Art process: how to manifest a glitter demon

A quick process video to explain how I draw using Procreate. I draw on the iPad the way I draw without an iPad, (minus the mess and with the indulgence of ‘undo’). I approach digital art in the same way I would traditional. I’ve had to tweak and adjust my process due to the tools I am using. I begin with a sketch layer, getting the concept and composition down using a soft brush (which I generally smudge into the image or delete at a later date). I am in the habit of choosing two contrasting colours as an initial starting point. Then I work on building up layers of dark and light, the smudging and blending help bridge the two values and create the ‘inbetween’ shades. Once happy with a layer, I merge it down into the main colour layer and work on blending the two. Texture is my final focus, to add interest and depth. I’m most comfortable implementing the default spray can brushes, they are a predictable steady flow line and great for blending.

Procreate timelapse

Fancy and decorative brushes are tempting to chuck on in full force (especially when they are so fabulously glitz). But I’ve found too much of a good thing can steer the image away from the organic and traditional flavour I’m trying to achieve. I’m conscious that certain pattern brushes are too uniform to use lazily, and so it’s often an interesting push and pull of experimentation. My solution so far is to use a few different brush sizes, transparencies and even stroke angles to achieve a more ‘natural’ application of the sexy textures. And to again smudge and blend where there would naturally be more shadow. I have a feeling I use Procreate on the iPad in a very old school and possibly clumsy way…..But for me the process of drawing traditionally is where the joy is. And so I try not to take away from that experience too much. What is great, is the infinite possibilities I am offered having drawn up an image digitally. I can manipulate it in a million different ways, animate it, duplicate it, play with the colour values and so on…..I don’t know if this in interesting to anyone, but I am fascinated by the different methods artists utilise in their making process.

How I make stuff