How I work digitally (part 1)...

So I have been asked many times how I work. Currently I am working mainly in a digital capactiy on my iPadPro using Adobe's Photoshop for the iPad. I am in the process of migrating away from Adobe due to their support of Generative AI slop which is a betrayal to all artists everywhere.-Especially those like myself who have supported them since Art school. So as I was saying, when I start a drawing I usually create thumbnail sketches in blue at 300 dpi (so I can zoom in) in a new canvas in Photopshop. Thumbnails are small sketches of possible compositions for a given drawing.

Then, once I have decided which thumbnail I will develop into an illustration, I create a new blank canvas in Adobe Photoshop, usually at 11"x17" at 600 dpi in RGB. I then copy my thumbnail sketch from the previous file and paste it into the new canvas and enlarge it, making sure it fits in the canvas space. From there, I create a new sketch layer to further refine the sketch. Once I am happy with that, I create another layer on top. All of these layers are set to Multiply which makes them transparent. Then in my new layer I go to town adding detail and elaborating on the sketch while trying to keep its energy. Below is a current work in progress screenshot of my current Fantastic 4 fan art! You can see the sketch as well as the more refined sketch until you see the final line art in black...

Stay tuned for part 4 when this drawing will be completed and the coloring / digital painting begins!

Thanks for your time!

Josh Figueroa