Digital Painting Workflow - 5 Magical Steps from Sketch to Final Artwork
Digital art is a little bit of a mystery to those who haven't dipped their toes into digital painting software. In all honesty, before I started my own digital painting journey 5 years ago, I thought that digital art is super easy and inferior to traditional painting and drawing skills. Oh boy was I wrong. The videos I used to see of people painting digitally just made it look so easy, but once I bought the software Procreate that I saw everywhere I was quickly humbled. Whether you are a digital art fan who wants to start their own journey, a curious art collector or intrigued by digital art without AI, I hope you find some answers to your questions here.
I want to provide a little window in how I work digitally, so I have put this together for some insight. In the following text I’m sharing the five-step process behind how my whimsical, fantasy-inspired artwork comes to life - with pictures! I hope you enjoy this peek behind the curtain of my digital artwork world 🌙
1. References
Before anything hits the page, I check my collection of references which I have hoarded like a squirrel gathering nuts. For this I use the website Pinterest, as well as the things that have always inspired me most. I'm planning on making a more detailed post on that, for now, lets juts say I have always been inspired by semi-realistic or hyper realistic games and animations. Games with beautiful backgrounds and soundtracks such as Skyrim, Genshin Impact, Lost Ark, Assassins Creed, Far Cry and more.
These might be fairy tale images of gardens, forests, cottages, textures from various landscape elements including trees, rocks, pathways, magical lighting, or even color palettes from a misty morning. This step is all about building the atmosphere in my mind and letting my imagination run wild with ideas and possibilities.
2. Sketch
Even before I get a solid grasp on what I'd like to paint I start sketching. Digitally I prefer using brushes that mimic the texture of traditional pencils. I sketch in the larger objects first, settling on composition and trying out different ideas for back- and foregrounds. The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect — it just needs to capture the basic outline of the piece. When I work on commissioned pieces I offer multiple loose versions of varying compositions and angles which I then submit for feedback on the preferred option.
Rough sketch drafts with pencil-like brush in Procreate.
3. Colour Blocking
Here’s where the background, foreground and main objects take form. Guided by my sketch I fill in the various shapes with a harder brush on a new layer before I do any detailing or light. I keep in mind where the light sources will come in later, and choose my base colours and values.
Although from an outside point of view this step looks quite ugly- I have at this stage formed my vision and you might see me referring to this as "seeing the potential" of the piece. Although I couldn't tell you, with my best intentions and will, how the final piece will look. Every brushstroke, every colour and add on will from now on shape the outcome of the piece.
Basic colours blocked in with harder brushes (round and square).
4. Detailing
Arguably this part takes the longest but is the most magical. All my objects and basic colours are there, now it is all about bringing it to life. I go through every part of the painting, starting with the background or the main objects and detail every inch of it. It is so exciting to see it, truthfully, come to life.
I stick to traditionally inspired brushes for a more realistic and natural look and feel. I take great pride in the fact that every detail is hand painted - no shortcuts.
As much basic detail as possible added before final steps.
5. Final Light & Colour
After all basic details are in place, every tree has its texture, every pebble is in position, every leaf added - that is when the magic comes in. I usually add colour first, followed by light. To clarify, it's not as if i haven't added brighter and darker and more or less saturated shades and hues before. But in this part I am making use of blending mode layers that are part of digital painting software, which can add cool effects like shadows that are semi translucent AND more saturated. Without going into technical detail (which is what I thoroughly explain in my tutorials on Patreon), I choose to amplify certain colours and shadows for depth first, then selectively add soft light. It is all about balance and glow — adjusting contrast, layering lighting effects, and adding any final flourishes that tie it all together.
At the very end, I zoom fully out and add the final highlights and details such as some brighter leaves, maybe flowers, a few more shades of leaves or pebbles that are catching the light more than the others.
All the magic is added: light, colour and final details. These were all tutorials on Patreon and are available as PDF / written tutorials.
Art is alchemy - the skill of observation, imagination and execution combined.
Most pieces I create go through these five phases — with varying degrees of certainty on the outcome and always with thrill and passion. I hope that my excitement throughout these stages is contagious, and that you also see the potential of your own and/or other's paintings.
If you are hoping to gain insight into the world of digital painting, I hope this has explained a few things! Seeing it in action may be an even better teacher. On the other hand if you are on your own creative journey, I hope this gives you inspiration and encouragement to explore your own magical process ✨ I would like to recommend my tutorials on YouTube and Patreon, for a more thorough step by step tailored to each painting and reference that I (and my Patrons) have chosen in the past.