Step-by-Step No. 1

This is a painting I've returned to three times, and each time I've painted it differently. There's just something about it that won't let go of me. I can already feel it calling to me, willing me to return a fourth time and paint it again. I suspect I shall succumb to this particular siren's call. Hey, what can I say? I'm only a weak fleshling.

So, to the painting in question. This is the first version from somewhere back in 2005. Notice the almost total lack of digital tampering. This is what most of my stuff looked like back then...In my n00b years. I hadn't yet procured my trusty Wacom Intuos 3, nor did I have Photoshop at that time. Also, I was in love with the Smudge-tool.

Couldn't draw feet properly, so I just gave her paws instead.
I do that, A LOT.

In 2008 I returned to the drawing and re-did it in my style at the time. Obviously, I was a big fan of purple back then. The painting is basically the same as the original drawing, with some minor alterations to the buildings in the background. her hair and wings. The pose, the dress, the clouds are all the same. The major difference is, of course, the palette and the amount of digital work put in it. As far as I recall, this was one hundred per cent Photoshop.

Still couldn't get the feet right.

Then in 2010 I re-returned. Mainly because of a contest at Deviantart, where you were supposed to re-do the first submission to your gallery. This was mine. But I'd been itchin' to go back to it for awhile, so the contest suited me fine. Didn't win, though. Didn't even place. You get used to that after a while. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone out there who's better than you.

The third time I decided to start completely from scratch, and only use the original as an inspiration for the new painting. The basic idea and composition is still very much the same.

Initial sketch! I like to use blue on a darker background for this.
All my digital sketches look more or less like this.

Blocking in basic colours. I keep everything
relatively loose at this stage, as I might change my mind
and scrap the palette.

Shading, yay! One of my favourite things with a painting;
seeing how things gain a shape, simply by adding lighter and darker colours
here and there.

The dress is starting to come along.
Can't have her running around naked!

And now the dress isn't seethrough anymore either!
But those white eyes are creepy...

You might have noticed by now, my shadows are quite colourful.
I never use just a darker version of the midtone (or gods forbid! grey or black) to shade, not after having
been taught better by the likes of Martha Dhalig and Lauren K. Cannon.

And voila, done! I kept most of the clouds
and colour scheme from the original drawing,
because I felt it worked, and because I love pink, fluffy clouds.

The original inspiration for this painting was the new Peter Pan movie, and a perfume commercial, I think. Stay tuned for version 4!


  -Tattersail, signing off.