"Chili Dawgz" and the process behind it (Patreon)

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Hi everyone! I'm excited to share the process behind my latest NSFW fanart piece, "Chili Dawgz." This illustration features Sonic in an intimate moment with Shadow, capturing a scene that's both sensual and emotive. My goal was to create an artwork that connects and feels more intimate for the viewer. To achieve this, I paid special attention to the lighting, aiming to enhance the mood and depth of the scene.

Conceptualising and Planning

To give you a glimpse into the initial stages of creating "Chili Dawgz," here's the sketch that started it all. For this piece, I decided to zoom in on the action rather than depict the characters' full bodies. By focusing on Sonic's bust and only part of Shadow's lower half, I aimed to invite viewers into the moment, making them feel like they're part of the scene. This also leaves Shadow's reaction up to interpretation, adding an element of mystery.

Sonic's gaze is directed straight at the viewer, not at Shadow. This choice adds a layer of intimacy, making the viewer feel connected to Sonic's experience. His expression is neutral, allowing for multiple interpretations beyond the typical "bedroom eyes." I've always enjoyed drawing characters with half-lidded eyes for this reason—it adds subtlety and invites viewers to project their own emotions onto the scene.

In terms of composition, I wanted the bedroom window to be slightly off-centre in the background. This not only serves as an interesting light source but also frames Sonic's face effectively. To balance the composition, I positioned Sonic's arm at a right angle. This helps frame the bottom part of the artwork and balances the straight lines of the window and curtain with the curved lines of the characters and their actions.

Lineart

For the lineart stage I chose to render the piece in a more complex way than my usual cel-shading style. As a result, I didn't emphasise line weight as much as I normally would, knowing that the lines would be blended into the rendering later on.

To create the lineart, I used a modified version of Procreate's "Gesinki Ink" brush, adjusting it to be completely opaque. This allowed me to achieve clean and solid lines, providing a strong foundation for the detailed rendering that would follow.

Flatting and Choosing Colours

Once the lineart was complete, I moved on to flatting and selecting colours.

To create visual contrast and highlight Sonic, who is primarily blue, I chose warm colours for the background. According to colour theory, warm colours (such as yellows and oranges) stand out against cooler tones, making Sonic’s blue figure more prominent and dynamic. The yellow lighting not only balances the composition but also adds a sense of warmth that enhances the overall mood of the piece.

Sonic's striking green eyes are meant to be the focal point of the illustration. To ensure that his eyes capture the viewer’s attention, I avoided using green elsewhere in the piece. This technique leverages the principle of colour contrast, where a specific colour is highlighted by the absence of the same hue in surrounding elements.

For the dramatic lighting effect, I added a multiply layer with a purple tint over the characters. Purple, being a cool colour, complements the warm background while also creating a subtle shift in tone that enhances depth and mood. This layer acts as a base for the dramatic lighting, providing a cohesive colour palette that amplifies the visual impact of the final render.

Getting Started on Rendering

When I begin the rendering process I start by laying down the shadows. I use two main colours for this stage: light blue and light red, applied in Multiply layer modes. These two colours are always essential in my rendering palette.

Here’s a breakdown of how I use these colours to build up the shading:

Light Blue Shadows: I start with harsh cell shading using a light blue colour. This technique involves placing shadows with hard edges to define the initial depth and form. Once the harsh shadows are in place, I add a soft pass using a large, soft-edged airbrush. This step involves gently sweeping over the edges of the characters to blend the shadows and create a more natural transition.

Light Red Shadows: Next, I add another Multiply layer with a light red colour above the blue shadows. This layer is used to refine the shading by adding softer edges and blending areas where the blue shadows have been applied. I mix both hard and soft edges with the red, but as a stylistic choice, I intentionally avoid covering all the blue areas where the darkest shadows are placed. This technique helps to give the impression of bounced light and adds depth to the scene.

By leaving some areas with only the blue shadows, I create a natural light bounce effect without having to manually add bounced light in a later stage. This approach not only saves time but also maintains a cohesive and dynamic lighting effect throughout the rendering.

Adding the Foundations for Light

With the shadows in place, I move on to establishing the foundations for the lighting using a light yellow from my rendering palette. This step is done in the Soft Light layer mode, which allows for a smoother integration of highlights into the overall composition.

Initial Highlights: I start by applying harsh, cel-shaded style highlights with the light yellow colour. These highlights are placed strategically to frame the characters rather than following the exact real-life light sources. This approach is intended to emphasise certain areas and enhance the visual focus of the piece, creating a more stylised and dramatic effect.

Lighting Direction: Even though I’m not aiming for photorealism, I still adhere to basic lighting direction principles to ensure that the highlights make sense within the context of the scene. This means that while the highlights may not be perfectly accurate, they are placed in a way that aligns with the overall lighting direction and adds to the piece’s visual cohesion.

