bringing everything together

Discover how Laura developed the character of Anneli, Beguiled Demon, from Legend of the Cryptids

1 Capturing the basic pose

In general, I don’t make very detailed sketches; instead, they’re rather cartoony. I change my mind a lot during the painting process and resize or move things around, so precise line work isn’t for me. At this point I only care about finding a basic pose and blocking in some shapes and colours.

2 Detailing the face

Ideally, one should work on all aspects of an image at the same time, but I often get carried away and forget to look elsewhere, so parts of the image are always more polished than others. Almost invariably, I start with the face and don’t move on until it’s almost completely done.

3 Polishing the scene

After completing the character, the background is the last element to be tackled, but I make sure it’s at least partially rendered first, to avoid inconsistencies. Finishing touches are applied in adjustments layers, usually for improved contrast or colour balance. Overlay layers add depth and subtle details, such as dust particles.