Working in Photoshop, I added a layer above my sketch. I selected a large brush with opacity and flow set to 60%. On the new layer, I painted roughly over the whole canvas a base colour that would also serve as the ground color.
Next I copied the sketch and put it on a new layer above the base colour. While I’m working, I paint on layers over the original sketch. I keep this sketch copy above the painting layers and use it to check and make sure everything is where it should be. I usually turn the visibility of this layer off except to make periodic checks.
OK, on to painting. I painted the sky lighter at bottom and darker toward the top. Now I could think of the base colour as being the ground.
Then on a new layer, I started to colour in the sketch like I was colouring in a colouring-book. Flat colour, filling in shapes.
Then I checked to make sure all my shapes are in the right place by turning on the sketch copy layer. I could also see where to go next. The sketch is like a map.
I decided to start giving some depth to the picture by painting the ground. At this point, it was necessary to make lighting choices. This scene takes place at night and although the moon is out, Titania and Bottom are deep in the dark woods so the moon doesn’t provide the light. One of the challenges of this illustration was to clearly represent the characters in the darkness of night. I also wanted Titania and Bottom to be of central importance in the illustration (rather than the moon or anything else). I decided to light the two figures with a soft spotlight. So, there’s a bright spot around the figures and the ground becomes darker as it recedes into the distance.
With the direction of lighting established (the light is coming from above and to the left), it was time to start painting shadows on the forms of the figures. I began with the skin of the fairies. Keeping it simple, I focused on 3 areas: highlight, mid-tone, and shadow. The base colour of skin that I had already painted served as the mid-tone. So, I painted the shadows and highlights with the light source always in mind. I also painted to fairies’ hair.
I moved on to clothing next: the fairies’ leaf clothing and Bottom’s wrinkly jeans.
In the next post: more painting.