Zelda's Butt - Drawing Master Study + File. (Patreon)

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!

Time to break down and study the assets of one of my favorite gainers ever!

I'm attaching a "Color Yourself" version of this study in case you want to give it a go with my Lineart and Presets :D

The Drawings follow the steps, so feel free to read and then swipe through them all.

This was going to be a value study initially, but it ended up as a way to test harsh lightning, volume and finally, adding my style to the mix.

Step 1 - Nail down the Sketch

When it comes to quick studies, i usually put both my canvas and the reference roughly at the same size on the screen, that way, i can compare basic shapes directly with the reference.

I sometimes try to match my lineart to the original image placing it on top of the reference, not to trace, but to see what my eye is missing and skewing.

Then, i looked up Zelda references for her face and hair. Always use references.

Step 2 - Values and Shading

I personally really like to try and get the correct shapes and volume with just two values. I fill with a neutral grey the line. Then i use a preset of Rendering layers that usually work with my colors.

By adding a "Color" layer on top, i can easily get a 90% accurate grayscale image.

Step 3 - Halftone & Core Shadow

This is my favorite part. These two techniques allow you to add insane volume to whatever you're drawing, take a look.

I simply select my existing base shading (ctrl + click) and in another layer that has Hard Light do these "darker" shadows.

Step 4 - Light Map

This one's tricky, because it really depends on what kind of style your aiming for.

In this case, i wanted to appeal to realistic lightning. I selected my shadows again, then inverted the selected area, and used a soft airbrush to fill in the light.

Step 5 - Base Color & Hue

I started off with the Zelda palette i already had from a previous piece, and after filling the basic shapes, i realized some colors, like the skin tone, didn't match the current shadows.

That's where you gotta tweak either of those and play with color theory to make them appealing. I usually play with Complementary Contrast.

Step 6 - Hue Correction & Texture overlays

Once i tweak and match the shadows, i start playing with Correction layers and Gradient Maps. I advice strongly to learn how to use these, they exist in great variety both in Clip Studio and Ps.

In simple terms, these allow me tweak the contrast, warmth and highlights of the drawing with ease. I tend to saturate colors and make things pop with these.

I also add texture patterns that align with both my style and the og clothes.

Step 7 - Stylization

For the last step, after basically fixing the colors and feel, i felt like it was still too dull.

So here, you have to options, and none are incorrect. You can keep polishing the piece, adding more details to the rendering such as hair strands & clothing folds to go further with realism.

Or, you can start adding stylization that benefits the piece & the character.

I obviously chose the later, because Zelda's hair would be quite the challenge for realism, and i really enjoy adding highlights that give a cartoony volume. Which, also fits very well with the character.

That's all for now folks! Let me know if this was helpful.

This is usually my whole process, but i do change steps depending on my drawing presets. I don't use the same layers or textures with Cartoon ladies, as i would with Marvel Rivals ladies, for example. So, have fun, develop your eye and keep tweaking as you please! :D

Each new drawing equals a new skill, don't you forget that!