shapes.

OK I kinda pulled a “did some off camera mining” moment SORRYYY. Still just blocking in color here, nothing detailed except maybe the start of a beard. It looks more complex than it really is, but if you compare it to the shading ref, the color blobs add up!

My rule: DON’T ZOOM IN. Keep your brush the same size and don’t obsess over tiny details. Sadly, no one’s looking that hard, and zooming in just makes everything slower. I’m about 15 minutes in at this point, and the secret is resisting the urge to overwork it early on.

Zoom in and you’ll see it’s really just minimal detail, just colors slapped in the some spots. ALSO, try squinting at your drawing and the reference—it helps you spot the lightest and darkest areas way faster! All the lines I add are just super random and follow random curves of the face btw!

I really hope this is understandable!! If anyone has questions or needs a more detailed explanation, feel free to ask!! 1hr btw!