This method helps in establishing a strong foundation for the lighting and setting the stage for further refinement in the rendering process.

Establishing the Background

With the character's lighting foundations in place, I turn my attention to the background. I find it more effective to make the character fit the lighting of the background rather than the other way around. This approach ensures a more cohesive look throughout the piece.

Background Colour and Lighting: For the background, I opt for a rough, simplified colouring approach. Since the background isn’t the focal point of the piece, the details are kept minimal to keep the viewer’s attention on Sonic's eyes. I add light to the background to match the overall lighting setup but avoid spending too much time on intricate details.

Blurring and Focus: To enhance the sense of depth and draw attention to the focal point, I apply a blur effect to the background. This creates the impression of a shallow depth of field, as if the background is out of focus from the camera. This technique helps to keep the emphasis on Sonic and his interaction, while still providing a contextually appropriate backdrop.

Throughout this stage, I frequently switch between rendering the background and adjusting the character’s lighting to ensure that everything blends seamlessly and maintains a unified visual style.

Rendering the Light on the Character

With the background established, I move on to refining the lighting on the character. This stage is crucial for enhancing the depth and visual impact of the piece.

Enhancing Light with Soft and Hard Edges: I begin by working with the light yellow on a Soft Light layer. I use a combination of hard and soft edges to refine and enhance the existing highlights I placed earlier. This step helps to bring more dimension to the character and integrates the lighting more naturally into the overall scene.

Adding Harsh Backlighting: Next, I use Procreate’s “Light Pen” brush to add harsh backlighting on the characters. This technique creates strong highlights and accentuates the edges, adding a dramatic effect and enhancing the three-dimensionality of the figures.

Details and Highlights: Continuing with the "Light Pen," I add details such as the impression of moisture on Sonic's tongue, droplets on Shadow's shaft, and bright highlights on Sonic's eyes. This brush is effective for creating sharp, defined highlights that add realism and draw attention to key elements. If the Light Pen is too harsh, I blend and erase the edges to soften the effect.

Focusing on the Center: Throughout this process, I consistently paint in details with a focus on the center of the piece. By keeping the details concentrated around the focal point, I try to guide the viewer's eye and ensure that the central elements, especially Sonic’s eyes, remain the primary focus of the artwork.

This step is all about fine-tuning the lighting and details to ensure that the characters and their interaction are vividly rendered and visually compelling.

Final Details to Finish the Piece

As I approach the final stages of rendering, I focus on adding the finishing touches that bring the artwork to life.

Blush and Flush Effects: I use an overlay layer with a dark orange colour to add subtle blush and flush effects. This is applied to areas such as Sonic’s cheeks, the tips of his ears, and Shadow’s shaft.

Reflections and Light Beams: To further enrich the scene, I add reflections in the eyes and light beams coming through the window.

Colouring the Lineart: For the final refinement of the lineart, I colour it by picking colours from the surrounding areas rather than matching them exactly. I use slightly darker or cooler hues to ensure the lineart stands out subtly without overpowering the overall composition. This approach helps to integrate the lines more naturally into the artwork while maintaining clarity.

Dust Particles: To give the impression of dust in the air, I add dust particles using a spray brush and apply a Gaussian blur. This effect adds an extra layer of atmosphere and realism, enhancing the scene’s depth and visual interest.

Manual Filtering and Colour Correction

To complete the piece, I move on to manual filtering and colour correction to give the artwork its final polish.

Gradient Map and Chromatic Aberration: I start by applying a custom gradient map to the entire piece. For this artwork, I chose the trans flag colours for a stylistic touch, because Sonic says "trans rights are human rights!" This gradient map is set to the "Colour" blending mode at 30% opacity. To add extra visual interest, I then apply a harsh Chromatic Aberration effect at around 20%, which introduces subtle colour fringing to the edges, enhancing the overall dynamic quality of the piece.

Perspective Blur: Next, I use Perspective Blur to simulate a depth of field effect. This involves copying the canvas and applying a blur to the edges while keeping Sonic’s face in sharp focus. This technique helps to create a sense of depth and emphasises the focal point of the artwork.

Adjusting Colours with Curves: On the same layer, I adjust the colours using the Curves option. I experiment with the curves until the colour balance looks pleasing to me. This step is more about personal taste and fine-tuning, rather than following a specific formula or technique.

Final Chromatic Aberration and Noise: Finally, I apply a subtle Chromatic Aberration effect once more to add a touch of depth. I finish by adding a small amount of Noise at 3% to give the piece a bit of texture and prevent it from looking too flat.

With these final adjustments, the artwork is complete, and every element is harmonised to create a visually engaging and cohesive piece.

The final piece can be viewed by clicking here. I hope you found this useful, let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions!