This process is pretty simple, just sketch out something you like. I was inspired by Hyung Tae Kim’s character pose, so I drew him that way. Visualizing that he is outdoor, collecting some chakra in his palm, ready to strike.

Next I try to lay down some colors above the blue gradient. Thin washes allow the colors of the gradient and your selected colors to mix, thus you don’t end up putting colors that are out of place or too garrish. I’ve also quickmasked the character, so that I can color without spilling out of lines. Soft airbrush allow me to create quick gradients, thus I can envision the lights and shadows more easily.

Now I began to define the shapes more clearly by painting solid colors on top of the pencil. THIS IS BAD. Pencil marks are very hard to paint over, they are everywhere. It is just so much easier to hid them than painting over them. Just reduce the opacities if you need it as guidelines and WITHOUT THEM, paint the dark lines manually with paint.

Why? Because you’ll spent more time trying to cover pencil marks than actually painting. It’s like trying to scrub chocolate juice from a fabric sofa.

I learn this method from one of Don Seegmiller old books painting on top of the pencil. It is doable but seriously, not efficient and not recommended. You’ve been warned.

Here is just more detailing, and covering PENCIL MARKS. The colors are color picked from the original image. For highlights I just make it cooler and more desaturated, and warmer for shadows, adjusting it via the color options. Means that, if it is blue, the slider will be pushed very slightly towards red, and vice versa. Hair is done on seperate layer, always remember that.

Even more detailing. You’ve realized not much has changed right? No, much has changed, many pancil marks are actually gone. Yes, it takes that much effort to paint over it neatly, I am warning you again.

Almost done here, most of the pencil marks are gone. The necklaces? Screw it. I am not going to paint on top of it and spent my time scrubbing chocolate again.

I realized the colors looked quite “dead”. So I adjusted it warmer, added some lights from his back, and dodged his chest and face. Darkened the bottom part of his arm and dodged the wristband.

At this time, I was too tired to paint the background after all that pencil problems. So I just find a good photo of a cathedral and throw it in. adjusted the colors and blurred it.

And yup, I’ve used a lens flare for the chackra. Paint some particles and add a motion blur to it, and painted some dust/chakra particles in over lay and color dodge mode, then adjusting the opacities accordingly. WIth the power, I’ve also adjusted the light source of the character, I’ve added more bluish light to his face, chest and arm.

This is not a step by step tutorial, but I do sincerely hope it gives you some insight on how this image was made. And if there’s anything you learn, is that, you do not paint over pencil Marks. Thanks.