Prehistoric ocean wip

Some days ago Ptr asked me some pieces of information about the working process of 'Prehistoric ocean', so I thought it could be nice to share with you all the principal step I took to have this final effect.

So here we go:

1) Layout and pencil drawing:

This is the most important part of my work: the part where I take my pencil, a piece of paper and sketch the idea first, and then I go on refining it till I have a result I am satisfied with:

2) Flat colours:

After I have scanned my illustration I start digital thinking: the first step is to clean up the image, erasing the excess of pencil's scratchs and to define the different areas I'll paint using flat colours:

(I'm sorry for the low quality image, but I just took a screenshot while I was working and don't have better resolution image of this step)

3) Changing outlines' colour and adding volume:

After I decide the colours of the different areas of the illustration I change the colour of the pencil outline into something more similar to the principal colour of every area. Then I use a colour at halfway between the outline new colour and the principal colour and a soft brush to levelout the colours and define the volumes:

 

4) Light and shadows:
Now I have my volumes setted, it's time to put some shadows and light on every element. I usually prefer to define the shadow with a colour (this time blue) using the same for every object in the picture. I draw the light then, it's a bit complicate because you have to use different methods for every different kind of surface: e.g. a stone does not reflect light as a fish's skin does.

5) Textures:
since the setting is ocean dept I tried to obtain a sort of 'sea wave effect', adding a texture:

Happy holidays!

Prehistoric ocean

Some months ago I was asked to provide some sketches to use as backclothes for the University Museum of my hometown. As always happens in this kind of job, some sketches of mine have been used and some others have been rejected.
The next one was one of the rejected ones. The original version consisted only in seaweeds, ammonites and the pliosaurus because the costumer was pretty specific about that, but, once I had my sketch rejected, I felt free to add some turtles and elasmosaurus (even if I'm not so sure elasmosaurus used to pack swim).

Today (well yesterday since it's 1 a.m. now) I was in need of something to digital paint just to keep on training and I decided to paint that old sketch.
Here there is the result:

 

Secret passage

And here there is the painted version, I hope you enjoy :)

Secret passage WIP

A little sketch made in some spare time moments; coming soon in painted version:

Dossier's cover and title

Some translation's revisal still to do, but our dossier is ready to go now. So it's time to unveil the title of our project. You can see it on the cover I and Sara made together.
The idea was to give te cover a look like some ancient papier with a touch of modern, we wanted to show all the main characters and the centre of our story that is the watch in the picture.
I hope you enjoy :)

By the way, there sill be another page sooner or later, so stay tuned ;)