"Team Blax - LaTonya" 2018
Part 2 - LaTonya Pedal Black
In my short novel Street Pedal Black - Episode III: Doppelgangin, the four freedom fighters lead by the titular character assume the name "Team Blax." I plan to draw all four in this style using Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.
The inspiration for creating this series stems from illustrator Stanley "Artgerm" Lau's monochrome "Street Fighter" character profiles. Each of the fighters in my book series can be easily identified by their signature colors, something I believe is important when introducing a group of action characters: the first point of interest in individual fandom and character development. "I like that purple one!"
I began the sketch on a simple 3inx3in notepad, looking in the mirror for a good pose. I then took a picture of it and added the details in Sketchable.
In Corel Painter, the sketch was set to Multiply blending mode, laid upon a dark grey plane, and then flattened into a single layer. Using the Detail Airbrush and Just Add Water blender, LaTonya's torso is rendered.
Her pants and arms are similarly rendered, being sure to remove the contour lines from the sketch. LaTonya's hair is first drawn with blobs of paint, and then strands are repeatedly overlaid to define the style.
Once the entire figure is complete, it's cut out from the gray background using a layer mask. A new layer is created underneath for hair strands coming from behind. They're drawn at this point due to the efficiency of adding to a clear layer as opposed to removing a background between thin lines.
Once the image is finished in Painter, it's transferred to Photoshop for effects rendering. A Curves adjustment layer increases the contrast and brightens specific areas. Then, a separate layer for color is clipped to the character. The purple looked best with the Soft Light blending mode, and the Dodge and Sponge tools were used to brighten and add saturation to the color. An inner glow effect to the body against a white background functions as ambient lighting as well as focus.
Street's picture and some minor graphic design are added to create the final poster, available in the Life Forever Shop. Steeler and X. Hoodo will have a similar poster, and then all four will be on a team poster.
Street Pedal Black © DeForrest / Life Forever
