Mini tutorial #1 : Simple Shapes to Face Parts (Patreon)

ahem ahem hello class good morning afternoon evening midnight

This is for my besties who requested more explanation or slowed down version of making out something nice from simple shapes! 

You'll need:

• Your iPad
• Brush
• Blankies to get you comfy
• Water for hydration

What you'll learn from this tutorial:

• Turn simple shapes into face parts
• Be able to use this method to paint parts in different angles

Why should you try this?

• If you train your eyes to detecting the shapes in your references, you won't need to do the grid or tracing method. Nothing wrong with those though! It just saves time if you eyeball it!
• You'll also be able to paint ANY pose!! because everything on your reference is just a bunch of shapes!! 

Let's start, besties!

There are only 2 important things you really need to remember here

1. Observe the outline of your subject and turn it into the simplest shape you can think of!

2. Observe the surroundings/background/negative space of your subject. 

Let's apply that to this simple reference picture:

1. Observe the outline of your subject and turn it into a simple shape! It doesn't have to have the exact measures, it just needs to be the same shape! 

2. Color drop the base skin color

3. Observe the negative space! 

You can always use and adjust the space around it too to figure out the placement and improve the shape of your subject.

4. Now that you’re done with the main subject’s shape and space, you do the same to the details inside the mouth.

So now the inside of the mouth is the like the “subject” and the lips is the “negative space”. It's like you're starting with the bigger picture, then slowly going in for the details. 

Then like how i did with the negative space in #3, you can do lines like that to estimate the spaces. Also made the subject (inner mouth) into a simple shape!

5. So you made the inner mouth into the simplest shape, right? Do that with the teeth part too! And make sure that these simple shapes match the reference: 

6. Do the same to the lower half of the mouth! 

Reduce it into simple shapes, see the lil triangles?! 

7.  Refining the details! 

I started with the darker colors (shadows) and blended it with the actual lip color. 

Here's a post of how I do blending! 

Make a gradient on the inside of the mouth, to get a softer feel! Coz it's not just pitch black in there, sis. There's a shadow over that tongue. 

Also added a lighter pink around the lips to soften the feel, too hehe 

Do the teeth! Blend lips to the skin, this one is optional! I do this with all the lips I paint. I just like soft feels u kno

Also add the shadow below the lips since the light source is above it! 

Last part is the glossy highlights!!  I also added some color to the skin. Just me being extra.

That's it! it's super simple, right?! You can do this in 15 minutes!! 

Again! The key things here are MAKE OUT THE SIMPLEST SHAPES FROM YOUR SUBJECT and OBSERVE THE SURROUNDING SPACE. You don't need to do the exact measures but by doing this, you'll be able to capture the unique parts of the image.

now i gotta give this to you as a homework! Do the same shape method to this super simple lips reference! I know you can do it bestie. Upload it to our community section! 

I'll keep making mini tutorials like this, about using simple shapes to paint face parts! I'll do harder poses next time!

I'm really having fun doing these tutorials, frens! I hope you guys really get something from how I paint. 

I look forward to seeing you guys try this! (remember to upload on our community section hehe) Let me know if you have questions!