All Right, Because @babsvibes Asked Me How I Picked Colors For My Latest Thanksgiving Art Piece Yesterday,

All right, because @babsvibes asked me how I picked colors for my latest Thanksgiving art piece yesterday, I’ve decided to make an official walkthrough of how I do coloring/shading and lighting for my pieces!! This isn’t technically a tutorial, but maybe you can count it as one?? Take everything I say with a grain of salt, though, as I’m just a self-taught artist who still has a lot to learn!!

Usually, the way I start coloring is by taking a screenshot from the show and take the colors directly from there. Having a screenshot is also handy so I can use it as a reference! Is it cheating to take colors directly from the show?? Maybe, but I like doing it so so know the colors are exactly correct.

Using my latest piece of Bob and Gene eating Thanksgiving dinner together, I used this screenshot as both a reference and to take the colors:

Then, to do my shading, I take a shading brush in Procreate and paint in everywhere where there would be a shadow. I’ve trained my eye to look for places where I know light wouldn’t really touch, such as below an arm or neck or directly under a character’s hairline. Then, when I’m done, I just lower the opacity and pick a layer setting that looks the nicest to me. This is what my latest piece’s shadow layer ended up looking like (with the opacity turned up a bit):

Then, once I’m done with shading, I go on to lighting. I use a new technique now where I just paint in everywhere else (AKA everywhere I didn’t put in a shadow). I used to not even do lighting, because I found it complicated, but I feel it adds a nice touch to my pieces now. The way I do it is kind of tedious, but it’s what I’ve found I can help me understand lighting the easiest. Sometimes I also duplicate my lighting layer, use a Gaussian Blur, then turn the layer to “Add” to create a glowy effect. This glowy effect is usually reserved more for things like torches and flashlights, but I feel as if it gives my lighting an extra “oomph”. Here’s what my lighting layers looked like:

And to make my colors pop even more, I use my phone’s edit feature to go through the process of putting on a nice-looking filter and going insane with all of the features! I’ve found it has a really nice effect.

If I want to go even crazier (yes, I actually do this), I might go into this photo editing app I have on my computer and do even more messing around with filters and colors and the like.

It’s called Polarr Pro Photo Editor for anyone who’s curious!! I also put on my signature in here if I forgot to do it in Procreate.

But that is how I do my coloring and shading/lighting!! I’m still learning and I’m sure I’ll continue to improve. I definitely still have a lot to learn when it comes to shading and lighting!! There are honestly so many ways you can tackle this, so my method absolutely isn’t the end all be all!!

I even have a different technique for when I’m doing a simpler piece or just want some shading that has a lot more texture. I duplicate my color layer, lower the saturation, make a mask, and “paint in” the light really quickly with a super textured brush.

Here’s what it looks like before:

And here’s what it looks like after!

I actually find this technique a bit difficult because my brain works in shadows and finding where shadows would hit, so painting in the light is a challenge. But it can be fun too!!

If anyone has any techniques of their own, feel free to share them!!

So, a post @br1ghtestlight made a while ago bout Stephanie Beatriz voicing Chloe Barbash got me thinking about Encanto again, and how a while ago, I made an entire cover of We Don't Talk About Bruno where I voiced everyone.

Is it cursed because I voice everyone? Yes. Very. I'm honestly still not satisfied with some moments where I had to layer my voice to sound like a group singing together. But it is what it is.

But I had a lot of fun making it!

Here's a link to the lyrics for anyone who's hard of hearing or just wants to see 'em (even though I'm sure by now everyone knows the words!): https://genius.com/Carolina-gaitan-mauro-castillo-adassa-rhenzy-feliz-diane-guerrero-and-stephanie-beatriz-we-dont-talk-about-bruno-lyrics

Linda’s beautiful and talented younger sister Gayle Genarro.

My sister says I’m the Gayle to her and her partner’s Bob and Linda. I think she means it as an insult. We’re just out here living our spinster lives like queens and if some people can’t get that it’s on them.

[ID:

Digital fan art of Aunt Gayle from Bob’s Burgers. She looks towards the viewer smiling lopsidedly. She wears a green shirt and has a small pink heart next to her face. The portrait is framed by a light blue circle around Gayle’s face.

/end ID]

I commissioned @drawthething for this adorable art of the little burger babies! I just love these siblings 😭😭😭💜💜💜

I just saw the new episode (finally) and am absolutely obsessed with these screenshots of Gene:

Look at him, he’s so silly and cute 😭🥺

Everyone needs to hush up and appreciate my darling baby son for a moment 😌

Also, the way Big Bob won a giant gorilla for the kids without hesitation is the cutest and funniest thing ever. And he just carries it with him for the rest of the episode 😭

@br1ghtestlight has speculated that Bob is Neurodivergent because of Big Bob and this episode and this moment just confirms it. He’s very Autistic.

He looks so happy about getting the gorilla, it’s so adorable ;>;