I have completed 4 illustrations in the food series. When I drew them, they were all the foods I wanted to eat. Many of the details were rough and the shapes were uneven. Many times, I have absolutely no confidence in my paintings and feel that I have not made any progress. However, a few days ago, these paintings were accidentally recommended to the homepage by the official operation of Maimai. I am surprised and grateful that my paintings can be recommended by others. Definitely, I am really happy, and I have the motivation to continue painting, so I decided to do a review after finishing each series and share it with friends who love painting. I also think about what I still lack, and I hope that I can Make progress together with friends who like to draw.

1. Painting process

Painting tools: computer PS, hand-drawn tablet

Brush: hard edge pressure opacity (line drawing), soft oil crayon (coloring), fine chalk and chalk (projection texture)

2. Sharing of ideas

This series of paintings are all about food, which is what I like to eat, so what are I painting? I did not spend too much time and found a lot of related materials, taking one of them as an example.

Because the painting was about ramen, I found ramen-related side dishes and some fruits, replaced the elements in the original picture, and then combined and arranged them. The composition of this series is from a top-down perspective. , so when looking for materials, I tried my best to find pictures with the same perspective; for color matching, I found an ice cream color card on the petal website. I thought it was very small and refreshing. At first, I absorbed its color, but found that the color was too light, and then I also think that when people find this food delicious in daily life, the first thing they see is the color. The brighter the color of the food, the more people will want to eat it, so I chose colors with high brightness and high saturation. After matching, the final effect is not bad.

The few elements to complete an illustration are nothing more than: composition reference, character or object reference, color matching reference, plus your own understanding and control of the picture, which is the reference of technique. In the illustrations, these are all mutually exclusive, and every step must be taken seriously.

3. Personal insights

Drawing illustrations is often closely related to our lives. Many references come from our lives. Observe the things around you and draw them. Just keep it in your mind, just have an impression; also bring a small notebook with you at all times to record your inspiration. Since I started working as a full-time illustrator, I would subconsciously think about their decoration style, color matching, placement of objects, etc. when I pass by a good-looking storefront or flower shop, so that I can have a deep understanding of the things around me. You can also exercise your thinking, observe life, and observe the world. You will re-examine your relationship with the world, and then find your own illustration language.

When I first started learning illustration, I would always unknowingly lead myself into a dead end. When I saw other people’s good drawings, I would always compare them and wonder why I didn’t make any progress. This kind of mood can easily put oneself on the edge of collapse, and it is also easy to give up painting. Later, I gradually understood that everyone’s starting point and rhythm are different. We only need to compare with ourselves, as long as we compare with yesterday’s I have made some progress, which is also a great encouragement.

The meaning of painting itself is not to compare with others. This process is a process of dialogue with oneself. Being yourself is also a rare happiness in life

Finally, I hope to be able to work with friends who like painting. Grow up together. If you like it, please leave a like

My Weibo: Xuan Xiaoyi