Thread:BloodyRosalia/@comment-25363089-20190810000800/@comment-25197246-20190810002810

Anatomy is still a challenge for me, to be frank. I think if you're trying to tackle a position you're unfamiliar with drawing (something that isn't sitting or standing, for example) then you would do well to find something to stare at while you're drawing it-- references and models! It's like drawing a meadow while looking through a window...except it's hands and feet, urp.

It's always good policy to be prepared to sketch over something multiple times to get the body parts/shapes right. I do get annoyed when I have to "chickenscratch" my way through a new pose since it's time consuming, but it's really the best way to learn-- you get better at drawing bodies over time.

Color palettes are another monster. I found my own algorithm to pick the colors to shade with, and you'll have to, too. My friend, who likes using pastels, recommended me this palette generator app that you may find handy. Personally, the rule is typically 1-2 main colors and 1-2 accent colors. Any more and you run the risk of creating rainbows in the design.

When it comes to shading and highlights, the one, good tip I can give you is never just pick a shade that is directly whiter/blacker than the color you're shading. Try to slide the hue bar just a fringe and find a shade/highlight from there. I try to shade red with purple, and highlight oranges using yellow, for example. You have to be consistent with the light source though-- if the light source is cool, you should be moving away from red, etc. Never use pure white or black to shade, it's a crime! I also avoid the super saturated colors unless you're finishing up a piece.

I also always talk a little about brushes when I give advice about shading. If you want something along the lines of what I've been doing, you'll want to learn how to use a lower opacity to make the shading smooth-- there are times where the shading has to be sharp though, so that's your job to decide.

You mentioned backgrounds too, yeah? Typically, if it's nature, you'll want to grab a pretty palette and work from there. Or, sometimes it's more convenient (but time consuming) to fill the background with some objects first-- just keep perspective in mind. After making so many comic pages I hands down agree that more objects makes background work a snap--- but drawing clouds and water is a very handy thing too, hence the need for a soft brush you're comfortable with!

Hope this blurb helped! Feel free to ask more if you have more questions.