Illustrations
So today I thought I would give you all an idea what goes into the illustrations for the Multiversal core rulebook. Keep in mind that there will be a single large full color illustration at the beginning of the chapter, in addition to a full color cover AND many B&W illustrations. To show the process I am using the most recent completed illustration, though it is not, of course, the full image.
The first thing I did was a traditional sketch with paper and pencil. I used a large sheet of sketch paper, about 50cm across, and used reference pictures for each of the primary elements.
After that I take a picture of it with my DSLR (it is too big for my scanner) and import it into Adobe PS. I then make TWO different layers. The first layer, which is just over the original sketch, is a simple white background. This allows me to have a clear idea of how things look as I progress. The second new layer, on top of the white one, is for my character outline. I generally do the outline in pieces, making and combining layers so that I can line "through" top elements for smooth limbs, etc. which I can then erase easily before I combine the layers together. When I'm finished with the full character outline, I make sure that all of it is saved onto a single layer. At this point, I have three layers, top to bottom: Character Outline White Original Sketch
After this I make another set of layers and repeat the process for the background lineart. However, one important thing to note is that I actually make sure that the background lineart is behind the character lineart.
At this point I now have four layers, top to bottom: Character Outline
Background Outline White Sketch
The next thing is to add color. First I have to decide on my color pallette. That is sometimes simple, and sometimes difficult. For this peice it was easy. I wanted dark grays for the Ninja and red and tans for the building behind. Then I have to "paint" it. That means two more layers. First I create a layer for the Character color. Then I use my magic select tool and select inside each lineart area on the outline layer. THen I expand my selection just a tad so that It is extending under the lineart (this fills any "empty" pixels) and fill it in on the new color layer. When I'm finished with the character, I do the same thing on another layer for the background color. At this point I have six layers, top to bottom:
Character Outline Character Color
Background Outline Background Color White Original Sketch
The next part is actually the hardest and most time consuming. That is where I add any shading and highlights. I use a soft-cell shading that suits the anime/manga style I adopted for the illustrations. This is where I really start to have layers. I start by selecting a single color from the character colo layer. Also, I always start with the face and eyes, because for me that is where the main expression comes from. First I select the color. Then, I do a simple copy/paste. this makes a new layer with just that bit of color. I lock the pixels so that I can't bleed off it, and make another color pallette with a highlight and shadow shades chosen from the main color. After that I use a small brush and paint where the shadow would be, based on the lighting, and then where the highlights would be. This is a time consuming process because I am constantly going back and forth between the three shades. The last thing I do with any particular section is to make a pass over it with my blur tool. This softens the lines between the original color, the highlight, and the shadow. I do this for EACH of the sections and colors in the image, and I leave them as individual layers instead of compositing them into a single layer. That is important, because when I finish the step, I have to go back over and make sure they didn't bleed over (and correct what little bleed there was, since there always is a little). All of these layers are on top of the original color layer, but below the outline layer, and by the time I'm done I have too many to list easily. However, there is one more thing I have to do. I add one more layer, and on this last laer I draw the character's actual shadow against the background. That is important, because it is the shadow that makes a character feel like it is part of the actual image, and not just one image on top of another. however, the finished product, when all is said and done, is worth it.