Baby Face
I created this image in SketchClub using shapes and a pen,, and also a brush for modeling the face. Then I used iColorama to really make it pop.
I opened a blank canvas in SketchClub. I used the Vector tool to create a shape for a face. On a new layer above that layer, I used the Vector tool to create a shape for hair. On another new layer just above the face shape layer, I used the Vector tool to create a shape for a shirt. On another new layer just above the shirt shape layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for stripes on her shirt. On another new layer just below the shirt layers, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her arms. Then on another new layer just below the arms layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for the insides of her sleeves, just visible at the end of the sleeves. On a new layer above the other layers, I used a pen to draw some outlines, and I used the Circle tool (available under the “squiggle” icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen) to crate buttons on her shirt. Then on the bottom-most layer, I used Color-Fill to fill the layer with a sage green background color.
On a new layer just above the hair shape layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her curls. I used the gradient switch in the Vector tool settings and I used a brighter shade of the same color as the hair shape.
On a new layer just above the face shape layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for the whites of her eyes. On a new layer above that, I used the Vector tool to create shapes to form her ear.
On a new layer above the layer with the whites of the eyes, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her irises.
On the layer with her irises (I meant to put these on a new layer but neglected to do so), I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her pupils, and I used a pen to draw outlines of her eyes and a black edge around her irises, as well as a white reflection in each eye. Then on a new layer above all the other layers, I used a pen to draw some more outlines.
On the same layer as her irises etc., I used a very small soft round brush to paint red and grey along the inner borders of her eyes. I used the eraser to get rid of any color that spilled outside the border. Then on a new layer above all the eyes layers, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her eyebrows, in a darker shade of her hair color.
On a new layer above the face shape layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows on her face. On a new layer above that, I used a pen to draw two nostrils, and I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her mouth. I used a small soft round brush to shade and highlight her mouth, and I used a pen to draw a darker line separating the two lips.
Continuing to work on the face shadow layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows to define her nose and philtrum. I used a soft round white brush to paint highlights on the tip of her nose and on her philtrum.
On a new layer just above the other hair layers, I used a pen to draw highlights and shadows in her curls.
On a new layer just below the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint soft glowing light yellow highlights onto her curls.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint highlights along the right side of her hair.
On a layer under the mouth layer, I used a soft round brush to paint a small shadow below her mouth. On a new layer above the other clothing layers, I used a small soft round brush in a darker shade than her clothes to paint a shadow along the buttoned edge of her shirt. I used the eraser to get rid of any color that spilled onto the top layer of the shirt. I used a soft round brush of the same color to paint shadows in the arm creases of her shirt. On a new layer just below the shirt shape layer, I used a darker blue soft round brush to paint a shadow cast by her shirt onto her pants.
On a new layer just above the background color layer, I used the Vector tool to create a shape for a shadow cast by the figure onto the “wall” behind her. Then on a new layer above all the other layers, I used a soft round brush to paint sunbeams coming from the upper right corner of the canvas. I saved the image to my camera roll.
I opened the image in Elasticam. I narrowed her nose and I made her eyes smaller. I also corrected the shape of her chin.
I opened the image in iColorama and I used Form/Crop to crop from the top of the canvas.
I used two different presets under Adjust/Tonelab at low opacity for tonal separation. I used Adjust/High at low opacity to enhance the highlights, and I used Effect/Glow at low opacity for a bit of smoothness and contrast. I used Adjust/Levels for more contrast.
I used Effect/Raise preset 1 at low opacity for some definition.
I used Style/Tensor preset 6, using the same image as secondary image, at full amount and low opacity. I find this sometimes gives some contrast and depth.
I used a preset under Texture/Vintage to add a fun set of dots to the background. I used a brush mask to keep the dots from the figure.
I again used a Effect/Glow at low opacity for some smoothness and enhanced highlights, and I used Adjust/Exposure to increase contrast, thereby enhancing the shadows (much as I often do with Adjust/Levels).
I used Form/crop to crop.
I used Preset/Border preset 7 and low opacity and high radius for a suggestion of a border effect.
I used Style/Water preset 1 at medium opacity. This has the effect of giving a paper texture, which also masks any banding or other artifacts introduced by the other iColorama steps. This Water step also gives the image a softer overall look.
She was looking a bit too dark, so I used Adjust/Levels to lighten her a bit while retaining the contrast.
