Kawaii Schoolgirl- Let’s Go to School!
Many hours of browsing around Deviantart have inspired me to buy a tablet and start creating digital art. So I did a quick Google search for “kawaii” because I wanted to start with something simple, and came across this image on flickr:Â http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7169/6415819323_3d1299be11_o.jpg
And tada! Below is my reproduction via Photoshop:
It’s a simple drawing, but it took longer than it probably should have. That’s because a) I’m a slow worker and b) I’m a perfectionist (gotta get those smooth curves!). The most difficult part of this drawing was definitely just trying to get smooth curves, for the line art AND for the shading/coloring. My friend suggested changing brush settings, and that’s when I realized I was using the pencil tool instead of the brush tool *flails arms helplessly* Using the brush instead of the pencil helped tremendously (it’s so magical! a big thank you to my friend, who knows who she is). Having multiple layers also helped a lot- I can only imagine how many layers I’ll use when I start more complicated pieces *sighs*
The Japanese characters in the top left read “Let’s go to school,” and the characters at the bottom are just the date. Note to self: practice writing on the tablet.
I must say I thoroughly enjoy having the power to undo my steps, hide layers, and erase without residue. Bamboo tablet and Photoshop, where have you been my entire life? One thing I noticed upon closer inspection was that my pen nib sustained more erosion than I expected *teardrop* I probably held the pen at an awkward angle while sketching and trying to make smooth curves (darn you, pencil tool, pretending to be the brush tool). I see I will need to invest in more pen nibs.
I wonder if I should continue reproducing work or dive into creating my own designs. I foresee many more hours of drawing in the near future. Expect something new soon!
