My first step is to visualize my ideas and compositions with making small rough sketches. I spend a lot of time in this process with talking much about it with people around me, doing web search and reading books. The first thing I finish is action. Then I decide angle and background.

As soon as I make few rough sketches with different ideas and angles, I start to search images for more specific ideas and sketches. Research is not just gathering images. It is a lot more than that. I always get so much inspired in this process from images, conversations, and media. So sometimes I go to the Photo Library, sometimes just find images or video clips on the web and sometimes go out to take pictures. I try to make references by my self because they have my own feelings in them.

Next step is picking a right one. If it is commissioned work, I discuss with art directors. Once I get only one rough sketch, I digitalize it with scanning to blow it up on Photoshop. Then I print it out in original drawing size and trace it on watercolor paper on the light box. After making more details on it, I do black ink drawing using watercolor brush. I usually do ink drawing by hand and finish the rest in Photoshop, because it’s easy to make revisions.

Now it is time for digital work. I scan the black & white ink drawing and change line colors, fill colors and apply textures in Photoshop. I use textures to add a natural look to my digitally finished work. My main texture source is usually watercolor, but I apply various textures in some pieces. I found that each texture serves a different role and helps to exaggerate a feeling I want to focus on.

At the end of the process I add shadow and apply lighting effect thinking that it looks like my original thought. Read Less