Moonlight Stag - Process Breakdown

Finished Illustration

Completed digital illustration made in Clip Studio Paint.

Rough Sketch

A rough sketch figuring out what I want to include in the piece, and placement of large objects like trees and the stag. I wanted the moon to be framed by the stag’s antlers and the trees to frame the stag.

First Pass of Lines

A more detailed sketch using the rough sketch as a guide. Here I start figuring out texture and refining the characteristics and anatomy of the stag and trees.

Final Line Work

I drew over the last sketch with a textured pencil brush, but was more precise and all the elements are fully realized.

Initial Color

Here is the underlying color, I wanted to keep the piece overall pretty light, with the leaves and grasses in the front darker to aid in depth. More texture has been added to the trees, sky, and stag.

Finished Illustration

Using various color modes like Overlay, Screen, and Vivid Light, I alter the color using layers on top of the previous layers. This is where I push the color palette and decided on a light blue moon and antlers as the central focal point with the cool dark trees towards the top and darker grasses towards the bottom.

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