Step-by-step: Compose a character in perspective

1 I lay out the perspective grid by distorting two sets of parallel lines to make a twopoint perspective. Key to this is the set of blue lines that converge to a vanishing point below the canvas. I could have done away with the red (Z-axis) lines, but they would be helpful in determining the regularity and the lines of the stair edges. I then draw the banisters. 2 I render the background first because it will affect the lighting of the character later. The lower flight of stairs is intentionally blurred out, as if the camera lens of the scene has a shallow depth of field. The figure is constructed using simple blocky shapes, just to roughly establish the proportions and foreshortening in this top- down view. 3 I detail the character while correcting the flaws of the previous rough. I favour thinner lines during this stage, because it becomes useful during the colour blocking stage to know where the edge of each colour block is. I use Layer Masking to hide parts blocked by the banisters, which enables me to move the figure without redrawing anything. 4 I didn’t separate the colour blocks, so that the colour transition from one area to the next is more natural looking. I use a broad Airbrush and lay down the shadows and highlights. (Alternatively you can use a subtle Dodge or Multiply brush setting.) You can render closer focal objects like the face in more detail than objects further away.